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Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics

with malnutrition are increasing, along with devastating results for the social-ecological environments, showing the unsustainability of the currently dominant food systems. The complex set of food-related problems requires multidimensional perspectives, using inter- and transdisciplinary methodologies, to address social-ecological aspects over a mere focus on productivity. This article introduces a hands-on Food Sustainability Assessment Framework (FoodSAF) that allows non-academic actors to identify pathways for making food systems more sustainable through collective transformations in a “spiral of change”. The emphasis is on making the concept of “food sustainability” operational and applicable, by exploring transdisciplinary methodologies, encourage genuine participation of actors at the local level, and elevate their solutions in the direction of decision-making spaces, where policy makers have a key role in supporting change. The results provide evidence-based scientific knowledge for the promotion of innovation strategies and policy options that improve the sustainability of food systems with the specific aim of strengthening local food systems in a long-term process to co-create transformations. Social Innovations Journal, 5 (64) ISSN:2692-2053

This article presents empirical results on learning and adaptation to risks among different groups of actors in food systems in two countries of the global south (Kenya and Bolivia). Using a resilience approach, the study sought to assess knowledge about risks perceived by actors, forms of learning that actors in food systems have access to and use, and how this knowledge and learning has contributed to adaptation and resilience build ing. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, farmer meetings, workshops, and participant observation. The target population was different groups of actors in agroindustrial food systems in both countries, a regional food system in Kenya and an agroecological food system in Bolivia. The results show that knowledge on threats came from the actors’ experience and interaction with external actors. The main risks identified in Kenya and Bolivia included climate change impacts – particularly extreme climatic events (floods and droughts) –, price fluctuation of food products, declining soil fertility, deforestation, and –in Kenya– human-wildlife conflicts, and conflicts between actors over resource use. The most important forms of learning were experiential learning through demonstration farms, social learning exemplified in group approaches, and learning at individual levels through information exchange between farmers and external actors such as extension personnel, research organisations and non-governmental organisations. There is potential to enhance adaptation strategies whose knowledge has been acquired over the years, to build resilient food systems necessary for dealing with current and future shocks and stress. International Journal on Food System Dynamics, 11 (4) ISSN:1869-6945

Local food generally has a positive image, supported among consumers by the perception of reduced negative impacts on the environment and other dimensions. However, a critical analysis of local food chains’ performance in comparison with more global ones is still needed to objectively assess the real benefits and drawbacks of local and global food chains. A careful analysis needs to be conducted to compare the sustainability performance of local food value chains with global ones. In this paper, the methodology of selecting a set of attributes and indicators of performance to compare the multi-dimensional performance of a local with a global food chain is presented. A specific selection of attributes of performance around five sustainability dimensions (economic, social, environmental, health and ethical) is used to measure and evaluate two Swiss milk chains’ performances and compare the local chain with the global one. Bio-based and Applied Economics, 5 (2) ISSN:2280-6180 ISSN:2280-6172

Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics

We consider in this paper the problem of aggregating the output from multiple computer simulators (models) and measurements to make inference on a stochastic quantity of interest. Our ensemble learning approach consists in a clustering-Bagging step, followed by a data assimilation step based on Bayesian model averaging or Bayesian model combination. Unsupervised clustering is the first step in the ensemble learning approach and serves the purpose of distinguishing the output from each simulator (or model), and deriving apriori probability map (weights) of the simulators. Clustering is performed on the stochastic output corresponding to the binned input space, where each bin is considered as a dimension. The second step consists in a weighted Bootstrap Aggregation (Bagging), which serves the purpose of weighted aggregation (combination) of the clustered ensemble of outputs from the individual simulators. Finally, when observational training datasets of the quantity of interest become available, the Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) or Bayesian Mode Combination (BMC) is used to combine the prior aggregated simulations predictions with the assimilated data to update the posterior model probabilities (weights) of each of the proposal models. We demonstrate our approach on the extreme blade deflection of a wind turbine blade. Reliability and Optimization of Structural Systems: Proceedings of the 19th IFIP WG-7.5 conference on Reliability and Optimization of Structural Systems ISBN:978-3-906916-56-9

In this study, we investigate changes in temperature and precipitation extremes over West and Central Africa (hereafter, WAF domain) as a function of global mean temperature with a focus on the implications of global warming of 1.5 °C and 2 °C according the Paris Agreement. We applied a scaling approach to capture changes in climate extremes with increase in global mean temperature in several subregions within the WAF domain: Western Sahel, Central Sahel, Eastern Sahel, Guinea Coast and Central Africa including Congo Basin. While there are several uncertainties and large ensemble spread in the projections of temperature and precipitation indices, most models show high-impact changes in climate extremes at subregional scale. At these smaller scales, temperature increases within the WAF domain are projected to be higher than the global mean temperature increase (at 1.5 °C and at 2 °C) and heat waves are expected to be more frequent and of longer duration. The most intense warming is observed over the drier regions of the Sahel, in the central Sahel and particularly in the eastern Sahel, where the precipitation and the soil moisture anomalies have the highest probability of projected increase at a global warming of 1.5 °C. Over the wetter regions of the Guinea Coast and Central Africa, models project a weak change in total precipitation and a decrease of the length of wet spells, while these two regions have the highest increase of heavy rainfall in the WAF domain at a global warming of 1.5 °C. Western Sahel is projected by 80% of the models to experience the strongest drying with a significant increase in the length of dry spells and a decrease in the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index. This study suggests that the 'dry gets drier, wet gets wetter' paradigm is not valid within the WAF domain. Environmental Research Letters, 13 (6) ISSN:1748-9326 ISSN:1748-9318

The European research project ToPDAd (www.topdad.eu) investigates the expected influence of climate change on the transport, tourism and energy sectors. One of the main goals is to develop adaptation strategies that stakeholders - mainly private firms and policy makers - could implement. A specifically designed tool set will assist them adapting the strategies to their individual needs. Part of the tool set creation process were interviews with key industry representatives and experts conducted in several European countries to identify the particular needs. In selected countries, these interviews were supplemented by further surveys addressed to a wider target audience. For Switzerland, the IVT conducted six interviews covering transport and tourism, while 55 more stakeholders from all three sectors were targeted with a customized Swiss version of the online questionnaire. Additionally, 5 Swiss public transport companies were approached with a written questionnaire. This paper presents the findings of the Swiss case. The results indicate that while companies and public agencies are aware of climate change, often in everyday business it is not a topic yet. First effects of climate change are already noticeable, for example the changes in the durations of the seasons. This causes also already first reactions in tourism for example. In general however, most stakeholders follow still an “observe and await”-strategy. For the consulted stakeholders, climate change is expected to affect their business most in the form of increased weather variability and more extreme weather events, which pose a threat to infrastructure and operations. There adaptation and protection measures are needed and expected in all sectors.