• Energy Research

Education could play a role in decreasing and mitigating damages caused by natural disaster. By analysing relationships between level of education and components of the World Risk Index, this study demonstrated an education’s role in natural hazard awareness and mitigation. For this purpose, we analysed relationships between the components of WRI, created an education factor independent of WRI (based on PISA 2018 Science test results), analysed the frequency, magnitude and exposure of natural hazards of an extreme event character in selected countries and analysed the relationships between the education factor and WRI components among the countries. A detailed analysis was performed for 15 countries representing the full global range of natural hazards (frequency, magnitude and exposure to droughts, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods (not related to hurricanes), mass movements, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis) and level of education. We found that the education factor (ranked and normalised to the maximal value among the considered countries) has significant negative correlation with the following WRI parameters: the Natural Hazard Factor (relative vulnerability, based on the difference between the relative and calculated WRI, ranked and normalised to the maximal value of WRI differences), susceptibility, lack of coping capacities and lack of adaptive capacities (all ranked and normalised to the maximal value). Results indicated that countries at low risk tend to be over-aware while countries at high risk are under-aware of natural hazards. Education can significantly increase awareness of natural hazards and reduce their impact.

Changes in the percentages of eight main surface wind directions at 14 meteorological stations in Estonia, Northeast Europe, were studied during 1966–2008. Long-term changes in wind directions are related to variations in the large-scale atmospheric circulation but partly also to changes in the surroundings of the stations and in wind obstacles. Significant alterations in wind directions were determined, and found to be the strongest in the winter season. The percentages of W and SW winds have clear positive trends, while SE, E and NE winds are characterized by negative tendencies in winter. In conclusion, wind directions have probably been shifted from east to west. Differences in trends between the stations are explained by changes in wind obstacles around the stations. The trends in wind roses in Estonia were caused by the intensification of the westerly circulation over the Atlantic/European sector during the winter season.

Climate change in recent decades has been identified as a significant threat to natural environments and human wellbeing. This is because some of the contemporary changes to climate are abrupt and result in persistent changes in the state of natural systems; so called regime shifts (RS). This study aimed to detect and analyse the timing and strength of RS in Estonian climate at the half-century scale (1966-2013). We demonstrate that the extensive winter warming of the Northern Hemisphere in the late 1980s was represented in atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems to an extent not observed before or after the event within the studied time series. In 1989, abiotic variables displayed statistically significant regime shifts in atmospheric, river and marine systems, but not in lake and bog systems. This was followed by regime shifts in the biotic time series of bogs and marine ecosystems in 1990. However, many biotic time series lacked regime shifts, or the shifts were uncoupled from large-scale atmospheric circulation. We suggest that the latter is possibly due to complex and temporally variable interactions between abiotic and biotic elements with ecosystem properties buffering biotic responses to climate change signals, as well as being affected by concurrent anthropogenic impacts on natural environments.

L'oxyde nitreux (N2O) est un puissant gaz à effet de serre et le principal moteur de l'appauvrissement de l'ozone stratosphérique. Étant donné que les sols sont la plus grande source de N2O, il est essentiel de prévoir la réponse des sols aux changements climatiques ou à l'utilisation des terres pour comprendre et gérer le N2O. Ici, nous constatons que le flux de N2O peut être prédit par des modèles intégrant la concentration en nitrates du sol (NO3-), la teneur en eau et la température à l'aide d'une enquête de terrain mondiale sur les émissions de N2O et les facteurs déterminants potentiels dans un large éventail de sols organiques. Les émissions de N2O augmentent avec le NO3- et suivent une distribution en forme de cloche avec la teneur en eau. La combinaison des deux fonctions explique 72 % des émissions de N2O de tous les sols organiques. Au-dessus de 5 mg de NO3--N kg-1, le drainage des sols humides ou l'irrigation des sols bien drainés augmente les émissions de N2O de plusieurs ordres de grandeur. Comme la température du sol ainsi que le NO3- expliquent 69 % des émissions de N2O, les zones humides tropicales devraient être une priorité pour la gestion du N2O. El óxido nitroso (N2O) es un potente gas de efecto invernadero y el principal impulsor del agotamiento del ozono estratosférico. Dado que los suelos son la mayor fuente de N2O, predecir la respuesta del suelo a los cambios en el clima o el uso de la tierra es fundamental para comprender y gestionar el N2O. Aquí encontramos que el flujo de N2O se puede predecir mediante modelos que incorporan la concentración de nitrato en el suelo (NO3-), el contenido de agua y la temperatura utilizando un estudio de campo global de las emisiones de N2O y los posibles factores impulsores en una amplia gama de suelos orgánicos. Las emisiones de N2O aumentan con el NO3- y siguen una distribución en forma de campana con contenido de agua. La combinación de las dos funciones explica el 72% de las emisiones de N2O de todos los suelos orgánicos. Por encima de 5 mg de NO3--N kg-1, el drenaje de suelos húmedos o el riego de suelos bien drenados aumenta la emisión de N2O en órdenes de magnitud. Como la temperatura del suelo junto con el NO3- explica el 69% de las emisiones de N2O, los humedales tropicales deben ser una prioridad para la gestión del N2O. أكسيد النيتروز (N2O) هو غاز دفيئة قوي والمحرك الرئيسي لاستنفاد الأوزون في الستراتوسفير. نظرًا لأن التربة هي أكبر مصدر لأكسيد النيتروز، فإن التنبؤ باستجابة التربة للتغيرات في المناخ أو استخدام الأراضي أمر أساسي لفهم وإدارة أكسيد النيتروز. هنا نجد أنه يمكن التنبؤ بتدفق أكسيد النيتروز من خلال نماذج تتضمن تركيز نترات التربة (NO3 -)، ومحتوى الماء ودرجة الحرارة باستخدام مسح ميداني عالمي لانبعاثات أكسيد النيتروز وعوامل القيادة المحتملة عبر مجموعة واسعة من التربة العضوية. تزداد انبعاثات أكسيد النيتروز مع NO3 - وتتبع توزيعًا على شكل جرس مع محتوى الماء. يفسر الجمع بين الوظيفتين 72 ٪ من انبعاثات أكسيد النيتروز من جميع التربة العضوية. تزيد انبعاثات أكسيد النيتروز التي تزيد عن 5 ملغ من أكسيد النيتروز - N kg -1، إما عن طريق تصريف التربة الرطبة أو ري التربة جيدة التصريف، من انبعاثات أكسيد النيتروز حسب الحجم. نظرًا لأن درجة حرارة التربة جنبًا إلى جنب مع NO3 - تفسر 69 ٪ من انبعاثات أكسيد النيتروز، يجب أن تكون الأراضي الرطبة الاستوائية أولوية لإدارة أكسيد النيتروز. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas and the main driver of stratospheric ozone depletion. Since soils are the largest source of N2O, predicting soil response to changes in climate or land use is central to understanding and managing N2O. Here we find that N2O flux can be predicted by models incorporating soil nitrate concentration (NO3-), water content and temperature using a global field survey of N2O emissions and potential driving factors across a wide range of organic soils. N2O emissions increase with NO3- and follow a bell-shaped distribution with water content. Combining the two functions explains 72% of N2O emission from all organic soils. Above 5 mg NO3--N kg-1, either draining wet soils or irrigating well-drained soils increases N2O emission by orders of magnitude. As soil temperature together with NO3- explains 69% of N2O emission, tropical wetlands should be a priority for N2O management.

AbstractThe EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL) is critical for the restoration of degraded ecosystems and active afforestation of degraded peatlands has been suggested as a restoration measure under the NRL. Here, we discuss the current state of scientific evidence on the climate mitigation effects of peatlands under forestry. Afforestation of drained peatlands without restoring their hydrology does not fully restore ecosystem functions. Evidence on long-term climate benefits is lacking and it is unclear whether CO2 sequestration of forest on drained peatland can offset the carbon loss from the peat over the long-term. While afforestation may offer short-term gains in certain cases, it compromises the sustainability of peatland carbon storage. Thus, active afforestation of drained peatlands is not a viable option for climate mitigation under the EU Nature Restoration Law and might even impede future rewetting/restoration efforts. Instead, restoring hydrological conditions through rewetting is crucial for effective peatland restoration.

Cross-cutting environmental, social and economic changes may have harsh impacts on sensitive regions. To address sustainability issues by governmental policy measures properly, the geographical delineation of sensitive regions is essential. With reference to the European impact assessment guidelines from 2005, sensitive regions were identified by using environmental, social and economic data and by applying cluster analysis, United Nation Environmental Policy priorities and expert knowledge. On a regionalised ‘Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics’ (NUTS) level and for pre-defined sensitive region types (post-industrial zones, mountains, coasts and islands) 31 % of the European area was identified as sensitive. However, the delineation mainly referred to social and economic issues since the regional data bases on environmental indicators are limited and do not allow the separation of medium-term vital classes of sensitive regions. Overall, the sensitive regions showed indicator values differing from the EU- 25 average. peer-reviewed