| 1. |
- Bennich, Therese, et al.
(författare)
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The bio-based economy, 2030 Agenda, and strong sustainability – A regional-scale assessment of sustainability goal interactions
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 283
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Policy-makers face the challenge of assessing and implementing sustainability measures, while also dealing with parallel and sometimes conflicting policy agendas, long-term policy impacts, and contested interpretations of sustainability. To support evidence-based decision-making in this context, this paper presents the results from an integrated assessment of sustainability goal interactions. Links between the bio-based economy, the 2030 Agenda, and the so-called strong sustainability paradigm were explored in a regional-scale case. The analysis focused primarily on developments in the forestry and energy sectors. Direct trade-offs and synergies as well as broader systemic impacts were identified. The results show how goals from the bio-based economy, 2030 Agenda and strong sustainability paradigm are mutually interacting. Positive interactions were found within two clusters of goals, offering coherent and synergetic transition pathways within these. The first cluster encompasses developments toward intensified forestry, renewable energy, and closed-loop production systems. The second pathway supports diversified forestry and protection of critical natural capital. However, while internally coherent, trade-offs were identified between these goal clusters, demonstrating the difficulty in simultaneously making progress on goals belonging to different sustainability agendas. The results also stress the need for disaggregation and long-term assessments to identify trade-offs and synergies. Finally, the analysis highlights the theoretical potential but practical challenges of implementing the bio-based economy and 2030 Agenda in a way that adheres to strong sustainability. The analytical framework used in the present study may be adapted and applied to other decision-making contexts. It is particularly useful in settings characterized by uncertainty and unstructured problem spaces.
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| 2. |
- Ciampa, Francesca, et al.
(författare)
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Flood Mitigation in Mediterranean Coastal Regions : Problems, Solutions, and Stakeholder Involvement
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 13:18
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flooding affects Mediterranean coastal areas, with negative impacts on regional populations and ecosystems. This paper reviews the causes and consequences of coastal flooding in European Mediterranean countries, common and advanced solutions implemented to mitigate flood risk, and the importance of stakeholder involvement in developing these solutions. Climate change, intensive urbanization, tourism, deforestation, wildfires, and erosion are the main causes of coastal flooding, leading to social and economic losses, degradation of ecosystems, and water and soil contamination due to saltwater intrusion. Various measures for mitigating urban coastal flooding have been implemented, including coastal barriers, infrastructural drainage systems, wetlands, and mobile dams. Development and implementation of such solutions should be performed in close collaboration with stakeholders, but their current engagement at the coordination and/or decision-making level does not allow full integration of local knowledge in flood mitigation projects. Various processes are used to engage stakeholders in coastal flood mitigation, but participatory approaches are required to integrate their perspectives into performance analysis of potential solutions. Such approaches would allow a balance to be reached between nature conservation, market forces, stakeholder needs, and decision-makers' priorities, resulting in development of innovative and sustainable mitigation solutions to enhance urban resilience to coastal flooding.
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| 3. |
- Egidi, Gianluca, et al.
(författare)
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Unraveling Latent Aspects of Urban Expansion : Desertification Risk Reveals More
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 17:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Urban expansion results in socioeconomic transformations with relevant impacts for peri-urban soils, leading to environmental concerns about land degradation and increased desertification risk in ecologically fragile districts. Spatial planning can help achieve sustainable land-use patterns and identify alternative locations for settlements and infrastructure. However, it is sometimes unable to comprehend and manage complex processes in metropolitan developments, fueling unregulated and mainly dispersed urban expansion on land with less stringent building constraints. Using the Mediterranean cities of Barcelona and Rome as examples of intense urbanization and ecological fragility, the present study investigated whether land use planning in these cities is (directly or indirectly) oriented towards conservation of soil quality and mitigation of desertification risk. Empirical results obtained using composite, geo-referenced indices of soil quality (SQI) and sensitivity to land desertification (SDI), integrated with high-resolution land zoning maps, indicated that land devoted to natural and semi-natural uses has lower soil quality in both contexts. The highest values of SDI, indicating high sensitivity to desertification, were observed in fringe areas with medium-high population density and settlement expansion. These findings reveal processes of land take involving buildable soils, sometimes of high quality, and surrounding landscapes in both cities. Overall, the results in this study can help inform land use planers and policymakers for conservation of high-quality soils, especially under weak (or partial) regulatory constraints.
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| 4. |
- Evans, D. L., et al.
(författare)
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Sustainable futures over the next decade are rooted in soil science
- 2022
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Ingår i: European Journal of Soil Science. - : Wiley. - 1351-0754 .- 1365-2389. ; 73:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The importance of soils to society has gained increasing recognition over the past decade, with the potential to contribute to most of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With unprecedented and growing demands for food, water and energy, there is an urgent need for a global effort to address the challenges of climate change and land degradation, whilst protecting soil as a natural resource. In this paper, we identify the contribution of soil science over the past decade to addressing gaps in our knowledge regarding major environmental challenges: climate change, food security, water security, urban development, and ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Continuing to address knowledge gaps in soil science is essential for the achievement of the SDGs. However, with limited time and budget, it is also pertinent to identify effective methods of working that ensure the research carried out leads to real-world impact. Here, we suggest three strategies for the next decade of soil science, comprising a greater implementation of research into policy, interdisciplinary partnerships to evaluate function trade-offs and synergies between soils and other environmental domains, and integrating monitoring and modelling methods to ensure soil-based policies can withstand the uncertainties of the future. Highlights: We highlight the contributions of soil science to five major environmental challenges since 2010. Researchers have contributed to recommendation reports, but work is rarely translated into policy. Interdisciplinary work should assess trade-offs and synergies between soils and other domains. Integrating monitoring and modelling is key for robust and sustainable soils-based policymaking.
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| 5. |
- Fernandez-Anez, Nieves, et al.
(författare)
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Current Wildland Fire Patterns and Challenges in Europe : A Synthesis of National Perspectives
- 2021
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Ingår i: Air, Soil and Water Research. - : SAGE Publications. - 1178-6221. ; 14, s. 1-19
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Changes in climate, land use, and land management impact the occurrence and severity of wildland fires in many parts of the world. This is particularly evident in Europe, where ongoing changes in land use have strongly modified fire patterns over the last decades. Although satellite data by the European Forest Fire Information System provide large-scale wildland fire statistics across European countries, there is still a crucial need to collect and summarize in-depth local analysis and understanding of the wildland fire condition and associated challenges across Europe. This article aims to provide a general overview of the current wildland fire patterns and challenges as perceived by national representatives, supplemented by national fire statistics (2009–2018) across Europe. For each of the 31 countries included, we present a perspective authored by scientists or practitioners from each respective country, representing a wide range of disciplines and cultural backgrounds. The authors were selected from members of the COST Action “Fire and the Earth System: Science & Society” funded by the European Commission with the aim to share knowledge and improve communication about wildland fire. Where relevant, a brief overview of key studies, particular wildland fire challenges a country is facing, and an overview of notable recent fire events are also presented. Key perceived challenges included (1) the lack of consistent and detailed records for wildland fire events, within and across countries, (2) an increase in wildland fires that pose a risk to properties and human life due to high population densities and sprawl into forested regions, and (3) the view that, irrespective of changes in management, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and impact of wildland fires in the coming decades. Addressing challenge (1) will not only be valuable in advancing national and pan-European wildland fire management strategies, but also in evaluating perceptions (2) and (3) against more robust quantitative evidence.
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| 6. |
- Ferreira, Carla S. S., et al.
(författare)
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Soil degradation in the European Mediterranean region : Processes, status and consequences
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 805
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soil, a non-renewable resource, sustains life on Earth by supporting around 95% of global food production and providing ecosystem services such as biomass production, filtration of contaminants and transfer of mass and energy between spheres. Unsustainable management practices and climate change are threatening the natural capital of soils, particularly in the Mediterranean region, where increasing population, rapid land-use changes, associated socio-economic activities and climate change are imposing high pressures on the region's shallow soils. Despite evidence of high soil susceptibility to degradation and desertification, the true extent of soil degradation in the region is unknown. This paper reviews and summarises the scientific literature and relevant official reports, with the aim to advance this knowledge by synthesizing, mapping, and identifying gaps regarding the status, causes, and consequences of soil degradation processes in the European Mediterranean region. This is needed as scientific underpinning of efforts to counteract soil degradation in the region. Three main degradation categories are then considered: physical (soil sealing, compaction, erosion), chemical (soil organic matter, contamination, salinisation), and biological. We find some degradation processes to be relatively well documented (e.g. soil erosion), while others, such as loss of biodiversity, remain poorly addressed, with limited data availability. We suggest establishment of a continuous, harmonised soil monitoring system at national and regional scale in the Mediterranean region to provide comparable datasets and chart the spatial extent and temporal changes in soil degradation, and corresponding economic implications. This is critical to support decision making and fulfilment of related sustainable development goals.
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| 7. |
- Jaramillo, Fernando, et al.
(författare)
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Priorities and Interactions of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with Focus on Wetlands
- 2019
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Ingår i: Water. - : MDPI. - 2073-4441. ; 11:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wetlands are often vital physical and social components of a country’s natural capital, as well as providers of ecosystem services to local and national communities. We performed a network analysis to prioritize Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets for sustainable development in iconic wetlands and wetlandscapes around the world. The analysis was based on the information and perceptions on 45 wetlandscapes worldwide by 49 wetland researchers of the Global Wetland Ecohydrological Network (GWEN). We identified three 2030 Agenda targets of high priority across the wetlandscapes needed to achieve sustainable development: Target 6.3—“Improve water quality”; 2.4—“Sustainable food production”; and 12.2—“Sustainable management of resources”. Moreover, we found specific feedback mechanisms and synergies between SDG targets in the context of wetlands. The most consistent reinforcing interactions were the influence of Target 12.2 on 8.4—“Efficient resource consumption”; and that of Target 6.3 on 12.2. The wetlandscapes could be differentiated in four bundles of distinctive priority SDG-targets: “Basic human needs”, “Sustainable tourism”, “Environmental impact in urban wetlands”, and “Improving and conserving environment”. In general, we find that the SDG groups, targets, and interactions stress that maintaining good water quality and a “wise use” of wetlandscapes are vital to attaining sustainable development within these sensitive ecosystems.
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| 8. |
- Kalantari, Zahra, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping of ecosystem services : Supply and demand for local climate regulation and nutrient regulation services
- 2022
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Ingår i: Urban Soil and Water Degradation. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-9289. ; , s. 135-159
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global population growth and associated socio-economic development have led to rapid urban expansion worldwide, with management implications for sustainable natural resources and societal resilience. Natural ecosystems and the services they provide are essential for societal mitigation and adaptation to adverse environmental consequences in urban areas. Mapping ecosystem services is a valuable tool in spatial planning for urban development, as it provides a deeper understanding of complex human-natural system interactions. This study analyzed and mapped two ecosystem services (local climate regulation and nutrient regulation), which play a key role in mitigating the impacts of local and global climate change in urban areas and of nutrient loads entering surface waters. The specific cases analyzed (Amsterdam city and the Netherlands as a whole) provided insights into opportunity pathways for adaptive development and management of complex urban environments and can support policy and decision-making processes for a sustainable and resilient future.
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| 9. |
- Kalantari, Zahra, et al.
(författare)
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Using Landscape Connectivity to Identify Suitable Locations for Nature-Based Solutions to Reduce Flood Risk
- 2022
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Ingår i: Handbook of Environmental Chemistry. - Cham : Springer Nature. ; , s. 339-354, s. 339-354
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Climate change and population growth are exacerbating environmental challenges and natural hazards. Extreme events such as flooding due to heavy precipitation are occurring more frequently and becoming more severe throughout the world. Future projections indicate increasing risks and serious threats to human societies, particularly those living in urban areas. To mitigate associated socio-economic challenges and support sustainable urban development, nature-based solutions (NBS) are being introduced in mitigation and adaptation strategies. However, NBS need to be carefully located and suitably designed to achieve their full potential in terms of flood mitigation. Landscape connectivity, addressing various landscape processes and components, can potentially be utilized for land management and biodiversity conservation. For instance, hydrological connectivity within a catchment, as part of the landscape connectivity, describes the main water flow pathways and areas where runoff tends to accumulate, and can thus be useful in identifying the best locations for NBS from a hydrological viewpoint. In this chapter, we describe use of landscape connectivity to identify suitable locations for NBS to reduce flood risk in urban areas, and exemplify the process for two distinct urban catchments, located in Sweden and Portugal. The results showed good usefulness of the method and revealed the importance of integrating connectivity mapping into future NBS planning practices and decision support systems.
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| 10. |
- Moshir Panahi, Davood, et al.
(författare)
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Variability and change in the hydro-climate and water resources of Iran over a recent 30-year period
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Research. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Comprehensive assessment of hydro-climatic variations and change trends is essential for understanding, mitigating, and adapting to key water resource changes in different parts of the world. We performed such an assessment on Iran, as representative of an arid/semi-arid and geopolitically important world region. We acquired and calculated data time series of surface temperature (T), precipitation (P), runoff (R), evapotranspiration (ET), and water storage change (DS), to determine their status and changes in and among the 30 main hydrological basins in Iran over the period 1986–2016. From 1986–2000 to 2001–2016, the country warmed, P mostly decreased and R even more so, while water storage was depleted (DS < 0) and ET increased in some basins. Overall, the extra water provided from primarily groundwater depletion has fed and kept ET at levels beyond those sustained by the annually renewable water input from P. This indicates unsustainable use of water for maintaining and expanding human activities, such as irrigated agriculture, in this part of the world.
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