Ecological Disaster Research Articles

The Strait of Malacca: a Crossroad of Climate Change and Vulnerabilities

The Strait of Malacca, an indispensable artery facilitating global trade, confronts an existential peril exacerbated by climate change. This research comprehensively analyses the intricate interplay between ecological and socioeconomic factors, with a primary focus on India’s vulnerabilities and adaptive strategies. The study scrutinizes the escalating sea levels, intensification of storms, and coastal erosion, elucidating their multifaceted impacts on ecosystems, communities, and economies. The Malacca Straits are one of the world’s most vulnerable areas because of their high potential for political conflict and ecological disaster. The areas bordering the Straits are of high bio-diversity and ecologically fragile. The imperative to foster resilience is underscored, necessitating the exploration of adaptive strategies to empower communities, preserve ecosystems, and foster sustainable development amidst climatic challenges. This research transcends conventional threat assessments, offering a holistic roadmap for India and stakeholders to navigate the complexities of climate change and ensure the enduring prosperity of the Strait of Malacca. It also delves specifically into the vulnerabilities faced by countries bordering the Strait, with a particular focus on India’s dependence on the waterway for trade, food security, and energy needs. The need of the hour is to analyse these vulnerabilities, and to pave the way for the development of robust adaptation strategies that ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of the Strait of Malacca in the face of a changing climate.

Baltic Sea shipwrecks as a source of hazardous pollution

Background Shipwrecks on the Baltic Sea seabed pose a serious threat to the marine environment. Fuel, ammunition and chemicals in their holds can enter the ecosystem at any time, causing an ecological disaster. It is known that oil spills from ship accidents can affect life and health of different species of animals, both immediately after catastrophe and for many years thereafter. This article discusses the negative impact of shipwrecks on the ecological status of the Baltic Sea and presents the contamination status of bottom sediment core samples taken in the vicinity of shipwrecks located in the South Baltic, i.e., S/s Stuttgart, t/s Franken, S/T Burgmeister Petersen and m/s Sleipner. It is based on the results of research carried out by the Maritime Institute between 2011 and 2016. Methods Core samples were taken by a VKG-2 vibrating probe and analysed towards content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and total organic carbon (TOC). Seven PAHs and Seven PCBs were determined using solid phase extraction (SPE) technique followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection. In order to determine the concentration of TPH, the SPE technique was applied followed by gas chromatography with flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) analysis. TOC content was established by TOC analyser using infrared detection. Results Samples taken in the vicinity of the S/s Stuttgart shipwreck have shown the highest concentrations of all analysed parameters compared to the examined wrecks and significantly differed from the results typical for these areas. This studies have shown that the S/s Stuttgart shipwreck poses a serious threat to the marine environment of Baltic Sea and it is necessary to continue studies in this area and to perform a wider range of analysis.

Violations of human environmental rights in Ukraine during the period of martial law (example of the Kaкhov disaster)

The article is devoted to the analysis of the violation of environmental human rights in Ukraine during the period of martial law from February 24, 2022 (using the example of the blowing up of the Kakhovska HPP (Kakhovska Hydro Power Plant) dam on June 6, 2023). Environmental rights include human rights to a safe ecological environment, that is, the right to a clean environment, fresh air, unpolluted land, good-quality water, high-quality, safe and harmless food products, unpolluted household items. In Ukraine, environmental rights are recognized and enshrined in the 1996 Constitution.
 It is noted that once a full-scale invasion begins, environmental hazards increase, and the damage done to Ukraine becomes much more obvious.
 It has been investigated that on June 6, 2023, around 02:50, a global environmental disaster occurred in Ukraine - the explosion of the Kakhovska HPP dam. The Kakhov reservoir began to lose water rapidly. Downstream of the Dnieper, settlements began to be flooded, including Kherson. The Kakhov disaster has all the signs of an ecological disaster.
 It has been proven that the consequences of the terrorist attack turned out to be worse than predicted. The undermining of the Kakhovska HPP dam caused serious environmental consequences, which have not fully manifested themselves yet. The rights to a safe ecological environment, guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine and the Principles of Environmental Protection during Armed Conflicts, developed by the UN International Law Commission in 2022, have been violated.
 It has been established that environmental disasters of this scale usually cannot be limited territorially, they negatively affect changes in ecosystems, which causes climate changes in the region. Therefore, the consequences of the Kakhov disaster are felt by themselves and with a high probability will be felt by other states in the future. The international community should join forces to ensure compensation for the damage caused to the environment, and take all permissible legal measures aimed at stopping the violation of environmental rights, as well as restoring the violated rights.
 The authors are of the opinion that the protection of environmental human rights in Ukraine will remain problematic for the next decades after the end of hostilities and the abolition of martial law.

Training and Empowerment of Marunda Coastal Communities regarding Introduction to Types and Planting of Mangroves in North Jakarta

Changes in coastal land use can affect the condition of coastal ecosystems, including mangrove ecosystems which are typical vegetation in coastal areas. Mangrove ecosystems are only left in certain highly protected areas or planted on the edge of ponds bordering beaches or rivers to prevent abrasion. The thinning of mangrove forests in the coastal area of ​​Marunda, North Jakarta makes it easy for sea water to enter residential areas. The reduction in mangrove land in the coastal area of ​​North Jakarta has an impact on decreasing the environmental quality of the coastal area. This environmental community service activity aims to encourage awareness of the coastal environment which must be pursued by all levels of society, including the academic community, especially students and lecturers. The method for implementing this activity is collaboration and participation of local communities that the community around Marunda is involved in environmental conservation activities through the introduction of mangrove planting. Their introduction to the environment and its preservation can start from efforts to repair environmental damage itself. This service activity is an example of real implementation to overcome this problem. As a result of this activity, the community can introduce the types of mangrove plants as well as provide public learning for each generation regarding involvement in preserving the coastal environment for each future generation to take a role in protecting the environment and saving generations from ecological disasters in the future.

Spatio-Temporal Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Typical Karst Rocky Desertification Area in the Upper Yangtze River

Karst rocky desertification (KRD) has become the most serious ecological disaster in the southwest of China and is a major obstacle to the sustainable development of the karst region in the southwest. Remarkably, scientific understanding of the spatial-temporal evolution of rocky desertification and the corresponding driving mechanism is the primary prerequisite crucial to controlling rocky desertification. Hence, the typical rocky desertification area of Qujing City, located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, was selected as the research object. On the basis of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and decision tree classification, the spatial-temporal evolution process of rocky desertification in Qujing City from 1990 to 2020 was investigated, and the driving factors of rocky desertification were explored in terms of the natural environment and socio-economic aspects. Consequently, over this period, the area of rocky desertification had decreased by 1728.38 km2, while the no rocky desertification area had increased by 1936.61 km2. Notably, the major driving factors of rocky desertification were fractional vegetation cover (FVC) (q = 0.41), land use type (q = 0.26), slope (q = 0.21), and land reclamation rate (q = 0.21). Typically, rocky desertification is likely to occur in areas with moderate or low FVC (<0.7), a low slope (0–8°) or high slope (35°–80°), a land type of cultivated-land or grassland, and a land reclamation rate of 10–70%. In addition, all two-factor interactions acted as drivers that exacerbate rocky desertification. Furthermore, FVC ∩ slope (q = 0.79) and slope ∩ land use type (q = 0.56) were two interacting drivers that promote rocky desertification strongly.

Losses in fishery ecosystem services of the Dnipro river Delta and the Kakhovske reservoir area caused by military actions in Ukraine

We studied the development of commercial and recreational fishing on the Kakhovske Reservoir (aka Kakhovka) and the Dnipro (aka Dnieper) River lowlands in 2020–2023. The fish assemblage of the Kakhovske Reservoir is under consideration for the period 1956–2021. The dynamics of the fish population transformation, species extinction, and the emergence of new invasive species are given. The losses in Kakhovske Reservoir’s ecosystem services as a result of the Kakhovska Hydroelectric Power Plant’s (HPP) Dam explosion in June 2023 are analyzed. The states and prospects for local recreational and commercial fishing development are assessed. By field research and monitoring observations of the Kakhovske Reservoir and the Dnipro River lowland using the Earth remote sensing data, it was established that 2 months after the accident, the area of the remained reservoir water surface was ∼430 km2 (about 19% of the initial, including the restored Dnipro River bed). The newly formed shallow waterbodies, which do not have a water connection between each other, occupy an area of about 300 km2. These areas continue to dry out, shrink, and become overgrown with vegetation. The draining of the Kakhovske Reservoir caused an ecological disaster for about 40 species and subspecies of fish. The total monetary losses of commercial fishing are about $5.5 million annually. Losses in fishery from the vanishing of spawning grounds are estimated at 20,000 tons of fish resources (∼$40 million). The negative consequences of the loss of the Kakhovske Reservoir aquatic ecosystems will affect the socio-economic development of the entire South of Ukraine for a long time. Among the major ecosystem services lost is the cessation of water supply. Ukraine’s priority issues are the post-war rehabilitation of the country, its degraded lands, territories, and water areas, and ensuring water and food security. One of the urgent problems will be the feasibility of reconstruction of the Kakhovska HPP’s Dam and restoration of the Reservoir, renovation of water supply, fishery, navigation, energy, and recreation. Biodiversity is a basis for the efficient and sustainable ecosystem functions that provide many ecosystem services, and it should be considered for the post-war recovery and development of Ukraine.

Christian Neoplatonism and Deep Incarnation: Nicholas of Cusa and Giordano Bruno as Inspirations for Contemporary Ecotheology

In response to the specter of looming anthropogenic ecological catastrophe, many Christian thinkers have begun to rethink the God/world relationship and reimagine the ontic cleavage between divinity and creation. The idea of “deep incarnation”, which expands the scope of divine incarnation in an attempt to draw God and creation into closer relation, is a prevalent framework for such reimagination. Two historic, underutilized thinkers that might help deep incarnation theologians expand their own theologies and make sense of the conceptual and ethical differences among them are Neo-Platonist philosopher–theologians Nicholas of Cusa and Giordano Bruno. Working within an ecofeminist framework, this article argues that while both Cusanus and Bruno provide significant philosophical grounds for contemporary ecotheologies of deep incarnation, a Brunist perspective is preferable because of its more expansive anthropology and its more inclusive understanding of divinity.

Nature, Gender, and Resistance in Atwood's Surfacing and The Handmaid's Tale

This study attempts to explain Margaret Atwood’s two famous novels Surfacing (1972) and The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) in reference to Ecofeminism. Women and nature are always celebrated with each other and wherever their position is absolutely neglected. As a result, the sterility of the society launches. Atwood selects females as the leading characters and ecological catastrophe in its contextual. Atwood knowledgeably syndicates in Surfacing and The Handmaid’s Tale the dual subjugation of nature and women that occurs in the two societies. The corruption of nature conveys extermination to the societies and develop a contributory dynamic of subjugation of women by patriarchal society. She clinches that the discrimination against women and nature is identical and thus liberation of women won’t be fruitful without an equivalent endeavor to liberate nature.

The application of laser‑induced fluorescence in oil spill detection.

Over the past two decades, oil spills have been one of the most serious ecological disasters, causing massive damage to the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as well as the socio-economy. In view of this situation, several methods have been developed and utilized to analyze oil samples. Among these methods, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technology has been widely used in oil spill detection due to its classification method, which is based on the fluorescence characteristics of chemical material in oil. This review systematically summarized the LIF technology from the perspective of excitation wavelength selection and the application of traditional and novel machine learning algorithms to fluorescence spectrum processing, both of which are critical for qualitative and quantitative analysis of oil spills. It can be seen that an appropriate excitation wavelength is indispensable for spectral discrimination due to different kinds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons' (PAHs) compounds in petroleum products. By summarizing some articles related to LIF technology, we discuss the influence of the excitation wavelength on the accuracy of the oil spill detection model and proposed several suggestions on the selection of excitation wavelength. In addition, we introduced some traditional and novel machine learning (ML) algorithms and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of these algorithms and their applicable scenarios. With an appropriate excitation wavelength and data processing algorithm, it is believed that laser-induced fluorescence technology will become an efficient technique for real-time detection and analysis of oil spills.

The large-scale expansion of rubber plantations in southern India: major impacts and the changing nature of drivers

This study investigates the major environmental and socio-economic impacts of an increase in the area of rubber plantations and the changing patterns of drivers of land use changes. Using a combination of geospatial techniques and socio-economic methods, we mainly analyzed the rate of increase in area under rubber plantations, the major impacts of land use changes, and the changing drivers of land use changes. Our results show that the area under rubber plantations has increased significantly within the study area, with the area under rubber plantations increasing from 30 to 74% of the total area within five decades. Impact assessment of land use changes based on household surveys showed significant improvement in the socio-economic conditions of the farmers, however, at the expense of severe environmental degradation. Our results also indicate that while areas under rubber plantations continue to increase, the drivers of land use changes have changed over time. Furthermore, it has been observed that in the past, many interventions prioritized social and economic development and placed less emphasis on the ecological stability of the region. Perceptions of farmers revealed that the effects of ecological fragility already affected the economic robustness of the whole area. Therefore, we conclude that government interventions to support additional rubber cultivation should also focus on ecosystem stabilization in order to minimize the risk of an ecological catastrophe that would significantly affect the economic prosperity of the region.

Ewolucja pojęcia odporności społecznej wskutek doświadczeń pandemii COVID-19 i kryzysu imigracyjnego

Odporność społeczna (social resilience) cieszy się coraz większym zainteresowaniem badaczy, ponieważ pozwala przygotować społeczeństwo do wielu, różnego rodzaju sytuacji kryzysowych. Począwszy od zagrożeń ekologicznych i katastrof naturalnych poprzez zagrożenia ekonomiczne i zdrowotne, aż po zagrożenia występujące w trakcie konfliktu zbrojnego. Niestety pojęcie odporności społecznej (OS) wciąż pozostaje niejednorodne, a jego definicje nie zawsze są spójne z intencjami twórców koncepcji OS. Celem artykułu jest przegląd obecnych w literaturze definicji oraz wskazanie w jaki sposób współcześnie publikujący badacze definiują OS. Środkiem do realizacji jest przegląd definicji OS z ostatnich pięciu lat (2019-2023), z czasopism zindeksowanych w bazie Scopus. Przegląd ten pozwala pokazać ewolucję pojęcia OS, która jest efektem doświadczeń pandemii COVID-19, problemów migracyjnych oraz napaści zbrojnej Rosji na Ukrainę.

Biodegradable films from the lignocellulosic fibers of wheat straw biomass and the effect of calcium ions

Plastics are hazardous to human health, and plastic waste results in environmental pollution and ecological catastrophe. Biobased polymers from renewable sources have recently become promising for developing biodegradable packaging films. Among them, lignocellulosic residue from agricultural biomass is inexpensive, renewable, and biodegradable. This study aims to develop biodegradable films using lignocellulosic residue from wheat straw biomass. The methodology is a green process that solubilizes lignocellulosic chains using Zn2+ ions and crosslinks with Ca2+ ions of different concentrations (200–800 mM). The results reveal that the increase of Ca2+ ions significantly decreases moisture content, water solubility, water vapor permeability, transparency, and elongation of films. The tensile strength is recorded as 6.61 ± 0.07 MPa with the addition of 800 mM of CaCl2, which is approximately 2.5 times higher than commercial polyethylene films. Around 90 % of films biodegrade within a month in soil containing 20 % moisture content. Overall, lignocellulosic residue from wheat straw biomass could be an excellent replacement for synthetic polymer to fabricate strong, transparent, and biodegradable plastic films.

Women, environment and armed conflicts in Assam: literature as witness

ABSTRACT Women, especially in the Indigenous and ethnic communities of Assam and Northeast India, have shared an intricate relationship with nature. This relationship was disrupted by the human-made conflicts that ravaged the region for decades. Not only did these conflicts – ethno-nationalist in nature, for the most part – victimize women directly by subjecting them to violence and taking away their agency, but they also indirectly impacted them by adversely affecting the environment. This article examines the relationship between conflict-induced environmental degradation and its impact on women by analyzing its representation in literary texts like Felanee and Mayabritta. These texts, written by women writers, depict the ecological disasters that have afflicted the state of Assam as a result of armed conflict and situate their women characters at the centre of these disasters. By examining these novels as literature of witness, the article argues for a gender-sensitive approach to conflict management.

“Autumn”: John Clare and the Altered Fenland

abstract: The draining of the fens has been described as “England’s greatest ecological disaster.” This article delineates how John Clare’s ‘flitting’ to Northborough in the spring of 1832 fatefully coincided with a new, more efficient—or, in ecological terms, more disastrous— era of wetland drainage projects in the late 1820s and 30s. Focusing on his late (and sadly neglected) prose essay “Autumn” (1841), I explore how Clare recalls and recasts some of the enduring themes of both Romanticism and his own early poetry as he surveys the ecological disaster he had lived to see unfold.

"The Universe Is a Quiet Catastrophe": Alan Glass's Late Assemblages

Abstract: This article examines a selection of the assemblage artist Alan Glass's art made during the COVID-19 pandemic. In either direct or oblique ways, many of Glass's works from 2020 to 2022 allude to the pandemic and other ongoing crises including war and ecological catastrophe. Drawing on archival material and interviews with the artist, the article emphasizes the significance of poetry and esotericism for his art, and interprets the works under consideration as examples of gnosopoetics, or the pursuit of higher knowledge and radical transformation through surrealist art. After outlining Glass's trajectory from drawing and painting to the medium of assemblage and situating his art in the context of Surrealism in Canada, France, and Mexico, the author proceeds to a thematic discussion of Glass's pandemic-era works. These alternate between, on the one hand, depicting a broken world and thematizing death, and, on the other, calling forth possibilities of transformation through a surrealist poetics of the ascendant sign as well as imaginary forms of communication.

Valuing hybrid engineering approach: ecosystem and structural based DRR using InVEST model of coastal zone Sikka Flores-Literature Review

The effectiveness and long-term viability of implementing eco-DRR are heavily influenced by the regional context, including factors such as geographical locations, circumstances, and features of risks. The implementation of eco-DRR measures in coastal areas is effectively mitigating the hazards posed by high waves and other hydro-meteorological events, including storm surges, erosion, and coastal floods. The study was carried out within the framework of mangrove forest development as a means of combined protection and hard structural intervention. The success and efficacy of this endeavor rely on various circumstances, such as the magnitude of the large waves and the characteristics of the nearshore bathymetry, which dictate the extent to which the waves reach the coastline beach. In order to achieve optimal effectiveness and provide prompt safeguarding, it is necessary to employ a hybrid approach that combines ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (DRR) methods with physical structures. This is because non-structural measures, such as ecosystems, inherently require time to grow and are highly susceptible to destruction from waves, rock debris, and water currents. Nevertheless, the ’hybrid approach’ or amalgamation must be formulated in a manner that does not engender novel or distinct dangers in various areas. This study seeks to conduct a comparative analysis of studies on Eco-DRR (Ecological Disaster Risk Reduction) focusing on high waves and other hydrometeorological risks in coastal areas. The objective is to develop a hybrid model that combines Eco-DRR and engineering effectiveness evaluation for disaster risk management, specifically for the Sikka Flores coastline area.

Facilely Fabricated Porous Polymer Microfiber Tube Toward Continuous Oil-Water Separating

Serious ocean oil spills have led to shocking ecological disasters and environmental crises over the past few decades. However, owing to their intermittent mode, the present oil/water separation and collection processes generally suffer from time-consuming, complicated and expensive steps. Therefore, it is urgent to propose a facile way to consecutively separate and collect oil from oil-water mix in a one-step way. Herein, via coextrusion molding, the porous polymer (high desity polyethylene (HDPE)) microfiber tube (PPMT) was facilely fabricated. It shows high porosity (76.2±4.1%), excellent oleophilicity (OCA of 0ž) and good hydrophobicity (WCA of 135ž), resulting in decent absorption capacity of various organic pollutants (in the range of 170–350 wt.%). More interestingly, it is able to consecutively separate and collect oil from following oil-water mix and avoids secondary operation (such as extra desorption), successfully achieving efficient one-step method for oil-water separating & collecting (with a separation efficiency of 97.4%±4.7% at the average flux of 0.28 ml/s). This work proposes a novel concept for preparing porous polymer tube composed of microfibrils via a low-cost, facile and effcient method, offering an innovative way to construct the functional structure following the idea of polymer “structuring” processing.

The "New Animism": Implications for a Postmodern Christian Spirituality

Abstract: The movement called "new animism" asserts that experiencing life as an immersion in personal relationships with all beings (including those commonly regarded as "inanimate") is the foundational human way of being. The suppression of that immersive, participative way of life is currently climaxing as both cascading ecological catastrophe and an epidemic of human despair. This essay argues that Christian faith can fruitfully be reconciled with the new animism through a recognition of Christ's ability to "person" anywhere. Openness to this participative ecological consciousness invites us to develop new skills of attentiveness to the "thousands-of-years-old conversation" through which Earth and its creatures exchange their primal wisdom.

SEKOLAH DASAR ALAM DI PEDALAMAN PEGUNUNGAN MERATUS LOKSADO

Ecological disasters such as landslides and floods caused by natural exploitation in the Meratus Mountains in the form of mining and oil palm plantations should be able to foster a sense of environmental concern for the community to preserve and restore damaged natural conditions. Facilitating children in rural areas with natural schools that introduce the environment to children to develop sensitivity to the environment from an early age. The low number of schools in Loksado Sub-District is also the background to the design of a natural elementary school in the interior of the Loksado Meratus Mountains. This is very important to facilitate the education of rural communities.

ANALYSIS OF THE DEGREE OF STUDY AND GLOBAL EXPERIENCE IN OPTIMIZING URBAN NOISE POLLUTION

А collection and analysis of domestic and international publications on the impact of noise pollution on the physical and emotional well-being of mega-city residents were conducted. It was found that noise pollution directly affects the quality of life and the physical and mental health of people, leading to significant economic losses through medical expenses, deaths, and a decrease in the market value of real estate located near noise sources. Moreover, it was discovered that noise negatively influences not only the physical well-being of humans but also the behavior of urban animals and birds, compelling them to adapt their mating rituals and communication methods. While these behavioral changes help animals be more audible in noisy environments, they impact the reproductive success of certain species, potentially leading to their extinction and causing an ecological catastrophe. The study identified a global trend of lagging efforts to combat urban noise and solve problems only after their existence is acknowledged. The research explored the primary internationally recognized and widely used tools for reducing noise levels in urban environments, including methods within the field of landscape architecture: functional zoning of urban areas, construction of noise reduction screens (NRS), installation of noise-absorbing road surfaces, traffic restrictions, or speed limits, and the creation of green barriers, among others. Furthermore, the article outlined the main trends in the future development of improving sound comfort in cities, such as the establishment of "quiet zones" and the creation of unique soundscapes in contemporary mega-cities. Examples include the iconic sounds of Big Ben in London or the call to prayer from the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, which provide emotionally rich experiences. In a broader sense, acoustic comfort should not be considered solely as the absence of noise but rather as a situation where acoustic environments offer significant opportunities for human development and careful consideration of their physical and mental well-being.