Riparian Regions Research Articles

Cynodon dactylon and Sediment Interaction in the Three Gorges Reservoir: Insights from a Three-Year Study

Sediment deposition is critical in maintaining riparian plant communities by providing essential nutrients and posing growth challenges. This study focuses on Cynodon dactylon, a dominant clonal species in the riparian zones of the Three Gorges Reservoir, and its interaction with sediment deposition over three years. Results indicated an average sediment deposition depth of 2.85 cm in the lower riparian regions. Observations revealed that C. dactylon coverage increased progressively at lower elevations despite its dominance diminishing with rising elevation levels. Additionally, positive linear correlations between C. dactylon coverage and sediment deposition depths were identified during flood periods, underscoring the species’ role in enhancing sediment deposition. These findings suggest that C. dactylon plays a significant role in sediment accumulation, which may bolster its growth and survival prospects during subsequent growing cycles. The study highlights the importance of riparian vegetation, mainly perennial clonal species like C. dactylon, in promoting sediment accumulation and contributing to the stability and functionality of riparian ecosystems.

Using the Hydraulic Properties of Zeolite to Grow Desert Willow—A Case Study to Rehabilitate Riparian Areas of Semi-Arid Environments

Plants in riparian areas are well known for their beneficial functions such as providing biodiverse habitats, maintaining water quality, and stabilizing streambanks. However, riparian plants are declining in semi-arid environments due to long-term drought, a decline in groundwater table, and an increase in soil salinity. A new technique using clinoptilolite zeolite (CZ) as a wicking material with minimum artificial irrigation to grow desert willow [Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet] under field conditions is introduced; desert willow is native to riparian regions of the southwestern United States. For this study’s experiment, desert willow seedlings were planted in boreholes filled with clinoptilolite zeolite (CZ) as a substrate and in situ riparian sandy loam soil (RS) as a control. The boreholes extended to the groundwater table at two distinctive depths, shallow (avg. depth = 1.21 m) and deep (avg. depth = 2.14 m). The plants’ viability was then assessed by measuring their midday water potential (Ψmd) as an indicator of water stress. There was no significant difference in Ψmd (p > 0.05) between the plants grown in CZ and RS (mean Ψmd = −0.91 vs. −0.81 MPa) where the groundwater was shallow and a significant difference (mean Ψmd = −0.75 vs. −2.03 MPa) where the groundwater was deep. The proposed method is promising as an alternative method for growing desert willow or other plants for riparian rehabilitation with no artificial irrigation. However, its effectiveness depends on groundwater being accessible at the base of the boreholes used for planting.

A Tale of Two Catchments: Causality Analysis and Isotope Systematics Reveal Mountainous Watershed Traits That Regulate the Retention and Release of Nitrogen

AbstractMountainous watersheds are characterized by variability in functional traits, including vegetation, topography, geology, and geomorphology, which determine nitrogen (N) retention, and release. Coal Creek and East River are two contrasting catchments within the Upper Colorado River Basin that differ markedly in total nitrate (NO3−) export. The East River has a diverse vegetation cover, and sinuous floodplains, and is underlain by N‐rich marine shale. At 0.21 ± 0.14 kg ha−1 yr−1, the East River exports ∼3.5 times more NO3− relative to the conifer‐dominated Coal Creek (0.06 ± 0.02 kg ha−1 yr−1). While this can partly be explained by the larger size of the East River, the distinct watershed traits of these two catchments imply different mechanisms controlling the aggregate N‐export signal. A causality analysis shows physical and biogenic processes were critical in determining NO3− export from the East River catchment. Stable isotope ratios of NO3− (δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3) show the East River catchment is a strong hotspot for biogeochemical processing of NO3− at the hillslope soil‐saprolite. By contrast, the conifer‐dominated Coal Creek retained nearly all atmospherically deposited NO3−, and its export was controlled by catchment hydrological traits (i.e., snowmelt periods and water table depth). The conservative N‐cycle within Coal Creek is likely due to the abundance of conifer trees, and smaller riparian regions, retaining more NO3− overall and reduced processing prior to export. This study highlights the value of integrating isotope systematics to link watershed functional traits to mechanisms of watershed element retention and release.

Glaciers determine the sensitivity of hydrological processes to perturbed climate in a large mountainous basin on the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract. The major rivers on the Tibetan Plateau supply important freshwater resources to riparian regions but have been undergoing significant climate change in recent decades. Understanding the sensitivities of hydrological processes to climate change is important for water resource management, but large divergences exist in previous studies because of the uncertainties of hydrological models and climate projection data. Meanwhile, the spatial pattern of local hydrological sensitivities was poorly explored despite the strong heterogeneity on the Tibetan Plateau. This study adopted the climate perturbation method to analyze the hydrological sensitivities of a typical large mountainous basin (Yarlung Tsangpo River, YTR) to climate change. We utilized the tracer-aided hydrological model Tsinghua Representative Elementary Watershed-Tracer-aided version (THREW-T) to simulate the hydrological and cryospheric processes in the YTR basin. Multiple datasets and internal stations were used to validate the model to provide confidence in the baseline simulation and the sensitivity analysis. Results indicated that (1) the THREW-T model performed well in simulating the streamflow, snow cover area (SCA), glacier mass balance (GMB) and stream water isotope, ensuring good representation of the key cryospheric processes and a reasonable estimation of the runoff components. The model performed acceptably in simulating the streamflow at eight internal stations located in the mainstream and two major tributaries, indicating that the spatial pattern of hydrological processes was reflected by the model. (2) Increasing temperature led to decreasing annual runoff, smaller inter-annual variation, more even intra-annual distribution and an earlier maximum runoff. It also influenced the runoff regime by increasing the contributions of rainfall and glacier melt overland runoff but decreasing the subsurface runoff and snowmelt overland runoff. Increasing precipitation had the opposite effect to increasing temperature. (3) The local runoff change in response to increasing temperature varied significantly, with a changing rate of −18.6 % to 54.3 % for 5∘ of warming. The glacier area ratio (GAR) was the dominant factor in the spatial pattern of hydrological sensitivities to both perturbed temperature and precipitation. Some regions had a non-monotonic runoff change rate in response to climate perturbation, which represented the most dynamic regions within the basin, as they kept shifting between energy- and water-limited stages. The GAR and mean annual precipitation (MAP) of the non-monotonic regions had a linear relation and formed the boundary of regions with different runoff trends in the GAR–MAP plot.

Using river restoration model to control riverbank erosion in the Old Brahmaputra river of Bengal Basin, Bangladesh

River meandering causes riverbank erosion, which triggers socioeconomic and environmental issues in the riparian region and raises river sedimentation, thus, needing river restoration. This research depicts a channel restoration model to control river bank erosion and susceptible resource management along the Old Brahmaputra River course based on channel characteristics from 1980 to 2021. The secondary data of Landsat satellite time series and SRTM images were collected from the USGS website, while we used Google Earth images to verify the morphological features. Satellite images were on-screen visualized by ArcMap (10.3) to extract the river channels and measure the erosion and accretion areas. Results showed that the Old Brahmaputra River channel shifted its position due to erosion and accretion. Over the last forty-one years, ∼ 52 km2 area was eroded while ∼ 49 km2 area was accreted, and the average shifting of the river channel was 1.3 km2 per year. Accordingly, the river channel has become more sinuous decade by decade and threatens nearby settlements. Hence, this study proposed a river channel based on previous river channels, where the base channel is from the 2000s, which was more stable and flowed through the middle of the floodplain. Parts of the 1980, 2000, and 2021 river channels were also selected, which are relatively far from the susceptible settlements, to draw the proposed restoring channel. This model is likely to aid in developing government strategies for protecting riverbank erosion and river restoration in the forthcoming period. Finally, this study recommends that this newly proposed channel will be conducive to reducing riverbank erosion and the extreme threat to the settlements and their livelihoods.

Flood hazard mapping using GIS-based statistical model in vulnerable riparian regions of sub-tropical environment

Floods are a recurrent natural calamity that presents substantial hazards to human lives and infrastructure. The study indicates that a significant proportion of the study area, specifically 27.05%, is classified as a moderate flood risk zone (FRZ), while 20.78% is designated as high or very high FRZ. The region’s low and very low FRZ are classified at 52.17%. The GIS-based AHP model demonstrated exceptional predictive precision, achieving a score of 0.749 (74.90%) as determined by the AUC-ROC, a widely used statistical evaluation tool. The current study has identified areas with high FRZ in the affected CD blocks, which are situated in low-lying flood plains, regions with gentle slopes, high drainage density, high TWI, low NDVI, high MNDWI, areas with high population density, intensive agricultural land. The findings of this research offer significant perspectives for decision-makers, city planners, and emergency management agencies in devising efficient measures to mitigate flood risks.

Knowledge Capabilities for Sustainable Poultry Production in Sub-Sahara Africa: Lessons from Southeast Nigeria

The poultry industry in sub-Saharan Africa faces significant sustainability challenges associated with social equity, economic stability, and environmental degradation. As the sector expands due to population and income growth, a major concern remaining is how to ensure a sustainable future for the industry. This paper assessed the knowledge capabilities of poultry farmers for sustainable production using southeast Nigeria as a model region for all riparian regions in sub-Saharan Africa. Sixty poultry farms and 180 participants were sampled. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources, including relevant literature, participant observations, and in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed with the percentage, bar chart, regression, and Pearson Moment Correlation. Findings revealed that only 13.9% of the respondents had a high knowledge of environmental sustainability. The number of years spent in school (t = 1.992; p = 0.048), access to veterinary service (t = 2.161; p = 0.032), and membership in a social organization (t = 2.306; p = 0.022) were socio-economic factors that significantly influenced knowledge capabilities. Knowledge (r = 0.252; p < 0.005), rather than income, significantly influenced the use of sustainability practices. Low knowledge of sustainability practices could mean a gross violation on the part of farmers. Specialized programs for educating poultry farmers on the realities of the environmental impacts of their livelihood are paramount.

Annotated genome sequence of a fast-growing diploid clone of red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.).

Red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) is an ecologically significant and important, fast-growing commercial tree species native to western coastal and riparian regions of North America, having highly desirable wood, pigment and medicinal properties. We have sequenced the genome of a rapidly growing clone. The assembly is nearly complete, containing the full complement of expected genes. This supports our objectives of identifying and studying genes and pathways involved in nitrogen fixing symbiosis, and those related to secondary metabolites that underlie red alder's many interesting defense, pigmentation and wood quality traits. We established that this clone is most likely diploid, and identified a set of SNPs that will have utility in future breeding and selection endeavors, as well as in ongoing population studies. We have added a well-characterized genome to others from the order Fagales. In particular, it improves significantly upon the only other published alder genome sequence, that of Alnus glutinosa. Our work initiated a detailed comparative analysis of members of the order Fagales, and established some similarities with previous reports in this clade suggesting biased retention of certain gene functions in the vestiges of an ancient genome duplication as compared to more recent tandem duplications.

Spatially Explicit Wastewater Generation and Tracking (SEWAGE-TRACK) in the Middle East and North Africa region

This study developed the SEWAGE-TRACK model for disaggregating lumped national wastewater generation estimates using population datasets and quantifying rural and urban wastewater generation and fate. The model allocates wastewater into riparian, coastal, and inland components and summarizes the fate of wastewater into productive (direct and indirect reuse) and unproductive components for 19 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As per the national estimates, 18.4 km3 of municipal wastewater generated in 2015, was disaggregated over the MENA region. Results from this study revealed urban and rural areas to contribute to 79 % and 21 % of municipal wastewater generation respectively. Within the rural context, inland areas generated 61 % of the total wastewater. The riparian and coastal regions produced 27 % and 12 %, respectively. Within the urban settings, riparian areas produced 48 %, while inland and coastal regions generated 34 % and 18 % of the total wastewater, respectively. Results indicate that 46 % of the wastewater is productively used (direct reuse and indirect use), while 54 % is lost unproductively. Of the total wastewater generated, the most direct use was observed in the coastal areas (7 %), the most indirect reuse in the riparian regions (31 %), and the most unproductive losses in inland areas (27 %). The potential of unproductive wastewater as a non-conventional freshwater source was also analyzed. Our results indicate that wastewater is an excellent alternative water source and has high potential to reduce pressure on non-renewable sources for some countries in the MENA region. The motivation of this study is to disaggregate wastewater generation and track wastewater fate using a simple but robust approach that is portable, scalable and repeatable. Similar analysis can be done for other regions to produce information on disaggregated wastewater and its fate. Such information is highly critical for efficient wastewater resource management.

Effects of riparian buffer and stream channel widths on ecological indicators in the upper and lower Indus River basins in Pakistan

Riparian buffers and stream channel widths along river networks have extremely significant ecological influences on parameters and stressors associated with riparian health indicators (RHIs). It is imperative for countries that rely heavily on rivers for irrigation to protect RHIs such as habitat, plant cover, regeneration, exotics, and erosion. It is unclear which protection methods are most effective for RHIs in less developed countries, such as Pakistan. This study fills this gap by using a quick field-based technique that includes 273 transects and examines the response of RHIs in the upper and lower Indus River basins (IRB). In the lower Indus basin (LIB), riparian buffer and stream channel widths had the most considerable influence on RHIs using Pearson’s correlations, ranging from ̶ 0.47 < r < 0.71 and ̶ 0.41 < r < 0.32, respectively. There was a significant relationship between stressors and RHIs in the LIB when these widths were changed, and stressors had a significant influence on habitat ̶ 0.37 < r < 0.41, plant cover ̶ 0.32 < r < 0.38, regeneration ̶ 0.29 < r < 0.25, erosion ̶ 0.34 < r < 0.49, and exotics ̶ 0.39 < r < 0.24. In contrast, these stressors in the upper Indus basin (UIB) also adversely affected habitat ̶ 0.28 < r < 0.27, plant cover ̶ 0.34 < r < 0.26, regeneration ̶ 0.19 < r < 0.26, erosion ̶ 0.38 < r < 0.23, and exotics ̶ 0.31 < r < 0.30. It was found from the principal component analysis that the responses of RHIs and stressors varied considerably between the UIB and LIB. Additionally, the agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis of the RHIs and stressor indices revealed dissimilarities in the UIB and LIB. This study supports the need to examine riparian regions along long rivers, which are subject to the same administrative strategies. Large river ecosystems need revised standards to prevent further degradation based on ecological indicators.

Climate change adaptation responses among riparian settlements: A case study from Bangladesh.

As transition areas between aquatic ecosystems and the adjacent terrestrial ones, riparian regions are highly exposed to coastal climate hazards. This article describes how climate change and extreme weather impact vulnerable riparian communities and settlements. The analysis is done by reviewing past research and empirical case studies from riparian rural communities of the impact zone of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, the world's most extensive mangrove forest. The article discusses the climate-related impacts on households through a Severity Index of Vulnerability and assesses the adaptation responses they may pursue. The principal climate-related vulnerabilities and impacts due to increases in temperature, storm surges, sea flooding, and sea-level rise are seawater intrusion and riverbank erosion. Many households have adopted several autonomous reactive adaptation strategies rather than planned ones, to cope with these impacts. However, government organisations and NGOs provide less than optimal technical and financial support to households for planned and anticipatory adaptive responses. The main barriers to adaptation were the high cost of improved crop varieties, inadequate agricultural extension services, and a lack of knowledge on effective climate adaptation. The restoration of the mangrove ecosystem may increase its resilience and, among other things, make local communities less exposed. The article also presents some adaptation measures proper to reduce the climate-related vulnerability of riparian settlements.

Impacts of environmental literacy on ecological networks in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Environmental illiteracy threatens the functioning mechanisms of ecological networks worldwide, yet many people remain dubious about their existence. The knowledge deficit model suggests that giving the public (local people and government personnel) additional information would alleviate distrust. There is limited evidence indicating that environmental literacy metrics (ELMs) influence ecological network indicators (ENIs) such as plant cover, habitat, exotics, regeneration, erosion, and stressors throughout the drawdown zone (upstream, midstream, and downstream) within dams and reservoirs, despite widespread implementation to enhance riparian zone conservation. This study tackles this knowledge gap by using multivariate statistical methods to assess ENIs on the covered area of 58,000 km2 in 327 transects through a field-based approach inside China's Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA) in 2019. The bar graph results showed the largest lack of information about ELMs (e.g., knowledge, attitude, and behavior) from the general populace, and it had the biggest effect on the plant cover in the midstream and the least impact on regeneration in the upstream. The ELMs of local people influenced the ENIs most within the downstream, with coefficients of Pearson correlation in the range of −0.67 < r < 0.98. However, the ELMs (knowledge and behavior) of government personnel showed the greatest correlations with ENIs (−0.41 < r < 0.74) in the midstream, while attitude towards downstream. In comparison among ENIs, vegetation cover, grass exotics, gullying, longitudinal continuity, and farming systems were all-important ENIs within the TGRA. ENIs and ELMs varied substantially for each section of the drawdown zone, according to hierarchical approaches. These results educate decision-makers about the spatial variations in ENIs of riparian regions in dams and reservoirs, which need location-based initiatives to raise inclusive impact awareness among the Chinese public.

Assessment of livelihood vulnerability in the riparian region of the Tista River, West Bengal, India

Assessment of livelihood vulnerability in the riparian region of the Tista River, West Bengal, India

An ensemble empirical mode decomposition of consecutive dry days in the Zambezi Riparian Region: Implications for water management

The Zambezi Riparian Region (ZRR) is a lifeline and home to ∼40 million people who depend heavily on the river basin for their livelihood. It also furnishes 8 of its riparian countries with goods and services on which hydropower production and food security anchor. The sustainability of the ZRR is threatened by extreme climate events. Here, we interrogate consecutive dry days (CDDs), an effective metric of extreme climatic events with implications on drought-driven water availability. We use ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) to understand CDDs. Results indicate that periodic characteristics of CDDs are generally few and mainly at the intra and interannual timescales. Further, the interannual variability of CDDs was found to exhibit a meridional pattern with increments propagating south-eastwards thus, areas in the south-eastern part of the ZRR (e.g. Northern Zimbabwe, Northern Mozambique, and the southern parts of Zambia) have a CDD stress disadvantage. These results suggest that the challenge of putting in place anticipatory actions should primarily focus on these fragile areas of the ZRR. Additionally, findings embodied herein provide climatic antecedent conditions for extreme events and the relevant information for long-term climate forecasts in the region. As such, these findings contribute to deepening our understanding of future risks associated with climate extremes thus, facilitating policy-making processes.

Building a methodological framework and toolkit for news media dataset tracking of conflict and cooperation dynamics on transboundary rivers

Abstract. The management of transboundary rivers will be one of the great political and environmental challenges of the 21st century if knowledge of conflict and cooperation is not fully developed. Transboundary river conflict and cooperation are critical for the sustainable development of river basins, regional security, and stability and have significant scientific and practical implications. The construction of a dataset of transboundary water events – individual conflictive or cooperative interaction between riparian regions – provides an important data support and a factual basis for the study of transboundary rivers. However, the most representative research, the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, is built by means of manual reading for information extraction, is, thus, difficult for fast updating, and also does not cover the global changes in the past decade. This research aims to build a methodological framework for news media datasets to track conflict and cooperation dynamics on transboundary rivers, provide a mass of relevant data for the research of transboundary rivers on the globe, prepare a potent research toolkit, lay a solid foundation for further data mining research, and better suit the big data age. In order to test the effectiveness of the methodological framework and toolkit for dataset construction, this research analyses the spatial coverage, both in terms of continental and national, temporal coverage from 1953 to 2019, and content coverage and conducts relevance screening of the articles in the four representative river basins in the datasets. The results show that the datasets built by this framework can capture comprehensive content of transboundary water conflict and cooperation in both spatial and temporal coverage with acceptable data quality.

Controlling Woody Weed Chinese Elm (Celtis sinensis Pers.) with Stem-Implanted Herbicide Capsules.

Chinese elm [Celtis sinensis Pers.] is an emerging environmental weed naturalised throughout the coastal and riparian (creek-banks, river margins, and streams) regions of eastern Australia. Throughout this introduced range, its management is limited to the application of synthetic herbicides and mechanical clearing operations (terrain and soil type permitting). The current mechanisms of chemical control (basal bark spraying, stem-injection, and cut-stump applications) often result in collateral damage to non-target native species (such as Eucalyptus spp. and Casuarina cunninghamiana Miq.) through herbicidal drift, runoff or leaching into adjacent habitats. This has raised concerns regarding the suitability of synthetic herbicides in ecologically sensitive (e.g., riparian zones, rainforest margins, and woodlands) or low-value habitats, thereby promoting significant developments in the fields of integrated weed management. This study investigated the effectiveness of a novel stem-implantation system for controlling woody weed species in the context of a conserved habitat. A replicated trial (n = 315) was established among a naturally occurring population of C. sinensis. This trial involved the mapping, measurement, and treatment of this invasive species with five encapsulated synthetic herbicides, as well as an untreated control and benchmark treatment (diesel + AccessTM). A significant effect (p < 0.05) on plant vigour and functional canopy was discerned for each assessment period following trial establishment. The highest incidence of mortality was observed among the individuals treated with glyphosate (245 mg/capsule), aminopyralid and metsulfuron-methyl (58.1 and 37.5 mg/capsule) and picloram (10 mg/capsule), achieving a similar response to the basal bark application of diesel and AccessTM (240 g/L triclopyr, 120 g/L picloram, and 389 g/L liquid hydrocarbon). This was also evidenced by a rapid reduction in functional canopy (i.e., no or little living leaf tissue) from three weeks after treatment. Unlike their industry counterparts, these encapsulated herbicides are immediately sealed into the vascular system of the target species by a plug. This significantly minimises the possibility of environmental or operator exposure to synthetic compounds by providing a targeted, readily calibrated herbicide application.

Elucidating competing strategic behaviors using prospect theory, system dynamics, and evolutionary game: a case of transjurisdictional water pollution problem in China.

Water is a critical natural resource for socio-economic and environmental systems. In transjurisdictional river basins, when basin-wide water pollution management scheme is absent, stakeholders tend to adopt utility-maximizing behavior based on incomplete information. Such a scenario could lead to a free-riding problem. This paper attempts to elucidate the strategic behavior of riparian regions using prospect theory, evolutionary game, and system dynamics. The evolution of riparian regions' strategic behaviors is explained, and the impacts of different factors on their strategic selections are simulated. The results showed that the prospective value of factors and stakeholders' attitude to risk are a key for resolving transjurisdictional river water pollution problems. Improving the subjective judgment of the probability of water pollution, raising awareness, strengthening the penalties in "polluter pays" schemes, abandoning segmented river basin management, and building a basin-wide water management system are vital for maintaining the ecological integrity of any transjurisdictional river basin and accelerate the sustainable development of its riparian regions.

Global assessment of marine and freshwater recreational fish reveals mismatch in climate change vulnerability and conservation effort.

Recreational fisheries contribute substantially to the sociocultural and economic well-being of coastal and riparian regions worldwide, but climate change threatens their sustainability. Fishery managers require information on how climate change will impact key recreational species; however, the absence of a global assessment hinders both directed and widespread conservation efforts. In this study, we present the first global climate change vulnerability assessment of recreationally targeted fish species from marine and freshwater environments (including diadromous fishes). We use climate change projections and data on species' physiological and ecological traits to quantify and map global climate vulnerability and analyze these patterns alongside the indices of socioeconomic value and conservation effort to determine where efforts are sufficient and where they might fall short. We found that over 20% of recreationally targeted fishes are vulnerable to climate change under a high emission scenario. Overall, marine fishes had the highest number of vulnerable species, concentrated in regions with sensitive habitat types (e.g., coral reefs). However, freshwater fishes had higher proportions of species at risk from climate change, with concentrations in northern Europe, Australia, and southern Africa. Mismatches in conservation effort and vulnerability were found within all regions and life-history groups. A key pattern was that current conservation effort focused primarily on marine fishes of high socioeconomic value rather than on the freshwater and diadromous fishes that were predicted to be proportionately more vulnerable. While several marine regions were notably lacking in protection (e.g., Caribbean Sea, Banda Sea), only 19% of vulnerable marine species were without conservation effort. By contrast, 72% of freshwater fishes and 33% of diadromous fishes had no measures in place, despite their high vulnerability and cultural value. The spatial and taxonomic analyses presented here provide guidance for the future conservation and management of recreational fisheries as climate change progresses.

Place-making, place-disruption, and place protection of urban blue spaces: perceptions of waterfront planning of a polluted urban waterbody

ABSTRACT Urban waterfronts are experiencing a renaissance, as it is estimated that by 2030 more than 60 percent of the world's population will live in cities, the majority of which are located in coastal or riparian regions. On a global level, changing public demands have spurred a new language of sustainability, revitalisation, and resilience with regard to urban waterfronts. Prior research has explored the potential ecological and social impacts of these trends, both in terms of benefits such as opportunities for recreation, as well as negative consequences such as increasing gentrification. Less explored, however, are how these planning and development processes can alternately support and/or interrupt existing “sense of place” that people hold with waterfront spaces, particularly spaces considered to be degraded and/or that are located in marginalised communities. This paper explores place-making, place-disruption and place protection associated with Coney Island Creek, a heavily polluted waterbody in New York City. We find that the creek provides recreation, sustenance, and social connections for substantial numbers of people, and we discuss these findings in the context of proposed resiliency planning and development projects that are perceived by some local stewards to threaten existing place attachments and meanings. In particular, we emphasise the importance of incorporating local knowledge and values in waterfront planning, especially in neighbourhoods that have been historically marginalised. This study contributes to a growing literature on values associated with urban blue spaces, thus furthering knowledge of how to improve current environmental governance strategies in coastal cities around the world.

Reimagining innovation for “social” entrepreneurship: Nonhuman spaces for the SDGs

ABSTRACT Reimagining innovation explores contemporary issues of animal geographies within terrestrial and aquatic landscapes in relation to entrepreneurial ecosystems. Wolves are used to narrate global challenges that keystone species face in human-dominated spaces while sea lions are taken to explore the “social” difference between oceanic and riparian (river) regions. Understanding these issues and the position of human stakeholders presents an opportunity for posthumanist “social” entrepreneurship as an institutional mechanism to frame “support” within entrepreneurial support organizations. Key solutions for entrepreneurial networks examine aspects of policy, economics, and the environment by coadapting business models to address Sustainable Development Goals 14—Life Below Water and 15—Life Above Land. Small and medium-sized enterprises have the potential to rethink innovation toward new world economies by supporting habitat connectivity, ecosystem services, wildlife protections, nonhuman stakeholder models, measures of coexistence, and expanding the notion of what it means to be “entrepreneurial” and “whom” can become it.