The influence of ecosystems services depletion to climate change adaptation efforts in Africa

Climate change adaptation strategies adopted by pastoralists in rangelands in Golestan province, Iran

Climate change is a serious challenge to pastoralism in rangelands. Adaptation strategies adopted by pastoralists can reduce their livelihood vulnerability to cope with adverse effects of climate change. This study was done to investigate the adaptation strategies of pastoralists in the north of Golestan province, Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of 200 pastoralists from 3 pastoral units, of which 127 individuals were sampled using stratified random method. The results showed that 33.1% of the pastoralists had moderate adaptability to climate change. They had more adaptive capacity in cost saving and improving savings, health and veterinary services, and use of technology. The pastoralists' adaptability to climate change was enhanced with increasing age. Large and less-educated pastoralists had more adaptability compared to small and well-educated ones. Pastoralists who had jobs other than animal-husbandry and who participated in educational and extension courses on climate change had more adaptability to climate change. Pastoralists owning agricultural lands and local knowledge in dealing with climate change were also more adaptable to climate change. The results of the study can be used to strengthen pastoralists' adaptability to climate change to reduce their livelihood vulnerability.

Changes in Antioxidant and Photosynthetic Capacity in Rice Under Different Substrates

Against the backdrop of a changing global climate, the soil environment may undergo significant changes, directly affecting agricultural productivity and exacerbating global food security issues. Three different substrates were set up in this study, namely, S (high sand and low nutrient content), T (medium sand and medium nutrient content), and TT (low sand and high nutrient content). The results showed that the root/shoot ratio increased as the sand content increased (nutrient content decreased). Rice in different substrates had various degrees of dependence on antioxidant enzymes and antioxidants. For example, seedlings in TT treatment may depend more on ascorbic acid (AsA) compared to T. In addition, compared with S and T, the photosynthetic activity of rice in the optimized substrate (TT) was the highest; the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of TT seedlings was significantly higher than that of T. This study also detected that the change in substrates affected the gas exchange parameters of rice leaves. The transpiration rate (Tr) and stomatal conductance (Gs) of the TT treatment were higher than those of the T treatment. The results of this study may provide a scientific basis for formulating agricultural management strategies.

Uncovering the reasons behind the failure of pastoralists in adopting climate change adaptation strategies

Climate change has caused pastoralists to face serious challenges all around the world. To reduce climate change vulnerability, adaptation strategies need to be adopted by pastoralists. In this regard, the present research was done to seek the reasons for the failure of the northeastern pastoralists of Iran in adopting climate change adaptation strategies. The study is descriptive, which conducted by a field survey. The target population included 249 pastoralists from 7 pastoral units, of whom 148 people were selected as sample size using the stratified random sampling technique. The survey instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. The content validity and face validity of the questionnaire were checked by the experts. Convergent validity was also confirmed based on the average variance extracted (AVE). Cronbach's α coefficient and composite reliability (CR) were used to evaluate the internal consistency of the questionnaire. The results showed that social and, regulatory and insurance components were the most critical internal and external weaknesses of the pastoralists' failure in adopting climate change adaptation strategies, respectively. Structural equation modeling showed that external weaknesses had positive and significant effects on internal weaknesses of the pastoralists' failure in adopting climate change adaptation strategies.

Assessment of soil- and water-related ecosystem services with coupling the factors of climate and land-use change (Example of the Nitra region, Slovakia)

Climate and land use change can profoundly impact the provision of ecosystem services (ES) over time, particularly in the landscape of open fields along with growing urbanization and rising demand for space, food and energy. Policymakers are keen on knowing the combined effects of climate and land use change on ESs as a critical issue in human well-being. However, deep knowledge of how to identify these relationships is still lacking. This research aims to undertake a comprehensive assessment of soil- and water-related ES, and improvement in understanding how they are affected by climate and land use change. We applied the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs model for four ES (soil retention, nutrient delivery ratio, carbon storage, and water yield) for the years 2000 and 2018 in the Nitra region, Slovakia. We investigated the spatial and temporal changes in ES provision and determined the hotspots and coldspots of multiple ES. We found that soil retention, water yield, and carbon storage display a rising trend while the nutrient delivery ratio showed a decreasing trend over the past 18 years. Although all the mentioned services mainly attributed to land use change, the relative contribution of climate change was not deniable. Forests in the north and east and distributed urbanization and agriculture are the hotspots and coldspots for all ESs, respectively. Our results, in terms of determining the relative importance of land use and climate change and identifying the sensitive areas of ES provision, provide a scientific basis for ecosystem conservation and management priority setting at the local and regional levels.

Can farmers' climate change adaptation strategies ensure their food security? Evidence from Ethiopia

Climate change poses a significant threat to the sustainability of agricultural production among smallholder farm households in Ethiopia. To reduce the adverse effects of climate risks, farm households have sought to adopt different adaptation strategies. This study investigates factors influencing farm households' choice of climate adaptation strategies and associated effects on their food security in Ethiopia using data collected from 516 farm households from three regions. A multivariate probit and propensity score matching models were used to analyze data. Major adaptation strategies adopted by the farm households in the study area are planting drought-tolerant crop varieties (60%), changing the planting dates (53%), growing diversified crops (49%), and diversifying the sources of household income (45%). Results suggest that older farm household heads are more likely to use drought-tolerant crop varieties to reduce climate risks. Farm households with larger farmland size and those with more years of experience in farming are more likely to use drought-tolerant crop varieties and crop diversification strategies. Farm households with larger family size are more likely to use crop and income diversification strategies and change the planting dates against the backdrop of a high risk of climatic shocks. Membership in input supply cooperatives, frequency of contact with extension agents, and access to information on expected rainfall and temperature are positively associated with different adaptation practices adopted by farm households. Farm households who have adopted climate adaptation strategies have higher food security status (by 2.3-2.8%) compared to those who have not. Thus, the farm households' climate adaptation practices have positive food security effects in Ethiopia.

Determination of the optimum number of sample points to classify land cover types and estimate the contribution of trees on ecosystem services using the I-Tree Canopy tool

The process of producing information about dynamic land use and land cover and ecosystem health quickly with high accuracy and low cost is important. This information is one of the basic data used for sustainable land management. For this purpose, remote sensing technologies are generally used, and sampling points are mostly assigned. Determination of the optimum number of sampling points using the I-Tree Canopy tool was the main focus of this study. The I-Tree Canopy tool classifies land cover, revealing the effects of tree cover on ecosystem services, such as carbon (C) sequestration and storage, temperature regulation, air pollutant filtering, and air quality improvement, with numerical data. It is used because it is practical, open source, and user-friendly. This software works based on sampling point assignment, but it is unclear how many sampling points should be assigned. Therefore, determining the optimum number of sample points by statistical methods will increase the effectiveness of this tool and guide users. For this purpose, reference data were created for comparison. Then, 31 I-Tree Canopy reports were created with 100-point increments up to 3100. The data obtained from the reports were compared with the reference data, and statistical analysis based on Gaussian and a second-order polynomial fit was performed. At the end of the analysis, the following results were obtained; the results of this study demonstrated that the optimum number of sample points for a 1-ha area is 760 ± 32 from the comparison of the real area and I-Tree Canopy results. Similar results from the Gaussian fit of annually sequestered and stored C and carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) amounts in trees and the reduction in air pollution in grams were obtained as 714 ± 16. Therefore, we may conclude that taking more than 800 sample points will not be statistically significant. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:726-734. © 2022 SETAC.

“We Are Running Out of Time”: Temporal Orientation and Information Seeking as Explanatory Factors of Climate Anxiety among Young People

(1) Background: Climate change is a major threat to human health and new research is highlighting its effects on physical health. However, there is still little research on the psychological effects, particularly on young people, who seem to be disproportionately affected. (2) Objectives: In this context, we conducted a study focusing on the young adult population to identify psychosocial and behavioral factors that may modulate the intensity of this anxiety. (3) Method: A cross-sectional study by questionnaire was carried out on a sample of 369 young French adults. Data were analyzed via structural equation modelling. (4) Results: The main results suggest that: (1) CFC and information seeking predict climate anxiety, which in turn predicts the emotional consequences of exposure to information about the negative consequences of climate change; (2) information seeking moderates the effects of CFC on climate anxiety. (5) Conclusions: This study highlights both the role of temporal orientation and information seeking on the climate anxiety experienced by young adults. These results provide an interesting lever for health professionals to work with this population who may be more vulnerable to climate anxiety than others.

A review of the global climate change impacts, adaptation, and sustainable mitigation measures

Climate change is a long-lasting change in the weather arrays across tropics to polls. It is a global threat that has embarked on to put stress on various sectors. This study is aimed to conceptually engineer how climate variability is deteriorating the sustainability of diverse sectors worldwide. Specifically, the agricultural sector's vulnerability is a globally concerning scenario, as sufficient production and food supplies are threatened due to irreversible weather fluctuations. In turn, it is challenging the global feeding patterns, particularly in countries with agriculture as an integral part of their economy and total productivity. Climate change has also put the integrity and survival of many species at stake due to shifts in optimum temperature ranges, thereby accelerating biodiversity loss by progressively changing the ecosystem structures. Climate variations increase the likelihood of particular food and waterborne and vector-borne diseases, and a recent example is a coronavirus pandemic. Climate change also accelerates the enigma of antimicrobial resistance, another threat to human health due to the increasing incidence of resistant pathogenic infections. Besides, the global tourism industry is devastated as climate change impacts unfavorable tourism spots. The methodology investigates hypothetical scenarios of climate variability and attempts to describe the quality of evidence to facilitate readers' careful, critical engagement. Secondary data is used to identify sustainability issues such as environmental, social, and economic viability. To better understand the problem, gathered the information in this report from various media outlets, research agencies, policy papers, newspapers, and other sources. This review is a sectorial assessment of climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches worldwide in the aforementioned sectors and the associated economic costs. According to the findings, government involvement is necessary for the country's long-term development through strict accountability of resources and regulations implemented in the past to generate cutting-edge climate policy. Therefore, mitigating the impacts of climate change must be of the utmost importance, and hence, this global threat requires global commitment to address its dreadful implications to ensure global sustenance.

The Incredible and Sad Story of Boca de Cachón: How a Rural Community in the Hispaniola Is in a Prolonged, Heartless, and Predictable Climate Crisis

This article aims to briefly review the socio-economic impact caused by the flooding of Lake Enriquillo on the inhabitants of Boca Cachón due to the complex local phenomenon related to climate variability. Between 2003 and 2014, Boca de Cachón and the communities surrounding Lake Enriquillo were deeply affected by flooding of the Lake’s rising waters. Lake Enriquillo is the largest wetland in the Caribbean and the first designated RAMSAR site. In turn, Boca de Cachón could be considered the first human settlement formally displaced because of climate variability in the Dominican Republic and probably one of the first in the Americas in the twenty-first century. Boca de Cachón is a rural Municipal District located to the northwest of the municipality of Jimaní, with a population of around 3000 inhabitants on the southwest border with the Republic of Haiti and located in the Biosphere Reserve Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo. Given the future climatic scenarios for the Dominican Republic and the possible climate change that could exacerbate by excess or, by default, the socio-environmental problems in the Lake’s belt, it is necessary to support the communities in their capacity-building processes. The lessons learned from Boca de Cachón can serve as a learning space for adaptation processes in rural environments in the Caribbean region.

Systematic review of climate change impact research in Nigeria: implication for sustainable development

There is evidence that Nigeria is already experiencing environmental challenges attributed to climate change (CC) and its impacts. This has clearly highlighted the need for knowledge-based strategies to help plan adequate mitigation and adaptation measures for the country. One of the basic requirements to ensure such strategies is the development of a database of national CC research. This will aid in the assessment of past and present scientific publications from which directions for future study can be mapped. The present study used standard, systematic, and bibliographic literature reviews to analyse the trend, focus, spatial variability, and effectiveness of published research on CC impacts in Nigeria. Four thematic areas of CC impact research were defined: Agriculture, Environment, Human and Multi-disciplinary study. A total of 701 articles were found to be relevant and the review shows that CC impacts and adaptations in the literature vary across research categories and locations. The period between 2011 (68 studies) and 2015 (80 studies) showed a tremendous rise in CC impact research with a peak in 2014 (84 studies). Studies in the agriculture category had the highest publications in 23 States of Nigeria. The review revealed three research gaps: (1) lack of research that investigated the magnitude of present and potential future impacts in the aquatic environment (2) little attention on CC impacts and adaptation in the Northern regions of Nigeria (3) absence of study investigating the effects of multiple variables of CC at the same time. The findings suggest that it would be useful to advance CC research in Nigeria beyond perceptive approaches to more quantitative ones. This is particularly important for highly vulnerable animals, crops, locations, and for better planning of adaptation strategies.