Adaptation of water resources systems to changing society and environment: a statement by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences

ABSTRACT

We explore how to address the challenges of adaptation of water resources systems under changing conditions by supporting flexible, resilient and low-regret solutions, coupled with on-going monitoring and evaluation. This will require improved understanding of the linkages between biophysical and social aspects in order to better anticipate the possible future co-evolution of water systems and society. We also present a call to enhance the dialogue and foster the actions of governments, the international scientific community, research funding agencies and additional stakeholders in order to develop effective solutions to support water resources systems adaptation. Finally, we call the scientific community to a renewed and unified effort to deliver an innovative message to stakeholders. Water science is essential to resolve the water crisis, but the effectiveness of solutions depends, inter alia, on the capability of scientists to deliver a new, coherent and technical vision for the future development of water systems.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis; ASSOCIATE EDITOR not assigned     

On the mechanisms for H and Al incorporation in stishovite

The solubility and incorporation mechanisms of hydrogen in synthetic stishovite as a function of Al₂O₃ content have been investigated. Mechanisms for H incorporation in stishovite are more complex than previously thought. Most H in stishovite is incorporated via the Smyth et al. (Am Mineral 80:454–456, 1995) model, where H docks close to one of the shared O–O edges, giving rise to an OH stretching band in infrared (IR) spectra at 3,111–3,117 cm⁻¹. However, careful examination of IR spectra from Al-stishovite reveals the presence of an additional OH band at 3,157–3,170 cm⁻¹. All H is present on one site, with interstitial H both coupled to Al³⁺ substitutional defects on adjacent octahedral (Si⁴⁺) sites, and decoupled from other defects, giving rise to two distinct absorption bands. Trends in IR data as a function of composition are consistent with a change in Al incorporation mechanism in stishovite, with Al³⁺ substitution for Si⁴⁺ charge-balanced by oxygen vacancies at low bulk Al₂O₃ contents, and coupled substitution of Al³⁺ onto octahedral (Si⁴⁺) and interstitial sites at high bulk Al₂O₃ contents. Trends in OH stretching frequencies as a function of Al₂O₃ content suggest that any such change in Al incorporation mechanism could alter the effect that Al incorporation has on the compressibility of stishovite, as noted by Ono et al. (Am Mineral 87:1486–1489, 2002).     

Community Cohesion: Social and Economic Ties in the Personal Networks of Fisherfolk

Social ties influence access to knowledge and cooperation in natural resource management, with the sharing of certain characteristics thought to be positive for social cohesion and participatory forms of management. In this article, a holistic characterisation of fisherfolk personal networks is developed, disaggregating results by the main occupational groups within the fisheries studied, to provide a more nuanced understanding of the personal networks of types of fisherfolk. Links are then made between the characteristics of personal networks and evidence on how fisherfolk benefit from their networks, interpreted as contributing to social cohesion within the communities. The personal networks of fisherfolk (boat crew, boat owners and traders/processors) of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda bordering Lake Victoria were investigated using personal network analysis, with fisherfolk asked who they discuss their fisheries activities with. The analysis found that networks based on the same occupation were more characteristic of fish traders/processors networks than those of boat crew and boat owners and that shared ethnicity, gender and location were characteristic of boat owner and boat crew networks, though shared ethnicity may reflect the composition of the communities rather than choice. Social and economic interactions within the networks were based on provision of credit, social support and advice, suggesting that these form the basis of social cohesion and should be taken into consideration in working with fishing communities in both development interventions and designing collaborative management approaches.     

Observations and analysis of CF Tuc

RecentUBV photometry of the RS CVn binary CF Tuc is discussed and analysed. If we combine the results with previously published spectroscopy we find radii of 1.63R for the hotter (6000 K) and 3.11R for the cooler (4500 K) component; both stars having a mass of about 1.3M . The distance to the system is put at 86±15 pc.Though the photometric data is incomplete in the coverage of some regions out of the minima, there is no significant evidence of the wave-type distortions — a known hallmark of RS CVn stars — and the data can be modeled by a standard eclipsing binary system in which the statistical test of goodness-of-fit (²) produces quite acceptable values for reasonable estimates of observational accuracy (0.01 mag). We, therefore, have no need to postulate any additional photometric complications, and feel entitled to some confidence in the reliability of the derived parameter set.     

Impact history of the Apollo 17 landing site revealed by U‐Pb SIMS ages

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U‐Pb ages of Ca‐phosphates from four texturally distinct breccia samples (72255, 76055, 76015, 76215) collected at the Apollo 17 landing site were obtained in an attempt to identify whether they represent a single or several impact event(s). The determined ages, combined with inferences from petrologic relationships, may indicate two or possibly three different impact events at 3920 ± 3 Ma, 3922 ± 5 Ma, and 3930 ± 5 Ma (all errors 2σ). Searching for possible sources of the breccias by calculating the continuous ejecta radii of impact basins and large craters as well as their expected ejecta thicknesses, we conclude that Nectaris, Crisium, Serenitatis, and Imbrium are likely candidates. If the previous interpretation that the micropoikilitic breccias collected at the North Massif represent Serenitatis ejecta is correct, then the average ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 3930 ± 5 Ma (2σ) dates the formation of the Serenitatis basin. The occurrence of zircon in the breccias sampled at the South Massif, which contain Ca‐phosphates yielding an age of 3922 ± 5 Ma (2σ), may indicate that the breccia originated from within the Procellarum KREEP terrane (PKT) and the Imbrium basin appears to be the only basin that could have sourced them. However, this interpretation implies that all basins suggested to fall stratigraphically between Serenitatis and Imbrium formed within a short (<11 Ma) time interval, highlighting serious contradictions between global stratigraphic constraints, sample interpretation, and chronological data. Alternatively, the slightly older age of the two micropoikilitic breccias may be a result of incomplete resetting of the U‐Pb system preserved in some phosphate grains. Based on the currently available data set this possibility cannot be excluded.     

Selective uptake of prokaryotic picoplankton by a marine sponge (Callyspongia sp.) within an oligotrophic coastal system

Marine sponges are key players in the transfer of carbon from the pelagic microbial food web into the benthos. Selective uptake of prokaryotic picoplankton (<2 μm) by a demosponge (Callyspongia sp.), and carbon flux through this process, were examined for the first time in the oligotrophic coastal waters of southwestern Australia, where sponge abundance and biodiversity ranks among the highest in the world. Water sampling and flow rate measurements were conducted over five sampling occasions following the InEx method of Yahel et al. (2005), with heterotrophic bacteria and autotrophic Synechococcus cyanobacteria identified and enumerated by flow cytometry. Callyspongia sp. demonstrated high filtration efficiencies, particularly for high DNA (HDNA) bacteria (up to 85.3% in summer 2008) and Synechococcus (up to 91.1% in autumn 2007), however efficiency varied non-uniformly with time and food type (p < 0.01). Overall filtration efficiency for Synechococcus (86.6 ± 6.3%; mean ± s.d.) was always significantly higher (p < 0.05) than for low DNA (LDNA) bacteria (40 ± 17.2%), except during winter 2007 (p = 0.14) when ambient Synechococcus concentrations were lowest. When compared to ambient abundances of the different food types, Callyspongia sp. exhibited consistently negative selectivity for LDNA bacteria and positive selectivity for Synechococcus, while HDNA bacteria was generally a neutral or positive selection. The total carbon removal rate (sum of all prokaryotic picoplankton cells), calculated on a per unit area basis, varied significantly with time (p < 0.01), with lowest rates recorded during the winter (0.5 ± 0.4–0.6 ± 0.8 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) and highest values recorded in summer (3.5 ± 1.9 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹). These flux estimates quantify the role of a demosponge species in the ultimate fate of prokaryotic picoplankton within the nearshore food webs of southwestern Australia, and support the conclusion that sponges actively select food particles that optimise their nutritional intake.     

Contrasting marine policies in the United States, Mexico, Cuba and the European Union: Searching for an integrated strategy for the Gulf of Mexico region

The three nations surrounding the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are experiencing rapidly expanding populations and economic development. Problems associated with governing a transboundary body of water such as the GoM are becoming increasingly evident. Despite various attempts within each nation to establish more integrated ocean and coastal governance mechanisms within their own jurisdictions, there has been very little cooperation between the U.S., Mexico and Cuba in developing coordinated maritime policies for the GoM Region. After providing an overview of current marine policy initiatives in the three nations, a brief analysis of recent efforts by the European Union is presented. The paper contends that this European initiative may provide guidance for future integrated management policies in the GoM, but notes that progress depends on reducing legal and political obstacles to international collaboration in the Region.     

Development of the HEFT and NuSTAR focusing telescopes

Hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray astrophysics is on the verge of a major advance with the practical realization of technologies capable of efficiently focusing X-rays above 10 keV. Hard X-ray focusing telescopes can achieve orders of magnitude improvements in sensitivity compared to the instruments based on coded apertures and collimated detectors that have traditionally been employed in this energy band. Compact focal planes enable high-performance detectors with good spectral resolution to be employed in efficient, low-background configurations. We have developed multilayer coated grazing incidence optics and solid state Cadmium Zinc Telluride focal plane systems for the High Energy Focusing Telescope (HEFT) balloon-borne experiment, and for the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) Small Explorer satellite. In this paper we describe the technologies, telescope designs, and performance of both experiments.     

High resolution polarimetric radar scattering measurements of lowgrazing angle sea clutter

This paper presents fully polarimetric radar scattering measurements of low grazing angle sea clutter. The measurements were obtained at a three degree grazing angle using a high range resolution (1.5 m) X-Band polarimetric radar operated from a shore site overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. The radar employs pulse-to-pulse switching between orthogonal transmitted polarizations and simultaneously measures two orthogonally polarized components of the backscattered wave to obtain full polarimetric information about the scattering process. The complete Stokes matrix, computed by averaging successive realizations of the polarization scattering matrix, is used to obtain polarization signatures and to determine the polarization dependence of the clutter. Sea spike echoes are shown to be weakly polarized and to exhibit polarization signatures indicative of multiple independent scattering mechanisms. Clutter echoes in the absence of sea spikes are shown to be highly polarized and to exhibit polarization signatures indicative of a single dominant scattering mechanism