• Energy Research

Assurer des systèmes alimentaires résilients et des régimes alimentaires sains et durables pour tous nécessite une utilisation beaucoup plus élevée de l'eau. Cependant, les ressources en eau sont limitées, géographiquement dispersées, volatiles en raison du changement climatique et nécessaires à d'autres fonctions vitales, y compris les écosystèmes et les services qu'elles fournissent. Une bonne gouvernance pour des ressources en eau résilientes est un précurseur nécessaire pour décider des solutions, trouver des financements et fournir des infrastructures. Six attributs qui, ensemble, fournissent une base pour une bonne gouvernance afin de réduire les risques futurs liés à l'eau pour les systèmes alimentaires sont proposés. Ces attributs s'harmonisent dans leur double objectif d'intégrer l'apprentissage adaptatif et les nouvelles connaissances, et d'adopter les types de systèmes de gouvernance requis pour les systèmes alimentaires résilients à l'eau. Les attributs sont également fondés sur la nécessité de mieux reconnaître le rôle que jouent les écosystèmes naturels et sains dans les systèmes alimentaires. Les attributs sont énumérés ci-dessous et sont fondés sur des preuves scientifiques et la diversité de l'expérience collective et de l'expertise des parties prenantes travaillant à travers l'interface science-politique : adopter une pensée systémique interconnectée qui englobe la complexité de la façon dont nous produisons, distribuons et ajoutons de la valeur à la nourriture, y compris l'exploitation de l'expérience et de l'expertise des parties prenantes ; adopter une gouvernance inclusive à plusieurs niveaux et soutenir la participation inclusive ; permettre l'innovation continue, les nouvelles connaissances et l'apprentissage, et la diffusion de l'information ; intégrer la diversité et la redondance pour la résilience aux chocs ; assurer la préparation du système aux chocs ; et planifier à long terme. Cela nécessitera que les systèmes alimentaires et d'approvisionnement en eau travaillent ensemble de manière proactive pour créer un espace socialement et environnementalement juste qui tienne compte des besoins en eau et en nourriture des personnes, des écosystèmes qui sous-tendent nos systèmes alimentaires et des préoccupations plus larges en matière d'énergie et d'équité. Garantizar sistemas alimentarios resilientes y dietas saludables sostenibles para todos requiere un uso mucho mayor del agua, sin embargo, los recursos hídricos son finitos, geográficamente dispersos, volátiles bajo el cambio climático y necesarios para otras funciones vitales, incluidos los ecosistemas y los servicios que proporcionan. La buena gobernanza de los recursos hídricos resilientes es un precursor necesario para decidir sobre soluciones, obtener financiación y ofrecer infraestructura. Se proponen seis atributos que en conjunto proporcionan una base para la buena gobernanza a fin de reducir los riesgos futuros del agua para los sistemas alimentarios. Estos atributos encajan en su doble enfoque en la incorporación del aprendizaje adaptativo y los nuevos conocimientos, y la adopción de los tipos de sistemas de gobernanza necesarios para los sistemas alimentarios resilientes al agua. Los atributos también se basan en la necesidad de reconocer mejor el papel que desempeñan los ecosistemas naturales y saludables en los sistemas alimentarios. Los atributos se enumeran a continuación y se basan en la evidencia científica y la diversa experiencia colectiva y los conocimientos de las partes interesadas que trabajan a través de la interfaz ciencia-política: Adoptar un pensamiento de sistemas interconectados que abarque la complejidad de cómo producimos, distribuimos y agregamos valor a los alimentos, incluido el aprovechamiento de la experiencia y los conocimientos de las partes interesadas; adoptar una gobernanza inclusiva multinivel y apoyar la participación inclusiva; permitir la innovación continua, los nuevos conocimientos y el aprendizaje, y la difusión de información; incorporar diversidad y redundancia para la resiliencia a las crisis; garantizar la preparación del sistema para las crisis; y planificar a largo plazo. Esto requerirá que los sistemas de alimentos y agua trabajen juntos de manera proactiva hacia un espacio social y ambientalmente justo que considere las necesidades de agua y alimentos de las personas, los ecosistemas que sustentan nuestros sistemas alimentarios y las preocupaciones más amplias de energía y equidad. Ensuring resilient food systems and sustainable healthy diets for all requires much higher water use, however, water resources are finite, geographically dispersed, volatile under climate change, and required for other vital functions including ecosystems and the services they provide. Good governance for resilient water resources is a necessary precursor to deciding on solutions, sourcing finance, and delivering infrastructure. Six attributes that together provide a foundation for good governance to reduce future water risks to food systems are proposed. These attributes dovetail in their dual focus on incorporating adaptive learning and new knowledge, and adopting the types of governance systems required for water resilient food systems. The attributes are also founded in the need to greater recognise the role natural, healthy ecosystems play in food systems. The attributes are listed below and are grounded in scientific evidence and the diverse collective experience and expertise of stakeholders working across the science-policy interface: Adopting interconnected systems thinking that embraces the complexity of how we produce, distribute, and add value to food including harnessing the experience and expertise of stakeholders s; adopting multi-level inclusive governance and supporting inclusive participation; enabling continual innovation, new knowledge and learning, and information dissemination; incorporating diversity and redundancy for resilience to shocks; ensuring system preparedness to shocks; and planning for the long term. This will require food and water systems to pro-actively work together toward a socially and environmentally just space that considers the water and food needs of people, the ecosystems that underpin our food systems, and broader energy and equity concerns. يتطلب ضمان أنظمة غذائية مرنة وأنظمة غذائية صحية مستدامة للجميع استخدامًا للمياه أعلى بكثير، ومع ذلك، فإن موارد المياه محدودة ومتناثرة جغرافيًا ومتقلبة في ظل تغير المناخ، ومطلوبة للوظائف الحيوية الأخرى بما في ذلك النظم الإيكولوجية والخدمات التي تقدمها. تعد الحوكمة الرشيدة لموارد المياه المرنة مقدمة ضرورية لاتخاذ قرار بشأن الحلول، وتوفير التمويل، وتوفير البنية التحتية. تم اقتراح ست سمات توفر معًا أساسًا للحوكمة الرشيدة للحد من مخاطر المياه المستقبلية على النظم الغذائية. تتوافق هذه السمات في تركيزها المزدوج على دمج التعلم التكيفي والمعرفة الجديدة، واعتماد أنواع أنظمة الحوكمة المطلوبة للنظم الغذائية المرنة للمياه. وتستند السمات أيضًا إلى الحاجة إلى زيادة الاعتراف بالدور الذي تلعبه النظم الإيكولوجية الطبيعية والصحية في النظم الغذائية. السمات مدرجة أدناه وترتكز على الأدلة العلمية والخبرة والتجربة الجماعية المتنوعة لأصحاب المصلحة العاملين عبر واجهة العلوم والسياسات: اعتماد تفكير النظم المترابطة التي تتبنى تعقيد كيفية إنتاج وتوزيع وإضافة قيمة إلى الغذاء بما في ذلك تسخير تجربة وخبرات أصحاب المصلحة ؛ اعتماد حوكمة شاملة متعددة المستويات ودعم المشاركة الشاملة ؛ تمكين الابتكار المستمر والمعرفة الجديدة والتعلم ونشر المعلومات ؛ دمج التنوع والتكرار من أجل المرونة في مواجهة الصدمات ؛ ضمان استعداد النظام للصدمات ؛ والتخطيط على المدى الطويل. سيتطلب ذلك أن تعمل أنظمة الغذاء والمياه معًا بشكل استباقي نحو مساحة عادلة اجتماعيًا وبيئيًا تأخذ في الاعتبار الاحتياجات المائية والغذائية للناس، والنظم الإيكولوجية التي تدعم أنظمتنا الغذائية، ومخاوف أوسع بشأن الطاقة والإنصاف.

Effective disaster warning systems prevent deaths and injuries and protect livelihoods. We examined why people at risk do not move to safe places despite warnings and evacuation orders, by looking at responses to warnings for Cyclone Mora (2017) in Bangladesh in two villages of the Khulna District. Qualitative and quantitative data showed that almost all respondents received warnings before the cyclone, most from more than one source. However, only 21.6% of households took shelter in any place other than their own house. Most of these households did so with all members of their household, and most used a cyclone shelter. Almost all non-evacuee households had more than one reason for not moving to another place. The most important reasons were that they thought the weather was good despite warnings, thought the cyclone would not occur in their area, had a fatalistic attitude, were a long distance from the nearest cyclone shelter, had poor road networks to go to the cyclone shelter, considered their own house to be a safe place, were scared of burglary, recalled that nothing happened during previous warnings, and were worried about overcrowded cyclone shelters. Our findings can help develop more effective warning systems in cyclone-prone regions globally.

Because generating electricity significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement and 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact requires rapidly transitioning to zero or low-emissions electricity grids. Though the installation of renewables-based generators—predominantly wind and solar-based systems—is accelerating worldwide, electrical energy storage systems, such as pumped storage hydropower, are needed to balance their weather-dependent output. The authors of this paper are the first to examine the status and potential for pumped storage hydropower development in 24 Pacific Rim economies (the 21 member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation plus Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar). We show that there is 195 times the pumped storage hydropower potential in the 24 target economies as would be required to support 100% renewables-based electricity grids. Further to the electrical energy storage potential, we show that pumped storage hydropower is a low-cost, low-greenhouse-gas-emitting electrical energy storage technology that can be sited and designed to have minimal negative (or in some cases positive) social impacts (e.g., requirements for re-settlement as well as impacts on farming and livelihood practices) and environmental impacts (e.g., impacts on water quality and biodiversity). Because of the high potential for pumped storage hydropower-based electrical energy storage, only sites with low negative (or positive) social and environmental impacts such as brownfield sites and closed-loop PSH developments (where water is moved back and forth between two reservoirs, thus minimally disturbing natural hydrology) need be developed to support the transition to zero or low-carbon electricity grids. In this way, the advantages of well-designed and -sited pumped storage hydropower can effectively address ongoing conflict around the social and environmental impacts of conventional hydropower developments. Noting the International Hydropower Association advocacy for pumped storage hydropower, we make recommendations for how pumped storage hydropower can sustainably reduce electricity-sector greenhouse gas emissions, including through market reforms to encourage investment and the application of standards to avoid and mitigate environmental and social impacts.

Smallholder irrigation schemes are vulnerable to increased climate variability and change, particularly increased water stress. This paper explores whether the introduction of Agricultural Innovation Platforms and soil monitoring tools in smallholder irrigation schemes can improve the adaptive capacity of farmers and schemes in the Insiza District. Drawing on household survey and qualitative data, collected through the Transforming Irrigation in Southern Africa project, we analyse a comprehensive set of measures across four domains: field, household, community and markets. We find that social capacity and increased climate adaptation can be built with modest cost through combined social and technological interventions.

Freshwater biodiversity loss is accelerating globally, but humanity can change this trajectory through actions that enable recovery. To be successful, these actions require coordination and planning at a global scale. The Emergency Recovery Plan for global freshwater biodiversity aims to reduce the risk for freshwater biodiversity loss through six priority actions: (1) accelerate implementation of environmental flows; (2) improve water quality to sustain aquatic life; (3) protect and restore critical habitats; (4) manage exploitation of freshwater species and riverine aggregates; (5) prevent and control nonnative species invasions in freshwater habitats; and (6) safeguard and restore freshwater connectivity. These actions can be implemented using future-proofing approaches that anticipate future risks (e.g., emerging pollutants, new invaders, and synergistic effects) and minimize likely stressors to make conservation of freshwater biodiversity more resilient to climate change and other global environmental challenges. While uncertainty with respect to past observations is not a new concern for freshwater biodiversity, future-proofing has the distinction of accounting for the uncertainty of future conditions that have no historical baseline. The level of uncertainty with respect to future conditions is unprecedented. Future-proofing of the Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater biodiversity will require anticipating future changes and developing and implementing actions to address those future changes. Here, we showcase future-proofing approaches likely to be successful using local case studies and examples. Ensuring that response options within the Emergency Recovery Plan are future-proofed will provide decision makers with science-informed choices, even in the face of uncertain and potentially new future conditions. We are at an inflection point for global freshwater biodiversity loss; learning from defeats and successes can support improved actions toward a sustainable future.

Riparian ecosystems in the 21st century are likely to play a critical role in determining the vulnerability of natural and human systems to climate change, and in influencing the capacity of these systems to adapt. Some authors have suggested that riparian ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts due to their high levels of exposure and sensitivity to climatic stimuli, and their history of degradation. Others have highlighted the probable resilience of riparian ecosystems to climate change as a result of their evolution under high levels of climatic and environmental variability. We synthesize current knowledge of the vulnerability of riparian ecosystems to climate change by assessing the potential exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of their key components and processes, as well as ecosystem functions, goods and services, to projected global climatic changes. We review key pathways for ecological and human adaptation for the maintenance, restoration and enhancement of riparian ecosystem functions, goods and services and present emerging principles for planned adaptation. Our synthesis suggests that, in the absence of adaptation, riparian ecosystems are likely to be highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. However, given the critical role of riparian ecosystem functions in landscapes, as well as the strong links between riparian ecosystems and human well-being, considerable means, motives and opportunities for strategically planned adaptation to climate change also exist. The need for planned adaptation of and for riparian ecosystems is likely to be strengthened as the importance of many riparian ecosystem functions, goods and services will grow under a changing climate. Consequently, riparian ecosystems are likely to become adaptation ‘hotspots’ as the century unfolds.

AbstractAs the impacts of climate change and water demands from irrigation continue to increase in the Murray–Darling Basin, water for the environment is becoming more scarce and the ecological conditions of many wetlands is poor. With water scarcity, conservation triage is becoming an increasingly relevant management option for environmental watering of wetlands. However, triage is controversial; being considered contrary to current conservation objectives and practices. We assessed environmental watering at two Ramsar wetlands, Macquarie Marshes and Gunbower Forest, based on international environmental treaty obligations and domestic policy settings, changes to flow regimes, wetland condition and current management. Triage decision making was found to be in tacit use at Macquarie Marshes, based on ‘rules of thumb’ and experiential ecohydrological knowledge, whereas formal environmental watering planning formed the basis for triage decision making at Gunbower Forest. We developed a framework for conservation triage of wetlands in the Murray–Darling Basin to stimulate change in the decision context for wetland conservation and adaptation under climate change. Conservation triage entails reframing of relationships between people and nature and values, rules and knowledge used by stakeholders. Because water is the medium by which wetland conservation outcomes eventuate, trade-offs between competing water uses can be realised with the triage framework.

Water and energy are each recognized as indispensable inputs to modern economies. And, in recent years, driven by the three imperatives of security of supply, sustainability, and economic efficiency, the energy and water sectors have undergone rapid reform. However, it is when water and energy rely on each other that the most complex challenges are posed for policymakers. Despite the links and the urgency in both sectors for security of supply, in existing policy frameworks, energy and water policies are developed largely in isolation from one another - a degree of policy fragmentation that is seeing erroneous developments in both sectors. Examples of the trade-offs between energy and water security include: the proliferation of desalination plants and interbasin transfers to deal with water scarcity; extensive groundwater pumping for water supplies; first-generation biofuels; the proliferation of hydropower plants; decentralized water supply solutions such as rainwater tanks; and even some forms of modern irrigation techniques. Drawing on case studies from Australia, Europe, and the United States, this Special Issue attempts to develop a comprehensive understanding of the links between energy and water, to identify where better-integrated policy and management strategies and solutions are needed or available, and to understand where barriers exist to achieve that integration. In this paper we draw out some of the themes emerging from the Special Issue, and, particularly, where insights might be valuable for policymakers, practitioners, and scientists across the many relevant domains.