Critical Natural Resources Research Articles

Exploring the unintended contribution of soil erosion research to microplastic contamination

The global scientific community, particularly soil erosion researchers, is increasingly recognizing the urgent need to address plastic pollution and the accumulation of microplastics in soil. Human activities such as urban expansion, food packaging, and the use of agricultural materials have driven a significant rise in microplastic contamination. The problem is compounded by the difficulty, expense, and time-intensive nature of analyzing soil erosion samples to accurately identify microplastic types, sources, and their effects. Soil erosion, while naturally shaping landscapes like hillslopes, deltas or river valleys, has evolved into a critical issue due to human-induced changes, threatening fertile agricultural zones and areas prone to landslides, with serious economic and human consequences. While validated methods exist to quantify soil erosion, runoff, and pollutant concentrations, these techniques inadvertently introduce microplastics into the environment by plastic materials during sampling, transport, and lab analysis. This not only skews historical and current data on microplastic levels in soils but also alters natural soil conditions around research plots. To address these challenges, this paper advocates for the refinement of measurement techniques to minimize contamination, a reassessment of current methodologies, and a concerted effort to reduce human impact on soil health, thereby safeguarding a critical natural resource.

A FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGEMENT OF LEAKS AND EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN OIL WELLS

Oil is a precious and critical natural energy resource that is used in numerous ways to drive various industries worldwide. The extraction of oil from underground reservoirs is a complex process that requires a lot of planning, careful execution, and risk management. In this paper, CNN is employed to extract relevant features from sensor primary data collected from various wells. Detecting undesirable events such as leaks and equipment failure in oil wells is crucial for preventing safety hazards, environmental damage and financial losses, making it challenging to identify issues in a timely and accurate manner. This dissertation describes a hybrid model for detecting undesirable events in oil and gas wells using a combination of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) techniques. The CNN architecture enables effective information extraction by applying convolutional layers and pooling operations to identify patterns and spatial dependencies in the data. The extracted features are then fed into an LSTM network, which can capture temporal dependencies and learning long-term patterns. By utilizing LSTM, the model can effectively analyse the time series data and detect the occurrence of undesirable events, such as abnormal pressure, fluid leakage, or equipment malfunction, in oil and gas wells. The hybrid model leveraging CNN for feature extraction and LSTM for detecting undesirable events in the oil and gas industry presents a comprehensive approach to enhance well monitoring and prevent potential hazards. Achieving high accuracy rates of 99.8% for training and 99.78% for testing demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed model in accurately identifying and classifying undesirable events in oil and gas wells.

Assessing Food Loss and Waste in Chile: Insights for Policy and Sustainable Development Goals

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that Latin America and the Caribbean experienced the most rapid rise in food insecurity, with approximately 47.7 million individuals in the region affected by hunger in 2022. In Chile, almost three million people, 15.6% of the country’s population, do not have regular access to sufficient nutritious food and suffer from some form of food insecurity. Moreover, Chile is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and contends with the depletion of several critical natural resources, notably water, stemming from severe and prolonged drought conditions. This article aims to comprehensively evaluate food loss and waste (FLW) in Chile and analyzes the implications of FLW on the sustainable development goal (SDG). This will be achieved by utilizing a top-down mass balance methodology that integrates various data sources and an in-depth analysis of the main food categories at different stages of the food supply chain (FSC). In 2021, Chile generated 5.18 million tons of FLW, with fruit being the largest contributor at 2.5 million tons (48% of total FLW). Vegetables accounted for 0.8 million tons (16%). Other food groups each contributed 1% to 10% of the total FLW. Per capita FLW was 295 kg. FLW varied by food group and FSC stage. Fruits, vegetables, starchy roots, and pulses had the most FLW early in the FSC, while cereals had it later. Comparing FLW with the domestic supply quantity of food, it is observed that 68% of the fruit available for the population was discarded. Vegetables and starchy roots also showed significant volumes of discarded food, with 48% and 29% of the availability of these products in Chile. Furthermore, we explore the implications of FLW on realizing SDG 2—zero hunger, particularly emphasizing its correlation with target 12.3. The research underscores the potential of its findings to significantly shape public policies and strategies concerning FLW and their alignment with the associated SDGs, making a tangible impact on the lives of millions.

Lunar Lithium-7 Sensing (δ7Li): Spectral Patterns and Artificial Intelligence Techniques.

Lithium, a critical natural resource integral to modern technology, has influenced diverse industries since its discovery in the 1950s. Of particular interest is lithium-7, the most prevalent lithium isotope on Earth, playing a vital role in applications such as batteries, metal alloys, medicine, and nuclear research. However, its extraction presents significant environmental and logistical challenges. This article explores the potential for lithium exploration on the Moon, driven by its value as a resource and the prospect of cost reduction due to the Moon's lower gravity, which holds promise for future space exploration endeavors. Additionally, the presence of lithium in the solar wind and its implications for material transport across celestial bodies are subjects of intrigue. Drawing from a limited dataset collected during the Apollo missions (Apollo 12, 15, 16, and 17) and leveraging artificial intelligence techniques and sample expansion through bootstrapping, this study develops predictive models for lithium-7 concentration based on spectral patterns. The study areas encompass the Aitken crater, Hadley Rima, and the Taurus-Littrow Valley, where higher lithium concentrations are observed in basaltic lunar regions. This research bridges lunar geology and the formation of the solar system, providing valuable insights into celestial resources and enhancing our understanding of space. The data used in this study were obtained from the imaging sensors (infrared, visible, and ultraviolet) of the Clementine satellite, which significantly contributed to the success of our research. Furthermore, the study addresses various aspects related to statistical analysis, sample quality validation, resampling, and bootstrapping. Supervised machine learning model training and validation, as well as data import and export, were explored. The analysis of data generated by the Clementine probe in the near-infrared (NIR) and ultraviolet-visible (UVVIS) spectra revealed evidence of the presence of lithium-7 (Li-7) on the lunar surface. The distribution of Li-7 on the lunar surface is non-uniform, with varying concentrations in different regions of the Moon identified, supporting the initial hypothesis associating surface Li-7 concentration with exposure to solar wind. While a direct numerical relationship between lunar topography and Li-7 concentration has not been established due to morphological diversity and methodological limitations, preliminary results suggest significant economic and technological potential in lunar lithium exploration and extraction.

World Controversy: Water Sustainability In An Environmental Accounting Perspective

Social and environmental concerns have emerged as globally compelling topics, necessitating attention from all stakeholders due to their significant impact on human life. Sustainable global economic development is intricately tied to the Triple Bottom Line concept, emphasizing Profit, People, and Planet. Among critical natural resources, water resources play a central role across various economic sectors, especially amidst escalating global water scarcity and degradation challenges. While research in this area has evolved significantly, many studies remain limited in scope, focusing on specific processes or regions and failing to provide comprehensive insights into water usage across different sectors. Building upon previous research, this study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method from 2019 to 2023 to understand trends and progress in water sustainability accounting research. Through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method, 23 relevant articles were identified and analyzed from various publishers such as Elsevier, Emerald, MDPI, and others. The findings reveal a diverse distribution of articles across publishers, with Elsevier being the most frequently utilized. This study contributes to the literature by offering insights into recent trends and areas of focus in water sustainability accounting research, informing future research directions and policy-making efforts to address social, environmental, and economic challenges effectively.

Comparative Study of Colloidal Particles on Organic Matter Degradation in Environmental Water and Typical Urban Sewage

Water, as a critical natural resource in urban areas, faces severe pollution due to human production and living activities. Previous studies have shown that dissolved organic matter (DOM) significantly affects water quality. To deepen our understanding of the impact of colloidal particles on DOM, we conducted a comparative study on organic matter degradation by colloidal particles in environmental water and typical urban sewage. The experiments revealed that colloidal particles accelerate the photodegradation of DOM in all six experimental water bodies. This research is pivotal for solving the challenges of water pollution confronting society.

A New Classification Rule-Set for Mapping Surface Water in Complex Topographical Regions Using Sentinel-2 Imagery

Surface water is a critical natural resource, but its mapping accuracy is vulnerable to cloud cover, snow, shadows, and diverse roofing materials. Recognizing the limitations of a single threshold segmentation method that fails to achieve high-precision extraction of surface water in complex terrain areas, this study introduces a multiple threshold water detection rule (MTWDR) method to improve water extraction results. This method uses the multi-band reflectance characteristics of ground features to construct a water index and combines brightness features with the Otsu algorithm to eliminate interference from highly reflective ground features like ice, snow, bright material buildings, and clouds. The Yunan–Guizhou Plateau was selected as the study area due to its complex terrain and multiple types of surface water, and experiments were conducted using Sentinel-2 data on the Google Earth Engine (GEE). The results demonstrate that: (1) The proposed method achieves an overall accuracy of 94.08% and a kappa coefficient of 0.8831 in mountainous areas. In urban areas, the overall accuracy reaches 95.15%, accompanied by a kappa coefficient of 0.8945. (2) Compared to five widely used water indexes and rules, the MTWDR method improves accuracy by more than 3%. (3) It effectively overcomes interference from highly reflective ground features while maintaining the integrity and accuracy of water boundary extraction. In conclusion, the proposed method enhances extraction accuracy across different types of surface water within complex terrain areas, and can provide significant theoretical implications and practical value for researching and applying surface water resources.

Tree diversity, vegetation structure and management of mangrove systems on Viti Levu, Fiji Islands

Mangrove forest ecosystems are critical natural resources, particularly in the South Pacific region. Mangrove forests in Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island, are threatened by infrastructure development activities and population growth. Consequently, the protection and restoration of mangrove forest are of utmost importance. This study investigated the diversity and structure of mangrove forest on Viti Levu to determine the most appropriate species for use in restoration projects. These species could enhance the management of mangroves in Fiji. Five sites were selected: Ellington Wharf (EW), Naboutini Village (NV), Nasese (NA), Suva City Council Park (SCCP) and the University of the South Pacific Upper Campus (UUC). The variations in the number of tree stumps from site-tosite highlighted differences in the degree of anthropogenic disturbances, EW was classified as an undisturbed site while NA was highly disturbed. The sites were examined using systematic line transects with random starting points. Continuous belt transects were established, along which 10 m × 10 m segments were selected as the primary plots (n = 100 primary plots). Tree species, stand structure, tree diameter and height, stem abundance, stand volume, basal area and natural regeneration were recorded at all sites. Five mangrove species (Rhizophora stylosa Griff., Bruguiera gymnorhiza (L.) Lam., Excoecaria agallocha (L.), Rhizophora samoensis (Hochr.) Salvoza, and Rhizophora × selala (Salvoza) Toml.) were identified. The species importance value indices were highest for R. stylosa at EW (264.0) and for B. gymnorhiza) at NV (175.2). All sites had at least some level of human disturbance but R. stylosa and B. gymnorhiza thrived regardless of the extent of anthropogenic impacts. Subsequently, R. stylosa and B. gymnorhiza are recommended for mangrove forest ecosystem restoration programmes in Fiji.

Identification and interest of molecular markers to monitor plant Pi status

BackgroundInorganic phosphate (Pi) is the sole source of phosphorus for plants. It is a limiting factor for plant yield in most soils worldwide. Due to economic and environmental constraints, the use of Pi fertilizer is and will be more and more limited. Unfortunately, evaluation of Pi bioavailability or Pi starvation traits remains a tedious task, which often does not inform us about the real Pi plant status.ResultsHere, we identified by transcriptomic studies carried out in the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana, early roots- or leaves-conserved molecular markers for Pi starvation, exhibiting fast response to modifications of phosphate nutritional status. We identified their homologues in three crops (wheat, rapeseed, and maize) and demonstrated that they offer a reliable opportunity to monitor the actual plant internal Pi status. They turn out to be very sensitive in the concentration range of 0-50 µM which is the most common case in the vast majority of soils and situations where Pi hardly accumulates in plants. Besides in vitro conditions, they could also be validated for plants growing in the greenhouse or in open field conditions.ConclusionThese markers provide valuable physiological tools for plant physiologists and breeders to assess phosphate bio-availability impact on plant growth in their studies. This also offers the opportunity to cope with the rising economical (shortage) and societal problems (pollution) resulting from the management of this critical natural resource.

Recent Advances in Nanoparticle-Based Optical Sensors for Detection of Pesticide Residues in Soil.

The excessive and unreasonable use of pesticides has adversely affected the environment and human health. The soil, one of the most critical natural resources supporting human survival and development, accumulates large amounts of pesticide residues. Compared to traditional spectrophotometry analytical methods, nanoparticle-based sensors stand out for their simplicity of operation as well as their high sensitivity and low detection limits. In this review, we focus primarily on the functions that various nanoparticles have and how they can be used to detect various pesticide residues in soil. A detailed discussion was conducted on the properties of nanoparticles, including their color changeability, Raman enhancement, fluorescence enhancement and quenching, and catalysis. We have also systematically reviewed the methodology for detecting insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides in soil by using nanoparticles.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Targeted Cattle Grazing for Fuel Break Creation and Maintenance

Invasive and highly flammable annual grasses continue to alter wildfire regimes across rangelands of the western United States. These hazardous fuels have contributed to the increasing prevalence of western megafires in recent decades. It is clear that existing rangeland fuel management strategies are challenged to keep pace with this growing threat. Targeted livestock grazing, however, might serve as a novel and effective fuels management tool that could be wielded at a scale commensurate with the annual grass–wildfire problem. Unfortunately, this practice has lacked a rigorous scientific foundation to support broad-scale application and decision making. We evaluated the efficacy of targeted beef cattle grazing, applied during the spring, for reducing herbaceous fuel heights, loads, and continuity while maintaining ecosystem health in fuel breaks strategically positioned between invaded, fire-prone landscapes and wildland-urban interface, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat, and other critical resources threatened by wildfire damage. Our broad-scale experiment was conducted during 2017–2021 as three replicate research projects distributed across the northern Great Basin of Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. We found targeted grazing in spring reduced total herbaceous and cheatgrass fuel heights and, in some cases, total 1-h and cheatgrass fuels loads and fuel continuity, while producing no consistent adverse effects or trends in ecosystem health within the fuel break treatments relative to nominally grazed controls. One targeted grazed fuel break in this research successfully intercepted three wildfires in 4 yr conserving sage-grouse habitat downwind. Although additional research is required, these findings suggest targeted grazing provides an effective means of reducing fine fuels while avoiding adverse ecosystem impacts. Some expected outcomes from the use of this tool would be improved wildland firefighting safety and efficacy, reduced wildfire size, and enhanced protection of human lives, property, and critical natural and cultural resources within the broad scope of annual grass-wildfire problem.

Displacement and degradation: Impediments to agricultural livelihoods among ethnic minority farmers in post-war Sri Lanka.

Our understandings of the effects of waron land and resource access following armed conflicts are often shaped (and limited) by a reliance upon remotely sensed data. Here, we analyze household-level survey and community-level focus group data collected in Sri Lanka following the end of the nation's ethno-religiously rooted civil war (1983-2009) to determine if and how the war differently affected the nation's rice farmers. Our synthetic analyses revealed geographic variation in agricultural livelihood viability in post-war Sri Lanka, demonstrating how the protracted effects of war are exacerbating the vulnerability of rural Sri Lanka's ethno-religious minority (Tamil and Moor) populations by (re-)shaping access to critical natural resources, including both land and irrigation water.

La culture d'agrumes dans les communautés agricoles chiliennes : Vers un développement durable

Cet article souligne l'importance des agrumes dans les communautés agricoles de la Province de Limarí du point de vue du développement agricole durable dans ces communautés, en soulignant les résultats de l'expérience des cultivateurs ruraux. D'abord, l'état de développement de la culture des agrumes au Chili est décrit. Ensuite, cette activité est traitée dans la perspective des communautés agricoles de Limarí. En troisième lieu, nous analysons une analyse pilote de la culture des agrumes dans la communauté agricole. Ce travail souligne l'attrait que présente le secteur des agrumes pour les communautés agricoles, en particulier la commercialisation du traditionnel citron jaune. Il se penche aussi sur l'implantation de programmes d'éducation agro-environnementale parmi ses habitants pour promouvoir le soin des ressources naturelles comme l'eau et la terre. La croissance et le développement de la culture des agrumes dans les communautés agricoles de Limarí doivent être consistants, avec une analyse de la disponibilité de ces ressources et leur utilisation responsable.

Double transplantation as a climate resilient and sustainable resource management strategy for rice production in eastern Uttar Pradesh, north India

-Enhancing the productivity of rainfed crops, especially rice, while coping with climate adversities and saving critical natural resources is essential for ensuring the food and nutrition security of a growing population. With this context, the present study was undertaken to validate promising farm innovation and adaptation practices used by small-medium landholding farmers for rice cultivation in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP), north India, as well as to examine the sustainability of innovative practices for large-scale adoption. For this, a 3-year study comprising extensive field surveys and experiments was undertaken to compare single transplantation (ST) and double transplantation (DT) in rice along with organic addition (farm-yard manure, FYM) on crop growth, yield, climate resilience, soil quality, and overall sustainability i.e., social (women involvements and labour productivity), environmental (water productivity and nutrient use efficiency), and economic (benefit:cost ratio) dimensions of sustainability. Field experiments were conducted in triplicate using two local rice varieties (MotiNP-360 and Sampurna Kaveri) in two agroclimatic zones, namely the middle Gangetic plains and the Vindhyan zone, in the Mirzapur district of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The DT practices of rice with and without farm yard manure (FYM) (replacing at a dose of 25% NPK) were evaluated over conventional methods of rice cultivation (i.e., ST, as control) and analysis was done periodically. The DT practice improved growth (p < 0.05), percent fertile tiller and grain (p < 0.05), and rice yield (15–20% higher than ST), while also improving soil quality, yield indices, water and labour productivity, and the benefit-cost ratio. The DT practice also resulted in early maturity (10–15 days earlier than ST), created more labour days for women, decreased lodging and pest/disease incidence, as well as a subsequent reduction in the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and associated environmental costs. Importantly, the residual effects of FYM application significantly improved (p < 0.05) the grain yield in subsequent years of cropping. Optimizing DT cultivation practices, preferably with FYM input for various agro-climatic regions, is essential for large-scale sustainable rice production under changing climatic conditions.

EXAMINING THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICE VALUES DUE TO LULC CHANGES: A CASE STUDY ON COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH

Ecosystem services can reveal information on how an ecosystem works with all of its components. However, natural ecosystems are under enormous strain globally as a result of rising demand. This study attempts to analyze Ecosystem Service Valuation (ESV) for the Cox's Bazar district, one of the most important tourist destinations that has had considerable Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes over the last few decades. Due to considerable tourist demand, this ecologically critical natural resource base, particularly forests, wetlands, and sea beaches, suffers and changes on a regular basis, affecting the ecological balance. LULC-induced changes in ecosystem components and the function's value would eventually alter ecosystem service values. Urbanization is expected to accelerate, particularly in emerging countries, having an impact on both the regional and local levels.Assessing the effects of different land-use scenarios on subsequent changes in ecosystem service has significant implications for sustainable development. This study included six different LULC classes and their effects on ESVs. LANDSAT satellite-derived imagery from year 2000 to year 2021 were utilized and computed at ten-year intervals. The results reveal which LULC classes are more likely to change and how ESV changes throughout this time span. This research would help with sustainable land management and tourism strategy by minimizing encroachment on forests, coastal areas, and wetlands.

Remote Sensing of Groundwater: Current Capabilities and Future Directions

AbstractGlobally, groundwater represents a critical natural resource that is affected by changes in natural supply and renewal, as well as by increasing human demand and consumption. However, despite its critical role, groundwater is difficult to accurately quantify as it is beneath the Earth surface. Here, we review several state‐of‐the‐art remote sensing techniques useful for local‐ to global‐scale groundwater monitoring and assessment, including proxies for groundwater extraction. These include inferring changes in subsurface water from mass changes using gravitational measurements, and analyzing changes in the Earth surface height using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, Light Detection and Ranging, Airborne Electromagnetic Systems, and satellite altimetry. Remote sensing information is often used in tandem with ground‐based observations such as hydraulic head in wells, Global Navigational Satellite System monitoring, and numerical modeling to complement the space‐based approaches. In the future, fusing different remote sensing techniques capable of operating in various environments will yield additional insight on the state and rate of use for groundwater across the globe.

Analysis of water–energy nexus and trends in support of the sustainable development goals: A study using longitudinal water–energy use data

Water and energy are two critical natural resources necessary for human activities and socioeconomic development. Water and energy systems are highly interdependent, and water efficiency and energy efficiency are two related indicators for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. It is critical to improve energy–water use efficiency to sustain socioeconomic development while reducing adverse effects on natural resources, society and the environment. By using longitudinal energy–water use data for China over the past 21 years, this paper develops a temporo-spatial study to address key issues and introduce analytical approaches needed to understand the water–energy nexus and support integrated resource planning and management to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Decomposition analysis indicates that the production effect was the dominating factor contributing the increase in the country's energy–water use, while energy–water efficiency is the major factor slowing the growth of the country's energy–water use. Changes and trends analyses show that the country's energy intensity, water intensity, and water/energy ratio significantly decreased from 1999 to 2019, but the rate of decline has slowed. The disparities of the country's provincial energy intensities, water intensities, and water/energy ratios significantly decreased with economic growth. Results suggest that improving energy–water efficiency is critical for the country to curb increasing energy and water use and achieve resource and environmental protection targets with rapid economic development. The disparities between regional energy-water efficiencies can be reduced along with economic growth, while an overheated economy can widen the disparities and result in unsustainable and inefficient utilization of resources. Government coordination, targets and policy as part of the efficiency governance system are critical for continuous energy–water efficiency improvement and directly influence the implementation and effectiveness of energy–water efficiency policy.

Corporate social responsibility in the water industry: A critical review

AbstractThe public demand for companies to assume responsibility for social and environmental impacts of their operations has led to an increase in the number of industries adopting corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. The water industry, defined in this article as public and private suppliers of water, holds the unique responsibility to manage a critical natural resource. As such, a review of scholarship on CSR in the water industry provides an entry point to assess the specific role the water industry plays in addressing societal and environmental concerns. This review identifies three prominent themes that appear in the existing literature. The first theme investigates the motivations for the water industry to utilize CSR strategies; the second describes the limitations of current CSR frameworks; and the last is an assessment of whether CSR policies and practices differ between public and private water companies. Through a critical review of each theme, this article evaluates the level of CSR engagement in the water industry, and if CSR activity supports further privatization. Taken together, this review article provides a summary of the current state of research on CSR within the water industry, analyses limitations on current evaluation methods and frameworks, and connects the literature to broader themes on the privatization of water and market environmentalism. We conclude with a discussion of future research topics such as CSR barriers to implementation, water‐related CSR indicators, and the relationship of CSR policies to remunicipalization of water providers.This article is categorized under: Human Water &gt; Water Governance

Exploring adaptive capacity to phosphorus challenges through two United Kingdom river catchments

Phosphorus (P) is a critical natural resource for food production, but one that is subject to global supply vulnerabilities. P is also responsible for endemic eutrophication in waterbodies due to poor stewardship in the food chain. Catchments are natural social-ecologically bounded systems for P use in agriculture and water management. Stakeholders, such as farmers, water and sewerage service companies, local authorities, and environmental organisations mediate catchment adaptive capacity to P supply risks and P pollution in waterbodies. Adaptive capacity at this level has been insufficiently explored in addressing the P challenge, yet is essential to it. We address this gap by exploring through a qualitative study of stakeholders in two United Kingdom catchments. Our results suggest that the awareness and relevance of P-supply challenges is low in catchments, but the problem of waterbody vulnerability to excess P is of greater concern. Our findings highlight the roles in adaptive capacity of entrenched practices; knowledge and training activities and organisations; stakeholder cooperation and synergy; funding, infrastructure, and technology; the governance environment; and time needed to draw down P. We find that farmers and water companies are especially important to adaptive capacity as they directly interact with P flows. We therefore suggest that catchment adaptive capacity would be significantly improved through a well-supported, and expanded package of existing efforts such as providing scientific evidence of catchment P dynamics; training; payments; more empowered local governance. This effort would support catchment stakeholders to adopt effective P-stewardship practices within a multi-decade integrated catchment management strategy.

Stakeholders, Institutional Challenges and the Valuation of Wetland Ecosystem Services in South Sudan: The Case of Machar Marshes and Sudd Wetlands.

A number of wetland ecosystem-services valuation studies around the world have been carried out, however, most of these studies have focused on wetlands in developed countries and few have been conducted in Africa, particularly in South Sudan. Thus, this study is conducted to value ecosystem services and identify the role and interests of stakeholders of the Machar Marshes and the Sudd wetlands for sustainable wetland management in the Nile basin. Market price and benefit transfer approaches have been applied to value the wetlands biodiversity and ecosystem services, by adjusting for income and price differences. In addition to environmental valuation methods, we conducted stakeholder analysis. Accordingly, Machar Marshes wetland provides an estimated per annum economic value of $200 million, of which the provisioning services contributed about $61 million, regulating services $132 million, and biodiversity services $7.35 million considering the 2015 price as a base year. Similarly, the Sudd wetland provides an estimated per annum economic value of 2.3 billion, of which regulating is about $1.2 billion, biodiversity $857 million, provisioning $209 million, and transportation service $293,400. The findings show that the ecosystem services from the wetlands have benefits beyond the local communities. Thus, to maintain and ensure sustainable wetlands ecosystem services, stakeholders should play a significant role to implement alternative wetland development options through managing the existing institutional challenges. Ecosystem-services assessment and wetland development options suffer from weak institutional capacity due to prolonged conflicts and instability and physical inaccessibility to critical natural resources in the wetlands.