| 1. |
- Gao, Ge, 1972, et al.
(author)
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Trend of estimated actual evapotranspiration over China during 1960-2002
- 2007
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In: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 112:D11120
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, the water balance methodology introduced by Thornthwaite and Mather (1955) is modified to estimate monthly actual evapotranspiration for 686 stations over China during 1960–2002. The modification is done by replacing the Thornthwaite potential evapotranspiration estimation with the Penman-Monteith method. Temporal trend and spatial distribution of the estimated annual actual evapotranspiration during the past 43 years are analyzed. The results show that (1) the actual evapotranspiration had a decreasing trend in most areas east of 100°E, and there was an increasing trend in the west and the north parts of northeast China; (2) the spatial distribution of the trend for the actual evapotranspiration is similar to that of the potential evapotranspiration in south China, while the trends are opposite in north China; (3) for most parts of China, the change in precipitation played a key role for the change of estimated actual evapotranspiration, while in southeast China, the change of potential evapotranspiration appeared to be the major factor; and (4) in general, the hydrological cycle was intensified in western China, whereas it was weakened from the Yellow River basin northward.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Mulia, Rachmat, et al.
(author)
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Non-Farm Activities and Impacts beyond the Economy of Rural Households in Vietnam: A Review and Link to Policies
- 2021
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In: Sustainability (Switzerland). - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 13:10182, s. 1-1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rural households in Asian developing countries such as Vietnam have been participating in non-farm activities for decades, yet impacts beyond the economy of these households are little understood. Using evidence from available literature and two case studies from rural Vietnam, this paper exposes a range of socio-cultural impacts of non-farm activities. An increased social tension driven by a widening economic gap between poor and better-off households or ethnic majority and minority groups was the most frequently reported impact in the literature. The case studies reveal additional impacts, notably those associated with public security, preservation of local culture, and safety of farm households with migrants during and following climate-related disasters. An increasing number of young migrants who exited family farms to access non-farm jobs partially led to the latter two impacts. The rural development and poverty reduction policies of Vietnam enacted in the past two decades (2000–2020) that promoted livelihood diversification had limited measures addressing socio-cultural impacts of non-farm activities. An amendment of these two categoriesof policies for the implementation beyond 2020 or a strengthened synergy in implementation with other categories of policy such as social policies is necessary to ensure sustainable rural development in Vietnam.
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| 4. |
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Multifunctional Land Uses in Africa Sustainable Food Security Solutions
- 2020
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Editorial collection (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This book presents contemporary case studies of land use, management practices, and innovation in Africa with a view to exploring how multifunctional land uses can alleviate food insecurity and poverty. Food security and livelihoods in Africa face multiple challenges in the form of feeding a growing population on declining land areas under the impacts of climate change. The overall question is what kind of farming systems can provide resilient livelihoods? This volume presents a selection of existing farming systems that demonstrate how more efficient use of land and natural resources, labour and other inputs can have positive effects on household food security and livelihoods. It examines how aquaculture, integrated water management, peri-urban farming systems, climate-smart agriculture practices and parkland agroforestry contribute multiple benefits. Drawing on case studies from Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, contributed by young African scientists, this book provides a unique perspective on multifunctional land use in Africa and illustrates how non-conventional uses can be profitable while promoting social and environmental sustainability. Tapping into the global discussion on land scarcity and linking food security to existing land use change processes, this volume will stimulate readers looking for diversified land uses that are compatible with both household and national food security ambitions. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of African development, agriculture, food security, land use and environmental management, as well as sustainable development more generally, in addition to policymakers and practitioners working in these areas.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Ostwald, Madelene, 1966-, et al.
(author)
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Relation between vegetation changes, climate variables and land-use policy in Shaanxi Province, China
- 2007
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In: Geografiska Annaler. Series A, Physical Geography. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0435-3676 .- 1468-0459. ; 89:4, s. 223-236
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Shaanxi Province in China has been exposed to climate variability and dramatic land-use policies. The aim here is to examine vegetation changes in this area on a regional scale from 2000 to 2004 in relation to land-use changes and climate traits. The data in this assessment include remote sensing information from moderate-resolution imaging spectro-radiometer normalized difference vegetation index from 2000 to 2004, and climate data (precipitation and temperature) from 1956 to 2000. The results show an increase in vegetation production from 2000 to 2004, particularly in the north, which cannot be explained solely by climate impacts. Since the vegetation in the north is more dependent on climate variation than the other parts of Shaanxi due to more serious water limitation, the results suggest that the large-scale land-use policy implemented over the last decade, with a focus on northern Shaanxi, is possibly having an impact on the overall vegetation.
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| 7. |
- Simelton, Elisabeth, 1967, et al.
(author)
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African farmers’ perceptions of erratic rainfall
- 2011
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In: Centre for Climate change economics and policy. ; :73
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Farmers’ perceptions of how rainfall is changing is crucial in anticipating the effects of climate change, as only farmers who perceive a problem will adapt to it. However, even within the same location, people may perceive rainfall changes differently. Therefore, how can scientists, practitioners, and farmers ensure that they talk about the same rainfall changes? The overall aim of this paper is to improve the understanding of what people mean when they say rainfall is becoming more erratic. To do this we used interviews to identify farmers’ perceptions of rainfall changes from four semi-arid regions in four African countries: Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana and Malawi, and integrated this with (daily or monthly) meteorological data to assess the perceived and actual rainfall. A conceptual rainfall matrix was designed to organise the data in terms of perceptions of onset, duration or cessation. Semi-structured interviews were used to identify factors that may confound perceptions of changes in rainfall. The matrix helped to clarify ways in which rainfall was becoming “more erratic”, in particular in identifying that increasing frequency of dry days and reduced amounts of rainfall (i.e. a meteorological definition) were behind perceptions that rainy seasons started later and finished earlier. A common perception that could not be found within meteorological data was that “rainfall used to start earlier than now”. Also, the timings of the perceived changes diverged. Perceptions that could be reproduced across datasets include “it is difficult to know when the rainy season starts”. Here, “more erratic rainfall” may refer to increasing inter-annual variability in the timing of onsets (using an agronomic definition), which resulted in less predictable rainy seasons. Factors confounding perceptions of rainfall include (lack of and existing) institutional support that prevent farmers from responding at the onset of the rainy season, as well as a lack of words to express variability and change. We introduce “access droughts” to denote crop failures that result from institutional support that leads to maladaptation strategies and increased sensitivity of the agricultural system. Access droughts are sometimes mistaken (by farmers, scientists, extension, policy makers etc.) for agronomic or meteorological droughts. The research suggests that top-down climate impact scenarios need to be grounded with farmers’ and extension workers’ understandings of how weather is changing more carefully in order to improve policy implementation. The graphs presented
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Simelton, Elisabeth, et al.
(author)
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Farmers in NE Viet Nam rank values of ecosystems from seven land uses
- 2014
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In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier. - 2212-0416 .- 2212-0416. ; 9, s. 133-138
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite being promoted as an integral part of natural resource management and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) community participation is often considered restricted by lack of (local) knowledge. Contrasting evidence suggest that farmers more holistic understanding of ecosystems may challenge scientific studies and payment schemes typically focussing on a fraction of ecosystem services, e.g. Viet Nams PES-policy which covers forest carbon, water and landscape beauty. Against this backdrop we explored how farmer groups in two villages (one with PES and one without) in northeast Viet Nam rated and justified fifteen ecosystem services from seven land-uses, including non-PES functions and non-forest land uses. The villagers gave overall analogous ranking and reasoning. For overall ecosystem services natural forests and forest plantations rated highest and paddy rice lowest, however for economic values natural forests rated lowest and rice-fish cultivation highest. With regards to the PES-policy, farmers failed to see the logic of excluding agricultural land and agrochemical pollution from water services. We recommend that research and capacity building aiming to prepare for PES-schemes embrace a wider range of local knowledge and understandings of ecosystem functions than those immediately considered for payment schemes. We present a participatory matrix ranking tool to support such purposes.
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| 10. |
- Simelton, Elisabeth, 1967, et al.
(author)
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Multifunctional land-use practices in Africa
- 2019
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In: Multifunctional Land Uses in Africa Sustainable Food Security Solutions. - 9780429283666
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Key evidence of multifunctionality from the success stories: the ‘what?’ Recalling that multifunctional land use aims to produce more than one product or service, we ask: what lessons emerge from the six case studies? Let us look for a moment at the services and products produced and how farmers turned scarcities into resources...
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