Developing food,water and energy nexus workflows

ABSTRACT

There is a growing recognition of the interdependencies among the supply systems that rely upon food, water and energy. Billions of people lack safe and sufficient access to these systems, coupled with a rapidly growing global demand and increasing resource constraints. Modeling frameworks are considered one of the few means available to understand the complex interrelationships among the sectors, however development of nexus related frameworks has been limited. We describe three open-source models well known in their respective domains (i.e. TerrSysMP, WOFOST and SWAT) where components of each if combined could help decision-makers address the nexus issue. We propose as a first step the development of simple workflows utilizing essential variables and addressing components of the above-mentioned models which can act as building-blocks to be used ultimately in a comprehensive nexus model framework. The outputs of the workflows and the model framework are designed to address the SDGs.     

中国城市绿色发展效率时空演变特征及影响因素

To resolve conflicts between development and the preservation of the natural environment,enable economic transformation,and achieve the global sustainable development goals(SDGs),green development(GD)is gradually becoming a major strategy in the construction of an ecological civilization and the ideal of building a"beautiful China",alongside the transformation and reconstruction of the global economy.Based on a combination of the concept and implications of GD,we first used the Slacks Based Model with undesirable outputs(SBM-Undesirable),the Theil index,and the spatial Markov chain to measure the spatial patterns,regional differences,and spatio-temporal evolution of urban green development efficiency(UGDE)in China from 2005 to 2015.Second,by coupling natural and human factors,the mechanism influencing UGDE was quantitatively investigated under the framework of the human-environment interaction.The results showed that:(1)from 2005 to 2015,the UGDE increased from 0.475 to 0.523,i.e.,an overall increase of 10%.In terms of temporal variation,there was a staged increase,with its evolution having the characteristics of a"W-shaped"pattern.(2)The regional differences in UGDE followed a pattern of eastern>central>western.For different types of urban agglomeration,the UGDE had inverted pyramid cluster growth characteristics that followed a pattern of"national level>regional level>local level",forming a stable hierarchical scale structure of"super cities>mega cities>big cities>medium cities>small cities".(3)UGDE in China has developed with significant spatial agglomeration characteristics.High-efficiency type cities have positive spillover effects,while low-efficiency cities have negative effects.Different types of urban evolution processes have a path dependence,and a spatial club convergence phenomenon exists,in which areas with high UGDE are concentrated and drive low UGDE elsewhere.(4)Under the framework of regional human-environment interaction,the degree of human and social influence on UGDE is greater than that of the natural background.The economic strength,industrial structure,openness,and climate conditions of China have positively promoted UGDE.     

Informing national adaptation for sustainable development through spatial systems modelling

Acute climate-change hazards, such as floods or storm surges, can affect a nation’s built and natural environment assets that are critical for development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To reduce the impacts of such acute climate-change hazards and safeguard development, national decision-makers require evidence on where and how hazards affect SDG achievement to better inform adaptation. Here, we develop a systems methodology that spatially models the impacts of climate-change hazards across a nation’s entire built and natural environment assets and its interdependent influences on the SDG targets to inform national adaptation. We apply our methodology in Saint Lucia through a participatory approach with decision-makers across 18 government ministries, academia, and the private sector. Results reveal that acute climate-change hazards can affect half of Saint Lucia’s assets across 22 sectors, which can influence 89% of all SDG targets. Application of our methodology provided evidence on where and how to prioritise adaptation, thereby helping to add spatial granularity to 52 measures under Saint Lucia’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) as well as specificity on how limited capacity for cross-sectoral coordination can be directed to safeguard SDG targets. Adaptation does not necessarily imply investing in physical asset protection: results show the need to protect critical natural environments which provide important adaptation services to the built environment. As more nations develop and revise their NAPs and Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, strategic planning across sectors – as demonstrated in Saint Lucia – will be critical to facilitate adaptation that safeguards SDG achievement.     

Overlooked ocean strategies to address climate change

The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC’s) Paris Agreement—which aims to limit climate change and increase global resilience to its effects—was a breakthrough in climate diplomacy, committing its Parties to develop and update national climate plans. Yet the Parties to the Agreement have largely overlooked the effect of climate change on ocean-based communities, economies, and ecosystems—as well as the role that the ocean can play in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Because the ocean is an integral part of the climate system, stronger inclusion of ocean issues is critical to achieving the Agreement’s goals. Here we discuss four ocean-climate linkages that suggest specific responses by Parties to the Agreement connected to 1) accelerating climate ambition, including via sustainable ocean-based mitigation strategies; 2) focusing on CO₂ emissions to address ocean acidification; 3) better understanding ocean-based mitigation; and 4) pursuing ocean-based adaptation. These linkages offer a more complete perspective on the reasons strong climate action is necessary and inform a systematic approach for addressing ocean issues under the Agreement to strengthen climate mitigation and adaptation.     

中国城市绿色发展效率时空演变特征及影响因素

绿色发展作为化解自然环境约束、破解经济转型难题、支撑和实现全球可持续发展目标（SDGs）关键。正逐渐成为中国生态文明建设、美丽中国建设和全球经济转型与重构的重要指导理念。在梳理绿色发展概念与内涵基础上,采用SBM-Undesirable模型、泰尔指数和空间马尔科夫链等方法,对2005-2015年中国城市绿色发展效率时空分异特征及其演变过程进行了测度与刻画,并进一步耦合自然与人文因素定量探讨了人地关系地域系统下的影响机制。研究表明：① 2005-2015年中国城市绿色发展效率稳步提升,由0.475增加到0.523,总体提高了10%,时序上呈现“W”型波动增加的阶段性演变特征。② 中国城市绿色发展效率呈现出“东中西”阶梯状递减的区域差异规律,不同类型城市群具有“国家级>区域性>地方性”倒金字塔式集群增长特征,形成了“超大城市>特大城市>大城市>中等城市>小城市”稳定等级规模结构。③ 中国城市绿色发展效率空间集聚特征显著,高效率城市存在正向溢出效应,低效率城市则负向溢出影响,“高高集聚、高带动低”的空间俱乐部趋同现象较为凸显,不同类型城市演化存在显著的路径依赖与时空惯性。④ 人地关系地域系统视角下,人文社会因素对城市绿色发展效率影响程度大于自然本底要素,其中经济实力、产业结构、开放程度和城市气温呈现积极促进作用。     

A scale-based framework to understand the promises,pitfalls and paradoxes of irrigation efficiency to meet major water challenges

An effective placement of irrigation efficiency in water management will contribute towards meeting the pre-eminent global water challenges of our time such as addressing water scarcity, boosting crop water productivity and reconciling competing water needs between sectors. However, although irrigation efficiency may appear to be a simple measure of performance and imply dramatic positive benefits, it is not straightforward to understand, measure or apply. For example, hydrological understanding that irrigation losses recycle back to surface and groundwater in river basins attempts to account for scale, but this generalisation cannot be readily translated from one location to another or be considered neutral for farmers sharing local irrigation networks. Because irrigation efficiency (IE) motives, measures, effects and technologies play out at different scales for different people, organisations and purposes, and losses differ from place to place and over time, IE is a contested term, highly changeable and subjective. This makes generalisations for science, management and policy difficult. Accordingly, we propose new definitions for IE and irrigation hydrology and introduce a framework, termed an ‘irrigation efficiency matrix’, comprising five spatial scales and ten dimensions to understand and critique the promises, pitfalls and paradoxes of IE and to unlock its utility for addressing contemporary water challenges.     

Suitability mapping for rice cultivation in Benue State,Nigeria using satellite data

ABSTRACT

With rising population, decline in soil productivity and land-based conflicts, the per-capita land availability for cultivation is rapidly decreasing within Benue State, a largely agrarian and small-holder setting. This study attempts a local-level support for the actualisation of Sustainable Development Goal Number 2 (“end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”) by 2030. Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method, remote sensing data from Climate Research Unit (CRU) and in-situ data from Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) were analyzed by GIS techniques to map the suitability of rice cultivation in the study area, with the integration of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), land cover, slope, temperature, precipitation and soil parameters (cation exchange capacity, pH, bulk density, organic carbon). We apply the various statistical parameters that include mean spatial NDVI; correlation coefficient, standard deviation and Root Mean Square (RMS) between CRU and NIMET data. Spatial regression trend analysis is conducted between CRU precipitation and NDVI and between CRU temperature and NDVI from 1985 to 2015. The results reveal that NDVI in highly suitable rice planting regions is higher than marginally suitable regions except in the months of October and November, which shows that the highly suitable regions will yield better than the marginally suitable regions during the dry season. Additionally, NDVI is seasonally bimodal in response to precipitation, meaning that vegetation vigor is more dependent on precipitation than temperature. Finally, the correlation coefficient, standard deviation and RMS between CRU and NIMET precipitation data shows 0.42, 108, and 110, respectively, while these three factors between CRU and NIMET temperature data shows 0.88, 1.60, and 0.86, respectively. In conclusion, the MCDM approach reveals that upland is more suitable for rice cultivation in Benue State when comparing with the area provided by the Global Land Cover and National Mappings Organization (GLCNMO) data.     

Outcome indicator development: Defining education for sustainable development outcomes for the individual level and connecting them to the SDGs

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has become a key concept to achieve global sustainable development. ESD aims at enabling people to think and act in a sustainable, future-oriented manner. For this purpose, ESD should not only equip learners with knowledge but is supposed to promote and advance the acquisition of sustainability competencies to address the challenges of the 21st century at a social, environmental, and economic level. Regarding the systematic implementation of ESD and its evidence-based management, an assessment of its outcomes is crucial. So far, however, ESD outcomes have only been partially assessed systematically. We developed a domain-specific ESD outcome indicator test (OIT) which strives to fill this gap. The test is intended to contribute towards the monitoring and further development of ESD in the school system. This article presents the procedure and the central findings of developing a model using an inductive research design. The model comprises the possible outcomes of ESD and thus functions as the basis of the OIT. It considers six thematic action domains for students as well as cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioural outcome components. The six action domains have been defined based on 15 interviews with experts from the arrays of ESD research, practice, and policy and a review of N = 195 sustainability related psychological scales. These were linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), so that connectivity between outcomes at the individual level and political respectively societal goals is ensured.     

顾及地理空间视角的区域SDGs综合评估方法与示范

目前世界各国正积极落实联合国《2030年可持续发展议程》及其17项可持续发展目标(Sustainable Development Goals,英文缩写为SDGs),重要举措之一是利用统计和地理信息进行SDGs进展评估监测。就总体而言,国内外这方面研究尚处于概念设计、方法探讨和单指标、小范围试点阶段。究其原因,主要是涉及因素众多、技术过程复杂,既面临全球指标体系的科学理解、海量时空数据的融合处理、顾及地理视角的指标计算、基于事实的SDGs分析评估等诸多技术难题,还要实现跨学科的综合分析、多机构的沟通协调等。针对这一国际前沿课题,笔者研究提出了统计和地理信息相结合的综合评估方法,完成了浙江省德清县践行2030议程情况的定量综合评估。既为总结当地践行SDGs经验、发现存在问题、制定改进方案提供了重要科学依据,也为国内外其他区域开展SDGs定量评估监测提供了可借鉴的方法与范例。