Abstract
River networks are among Earth’s most threatened hot-spots of biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services (e.g., supply drinking water and food, climate regulation) essential to sustaining human well-being. Climate change and increased human water use are causing more rivers and streams to dry, with devastating impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Currently, more than a half of the global river networks consist of drying channels, and these are expanding dramatically. However, drying river networks (DRNs) have received little attention from scientists and policy makers, and the public is unaware of their importance. Consequently, there is no effective integrated biodiversity conservation or ecosystem management strategy of DRNs. A multidisciplinary team of 25 experts from 11 countries in Europe, South America, China and the USA will build on EU efforts to assess the cascading effects of climate change on biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services of DRNs through changes in flow regimes and water use. DRYvER (DRYing riVER networks) will gather and upscale empirical and modelling data from nine focal DRNs (case studies) in Europe (EU) and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to develop a meta-system framework applicable to Europe and worldwide. It will also generate crucial knowledge-based strategies, tools and guidelines for economically-efficient adaptive management of DRNs. Working closely with stakeholders and end-users, DRYvER will co-develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts in DRNs, integrating hydrological, ecological (including nature-based solutions), socio-economic and policy perspectives. The end results of DRYvER will contribute to reaching the objectives of the Paris Agreement and placing Europe at the forefront of research on climate change.
Highlights
Drying River Networks (DRYvER) will explore at continental (EU, CELAC) and 9 strategically distributed focal drying river networks (DRNs) scales how aquatic biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services are directly and indirectly affected by increasing river drying under various climate change projections (WP1-WP4) at short- to long-term scales
Such vulnerability and the lack of understanding of the effects of drying on DRNs requires the involvement of 3 CELAC partners to test our approach in 3 focal DRNs located in biogeographically contrasting areas (Bolivia, Brazil and Ecuador) and in the long term to better understand and mitigate climate change impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services in South America
From a socio-economic perspective, DRYvER will overcome the epistemological limitations that have hampered valuing ecosystem services so far. This is to be done by placing the understanding of monetary and non-monetary benefits delivered by DRNs at the core of the process of establishing and depicting ecosystem services
Summary
The 2015 Paris Agreement stresses the need to protect biodiversity and secure the functional integrity of ecosystems, while fighting against climate change and adapting to its impacts. Aquatic communities, ecosystem functions and services are organised through local environmental constraints (e.g., physical habitat) and regional fluxes of organisms (i.e., dispersal) and resources (e.g., organic matter transport) These fluxes are deeply modified by climate change and increased human water use, which cause rivers and streams to dry up worldwide, including in Europe. Drying river networks (DRNs) are expanding in time and space, they have received little attention from scientists and policymakers, and the public is seemingly unaware of the importance of DRNs in supporting human well-being (Acuña et al 2014, Datry et al 2018a) This lack of knowledge prevents us from predicting how climate change will alter riverine drying patterns and affect their biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services and the consequences of such alterations for both nature and humans. The meta-system framework is relevant for DRNs due to their dendritic topology, their temporary fragmentation and the predominantly unidirectional flow of water, which simultaneously contribute to and constrain the exchange of matter and organisms at larger spatial scales
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