Remote Desert Research Articles

European and US Efforts To Develop Geothermal Energy Are Headed in Different Directions

_ Writing about emerging geothermal technology requires dealing with the fact that it is emerging in different forms in different places. A common thread of what’s new are methods based on drilling wells into hot rock to deliver fluid into hot formations to harvest energy. Chances are that sentence is not exactly an accurate description of any particular method because of the significant differences among them. Some use hydraulic fracturing while others do not. One pumps water from well to well, another into the fractures of a single well, and the third keeps the fluid inside the wellbore. And the end product varies as well. In the US, the big early developments are aimed at generating electricity for the grid and storing energy in developments where wells are fractured. In Germany, the big target is providing hot water to district heating systems that deliver it to a wide range of customers in urban areas. New technology there must avoid fracturing. In Germany, they are testing a new geothermal method that harvests heat in deep well loops using a fluid that brings energy to the surface with minimal pumping. “In Utah or Nevada, the use case is they do electric only versus in Europe where it is more heat plus electricity,” said Florian Mueller, a PhD candidate doing research on geothermal at the Energy and Technology Policy Group in Zurich, Switzerland. In both cases these methods were developed by startups whose early commercial applications require adapting to a mind-numbing list of external factors. As a result, “Geothermal will look different everywhere,” said Ken Medlock, the senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University, during a panel session at this year’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). Adaptation The differences reflect a common challenge faced by innovators. A practical solution to a pressing problem, engineered to be reliable and cost-competitive, is just the starting point. Growth from there will depend on how they adapt to the market. In the US, Fervo Energy’s first large-scale commercial project in southern Utah is heating water by pumping it from injection wells to production wells through rock fractured from both sides. Produced water will need to be around 400°F—higher is better—to ensure it can be used to efficiently generate electricity for consumers in southern California. In southern Germany, Calgary-based Eavor Technologies is building a series of 12 flow loops with cased vertical wells linked by a long, uncased lateral that is treated to ensure the fluid remains in the wellbore and is heated efficiently. When built, each loop will be filled with a fluid formulated to conduct geothermal energy to the surface where it will be used for home heating during the cold months, and electric generation during warmer ones. The differences often reflect the vagaries of regulation. Fervo is building its 400 MW geothermal electric plant, Cape Station, 500 miles from its initial customers at a site in southern Utah where the quality of the formation was already known because it adjoins the US geothermal test site commonly known as FORGE. Also, the remote desert site minimizes the likelihood of opposition to drilling and fracturing, which is not the case in California which has banned fracturing.

Integrated solar-powered freeze desalination and water electrolysis system with energy recovery and storage for sustainable agriculture in desert environments

Agricultural activities in remote desert locations face significant challenges due to high water and energy demands and the lack of necessary infrastructure. The use of portable diesel generators, while common in smallholder farmers, leads to substantial pollution on-site. Efficient utilization of naturally available energy and water sources for the supply of essential commodities would greatly support the execution of agricultural activities in desert climates. Freeze desalination offers many benefits over distillation processes, such as low energy demand, negligible fouling, scaling, or corrosion, and no requirement of pretreatment for purification. Besides, hydrogen fuel cell is a clean alternative to a diesel generator as it possesses high conversion efficiency and eliminates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and noise pollution. This study proposes a stand-alone solar-powered freeze desalination and electrolysis system for freshwater and green hydrogen production from brackish groundwater in remote desert regions. The system is equipped with several energy recovery and storage solutions such as cistern, ice storage air conditioning, and metal hydride canisters with fuel cell to efficiently utilize energy and water and compensate for fluctuations in solar irradiation. The integrated system is modeled and analyzed based on thermodynamic principles, and results demonstrated the daily capacity of producing 52.8 m3 freshwater, 6.3 MWh air conditioning, 177 kg hydrogen, and 2.4 MWh electricity using 10,785m2 bifacial photovoltaics system. Moreover, the energetic and exergetic efficiency of the system is calculated as 17.8 % and 13.5% during day and 56 % and 34.9 % during night, respectively.

Medical geographical zoning in part of Uzbekistan – A regional synthesis

This study delves into the nuanced realm of medical geography, focusing on the intricate interplay between geographical factors and public health outcomes in the Samarkand and Navoi regions of Uzbekistan. Over the decades, the field of medical geography has evolved, embracing a holistic perspective that integrates ecological, socioeconomic, and accessibility elements to elucidate the complex dynamics of disease distribution and healthcare provision. Utilizing a comprehensive methodology, this research employs a combination of GIS tools, statistical analysis, and expert input to delineate medical geographical zones within the study area. By synthesizing data from diverse sources including administrative records, environmental assessments, and demographic surveys, the study constructs a detailed picture of the region's health landscape. The analysis revealed five primary medical geographical zones and a sub-zone, each characterized by distinct natural features, economic activities, and health challenges. From the bustling urban centers of Samarkand and Navoi to the remote desert expanses of Uzguduk - Tomdi North, each zone presents unique opportunities and obstacles for healthcare delivery and environmental management. Key findings highlight the disproportionate distribution of healthcare resources, with densely populated areas in the southern part of the study area benefitting from greater accessibility to medical facilities compared to remote rural regions. Moreover, environmental factors such as air pollution, water contamination, and climatic variability emerge as significant determinants of public health, exacerbating respiratory ailments, cardiovascular diseases, and other health conditions. The study underscores the importance of spatial analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex health issues within diverse geographical landscapes. By mapping medical geographical zones and understanding their specific health concerns, policymakers and healthcare professionals can develop targeted interventions to improve healthcare access, mitigate environmental hazards, and promote community well-being. In conclusion, this research contributes valuable insights to the field of medical geography, shedding light on the multifaceted interactions between geography, environment, and health in the Samarkand and Navoi regions of Uzbekistan. Moving forward, further research and collaborative efforts are needed to address the underlying determinants of health disparities and foster sustainable development in the region.

Aerosol Vertical Structure and Optical Properties during Two Dust and Haze Episodes in a Typical Valley Basin City, Lanzhou of Northwest China

The vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties are vital to clarify their transboundary transport, climate forcing and environmental health influences. Based on synergistic measurements of multiple advanced detection techniques, this study investigated aerosol vertical structure and optical characteristics during two dust and haze events in Lanzhou of northwest China. Dust particles originated from remote deserts traveled eastward at different altitudes and reached Lanzhou on 10 April 2020. The trans-regional aloft (~4.0 km) dust particles were entrained into the ground, and significantly modified aerosol optical properties over Lanzhou. The maximum aerosol extinction coefficient (σ), volumetric depolarization ratio (VDR), optical depth at 500 nm (AOD500), and surface PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were 0.4~1.5 km−1, 0.15~0.30, 0.5~3.0, 200~590 μg/m3 and 134 μg/m3, respectively, under the heavy dust event, which were 3 to 11 times greater than those at the background level. The corresponding Ångström exponent (AE440–870), fine-mode fraction (FMF) and PM2.5/PM10 values consistently persisted within the ranges of 0.10 to 0.50, 0.20 to 0.50, and 0.20 to 0.50, respectively. These findings implied a prevailing dominance of coarse-mode and irregular non-spherical particles. A severe haze episode stemming from local emissions appeared at Lanzhou from 30 December 2020 to 2 January 2021. The low-altitude transboundary transport aerosols seriously deteriorated the air quality level in Lanzhou, and aerosol loading, surface air pollutants and fine-mode particles strikingly increased during the gradual strengthening of haze process. The maximum AOD500, AE440–870nm, FMF, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, and PM2.5/PM10 were 0.65, 1.50, 0.85, 110 μg/m3, 180 μg/m3 and 0.68 on 2 January 2021, respectively, while the corresponding σ and VDR at 0.20–0.80 km height were maintained at 0.68 km−1 and 0.03~0.12, implying that fine-mode and spherical small particles were predominant. The profile of ozone concentration exhibited a prominent two-layer structure (0.60–1.40 km and 0.10–0.30 km), and both concentrations at two heights always remained at high levels (60~72 μg/m3) during the entire haze event. Conversely, surface ozone concentration showed a significant decrease during severe haze period, with the peak value of 20~30 μg/m3, which was much smaller than that before haze pollution (~80 μg/m3 on 30 December). Our results also highlighted that the vertical profile of aerosol extinction coefficient was a good proxy for evaluating mass concentrations of surface particulate matters under uniform mixing layers, which was of great scientific significance for retrieving surface air pollutants in remote desert or ocean regions. These statistics of the aerosol vertical profiles and optical properties under heavy dust and haze events in Lanzhou would contribute to investigate and validate the transboundary transport and radiative forcing of aloft aerosols in the application of climate models or satellite remote sensing.

Feasibility analysis of hybrid energy generation systems for desert highway service areas: a case study in northern Xinjiang, China

Highways consume a significant amount of electrical energy annually, especially in remote desert regions where the cost of electricity is high. This research explores the utilization of natural resources along desert highways to establish hybrid energy generation systems for service areas. Three service areas along the desert highway in northern Xinjiang, China, serve as case studies. To assess the feasibility of hybrid energy generation systems in these service areas, meteorological data for the three locations were obtained from the NASA platform. The HOMER Pro software was employed for technical, economic, and environmental analyses of the systems. The results indicate the feasibility of Photovoltaic (PV)/Wind/Battery hybrid energy systems in the Huanghuagou, Kelameili, and Wujiaqu service areas. The application of these hybrid energy generation systems across the three service areas could provide 3,349,557 kWh of electrical energy annually for the desert highway. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the Net Present Cost (NPC) and Cost of Energy (COE) values decrease with increasing radiation levels, while NPC shows an increasing trend with growing load demand, and COE exhibits a decreasing trend. Among the three regions, Wujiaqu demonstrates the highest economic viability, with a COE of $0.34/kWh and an NPC of $3,141,641/kWh. Furthermore, Wujiaqu exhibits the lowest environmental impact, with CO2 emissions of 198,387 kg/yr, SO2 emissions of 493 kg/yr, and NOx emissions of 1,711 kg/yr.

Efficiency Modeling using the Mirror Surface of Heliostats in a Solar Power Tower

Analyzing the geographical location and climatic conditions of Turkmenistan, we conclude that solar energy is a priority among all renewable sources since the duration of sunny days in the country is from 270 to 320 days a year. Development, creation of large-scale solar power plants and use in remote desert regions of Turkmenistan is an urgent problem. The article considers the possibilities of creating a solar power plant based on a tower-type layout. The modes of the optical system in the natural and climatic conditions of Turkmenistan are calculated using a mathematical model, the coefficient of efficiency of using the mirror surface of the installation and the distribution of the level of instantaneous local values are determined. Figure 1 shows the movement of the Sun in the sky, which varies depending on the time of year. The results of the study show that the maximum increase in the energy efficiency coefficient can be achieved with the location of solar panels perpendicular to solar radiation with the dense placement of heliostats on the north side of the tower, then energy efficiency will increase by 25-40% in summer and 10-15% in winter.

From desert dust to ongoing soil formation in the mountainous areas of the south Levant

Mediterranean soils of the south Levant have been investigated and described during the past several decades, especially brown-reddish mountain soils, but certain issues, such as the role of desert dust as a parent material, remain unresolved. This study aims to quantify the role of desert dust in the formation of the mountain soils of the south Levant area, examine the environmental factors that affect the soil formation processes, and evaluate their time of formation. This is done by sampling and analyzing soil sites along two west-east transects across the Judea and Samaria mountains that encompass the transition from the Mediterranean to the semiarid climate. The new database includes the bulk mineralogical and chemical compositions of major oxides and trace elements, particle size distributions, and basic soil’s parameters. Although the range of calcite content in the soils studied is large (>1 % to 60 %), all soil types have similar grain size distributions of three modes: 45–55 μm mode within the coarse silt fraction, 20–25 μm mode within the fine silt fraction, and a clay mode. Local (Jerusalem) dust, collected near the sampled soils, is distinguished from desert dust by a lower quartz content and lower concentrations of SiO2, TiO2, Th, and Zr, suggesting that the local dust is a mixture of remote desert dust and local sources. The soils on the eastern side of the Judean Mountains, under a semiarid climate, are dominated by the coarse silt mode, and their compositions reflect a higher contribution of desert dust and weaker pedogenic processes. The pedogenic formation of smectites turns the clay fraction into the main grain size mode in the leached soils of the western side, under higher precipitation and denser vegetation. The almost identical compositions found for two adjacent soils on limestone and on chert demonstrate that dust is almost the exclusive parent material for soils presently forming on hard sedimentary rocks. This, other chemical parameters, and additional field observations indicate no relation between soils and bedrock or visible karstic activity at present. Accordingly, soil formation in the mountainous areas of the south Levant is a result of ongoing dust accumulation and transformation since the last major erosion event in the early Holocene.

The distribution of ecotourism activities and potential consequences for the Saudi desert ecosystem

Ecotourism and recreation play significant roles in the socioeconomic and infrastructure developments of host communities. However, people visiting natural habitats for ecotourism and recreational activities often disturb the existing ecological balance. In Saudi Arabia, four-wheel vehicles are increasingly used for desert recreational activities such as camping, picnic, hiking, and sports, thereby disturbing the pristine ecosystem. Earlier, people feared getting lost in the vast desert and visited only authorized locations serviced by designated roads. However, exploring remote desert locations is increasingly commonplace using GPS-based devices and navigation technologies on smartphones and vehicles. This study investigates the extent of these practices and their potential consequences for the desert ecosystem in the Dammam Metropolitan Area, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey of people involved in such activities, geospatial analysis of maps of the study area, and direct observations. The findings show a statistically significant increase in such recreational activities from 2010 to 2020, with littering, soil degradation, and damage to plant and animal species as the major impacts. The study inferred that random recreational activities negatively impact prime soil, vegetation, and animals. It concludes that campers and picnickers should be educated about the implications of these practices. Furthermore, local authorities should establish more camping centers, conduct more surveillance, and establish regulations and fines to protect the desert ecosystem.

Garden Hunter

Garden Hunter

Does the establishment of nature reserves increase rural residents' income? : Empirical evidence from China based on PSM-DID.

Clarifying the impact of nature reserves on rural residents' income is of great significance to the organic integration of environmental protection and rural residents' income improvement. Based on the panel data of 600 counties from nine provinces in China, ranging from 2010 to 2019, this study employs the quasi-experimental method of Difference in Difference and Propensity Score Matching (PSM-DID) to examine how rural resident's income is influenced by the establishment of nature reserves. It is found that (1) Nature reserves, with a positive impact on rural resident's income, bring more earnings to the rural residents. (2) The impact varies with the heterogeneity of natural reserve types. That is, national and natural parks can increase rural residents' income, while the ones with wildlife or remote desert ecosystem play a limited role. (3) The increased income is mainly originated from the development of tourism, the improvement of facilities and the enhancement of ecosystem services. On this basis, multiple methods are proposed to promote rural residents' income and livelihood security of local communities. Policy recommendations are brought forth as well, including the focus on guaranteeing the livelihood security of rural residents nearby nature reserves where wildlife and remote desert ecosystem are protected.

An Effective Model of Countering Terrorist Danger: Successful Experience of Mauritania

The article analyzes the approaches of the Mauritanian authorities to the fight against terrorism. While the countries of the Sahel region are suffering from a crisis caused by the actions of jihadist groups, Mauritania has become a positive exception in this regard. There have been no major terrorist attacks there in the last 10 years, although there are significant problems in the country that make it vulnerable to extremism. These are unresolved political issues, huge social and ethnic differences, and the weakness of the economy. The terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has been organizing terrorist attacks in the country since 2005 and recruiting young Mauritanians into the ranks of jihadists, tried to take advantage of the numerous problems of Mauritania and the popularity of political Islam there. The peak of terrorist activity in Mauritania was 2005–2011, when more than ten attacks were carried out. Since coming to power in 2009, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz began the formation of a new anti-terrorist strategy that took into account both the Algerian experience and the Mauritanian realities. This strategy was complex in nature and included both military measures and “soft approaches”. Among the military measures, a successful military reform should be noted, affecting military education, increasing the mobility of the armed forces and the capabilities of special forces units. The approach of the Mauritanian authorities to the internal religious and political arena has also undergone a radical change. In addition to offering dialogue to hardliners and the legalization of the Islamist Tevassul party, the approach aimed at involving the nomadic population of remote desert areas in the public space of Mauritania has fully justified itself.

Techno-economic analysis of a solar-powered humidification-dehumidification desalination system under fogging effect

Different techniques are utilized to overcome the problem of freshwater shortage around the world. Humidification-dehumidification technology is among the promising methods, especially when powered by cost-effective solar energy sources or when used in remote desert areas with abundant solar resources. In this study, a solar energy-powered humidification-dehumidification system is assembled and tested. Two solar energy systems are supplying the humidification-dehumidification system with heat and electricity, namely an evacuated tube solar collector and an array of photovoltaic panels, respectively. The studied system utilizes three fogging nozzles, each with a 10-µm diameter, that allow efficient energy conversion. Also, the system was tested under the influence of a single nozzle with a larger diameter for comparison purposes. The fogging technique reduced the power consumption while boosting the total system productivity. The system was able to achieve a maximum gained output ratio of 4.4 at saline water and air temperatures of 80 and 53.44 °C, respectively. The rate of freshwater production ranged between 1.7 and 3.85 L/h. At the highest tested saline water to air ratio, the system with three 10-µm nozzles enhanced the gained output ratio by 23.68 and 67.33 %, compared to the single nozzle configuration with 20 and 30-µm diameter, respectively. An economic evaluation showed a best-averaged price of 0.0543 USD/L of freshwater.

“The Long Wait for Homecoming”: Looking at the Lives of Oil Field Wives in COVID-19 Times

The migration of Indians to Gulf countries can be traced back to the early twentieth century. With the discovery of oil in the region, Indian laborers began to migrate for a better livelihood, which also served as a valuable source of income for the country. Oil field workers who have migrated from India to the Gulf region are employed in oil rigs located in remote desert areas. They include both skilled as well as unskilled laborers and are employed in high-risk field-based jobs wherein family is not allowed. They work as international commuters and return home on a rotational basis at regular intervals. They constitute transnational families wherein most rely on telecommunication to connect with their family members in India and fulfill their social obligations. The economic, political, and sociocultural impact of migration has been studied by social scientists in substantial detail from the perspective of homeland as well as host land, but not much has been discussed about the experience of wives/spouses of oil field workers who are left behind at home even though their population is fairly large in India. Available data on the social and psychological impact of international migration suggest that such migration histories have both positive and negative impacts on transnational families. The COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the global scenario, did not spare them either. This article is a part of a meso-level study wherein a group of women residing in different parts of India was interviewed regarding their experience as wives of oil field workers in Gulf countries. Their husbands could not return home due to travel bans imposed by the Middle Eastern countries owing to the pandemic. This article attempts to look at significant issues pertaining to family and international migration to Gulf countries in the COVID times.

Anti-diabetic Potential of Indigenous Medicinal Plants of Cholistan Desert, Pakistan: A Review.

Cholistan Desert is a sandy desert located in southern Punjab, Pakistan. The area is rich in more than 64 medicinal plants among 138 plant species. It is noteworthy that this remote desert lacks modern health care facilities and its inhabitants are dependent on locally-available plant species for the treatment of acute and chronic illnesses. Medicinal plants, traditionally have been ideal sources of remedies for the management of many non-communicable diseases; most modern prescriptions drugs have their origins from plants. Diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in the past few decades. Whereas medicinal plants are used globally, the specific properties of only a few have been identifies scientifically. Similarly, little scientific evidence exists that confirms the efficacy of the medicinal plants of this region for diabetes management. Ethnobotanical studies show that locally-available medicinal plants do have anti-diabetic potential. We reviewed the medicinal properties of 36 of these plants. Several ingredients derived from these plants have chemical constituents that demonstrate anti-diabetic activity, thereby validating their importance for the management of diabetes.

Concurrent 1. Presentation for: Passive microseismic – direct hydrocarbon sensing with minimal environmental impact

Presented on Tuesday 17 May: Session 1 A method for directly detecting hydrocarbons with minimal environmental impact is presented here with deployment examples from a recent Canning Basin project. To maintain their social license to operate, oil and gas explorers and producers must seek to reduce their environmental footprint and regulatory authorities are required to reduce impact to an acceptable and as low as reasonably practical level. This creates a window of opportunity for advanced, disruptive technologies, which avoid dry holes and shorten the appraisal and development timeframe, while minimising the impact on the environment. Low-frequency seismic is such a technology and here we describe its onshore application, we also briefly touch on the offshore application. Passive microseismic surveys are well known in engineering geology and seismology; however, in the oil and gas industry it is a relatively new geophysical area and their usage is increasing every year. Passive microseismic surveys are a solution both for exploration, de-risking near-field step-outs and siting infill wells in oil and gas accumulations. During August–September 2021, passive seismic data was acquired in the Canning Basin of Western Australia for Buru Energy. The author (Helen Debenham) was on site for the deployment and shares here details of the successes and challenges of data acquisition in the remote desert regions of Australia. To access the presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here

Passive microseismic – direct hydrocarbon sensing with minimal environmental impact

A method for directly detecting hydrocarbons with minimal environmental impact is presented here with deployment examples from a recent Canning Basin project. To maintain their social license to operate, oil and gas explorers and producers must seek to reduce their environmental footprint and regulatory authorities are required to reduce impact to an acceptable and as low as reasonably practical level. This creates a window of opportunity for advanced, disruptive technologies, which avoid dry holes and shorten the appraisal and development timeframe, while minimising the impact on the environment. Low-frequency seismic is such a technology and here we describe its onshore application, we also briefly touch on the offshore application. Passive microseismic surveys are well known in engineering geology and seismology; however, in the oil and gas industry it is a relatively new geophysical area and their usage is increasing every year. Passive microseismic surveys are a solution both for exploration, de-risking near-field step-outs and siting infill wells in oil and gas accumulations. During August–September 2021, passive seismic data was acquired in the Canning Basin of Western Australia for Buru Energy. The author (Helen Debenham) was on site for the deployment and shares here details of the successes and challenges of data acquisition in the remote desert regions of Australia.

Border Crosser Deaths in the Arizona-Mexico Desert: Data on Remains 2001-2020.

Increased enforcement at U.S.-Mexico border-crossing sites may lead migrants to cross in remote desert areas. We reviewed data on migrants' bodies found along the Arizona-Mexico border from 2001 to 2020. We analyzed causes of death, condition of bodies, age, and sex, and the relationship of deaths to enforcement (arrests) by U.S. Border Patrol. From 2001-2020, 3,378 border-crosser bodies were found in the desert. As enforcement increased, bodies were found in more remote areas and later stages of decomposition. Skeletonized bodies increased from 19% in 2001-2004 to 49.1% in 2017-2020. When the cause of death could be identified, exposure to the elements was the most common cause. Abrupt increases in arrests and deaths over the immediately preceding period of 2013-2016 occurred in 2017-2020. Undetermined cause of death and increased skeletonization became more common, indicating bodies are discovered later. Enforcement does not decrease individuals crossing the border; rather, individuals cross in more remote areas.

Assessing environmental DNA metabarcoding and camera trap surveys as complementary tools for biomonitoring of remote desert water bodies

AbstractBiodiversity assessments are indispensable tools for planning and monitoring conservation strategies. Camera traps (CT) are widely used to monitor wildlife and have proven their usefulness. Environmental DNA (eDNA)‐based approaches are increasingly implemented for biomonitoring, combining sensitivity, high taxonomic coverage and resolution, non‐invasiveness and easiness of sampling, but remain challenging for terrestrial fauna. However, in remote desert areas where scattered water bodies attract terrestrial species, which release their DNA into the water, this method presents a unique opportunity for their detection. In order to identify the most efficient method for a given study system, comparative studies are needed. Here, we compare CT and DNA metabarcoding of water samples collected from two desert ecosystems, the Trans‐Altai Gobi in Mongolia and the Kalahari in Botswana. We recorded with CT the visiting patterns of wildlife and studied the correlation with the biodiversity captured with the eDNA approach. The aim of the present study was threefold: (a) to investigate how well waterborne eDNA captures signals of terrestrial fauna in remote desert environments, which have been so far neglected in terms of biomonitoring efforts; (b) to compare two distinct approaches for biomonitoring in such environments; and (c) to draw recommendations for future eDNA‐based biomonitoring. We found significant correlations between the two methodologies and describe a detectability score based on variables extracted from CT data and the visiting patterns of wildlife. This supports the use of eDNA‐based biomonitoring in these ecosystems and encourages further research to integrate the methodology in the planning and monitoring of conservation strategies.

\u2018I Dream of Going Home\u2019: Gendered Experiences of Adolescent Syrian Refugees in Jordan\u2019s Azraq Camp

Although the influx of Syrian refugees in Jordan initially attracted considerable international humanitarian support, funding has declined recently, and labour market restrictions have tightened. Adolescents in Azraq refugee camp face particular challenges due to its unique characteristics, including strong surveillance and security measures and a remote desert location, which affords only limited mobility and income-generating opportunities. Instead of offering protection and security for displaced Syrians, the camp has become a ‘violent space’. This article explores the experiences of younger (10–12 years) and older (15–17 years) adolescent girls and boys in Azraq camp. It provides insights into their gendered experiences in four capability domains—education, voice and agency, bodily integrity and freedom from violence, and psychosocial wellbeing—highlighting key vulnerabilities that need to be addressed to deliver the Leave No One Behind agenda. The findings suggest that when planning programmes and services, the government, international community and civil society actors working with adolescent refugees in Azraq need to take into consideration spatial dimensions of vulnerability. Such efforts should ensure that programmes are designed and implemented in an inclusive and accessible way so that male and female adolescents in specific camp settings can overcome the constraints that they uniquely face.

Caves as geoheritage resource in remote desert areas: a preliminary evaluation of Djara Cave in the Western Desert of Egypt

AbstractCaves are rare in northeast Africa and, thus, deserve attention as potential geoheritage objects (geosites). Assessment of Djara Cave and its vicinity (Western Desert, Egypt) has permitted to document unique features, such as the cave itself as a peculiar subsurface landform, speleothems providing data for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, rock art demonstrating elements of past landscapes, siliceous nodules weathered from Eocene limestones and a network of dry drainage channels indicative of wetter palaeoenvironments. These features are assigned to geomorphological, sedimentological and palaeogeographical types of geoheritage. Djara Cave and its vicinity are proposed as a geosite of national rank; it is vulnerable to anthropogenic stress and needs geoconservation measures and instalment of interpretative signs. This geosite is already popular among tourists, and can be used for further tourism development. More generally, the presence of caves in Egyptian desert areas makes possible the recognition of national speleological heritage that requires special country-level strategies of management.