Climate Demands Research Articles

Simulating Agricultural Water Recycling Using the APEX Model

Irrigation plays a vital role in many agricultural crop production regions. Drainage water recycling (DWR) is a popular irrigation water management system that collects excess water drained from cropland fields and stores it in on-site reservoirs for reuse. The efficacy of these systems varies by location, climate, irrigation frequency, and crop demands. Simulating this system would be beneficial for assessing the impact of water and land management practices on agriculture and natural resources. This study presents the development of computational algorithms for DWR simulation with the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model, along with the results for 39 testing sites where both reservoir and drainage systems are adopted. Simulating a DWR system with the revised reservoir module, the APEX model simulates irrigation water reuse ranging between 29% and 93%; sediment reduction of around 66%; nitrogen loss reduction of 23% and 73% for the mineral and organic forms, respectively; and phosphorus loss reduction of 22% and 79% for the soluble and sediment-transported forms, respectively. In conclusion, the results provided by the APEX model for sediment loss reduction align with field data, but discrepancies for nitrogen and phosphorus losses emerged from this test.

Multidisciplinarity in Geoscientific Research

The multidisciplinary approach of geoscientific research in the academic setting underscores the increasing necessity of integrating diverse fields of knowledge to tackle complex interconnected issues. This multidisciplinary field seeks to uncover the complex operations of the Earth, encompassing the analysis of its past movements of tectonic plates, historical climates, and valuable natural resources like minerals and hydrocarbons. In this context, geospatial intelligence plays a crucial role by enabling the effective analysis and interpretation of extensive geographic datasets, thus enhancing our understanding of environmental dynamics. Nevertheless, advancements in technology, globalization, and the difficulties posed by environmental and climatic transformations demand an even more profound collaboration among various disciplines, facilitating an expansive viewpoint and yielding more holistic solutions to contemporary predicaments.

Modeling for sustainable groundwater management: Interdependence and potential complementarity of process-based, data-driven and system dynamics approaches

Groundwater systems are vast natural water reservoirs used to support human water demands and ecosystem services. Various modeling approaches have been developed to help manage these complex highly-dynamic systems. This paper discusses the strengths and limitations of three modeling approaches, namely: process-based, data-driven and system dynamics modeling. For demonstration purposes, the three modeling approaches are applied to the Konya Closed Basin, a large agricultural region with semi-dry climate located in central Turkey. Process-based modeling is grounded in the theory-based representation of the governing processes but is somewhat limited by the computational effort and the difficulty of defining the required input parameters that characterize the heterogeneous aquifer system. Process-based models are shown to be powerful tools for resource management purposes provided climatic and water demand scenarios are accurately defined. Data-driven models are efficient tools for the management of groundwater resources but are highly dependent on the availability of large training data sets encompassing the spectrum of possible system responses. The high efficiency of surrogate modeling approaches makes them ideal tools for incorporation into applications such as real-time decision support systems and digital twin platforms. System dynamics modeling examines the groundwater exploitation problem within a socio-economic context that involves multiple stakeholders and their decision making. It combines groundwater flow models with socio-economics and endogenous decision rules to conduct scenario analysis and support policy development. The analyses and model demonstrations presented in this paper underscore the interconnectedness and complementarity of these three modeling approaches and the need for more integrated use of these modeling approaches for enhanced multi-sectoral management of groundwater systems.

A Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of Electricity and Hydrogen Production in Hybrid Solar-Wind Energy Park. The Case Study of Tunisian Sahel

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential for integrating renewable energy sources to meet the growing electricity and hydrogen demand in the Tunisian Sahel region, focusing particularly on solar and wind energies. The feasibility of installing a hybrid solar-wind energy system capable of producing both electricity and hydrogen is evaluated. With the help of the available solar and wind resources combined, the system not only generates electric power, but also produces hydrogen gas through electrolyzation, hence offering a multipurpose solution in terms of storage and supply. This flexibility is crucial due to the variability of renewable resources, which change daily and seasonally. The paper outlines the optimization process for designing the hybrid system deploying HOMER Pro software, according to local climatic conditions and demand profiles. The economic analysis reveals that the system can produce an average of 101.8 kg of hydrogen daily with a total photovoltaic capacity of 3,000 kWp, resulting in a project net cost estimation of approximately 5,494,912 euros. This analysis provides valuable insights for stakeholders considering similar projects, including the costs associated with photovoltaic systems, electrolyzers, and hydrogen storage solutions.

Patterns and drivers of atmospheric nitrogen deposition retention in global forests.

Forests are the largest carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystems, and the impact of nitrogen (N) deposition on this carbon sink depends on the fate of external N inputs. However, the patterns and driving factors of N retention in different forest compartments remain elusive. In this study, we synthesized 408 observations from global forest 15N tracer experiments to reveal the variation and underlying mechanisms of 15N retention in plants and soils. The results showed that the average total ecosystem 15N retention in global forests was 63.04 ± 1.23%, with the soil pool being the main N sink (45.76 ± 1.29%). Plants absorbed 17.28 ± 0.83% of 15N, with more allocated to leaves (5.83 ± 0.63%) and roots (5.84 ± 0.44%). In subtropical and tropical forests, 15N was mainly absorbed by plants and mineral soils, while the organic soil layer in temperate forests retained more 15N. Additionally, forests retained more than , primarily due to the stronger capacity of the organic soil layer to retain . The mechanisms of 15N retention varied among ecosystem compartments, with total ecosystem 15N retention affected by N deposition. Plant 15N retention was influenced by vegetative and microbial nutrient demands, while soil 15N retention was regulated by climate factors and soil nutrient supply. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of climate and nutrient supply and demand in regulating forest N retention and provides data to further explore the impacts of N deposition on forest carbon sequestration.

The challenge of closing the climate adaptation gap for water supply utilities

Many drinking water utilities face immense challenges in supplying sustainable, drought-resilient services to households. Here we propose a quantified framework to perform drought risk analysis on ~5600 potable water supply utilities and evaluate the benefit of adaptation actions. We identify global hotspots of present-day and mid-century drought risk under future scenarios of climate change and demand growth (namely, SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0, SSP5-8.5). We estimate the mean rate of unsustainable or disrupted utility supply at 15% (interquartile range, 0–26%) and project a global increase in risk of between 30–45% under future scenarios. Implementing the most cost-effective adaptation action identified per utility would mitigate additional future risk by 75–80%. However, implementing the subset of cost-effective options that generate sufficient tariff revenue to provide a benefit-cost ratio that is greater than 1 would only achieve 5–20% of this benefit. The results underline the challenge of attracting the financing required to close the climate adaptation gap for water supply utilities.

A multi-objective optimization-based framework for extending reservoir service life in a changing world

Reservoirs are an essential component of water resources systems, improving water supply reliability and security. With long-term climate and water demand changes, the performance of reservoirs may deteriorate, necessitating interventions such as infrastructure upgrades and/or water demand management. These interventions often require substantial financial investment, have long implementation time or impede economic development. Therefore, a more cost-effective and less disruptive alternative is needed to extend the service life of existing reservoir systems. Adapting reservoir operation policies to cater for future changes is such an alternative. By adapting reservoir operation policies to future water availability and demand changes, the capacity of existing systems can be fully utilized to avoid or postpone more expensive and disruptive interventions. However, there is a lack of an integrated framework for estimating the potential of service life extension by re-optimizing operation policies to cater to uncertain changes in future conditions. In this study, we develop a multi-objective optimization-based framework to allow operation policies to adapt to uncertain future changes in water availability and demand by optimizing operation policies for a range of plausible future conditions, thus enabling the service life of existing reservoir systems to be maximized albeit uncertainty in future changes. The developed framework is demonstrated using a reservoir system in Northern Australia. Results show that the service life of the reservoir can be extended by up to 40 years considering uncertain future water availability and demand. In addition, significant changes in operation policies and system responses with time are identified, providing valuable information for developing long-term reservoir planning strategies.

Navigating complexity: looking at the potential contribution of a boundary organisation in Portugal to evidence-informed policy

Governments deal increasingly with multidimensional problems involving high levels of complexity. These so-called wicked problems, such as climate change, demand coordinated and coherent government action, as well as multi-stakeholder approaches. Boundary Organisations (BO), working at the knowledge-interface of the science–policy–society nexus may contribute substantially to both ends. This paper considers the potential contribution of the recently created Competence Centre for Planning, Policy, and Foresight of the Public Administration (PlanAPP), a Portuguese BO at the centre of government, to evidence-informed policy. To this goal, we focus on two streams of literature, Policy Coordination and Coherence (PCC) and Knowledge Governance (KG). An analytical framework with two dimensions is proposed: the first dimension considers if and how PlanAPP engages in boundary work; the second dimension looks at the activities that PlanAPP implements and their potential for PCC and KG. Our results support the idea that PlanAPP is promoting work on the knowledge-interface for public policy, with the potential to become a main player in supporting governments to address policy issues, including wicked problems, whilst potentially triggering a shift to knowledge governance in Portugal’s public administration. Nevertheless, PlanAPP could further intensify boundary activities, especially by increasing civil society participation and producing shared outputs that all actors involved recognise as legitimate, increasing trust in policy and institutions. This study’s methodology may be replicated to improve understanding of BOs and their contribution to policymaking in other contexts.

Haze Pollution, Climate Risk Perception and Demand for Commercial Health Insurance

Haze pollution not only affects the quality of economic growth and the image of the government, but also seriously affects public health. With the improvement of climate risk perception, the public is actively seeking all kinds of risk management measures to combat the hazards of haze pollution. The study of the relationship between haze pollution, climate risk perception and the development of commercial health insurance is of great significance to the formulation of haze control policies and the improvement of social security system. This paper attempts to explore the relationship between haze pollution, climate risk perception and commercial health insurance demand by establishing static and dynamic models based on panel data from 31 provinces in China from 2005 to 2022. Also, the spatial spillover effects of haze pollution in different regions on the development of commercial health insurance in other regions are investigated by establishing a spatial Durbin model. It is found that (1) haze pollution has a lagged positive effect on the demand for commercial health insurance; (2) haze pollution has a significant spatial spillover effect on the development of commercial health insurance; (3) this study used Python technology to construct a climate risk perception index, and found that the moderating effect of the residents’ perception of climate risk existed significantly, and that the residents might take other measures to manage the risk in the short term, but in the long term, the climate risk perception showed a positive correlation with the level of education. This paper provides implications for government departments and social media to strengthen education and publicity, improve residents’ awareness of risk diversification, and deepen the concept of commercial health protection.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFECTS ON FRESHWATER ABSTRACTION FROM THE EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

Water scarcity is a growing concern across the globe due to climate change and demands for increased economic development. This paper analyses the relationship between economic development and freshwater abstraction in order to investigate its European impact. The analysis focuses on a total of 19 European countries, including 18 EU member states and one candidate, from 2007 to 2018. Using a panel dataset, the impact of a diverse selection of indicators of economic development (per capita GDP, the Human Development Index - HDI, water productivity and volume of international trade) on freshwater abstraction, our analysis finds that all explanatory variables are significant for cross-country variations except for international trade. To maintain scope, the analysis is limited to economicdevelopment indicators themselves, excluding the effects of climate change and the availability of water resources.

Evaluation of surface water supply impacts from permit exemptions: A comparison with climate change and demand growth

AbstractMany states in the Eastern U.S. have limited water withdrawal regulations, posing significant risks to water supply management during periods of low flows. While these states require water withdrawal permits, exemptions for grandfathered withdrawals that allow unregulated access to surface water are common. Such permit exemptions present a challenge to water supply management, as full utilization of allowable withdrawals by permit‐exempt users could pose risks to maintaining adequate water supplies for current and projected demand. This study used reported permit exemption data in Virginia to understand the extent, volume, and potential impact of permit‐exempt withdrawals on 30‐ and 90‐day low flows. The permit‐exempt withdrawal values used in this study were obtained from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Maximum permit‐exempt withdrawal volumes were significantly higher than projected future demands in permitted users. The impacts of these withdrawals on drought flows were compared with the impacts presented by climate change and demand growth. Widespread reduction in flows was observed with the “dry” future climate change scenario, while impacts were more localized in the exempt users and the demand growth scenarios. The impacts of exempt users exceeded the impact of climate change and demand growth scenarios in many regions during low‐flow periods. Therefore, more comprehensive water planning, policy and research is needed to address the impact of permit exemptions.

WATER MANGEMENT IN SOCIAL HOUSING, STRETEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE USE

Water is considered as a finite resource, in this context, studies suggest that by 2050, one in four people in the world will be affected by problems related to water service. In Ecuador, there is an alarming problem concerning the lack of awareness in the efficient use of water, since the daily consumption of liters per capita is 237 liters, which doubles the consumption recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and 40% higher than the regional average. The Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 11 aim to achieve universal and equitable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services by 2030. This research aims to propose sustainable strategies to optimize the use of water in single-family homes of social interest based on the results of the Ciudad Victoria, Loja-Ecuador housing complex. It was developed in four phases: climate data collection, satisfaction and demand surveys, housing characterization, data tabulation to propose strategies validated in water demand scenarios using CYPECAD MEP software. Data are obtained on the consumption of water used for household chores and 310-liter sanitary appliances, exceeding the 100-liter recommendation stated by the WHO. In this study, the data was alarming as households experience water supply interruptions throughout the year, and they lack reserve systems. Implemented strategies enabled a reduction in water consumption of between 30% and 50% per household.

Reviewing Planetary Health in light of Research Directions in One Health

Abstract Climate change significantly impacts our planet’s health, ecosystems, plants, animals and humans, increasing extreme weather events and the incidence and prevalence of infectious diseases, including zoonotic diseases. We reviewed the environmental changes affecting human, animal, and planetary health and conducted a bibliometric analysis from 2012-22 that included these components. We identified 448 publications published on the topic throughout that period. Then, we reflected on the Research Directions question: How can we improve and facilitate multi-sectoral collaboration in warning and response systems for infectious diseases and natural hazards to account for their drivers, interdependencies, and cascading impacts? The bibliometric analysis of planetary health has shown increasing interest among researchers since 2017, peaking in 2022. Lancet Planetary Health was the journal with more published articles; The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was the best-placed institution, and The United States led in topic-related publications. On the other hand, the climatic and pandemic global environmental crises demand fostered surveillance, which should concentrate on the drivers of disease, giving signals that account for human and animal health and environmental degradation. In response to global crises, higher education curricula should integrate One Health and Planetary Health approaches to achieve transdisciplinary thinking, allowing transcend knowledge, research and observation into action.

European climate policy for decarbonization: State of the art

This paper aims to analyse European climate policy's state of the art concerning the urgent need to decarbonize society and the economy and meet pressing climate demands. Decarbonization refers to the progressive reduction of the carbon-to-hydrogen ratio within energy sources. The primary objective consists of a gradual transition to sustainable economic less polluting development models. The Paris Agreement (2015) highlighted the need to take concrete and timely action to prevent the planet's already precarious balance from definitively collapsing. This paper analyses the main strategies that the European Union has conducted to take an active part in the decarbonization project by critically highlighting the challenges and opportunities that await us in the future.

Disclosing the effects of climate, land use, and water demand as drivers of hydrological trends in a Mediterranean river basin

Mediterranean basins face significant water scarcity which demands examining long-term data to prospect their trends in water availability and quality. This study focuses on The Onyar River (Inner Catalan basins, NE Spain), to explore its historical streamflow changes, the influencing climatic and land-use factors, and the consequential impacts on water quality. We analyse key hydro-climatic variables—streamflow, precipitation, temperature, and evapotranspiration (both PET and AET)— across a 60-year span (1960 -2020) and their relationship with recent stream water chemistry data (2007-2020). We compare these patterns to the changes in land use, and to the variations in water demand according to urban use, livestock, and crop production estimates. Our findings highlight a consistent decline in streamflow, most pronounced over the last two decades, accompanied by an increase in PET, and a probable decrease in groundwater recharge. Notably, these changes co-occurred with higher concentrations of river water ammonium and nitrate. We attribute these patterns to changes in land use such as afforestation and intensive fertilization, as well as increased groundwater withdrawal, particularly during irrigation seasons. Additional factors include growing urban water demand and the discharges of treated wastewater back into the river system. This study offers a comprehensive overview of the declining water quantity and quality in the Onyar River, attributing these trends to an interplay of climatic and anthropogenic factors. The findings underscore the need for integrated water resource management strategies to mitigate the implications of these changes.

Allyship in the university setting: supporting women's success

PurposeThe lack of progress toward equity in the U.S. is evident across many spheres of society, academia notwithstanding. Women academicians, in particular, face many barriers that prevent them from advancing–including a continued unsupportive climate, competing work and family demands, and interpersonal discrimination. This paper reflects on a collaborative research effort in the United States to enhance allyship for women in academia.Design/methodology/approachThe authors partnered with a major university to hold ally training for department chairs during a university-wide department chair meeting. The authors developed a methodology for creating and implementing training content using a focus-group-based training needs analysis and a diversity science grounded approach to allyship training. The authors followed this up with surveys to assess impact.FindingsParticipants indicated that they learned from the training, but participation in follow-up data collection was limited, hampering the ability to conduct rigorous quantitative analyses around intervention impact.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the sample size may have been too limited to detect effects, the current study provides an approach that furthers the way in which researchers and practitioners can better assess the impact of allyship to women academicians.Practical implicationsPublished research on allies is very limited. The current research examines allies in the context of helping women in academia.Originality/valueDespite widespread recognition of the importance of first-line supervisors in support of diversity, limited intervention designs are available. The authors add to the extant literature on diversity interventions, while highlighting barriers to rigorous intervention evaluation.

The Cause of Negative CO2 Forcing at the Top‐Of‐Atmosphere: The Role of Stratospheric Versus Tropospheric Temperature Inversions

AbstractIncreasing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere usually reduces Earth's outgoing longwave radiation (OLR). The unusual case of Antarctica, where CO2 enhances OLR and implies a negative forcing, has previously been explained by the strong near‐surface inversion or extremely low surface temperature. However, negative forcing can occasionally be found in the Arctic and tropics where neither of these explanations applies. Here, we examine the changes in infrared opacity from CO2 doubling in these low or negative forcing climate states, which shows the predominant role of the stratospheric contribution to the broadband forcing. Negative forcing in today's climate demands a combination of strong negative forcing caused by a steep stratospheric temperature inversion and a weaker positive forcing in the atmospheric window, which can be caused by a low surface temperature or a strong high cloud masking effect. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the near‐surface inversion has little impact on the forcing.

Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Yield of “Dual‐Priority” Water Rights in Carryover Systems at Catchment Scale

AbstractFuture water availability is threatened by changes in both climate and water demand. Water rights with differing priorities are an important foundation of demand‐side tools (e.g., buyback, water pricing, and water market) to improve water use efficiency and reduce water scarcity, especially in highly regulated river systems. This paper assesses the impact of climate change on water yields from carryover storage with dual‐priority (high/low) water rights allocation systems using a simple and rapid analytical method. The method characterizes reservoir inflows using readily available flow characteristics (annual mean and Cv). We evaluate this method against a water resource simulation model in the Goulburn River basin, Australia. In general, our analytical “dual‐priority” Gould‐Dincer model reproduces water allocation estimates from the simulation model. We further demonstrate this method across 12 Australian catchments to investigate the climate change impact on “dual‐priority” water rights yield at the catchment scale. The hydrological projections show decreasing mean annual runoff and increasing annual runoff variability, except for some catchments in northern Australia. Water yield for high‐priority water rights (HPWRs) and low‐priority water rights (LPWRs) decreases for most catchments except for some catchments in northern Australia. South Dandalup in the 2070s (RCP8.5) shows the largest percentage decrease in HPWR and LPWR yield (about −53.53% and −56.81%, respectively). Our results show that changes in mean annual inflow have a more significant influence on water yield of HPWR and LPWR than Cv. Overall, the simple method provides a rapid assessment of water yields with “dual‐priority” water rights which is applicable across multiple sites at regional or even global scale.

SUSTENTABILIDADE E ODS NAS PÁGINAS: UMA ANÁLISE DE CONTEÚDO DOS LIVROS DIDÁTICOS DO PNLD 2021 NO CONTEXTO DA QUÍMICA

SUSTAINABILITY AND SDGS ON THE PAGES: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF PNLD 2021 TEXTBOOKS IN THE CONTEXT OF CHEMISTRY. Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have gained prominence in contemporary discourse, driven by the urgency of addressing climate change and demand for transformative actions for planet preservation. Recognized by global entities such as the United Nations and the Brazilian Chemical Society, Basic Education is crucial for instigating societal change. In the context of the diverse Brazilian classrooms, textbooks stand out as a common resource for educators and students, so how would the terms sustainability and SDGs be used in textbooks? Are these terms covered in the context of chemistry? This article utilizes Bardin’s content analysis to approach the terms sustainability and SDGs in National Textbook Program (PNLD) materials for Natural Sciences area, focusing on chemistry. The analysis of PNLD collections revealed that “sustainability” is broadly defined, but lacks specific contextualization within chemistry. SDGs, on the other hand, are mentioned cursorily, serving more as historical markers than engaging in meaningful discourse. Consequently, this article emphasizes the need for greater involvement of the chemistry community in shaping decisions related to textbooks. It calls for a concerted effort by chemistry Educators and Society to actively contribute to educational material discussions, fostering a more comprehensive integration of sustainability and SDGs within Chemistry Education.

Physics-informed surrogate modeling for supporting climate resilience at groundwater contamination sites

Contamination of soil and groundwater presents a widespread global problem, significantly impacting both human well-being and environmental stability. Conventional models employed for estimating pollutant concentrations under varying climatic conditions demand extensive computational power and high-performance computing resources. In response to this issue, we have devised an innovative method utilizing a physics-informed machine learning technique, known as the U-Net Enhanced Fourier Neural Operator (U-FNO), to generate rapid surrogate models for flow and transport. These models are capable of forecasting groundwater pollution levels under diverse climatic situations and subsurface characteristics without necessitating a supercomputer. In our research, we centered our attention on the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS) F-Area and established two time-dependent structures: U-FNOB and U-FNOB-R. Both frameworks incorporate a tailored loss function, including specific physical constraints of groundwater flow and transport such as spatial derivatives, and contaminant boundary conditions. The findings of our study indicate that the U-FNO models can consistently foresee spatialtemporal fluctuations in groundwater flow and pollutant transportation properties, such as contaminant concentration, hydraulic head, and Darcy’s velocity. Our research reveals that the U-FNOB-R architecture is especially adept at predicting the effects of alterations in recharge rates on groundwater contamination sites, delivering superior time-dependent forecasts compared to the U-FNOB structure. Our novel approach holds the potential to revolutionize environmental monitoring and remediation efforts by providing rapid, precise, and cost-efficient estimations of groundwater pollution levels under uncertain climate conditions.