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Chua SDX, Yang Y, Kondolf GM, Oeurng C, Sok T, Zhang S, Xixi L. Can restoring water and sediment fluxes across a mega-dam cascade alleviate a sinking river delta? SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn9731. [PMID: 38691594 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn9731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Hydropower, although an attractive renewable energy source, can alter the flux of water, sediments, and biota, producing detrimental impacts in downstream regions. The Mekong River illustrates the impacts of large dams and the limitations of conventional dam regulating strategies. Even under the most optimistic sluicing scenario, sediment load at the Mekong Delta could only recover to 62.3 ± 8.2 million tonnes (1 million tonnes = 109 kilograms), short of the (100 to 160)-million tonne historical level. Furthermore, unless retrofit to reroute sediments, the dams are doomed to continue trapping sediment for at least 170 years and thus starve downstream reaches of sediment, contributing to the impending disappearance of the Mekong Delta. Therefore, we explicitly challenge the widespread use of large dead storages-the portion of the reservoirs that cannot be emptied-in dam designs. Smaller dead storages can ease sediment starvation in downstream regions, thereby buffering against sinking deltas or relative sea level rises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel De Xun Chua
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570, Singapore
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Yuheng Yang
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570, Singapore
| | - G Mathias Kondolf
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Chantha Oeurng
- Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Phnom Penh 86, Cambodia
| | - Ty Sok
- Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Phnom Penh 86, Cambodia
| | - Shurong Zhang
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Lu Xixi
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117570, Singapore
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2
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Tu T, Li Y, Duan K, Zhao T. Enhancing physically-based hydrological modeling with an ensemble of machine-learning reservoir operation modules under heavy human regulation using easily accessible data. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 359:121044. [PMID: 38714035 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Dams and reservoirs have significantly altered river flow dynamics worldwide. Accurately representing reservoir operations in hydrological models is crucial yet challenging. Detailed reservoir operation data is often inaccessible, leading to relying on simplified reservoir operation modules in most hydrological models. To improve the capability of hydrological models to capture flow variability influenced by reservoirs, this study proposes a hybrid hydrological modeling framework, which combines a process-based hydrological model with a machine-learning-based reservoir operation module designed to simulate runoff under reservoir operations. The reservoir operation module employs an ensemble of three machine learning models: random forest, support vector machine, and AutoGluon. These models predict reservoir outflows using precipitation and temperature data as inputs. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) then integrates these outflow predictions to simulate runoff. To evaluate the performance of this hybrid approach, the Xijiang Basin within the Pearl River Basin, China, is used as a case study. The results highlight the superiority of the SWAT model coupled with machine learning-based reservoir operation models compared to alternative modeling approaches. This hybrid model effectively captures peak flows and dry period runoff. The Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) in daily runoff simulations shows substantial improvement, ranging from 0.141 to 0.780, with corresponding enhancements in the coefficient of determination (R2) by 0.098-0.397 when compared to the original reservoir operation modules in SWAT. In comparison to parameterization techniques lacking a dedicated reservoir module, NSE enhancements range from 0.068 to 0.537, and R2 improvements range from 0.027 to 0.139. The proposed hybrid modeling approach effectively characterizes the impact of reservoir operations on river flow dynamics, leading to enhanced accuracy in runoff simulation. These findings offer valuable insights for hydrological forecasting and water resources management in regions influenced by reservoir operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongbi Tu
- Center of Water Resources and Environment, School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Yilan Li
- Center of Water Resources and Environment, School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Kai Duan
- Center of Water Resources and Environment, School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Tongtiegang Zhao
- Center of Water Resources and Environment, School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
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3
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Wu GC, Deshmukh R, Trainor A, Uppal A, Chowdhury AFMK, Baez C, Martin E, Higgins J, Mileva A, Ndhlukula K. Avoiding ecosystem and social impacts of hydropower, wind, and solar in Southern Africa's low-carbon electricity system. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1083. [PMID: 38316824 PMCID: PMC10844333 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45313-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The scale at which low-carbon electricity will need to be deployed to meet economic growth, electrification, and climate goals in Africa is unprecedented, yet the potential land use and freshwater impacts from this massive build-out of energy infrastructure is poorly understood. In this study, we characterize low-impact onshore wind, solar photovoltaics, and hydropower potential in Southern Africa and identify the cost-optimal mix of electricity generation technologies under different sets of socio-environmental land use and freshwater constraints and carbon targets. We find substantial wind and solar potential after applying land use protections, but about 40% of planned or proposed hydropower projects face socio-environmental conflicts. Applying land and freshwater protections results in more wind, solar, and battery capacity and less hydropower capacity compared to scenarios without protections. While a carbon target favors hydropower, the amount of cost-competitively selected hydropower is at most 45% of planned or proposed hydropower capacity in any scenario-and is only 25% under socio-environmental protections. Achieving both carbon targets and socio-environmental protections results in system cost increases of 3-6%. In the absence of land and freshwater protections, environmental and social impacts from new hydropower development could be significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace C Wu
- Environmental Studies, Bren Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Ranjit Deshmukh
- Environmental Studies, Bren Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Anne Trainor
- Africa Program, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 22203, USA
| | - Anagha Uppal
- Department of Geography, Ellison Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - A F M Kamal Chowdhury
- Environmental Studies, Bren Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
| | - Carlos Baez
- Department of Geography, Ellison Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Erik Martin
- Center for Resilient Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 22203, USA
| | - Jonathan Higgins
- Global Freshwater Team, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 22203, USA
| | - Ana Mileva
- Blue Marble Analytics, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kudakwashe Ndhlukula
- SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), 11 Dr Agostinho Neto Road, Windhoek, Namibia
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4
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Jing P, Sheng J, Hu T, Mahmoud A, Huang Y, Li X, Liu Y, Wang Y, Shu Z. Emergy-based sustainability evaluation model of hydropower megaproject incorporating the social-economic-ecological losses. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118402. [PMID: 37393868 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The sustainable development of the hydropower megaproject (HM) is one of the critical components of sustainable water resources management. Hence, an accurate assessment of the impacts of social-economic-ecological losses (SEEL) on the sustainability of the HM system is of utmost importance. This study proposes an emergy-based sustainability evaluation model incorporating the social-economic-ecological losses (ESM-SEEL), which integrated the inputs and outputs during HM's construction and operation into an emergy calculation account. The Three Gorges Project (TGP) on the Yangtze River is selected as a case study to comprehensively evaluate the HM's sustainability from 1993 to 2020. Subsequently, the emergy-based indicators of TGP are compared with several hydropower projects in China and worldwide to analyze the multi-impacts of hydropower development. The results showed that the river chemical potential (2.35 E+24sej) and the emergy losses (L) (1.39 E+24sej) are the primary emergy inflow sections (U) of the TGP system, accounting for 51.1% and 30.4% of the U, respectively. The flood control function of the TGP produced tremendous socio-economic benefits (1.24 E+24sej), accounting for 37.8% of the total emergy yield. The resettlement and compensation, water pollution during operation, fish biodiversity loss, and sediment deposition are the main L of the TGP, accounting for 77.8%, 8.4%, 5.6%, and 2.6%, respectively. Based on the enhanced emergy-based indicators, the assessment reveals that the sustainability level of the TGP falls in the middle range compared to other hydropower projects. Thus, along with maximizing the benefits of the HM system, it is necessary to minimize the SEEL of the HM system, which is a critical approach to promote the coordinated development of the hydropower and ecological environment in the Yangtze River basin. This study helps to understand the complex relationship between human and water systems and provides a novel framework that can be used as an evaluation index and insights for hydropower sustainability assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiran Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210029, China; State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Jinbao Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210029, China.
| | - Tiesong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Ali Mahmoud
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yifan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210029, China; State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Key Laboratory for Green & Advanced Civil Engineering Materials and Application Technology of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Zhangkang Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210029, China
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5
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Carlino A, Wildemeersch M, Chawanda CJ, Giuliani M, Sterl S, Thiery W, van Griensven A, Castelletti A. Declining cost of renewables and climate change curb the need for African hydropower expansion. Science 2023; 381:eadf5848. [PMID: 37561864 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf5848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Across continental Africa, more than 300 new hydropower projects are under consideration to meet the future energy demand that is expected based on the growing population and increasing energy access. Yet large uncertainties associated with hydroclimatic and socioeconomic changes challenge hydropower planning. In this work, we show that only 40 to 68% of the candidate hydropower capacity in Africa is economically attractive. By analyzing the African energy systems' development from 2020 to 2050 for different scenarios of energy demand, land-use change, and climate impacts on water availability, we find that wind and solar outcompete hydropower by 2030. An additional 1.8 to 4% increase in annual continental investment ensures reliability against future hydroclimatic variability. However, cooperation between countries is needed to overcome the divergent spatial distribution of investment costs and potential energy deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Carlino
- Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Celray James Chawanda
- Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matteo Giuliani
- Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Sebastian Sterl
- Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- World Resources Institute, Regional Hub for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Wim Thiery
- Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ann van Griensven
- Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrea Castelletti
- Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
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6
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Wang H, Fu T, Du Y, Gao W, Huang K, Liu Z, Chandak P, Liu S, Van Katwyk P, Deac A, Anandkumar A, Bergen K, Gomes CP, Ho S, Kohli P, Lasenby J, Leskovec J, Liu TY, Manrai A, Marks D, Ramsundar B, Song L, Sun J, Tang J, Veličković P, Welling M, Zhang L, Coley CW, Bengio Y, Zitnik M. Scientific discovery in the age of artificial intelligence. Nature 2023; 620:47-60. [PMID: 37532811 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06221-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being increasingly integrated into scientific discovery to augment and accelerate research, helping scientists to generate hypotheses, design experiments, collect and interpret large datasets, and gain insights that might not have been possible using traditional scientific methods alone. Here we examine breakthroughs over the past decade that include self-supervised learning, which allows models to be trained on vast amounts of unlabelled data, and geometric deep learning, which leverages knowledge about the structure of scientific data to enhance model accuracy and efficiency. Generative AI methods can create designs, such as small-molecule drugs and proteins, by analysing diverse data modalities, including images and sequences. We discuss how these methods can help scientists throughout the scientific process and the central issues that remain despite such advances. Both developers and users of AI toolsneed a better understanding of when such approaches need improvement, and challenges posed by poor data quality and stewardship remain. These issues cut across scientific disciplines and require developing foundational algorithmic approaches that can contribute to scientific understanding or acquire it autonomously, making them critical areas of focus for AI innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanchen Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Department of Research and Early Development, Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tianfan Fu
- Department of Computational Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yuanqi Du
- Department of Computer Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Wenhao Gao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kexin Huang
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ziming Liu
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Payal Chandak
- Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shengchao Liu
- Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Peter Van Katwyk
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Data Science Institute, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Andreea Deac
- Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anima Anandkumar
- Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- NVIDIA, Santa Clara, CA, USA
| | - Karianne Bergen
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Data Science Institute, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carla P Gomes
- Department of Computer Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Shirley Ho
- Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Physics and Center for Data Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Joan Lasenby
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jure Leskovec
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Arjun Manrai
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Debora Marks
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Le Song
- BioMap, Beijing, China
- Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jimeng Sun
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Jian Tang
- Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- HEC Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- CIFAR AI Chair, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Petar Veličković
- Google DeepMind, London, UK
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Max Welling
- University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Microsoft Research Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Linfeng Zhang
- DP Technology, Beijing, China
- AI for Science Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Connor W Coley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yoshua Bengio
- Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marinka Zitnik
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Harvard Data Science Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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7
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Yang Y, Jin Z, Mueller ND, Driscoll AW, Hernandez RR, Grodsky SM, Sloat LL, Chester MV, Zhu YG, Lobell DB. Sustainable irrigation and climate feedbacks. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:654-663. [PMID: 37591963 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00821-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural irrigation induces greenhouse gas emissions directly from soils or indirectly through the use of energy or construction of dams and irrigation infrastructure, while climate change affects irrigation demand, water availability and the greenhouse gas intensity of irrigation energy. Here, we present a scoping review to elaborate on these irrigation-climate linkages by synthesizing knowledge across different fields, emphasizing the growing role climate change may have in driving future irrigation expansion and reinforcing some of the positive feedbacks. This Review underscores the urgent need to promote and adopt sustainable irrigation, especially in regions dominated by strong, positive feedbacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhenong Jin
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
| | - Nathaniel D Mueller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Avery W Driscoll
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Rebecca R Hernandez
- Wild Energy Center, Institute of the Environment, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Land, Air & Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Steven M Grodsky
- Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, US Geological Survey, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Lindsey L Sloat
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Land and Carbon Lab, World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mikhail V Chester
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Yong-Guan Zhu
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China
- Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - David B Lobell
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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8
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Arantes CC, Laufer J, Mayer A, Moran EF, Sant' Anna IRA, Dutka-Gianelli J, Lopez MC, Doria CRC. Large-scale hydropower impacts and adaptation strategies on rural communities in the Amazonian floodplain of the Madeira River. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 336:117240. [PMID: 36870321 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding social and environmental impacts and household adaptation strategies in the face of expansions in energy infrastructure projects is essential to inform mitigation and interventions programs that promote well-being. Here we conducted surveys in seven communities distributed across varying degrees of proximity to a hydropower dam complex in the Brazilian Amazon along about 250 km of the floodplain of the Madeira River. Based on interviews with 154 fishers from these communities, we examine how fishers perceived changes in fisheries yields, changes in the composition of fish species, and whether and how adaptation strategies had evolved 8-9 years after the dams' construction. Most respondents (91%) indicated declines in yields after the dams for both upstream and downstream zones. Multivariate analyses revealed statistically significant differences in the composition of species yields in pre-and post-dam periods for all communities and in both upstream and downstream zones (p < 0.001). The composition of yields diversified after the dams, with an apparent decline in yields of species of greatest market value (e.g., catfishes Brachyplatystoma spp., Pseudoplatystoma spp., and jatuarana Brycon spp.), and increases in yields of a set of other smaller bodied and faster growing species (e.g., 'branquinhas' Psectrogaster spp., Potamohinna spp., and sardines Triportheus spp.). Both downstream and upstream fishers indicated that fishing profits decreased since the dams' construction (76.8% and 67.9%, respectively). To cope with these changes, the majority of both upstream and downstream fishers (>70%) stated they have had to devote more time to fishing after the dams were built. The time fishers spend traveling to fishing locations also increased for upstream communities (77.1%), but not for downstream communities. Thirty-four percent of the interviewees changed the gear they use to fish after the dams construction, with twice as many mentioning uses of non-selective gear, such as gillnets, and declining use of traditional fishing gears such as castnets and a trap ("covi"). Fish consumption overall decreased: fish was consumed 'everyday' before the dams, but 1-2 times per week or rarely after the dams were built. Although the species that declined were those of high economic value, 53% of fishers stated fish prices have increased overall after the dams. These results shed light on the potential challenges faced by fishers and which adaptation strategies they have evolved to maintain livelihoods since the construction of the dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline C Arantes
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, WV, USA; Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Juliana Laufer
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Ichthyology and Fisheries Laboratory, Department of Biology, Federal University of Rondônia, RO, Brazil
| | - Adam Mayer
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Emilio F Moran
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Igor R A Sant' Anna
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Desenvolvimento Regional e Meio Ambiente, Federal University of Rondônia, RO, Brazil; Ichthyology and Fisheries Laboratory, Department of Biology, Federal University of Rondônia, RO, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Claudia Lopez
- Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Carolina R C Doria
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Desenvolvimento Regional e Meio Ambiente, Federal University of Rondônia, RO, Brazil; Ichthyology and Fisheries Laboratory, Department of Biology, Federal University of Rondônia, RO, Brazil
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9
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Carolli M, Garcia de Leaniz C, Jones J, Belletti B, Huđek H, Pusch M, Pandakov P, Börger L, van de Bund W. Impacts of existing and planned hydropower dams on river fragmentation in the Balkan Region. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 871:161940. [PMID: 36736393 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The Balkan region has some of the best conserved rivers in Europe, but is also the location of ~3000 planned hydropower dams that are expected to help decarbonise energy production. A conflict between policies that promote renewable hydropower and those that prioritise river conservation has ensued, which can only be resolved with the help of reliable information. Using ground-truthed barrier data, we analysed the extent of current longitudinal river fragmentation in the Balkan region and simulated nine dam construction scenarios that varied depending on the number, location and size of the planned dams. Balkan rivers are currently fragmented by 83,017 barriers and have an average barrier density of 0.33 barriers/km after correcting for barrier underreporting; this is 2.2 times lower than the mean barrier density found across Europe and serves to highlight the relatively unfragmented nature of these rivers. However, our analysis shows that all simulated dam construction scenarios would result in a significant loss of connectivity compared to existing conditions. The largest loss of connectivity (-47 %), measured as reduction in barrier-free length, would occur if all planned dams were built, 20 % of which would impact on protected areas. The smallest loss of connectivity (-8 %) would result if only large dams (>10 MW) were built. In contrast, building only small dams (<10 MW) would cause a 45 % loss of connectivity while only contributing 32 % to future hydropower capacity. Hence, the construction of many small hydropower plants will cause a disproportionately large increase in fragmentation that will not be accompanied by a corresponding increase in hydropower. At present, hydropower development in the Balkan rivers does not require Strategic Environmental Assessment, and does not consider cumulative impacts. We encourage planners and policy makers to explicitly consider trade-offs between gains in hydropower and losses in river connectivity at the river basin scale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Helena Huđek
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Germany
| | - Martin Pusch
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Germany
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10
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Fernandes S, Couto TBA, Ferreira M, Pompeu PS, Athayde S, Anderson EP, Fernandes GW. Conserving Brazil's free-flowing rivers. Science 2023. [PMID: 36862770 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg9858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Geraldo W Fernandes
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Knowledge Center for Biodiversity, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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11
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Caldas B, Thieme ML, Shahbol N, Coelho ME, Grill G, Van Damme PA, Aranha R, Cañas C, Fagundes CK, Franco‐León N, Herrera‐Collazos EE, Jézéquel C, Montoya M, Mosquera‐Guerra F, Oliveira‐da‐Costa M, Paschoalini M, Petry P, Oberdorff T, Trujillo F, Tedesco PA, de Brito Ribeiro MCL. Identifying the current and future status of freshwater connectivity corridors in the Amazon Basin. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Carlos Cañas
- Bureau of Water Resource Information St. Johns River Water Management District Palatka Florida USA
| | - Camila K. Fagundes
- Wildlife Conservation Society (former) Brasilia Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Pampa (current) Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | | | | | - Céline Jézéquel
- Evolution et diversite biologique, UMR EDB, CNRS 5174, IRD253, UPS Toulouse France
| | | | | | | | - Mariana Paschoalini
- Aqualie Institute and Laboratory of Ecological Behavior and Bioacoutics of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora Juiz de Fora Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Paulo Petry
- The Nature Conservancy, Latin America Freshwater Unit Hollis New Hampshire USA
| | - Thierry Oberdorff
- Evolution et diversite biologique, UMR EDB, CNRS 5174, IRD253, UPS Toulouse France
| | | | - Pablo A. Tedesco
- Evolution et diversite biologique, UMR EDB, CNRS 5174, IRD253, UPS Toulouse France
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12
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González-Zeas D, Rosero-López D, Muñoz T, Osorio R, De Bièvre B, Dangles O. Making thirsty cities sustainable: A nexus approach for water provisioning in Quito, Ecuador. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 320:115880. [PMID: 35940014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In view of accelerated climate change and urban demographics, balancing human and ecosystem needs for water resources is a critical environmental challenge of global significance. Since water, agriculture, health, and energy are inextricably linked, sustainable development goals (SDGs) actions in one policy area commonly have impacts on the others, as well as on the ecosystems that natural resources and human activities ultimately depend upon. Managing urban water supply systems therefore requires a nexus approach that integrates goals across sectors, reduces the risk that SDG actions will undermine one another, and ensures sustainable resource use. We developed a transdisciplinary methodological framework based on a Pareto frontier analysis to define the sustainable solutions of a multi-objective optimization among four competing criteria, water provision, water quality, energy cost, and biodiversity conservation. The study was applied to three mountainous headwater basins in the Ecuadorian Andes, which provide around 30% of Quito's total water supply. We found that an optimized management of water intake structures would meet current consumption needs while reducing the probability of emergence of water pathogens and limiting the impact on aquatic biodiversity by 30% and 9% respectively, without any increase in energy costs for pumping water from other sources. Nonetheless, under future scenarios of climate change and water demand, higher energy consumption, and therefore an increase in operating costs, would be needed to meet urban demand and preserve environmental conditions. Overall, the range of Pareto optimal water supply strategies across the water-health-energy-biodiversity nexus provides valuable information for decision makers and offers support for achieving sustainable management of water resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- D González-Zeas
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France; DGZ Ingeniería-Consultoría Sostenible, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - D Rosero-López
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Instituto Biósfera, Calle Diego Robles y Pompite, Quito, Ecuador
| | - T Muñoz
- Empresa Pública Metropolitana de Agua Potable y Saneamiento, Quito, Ecuador
| | - R Osorio
- Empresa Pública Metropolitana de Agua Potable y Saneamiento, Quito, Ecuador
| | - B De Bièvre
- Fondo para la Protección del Agua, Quito, Ecuador
| | - O Dangles
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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13
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Heilpern SA, Sethi SA, Barthem RB, Batista VDS, Doria CRC, Duponchelle F, Vasquez AG, Goulding M, Isaac V, Naeem S, Flecker AS. Biodiversity underpins fisheries resilience to exploitation in the Amazon river basin. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220726. [PMID: 35673861 PMCID: PMC9174703 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Inland fisheries feed greater than 150 million people globally, yet their status is rarely assessed due to their socio-ecological complexity and pervasive lack of data. Here, we leverage an unprecedented landings time series from the Amazon, Earth's largest river basin, together with theoretical food web models to examine (i) taxonomic and trait-based signatures of exploitation in inland fish landings and (ii) implications of changing biodiversity for fisheries resilience. In both landings time series and theory, we find that multi-species exploitation of diverse inland fisheries results in a hump-shaped landings evenness curve. Along this trajectory, abundant and large species are sequentially replaced with faster growing and smaller species. Further theoretical analysis indicates that harvests can be maintained for a period of time but that continued biodiversity depletion reduces the pool of compensating species and consequently diminishes fisheries resilience. Critically, higher fisheries biodiversity can delay fishery collapse. Although existing landings data provide an incomplete snapshot of long-term dynamics, our results suggest that multi-species exploitation is affecting freshwater biodiversity and eroding fisheries resilience in the Amazon. More broadly, we conclude that trends in landings evenness could characterize multi-species fisheries development and aid in assessing their sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A. Heilpern
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Suresh A. Sethi
- U.S. Geological Survey, New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Carolina R. C. Doria
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, Brazil,Laboratoire Mixte International – Evolution et Domestication de l'Ichtyofaune Amazonienne (LMI - EDIA), IIAP - UAGRM – IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Fabrice Duponchelle
- Laboratoire Mixte International – Evolution et Domestication de l'Ichtyofaune Amazonienne (LMI - EDIA), IIAP - UAGRM – IRD, Montpellier, France,Institute of Research for Development (IRD), MARBEC (Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD), Montpellier, France
| | - Aurea García Vasquez
- Laboratoire Mixte International – Evolution et Domestication de l'Ichtyofaune Amazonienne (LMI - EDIA), IIAP - UAGRM – IRD, Montpellier, France,Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos, Peru
| | | | - Victoria Isaac
- Núcleo de Ecologia Aquática e Pesca da Amazônia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belem, Brazil
| | - Shahid Naeem
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexander S. Flecker
- Deparment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Groundwater in Crisis? Addressing Groundwater Challenges in Michigan (USA) as a Template for the Great Lakes. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14053008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Groundwater historically has been a critical but understudied, underfunded, and underappreciated natural resource, although recent challenges associated with both groundwater quantity and quality have raised its profile. This is particularly true in the Laurentian Great Lakes (LGL) region, where the rich abundance of surface water results in the perception of an unlimited water supply but limited attention on groundwater resources. As a consequence, groundwater management recommendations in the LGL have been severely constrained by our lack of information. To address this information gap, a virtual summit was held in June 2021 that included invited participants from local, state, and federal government entities, universities, non-governmental organizations, and private firms in the region. Both technical (e.g., hydrologists, geologists, ecologists) and policy experts were included, and participants were assigned to an agricultural, urban, or coastal wetland breakout group in advance, based on their expertise. The overall goals of this groundwater summit were fourfold: (1) inventory the key (grand) challenges facing groundwater in Michigan; (2) identify the knowledge gaps and scientific needs, as well as policy recommendations, associated with these challenges; (3) construct a set of conceptual models that elucidate these challenges; and (4) develop a list of (tractable) next steps that can be taken to address these challenges. Absent this type of information, the sustainability of this critical resource is imperiled.
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Abstract
Algorithms assess opportunities, forgone benefits, and environmental trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon W Holtgrieve
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mauricio E Arias
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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