Water management outputs

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/113933

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Climate change impacts on flood pulse characteristics in the Barotse Floodplain, Zambia
(Journal Article, 2025-03-02) Mroz, E. J.; Smith, M. W.; Willis, T. D. M.; Trigg, M. A.; Malawo, H.; Chalo, C.; Sinkombo, M.; Thomas, C. J.
Tens of millions of livelihoods depend on floodplains, making them especially vulnerable to climate change. However, understanding how annual floods may change and impact local vulnerabilities remains limited. Daily precipitation and temperature projections were obtained from five CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) General Circulation Models in the Inter-Sectoral Model Inter-Comparison Project (ISIMIP). These were input into a coupled hydrological-hydraulic model of the Barotse Floodplain, Zambia to obtain data on flood pulse timing, duration, and magnitude. Future decades (2030s, 2050s, 2070s) under three Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs 1–2.6, 3–7.0, 5–8.5) were compared with baseline data from the 1990s and 2000s to assess the impact of climate change. Climatic indices were also correlated with flood pulse characteristics to assess whether a driver of changes could be determined. Future floodwaves in the Barotse showed reduced durations and magnitudes, and altered timings of flood rise and recession compared to baseline periods. These differences were significant in the mid-to far-future. Large areas of the floodplain experience 1-to-2 month reductions in inundation duration, and some areas experienced no inundation in a hydrological year for the first time. The northern Barotse Floodplain, western escarpment, and Luena Valley exhibit the greatest sensitivity to future changes. The Barotse Floodplain will become increasingly arid under all climate scenarios, exacerbating existing challenges for transhumance communities dependent on floods, who face periodic food insecurity, malnutrition, and limited healthcare access. Intensified drought conditions under future climate change will undermine the resilience of local livelihoods, reflecting broader vulnerabilities faced by floodplain-dependent communities globally.
Green water availability and water-limited crop yields under a changing climate in Ethiopia
(Journal Article, 2025-02-20) Wakjira, M. T.; Peleg, N.; Six, J.; Molnar, P.
Climate change is expected to influence future agricultural water availability, posing particular challenges in rainfed agricultural systems. This study aims to analyze the climatology of green water availability and water-limited attainable yield (AY) – the maximum crop yield achieved with available green water under optimal soil nutrient and crop management, considering four major cereal crops (teff, maize, sorghum, and wheat) produced in Ethiopia. An agrohydrological modeling framework was developed to simulate climatic–hydrological–crop interactions. The model was applied to a reference period (1981–2010) and a future period (2020–2099) under scenarios of low, intermediate, and high greenhouse gas emissions with the following aims: (i) evaluate the current green water availability and AY potential, (ii) assess their climate-driven changes, and (iii) analyze the sensitivity of changes in AY to changes in rainfall and atmospheric evaporative demand. With regional variations based on climatic regimes, the main growing season (Meher, May to September) has an average AY of 79 % of a fully irrigated potential yield, with an average soil moisture deficit of 29 % of moisture content at full water-holding capacity. AY of the short growing season (Belg, February to May) is, on average, 37 % of the potential yield, with a soil moisture deficit of 56 %. Under the future climate, Meher is expected to experience small changes in AY the range of ±5 %, with dominantly positive trends in the 2030s and decreases in the 2060s and 2080s, mainly driven by changes in the atmospheric evaporative demand due to rising temperatures. The Belg regions are expected to experience increased AY that is dominantly controlled by increases in rainfall. On the other hand, a substantial yield gap is identified between actual and water-limited yields. This points to the need for combining green water management practices with nutrient and tillage management, plant protection, and cultivar improvement to close the yield gaps and to build up the climate resilience of farmers.
Current status and views on the discharge of domestic wastewater to the environment in developing Asia
(Journal Article, 2025-01-25) Otaki, Y.; Otaki, M.; Do, Q. T. T.; Shibao, E.; Nagai, H.; Tokunaga, C.
A sufficient water supply is important for human health; however, it results in the generation of large amounts of domestic wastewater. This study aimed to determine the impact of domestic wastewater on the surrounding environment as well as residents' opinions on the issue. Domestic wastewater consists of blackwater (toilet wastewater) and greywater (miscellaneous domestic wastewater), each of which is discharged in different ways. Blackwater was treated using a septic tank, without the required desludging, despite policy goals, owing to a lack of awareness among residents as well as structural problems. However, the targeted septic tanks efficiently removed microbiological indicators. It is assumed that the larger capacity and tropical savanna climate, with consistently high temperatures, were beneficial for the treatment process. Greywater was discharged into public waters without any treatment and caused degradation of the waterside environment. More than 70% of respondents thought there was a problem with the canal that flows close to houses; however, there was variation in the awareness. It is necessary to reduce the greywater load from each household at the source as much as possible, and this goal requires residents to have an accurate understanding of greywater emissions.
Analyzing the impact of agricultural drought on meteorological drought within Pakistan’s Upper Indus, Kabul, and Jhelum River Basins
(Journal Article, 2025-02-27) Hussain, A.; Chang, J.; Hussain, A.; Kai, Z.; Yang, G.; Zhang, L.
Pakistan has experienced unpredictable drought conditions in recent years which affected the livelihood, therefore, it is imperative to understand the response of agricultural to meteorological drought and the natural influencing mechanisms. In this paper, the Mann-Kendall approach was employed to identify the mutation changes for long-term agricultural and meteorological drought conditions at annual and seasonal time scales Palmer drought severity index (scPDSI) and standard precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) during 1970–2016 in the upper Indus, Kabul and Jhelum River basins. The wavelet coherence is further used to assess the relationship between meteorological and agricultural drought and the large-scale mechanisms. The entire basin exhibited a substantial trend in agricultural drought at annual and seasonal scales, and abrupt changes appeared during 1973, 1983, 1993, 1997, 2003, and 2015. The 2001 drought showed a widespread significant extreme encompassing over 58% of its total area. The response time lag of agricultural drought to meteorological drought exhibits considerable seasonal variation, with quicker responses in winter and autumn and slower responses in summer, largely due to the buffering capacity of soils. The intermittent interannual signals appeared more robust over 8–16 months, whereas a significant coherence cycle of 64–128 months is dominant after mid-90s with IOD, ENSO, SOI, PDO, and NAO in the study area. The findings will help in formulating the future policies related to drought in the country for sustainable natural resources management.
Towards a just transition: unpacking the gender differences in household cleaner energy use
(Journal Article, 2025-02-25) Jayasinghe, M.; Best, R.; Selvanathan, E. A.; Selvanathan, S.
Energy transition intersects between many of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Lack of access to cleaner energy is a main concern of injustice in energy transition policy. Women, especially in developing countries, disproportionately endure the negative consequences of lack of access to cleaner energy particularly in relation to health, education and economic participation outcomes. This study, using four waves of Household Income and Expenditure survey data (2006/07, 2009/10, 2016 and 2019), examines the gender differences in domestic cleaner energy use in Sri Lanka, with a special emphasis on cleaner energy use gap across de-jure and de-facto female-headed households (FHHs). To provide deeper insights into gender differences in cleaner energy use, we utilise the Exogenous Switching Treatment Effect Regression (ESTER) estimation method and the Fairlie decomposition technique. The results indicate that significant differences exist between male-headed households (MHH) and FHH for cooking and lighting approaches among Sri Lankan households. MHH are less likely to use cleaner energy sources for cooking but more likely to use solid cooking fuel when headship-based heterogeneities are taken into consideration. The cleaner-cooking difference between MHH and FHH is most pronounced as assets grow. De-jure FHH are more likely than de-facto FHH to use transitional cooking.
From climate to conflict: unravelling multidimensional vulnerabilities of small-scale fisheries in the Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka
(Journal Article, 2025-01-06) Gunaratne, M. S.; Firdaus, R. B. R.; Sihivaitthasan, A. S.; Sarjiyanto, S.; Jaafar, M. H.
Vulnerability studies have often centered on climate change and catastrophic climatic events. Contrary to this trend, this study explores the multidimensional vulnerabilities faced by small-scale fisheries (SSFs) in the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka. We employed the Integrated Vulnerability Analysis for Sustainability (IVAS) Framework for this analysis. Data was collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. We analyzed our data following Reflexive Thematic Analysis using ATLAS.ti software and identified 15 vulnerability drivers across five domains specific to the local context, revealing that SSFs in the Jaffna peninsula are highly susceptible to multiple vulnerabilities. Notably, the analysis brought to light a previously uncharted domain of vulnerability stemming from the residual effects of civil war and the lingering root causes of ethnic conflict. However, the interplay between multiple drivers of vulnerabilities, spanning from societal to environmental factors, underscores the importance of adopting multidimensional approaches in vulnerability analysis and policy formulation. This study may be a pioneer of its kind, as the findings provide new insights into multidimensional vulnerability analysis while providing a comprehensive and holistic approach for future studies.
Complexity and interpretability in global change ecology
(Journal Article, 2025-03-20) Montoya, D.; Buron-Ugarte, A.; Chretien, L. T. S.; Christensen Garcia, C.; Granjel, R. R.; Holmes, M.; Huang, M.; Iglesias-Anciones, L.; Larretxi-Gallastegi, I.; Porras-Gomez, J.
Ecological systems are inherently complex. Global change- including the impacts of climate change- affects them in varied ways, and they respond in diverse forms. Any attempt to stem the current biodiversity crisis should account for this complexity while simultaneously reaching a general understanding of how ecological systems respond to global change. Here, we briefly introduce three axes of complexity in global change ecology and discuss how our approaches to understand it can be maximised.
Can solar-powered irrigation systems naturally meet crop water requirements? proof of concept from a case study in Sub-Saharan Africa
(Journal Article, 2025-01-29) Danso, E. O.; Dietzen, C.; Akortey, W.; Mensah, B. K. B.; Obour, P. B.; Nyasapoh, J. B. A.; Agyapong, E.; Ayayi, E. G.; Bonsu, N. O. O.; Adu, M. O.; Arthur, E.; Ulzen, J.; Atta-Darkwa, T.; Sabi, E. B.; Abenney-Mickson, S.; Andersen, M. N.
Irrigation scheduling is crucial for ensuring precise water delivery to crops. However, in many sub-Saharan African irrigation schemes, water is applied without considering crop water needs, resulting in low crop water productivity and low yields. Solar-powered irrigation systems can automatically meet these needs by utilizing solar radiation, which drives both evapotranspiration and solar panel power production for pumping. This study aimed to integrate irrigation scheduling into a solar-driven irrigation system and assess the impact of meteorological variables on reference evapotranspiration (ETo) in Ghana. A 50-watt solar panel powered a 12-V submersible pump, with a flow meter installed on the outlet pipe for hourly volume of water pumped (VWP) data readings. These data were used to examine correlations between solar radiation (Rs) and ETo, as well as between Rs and VWP. Partial correlation analyses were used to assess the relative influences of Rs, wind speed (U2), relative humidity (RH) and air temperature (Tair) on ETo across 10 locations in Ghana's agroecological zones. The study revealed a strong linear correlation between the hourly Rs and ETo (R2 > 0.9) and between the hourly Rs and VWP (R2 = 0.8). The VWP was sufficient to meet crop-water demand year-round. Solar radiation was consistently the primary meteorological factor influencing ETo in Ghana.
Navigating the challenges of a warmer climate: strategies for mitigating impacts and fostering resilience in India
(Journal Article, 2025-03-17) Ravindra, K.; Bhardwaj, S.; Gandhi, A. P.; Attri, S. D.; Mor, S.
The rising temperatures impact the environment, economy, public health, and global climate. This rise can be attributed to greenhouse gas emissions, urbanization, deforestation, and changes in oceanic currents. Higher temperatures pose a health risk and can result in dehydration and heat stroke while also affecting agricultural yields, aggravating water scarcity, increase in the frequency and intensity of hydroclimatic extreme weather events such as heatwaves, flooding, or droughts in different regions. Further, it can affect the construction, energy generation, and tourism industries. This paper highlights the fundamental factors behind the summer temperature rise in India and its impacts. The recommendations aim to improve the adaptation to the changes on individual and governmental levels. There is a need to encourage a carbon-neutral economy and tap into the resources for research and development of technologies. The paper also underscores the relationship between increased temperatures and the possibility of a pandemic in the future, as increased temperatures have the ability to change the pathogen behavior, and understanding the relationship between both is essential to formulate policies and future interventions.
The regional nature of circular bioeconomy: comparing the availability of residual biomass at national, regional and city level
(Journal Article, 2025-01-18) Guldemund, A.; Schungel, J.; Schebek, L.; Schaldach, R.; Zeller, V.
Circular bioeconomies aim to use biogenic resources efficiently, e.g. by utilizing residual biomass. The availability of residual biomass varies regionally and its utilization is regionally restricted. Accordingly, regions must handle different feedstock. Thus, knowledge on the availability of residual biomass is essential in regional bioeconomy planning. In this paper we present a new approach to quantify residual biomass. It is comprehensive regarding source sectors and residue categories, applicable at the regional level and based on openly available statistical data. We apply this approach to study the specific characteristics of urban regions, by presenting a German case study of a city, a metropolitan region and the national level. We calculate mass-based potentials, spatial densities and the temporal development. Exemplarily, our results show that metropolitan regions resemble the national average as residual biomass supplier while cities have significantly different characteristics. In cities, industry & trade was found to be the dominating source sector with extremely high spatial density of non-vegetation-related residues.
Water management optimization in agriculture: a digital model development
(Journal Article, 2024-11-24) Preite, L.; Solari, F.; Vignali, G.
Water scarcity is one of 21st century’s most pressing global issues. The anthropogenic pressure and climate change will be the main drivers of freshwater depletion in the coming decades. According to the FAO, the amount of water needed to support all human activities will be 20–30% higher by 2050. A closer look reveals how agriculture is a major contributor to water scarcity, with irrigation accounting for 70% of global water use. In this framework, the development of effective water management approaches is a key solution to turn the tide and change current patterns. Despite that, there still exists a gap in the scientific literature in the development and validation of innovative water management strategies using advanced technologies. This study aims to address this gap by developing a digital model of a real irrigation network able to accurately predict the water distribution across the network at different operating conditions. A living lab was used for the experimental activities, where a low-power wide-area network was used to acquire data from the system. For modeling purposes, the integration of the 1-D and 3-D simulation was leveraged to fluid-dynamically characterize all the components involved. The numerical model resulted to be accurate in predicting both pressure and velocity patterns (determination coefficient higher than 93%). The proposed model could be considered a starting point for the implementation of a digital twin to support agricultural water management in both the design and management of an irrigation network by defining the correct network configuration and detect anomalous conditions.
An Iot-based data analysis system: a case study on tomato cultivation under different irrigation regimes
(Journal Article, 2024-12-01) Galaverni, M.; Oddi, G.; Preite, L.; Belli, L.; Davoli, L.; Marchioni, I.; Rodolfi, M.; Solari; F.; Beghe, D.; Ganino, T.; Vignali, G.; Ferrari, G.
The exploitation of modern technologies in heterogeneous farming scenarios with different crops cultivation is nowadays an effective solution to implement the concept of Smart Agriculture (SA). Following this approach, in this study the tomato plants’ response to different irrigation regimes is investigated through the implementation of an Internet of Things (IoT)-oriented SA data collection and monitoring system. In particular, the experimentation is conducted on tomatoes grown at three different irrigation regimes: namely, at 100%, 60%, and 30% of the Italian irrigation recommendation service, denoted as Irriframe. The proposed platform, denoted as Agriware, is able to: (i) evaluate information from heterogeneous data sources, (ii) calculate agronomic indicators (e.g., Growing Degree Days, GDD), and (iii) monitor on-field parameters (e.g., water consumption). Different plant-related parameters have been collected to assess the response to water stress (e.g., Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD), chlorophyll content, fluorescence, and others), along with leaf color and final production evaluations. The obtained results show that the best irrigation regime, in terms of plant health and productivity, corresponds to 60% of Irriframe, allowing significant water savings for the cultivation.
Interoperability for ecosystem service assessments: why, how, who, and for whom?
(Journal Article, 2025-03-04) Bagstad, K. J.; Balbi, S.; Adamo, G.; Athanasiadis, I. N.; Affinito, F.; Willcock, S.; Magrach, A.; Hayashi, K.; Harmackova, Z. V.; Niamir, A.; Smets, B.; Buchhorn, M.; Drakou, E. G.; Alfieri, A.; Edens, B.; Morales, L. G.; Vari, A.; Sanz, M.-J.; Villa, F.
Despite continued, rapid growth in the literature, the fragmentation of information is a major barrier to more timely and credible ecosystem services (ES) assessments. A major reason for this fragmentation is the currently limited state of interoperability of ES data, models, and software. The FAIR Principles, a recent reformulation of long-standing open science goals, highlight the importance of making scientific knowledge Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. Critically, FAIR aims to make science more transparent and transferable by both people and computers. However, it is easier to make data and models findable and accessible through data and code repositories than to achieve interoperability and reusability. Achieving interoperability will require more consistent adherence to current technical best practices and, more critically, to build consensus about and consistently use semantics that can represent ES-relevant phenomena. Building on recent examples from major international initiatives for ES (IPBES, SEEA, GEO BON), we illustrate strategies to address interoperability, discuss their importance, and describe potential gains for individual researchers and practitioners and the field of ES. Although interoperability comes with many challenges, including greater scientific coordination than today’s status quo, it is technically achievable and offers potentially transformative advantages to ES assessments needed to mainstream their use by decision makers. Individuals and organizations active in ES research and practice can play critical roles in creating widespread interoperability and reusability of ES science. A representative community of practice targeting interoperability for ES would help advance these goals.
Global anthropogenic effects on meteorological—hydrological—soil moisture drought propagation: historical analysis and future projection
(Journal Article, 2025-01-28) Wang, S.; Huang, S.; Wang, C.; Zhang, X.; Wu, J.; Gulakhmadov, A.; Niyogi, D.; Chen, N.
Intensified anthropogenic activities in the 21st century have introduced profound and widespread impacts on drought dynamics and their propagation. However, the extent to which large-scale human-induced forces, such as greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and aerosols, influence the propagation of drought from meteorological to hydrological and soil moisture droughts at the global level remains insufficiently understood. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive quantitative analysis, integrating historical simulations of various anthropogenic and climatic drivers with future projections based on different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) from the CMIP6. Key features of drought propagation—such as propagation time, probability, and drought characteristics—were assessed across distinct historical and future scenarios to elucidate the anthropogenic influences. The findings indicate that human-driven forces, particularly GHG emissions, have significantly influenced both meteorological-hydrological and meteorological-soil moisture drought propagation. Notably, anthropogenic factors led to a general reduction in drought propagation time, with GHGs playing a dominant role. Furthermore, GHG emissions were found to markedly increase the probability, duration, and severity of propagated droughts, especially across northern North America, southern Africa, and northeastern Asia. Future projections reveal a slight decline in meteorological-hydrological drought propagation probability during 2015–2100, while meteorological-soil moisture drought propagation probability shows a pronounced upward trend. Additionally, our analysis underscores the critical role of global warming and vegetation changes in shaping drought propagation patterns. These results offer valuable insights for enhancing drought early warning systems in a changing climate.
Neural network approach for modeling future natural river flows: assessing climate change impacts on the Tagus River
(Journal Article, 2025-01-17) Fernandez-Novoa, D.; Soares, P. M.; Garcia-Feal, O.; Costoya, X.; Trigo, R. M.; Gomez-Gesteira, M.
Study region: Tagus River basin (Iberian Peninsula). Study focus: An innovative methodology is developed to analyze the impact of climate change on the hydrological cycle. Initially, natural river flow is reconstructed to address the challenge posed by river regulation, which complicates accurate hydrological modeling and can obscure the true impact of climate change. The Iber+ hydrodynamic model is applied to account for downstream reservoir contributions, which allows reversing their influence. Then, neural networks of varying configurations, with specific requirements such as data bucketing, are trained to replicate river flow utilizing recorded precipitation and temperature datasets, subjected to validation procedures. A multi-model ensemble is constructed to address uncertainties inherent in modeling future hydrological climate scenarios. This ensemble, supplied with climate model data, derives historical and projected river flows, allowing analysis of their temporal evolution. New hydrological insights for the region: The findings affirm the efficacy of the proposed methodology and reveal, for the considered high-risk SSP5–8.5 scenario, the intensification of the Tagus hydrological cycle. Within the inherent uncertainty of climate models, average ensemble outputs indicate a reduction of about −20 % in available water at the end of the century, especially critical during summer, with an almost 600 % rise in dry months. Average ensemble results also indicate an increase in flooding events, with extreme floods that currently have five-year frequency, projected to double by the century’s end.
Beyond threats, we need more information about action – how individuals see themselves (or not) in complex social-ecological systems
(Journal Article, 2025-03-07) Waters, Y.; Thompson, K.; Wilson, K.; Dean, A.
In the face of intersecting environmental crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, urgent action on all fronts is critical for a sustainable future. However, the complexity of these challenges can make it difficult for individuals to understand their role and identify meaningful actions. Little is known about how people perceive these interconnected social-ecological systems or their capacity to influence them. This study uses mental models to explore how individuals understand environmental threats and personal actions which can mitigate these threats within complex systems, using the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) as a case study. It also examines how communication approaches can shape these understandings. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Australian residents (n = 16) to elicit their mental models of environmental threats and actions in the context of the GBR. We also exposed participants to information highlighting either (i) part of the system, the impacts of climate change on the GBR, or (ii) multiple parts of the system (i.e., multiple interconnected threats such as water quality, overfishing etc.) to understand whether different information influenced existing mental models. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to assess participants’ existing mental models and the impact of the information presented. We found that while participants demonstrated a reasonable understanding of environmental threats, they lacked a strong understanding of actions to address them. Climate change information allowed some participants to identify new actions, but overall, both messages reinforced existing perspectives. Participants tended to perceive themselves as consumers within the system rather than agents of change. Insights from this study can guide policymakers in designing public communication strategies that build procedural knowledge and encourage the systems thinking needed to support the delivery of current environmental targets and initiatives.
Development of an eco-hydrological distance index and improved environmental flow assessment by integrating ecological monitoring and hydrological modeling
(Journal Article, 2025-02-27) Arrighi, C.; De Simone, M.; Checcucci, G.; Bonamini, I.; Bartalesi, S.; Simoncini, C.; Castelli, F.
Achieving a good ecological status for rivers is a primary goal under European water protection legislation, and establishing suitable environmental flows (e-flows) is key to reach this objective. Typically, statistical hydrologic methods are used to determine e-flows at the river basin district scale; however, these often overlook water quality and critical flow-ecology relationships, i.e., models linking streamflow and ecological responses. This study integrates ecological status monitoring data with hydrologic models to address the limitations of hydrological methods for e-flow assessment. The new method developed in this study enables a more precise definition of e-flow thresholds and the development of an eco-hydrological distance index (EHDI). The EHDI indicates how closely a river's flow aligns with ecological targets, taking into account catchment pressures. The methodology involves: (i) a water balance simulation using a distributed hydrological model that accounts for human impacts, (ii) regression models to establish good and bad e-flow thresholds based on monitored data, and (iii) the EHDI, which compares actual flow with these thresholds to identify rivers where further water abstraction should be restricted. The application across 11,000 river reaches in Tuscany, (Italy) reveals that many rivers approach the bad e-flow threshold in summer. Instead only a few rivers deviate significantly from ecological targets according to mean annual flow. The findings underscore that statistical-hydrologic methods alone fail to capture the complex dynamics between flow regimes and ecological status, especially under high human pressure. In fact, when human pressures on water quality are significant, the restoration of natural flows would not be enough to achieve ecological status objectives.
Is nano-management a sustainable solution for mitigation of climate change under the water-energy-food nexus?
(Journal Article, 2023-09-29) Sari, D.; Ferroudj, A.; David, S.; El-Ramady, H.; Abowaly, M.; Fawzy, Z. F.; Mansour, H.; Eid, Y.; Prokisch, J.
Natural resources are considered the main sources for our life, which include mainly resources of water, energy and food. Along with the explosion of global population, these previous resources under a serious threat that enforce all nations to double the productivity of fresh water, clean energy, and healthy food by more than 50-70%. These increases are not so easy to achieve particularly under climate change. Several approaches are proposed to mitigate the climate change under the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus especially applying nanomaterials (NMs). This review describes the evaluation and implementation of applying NMs under climate change seeks to remedy these problems by analyzing the literature of WEF nexus. The evidence that WEF nexus and climate change are associated with NMs is weak and inconclusive. What is not yet understood is the relative importance of the various factors that might support the global efforts to mitigate climate change and it environmental issues. Much of the available literature on WEF nexus deals with the question of what is the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on WEF resources, but What remains unclear is whether applied NMs is a true representation? The single most striking observation to emerge from the data comparison was several previous studies confirmed the importance of NMs for the environmental problems under certain doses. Thus far, a number of studies to explored the relationships between WEF nexus and climate change after applying NMs are needed. In view of all that has been mentioned so far, one may suppose that applied NMs are cruc
Stakeholder engagement to increase the impact of water technology case studies
(Journal Article, 2025-01-25) Perkis. A.; Mansilla, W. A.; Glotzbach, R.; Munaretto, S.; Rubini, A.; Gervasio, I.; Argo, A.; Gowda, D. V.
Successful uptake and acceptance of technologies and strategies for symbiotic solutions require active engagement of relevant stakeholder groups. By exchanging knowledge, developing ideas, and learning together, stakeholders contribute to innovative and sustainable water management solutions within industrial symbiosis. ULTIMATE fosters such engagement across its nine case studies (CS) through three approaches: eXtended Reality technologies for Immersive Media Experiences (IMX), Communities of Practice (CoPs), and Water-Oriented Living Labs (WOLLs). The IMX leverages a Place by Design Playbook to co-create tailored installations that represent CS experiences, augmented by synthetic overlays and gamification via an augmented reality app. CoPs, maintained as social learning systems, bring together experts and stakeholders to co-develop and support solutions. Meanwhile, WOLLs offer real-world environments to refine and test innovations, ensuring their relevance and adoption. Together, these approaches create a framework for fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainable practices in industrial symbiosis.
Local conservation action requires ethical investments in global digital equity
(Journal Article, 2024-12-26) Tabor. K. M.; Stavros, N.; Holland, M. B.
Satellite remote sensing is vital for monitoring anthropogenic changes and for alerting us to escalating environmental threats. With recent technological advances, a variety of satellite-based monitoring systems are available to aid conservation practitioners. Yet, documented knowledge of who uses near-real-time satellite-based monitoring and how these technologies are applied to inform conservation decisions is sparse. Through an online survey and semi-structured interviews, we explored how developers and users leverage conservation early-warning and alert systems (CEASs) for enhanced conservation decisions. Some 167 developers and users of near-real-time fire and forest monitoring systems from 40 countries participated in this study. Globally, respondents used 66 unique CEASs. The most common applications were for education and awareness, fire/disaster management and law enforcement. Respondents primarily used CEASs to enforce land-use policies and deter illegal activities, and they perceived these tools as underutilized for incentivizing policy compliance or conservation. Respondents experienced inequities regarding system access, exposure and ability to act upon alert information. More investments in capacity-building, resources and action plans are needed to better link information to action. Implementing recommendations from this research can help us to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of CEAS applications to unlock their powerful capabilities for achieving conservation goals.

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