Environmental Science & Policy最新文献

Interdisciplinary challenges for wildfire futures 野火未来的跨学科挑战

IF 5.2 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-31 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104175

T.A. Fairman , J. Aryal , P.J. Baker , A. Best , J. Cawson , H. Clarke , M.S. Fletcher , L. Gibbs , G. Foliente , L. Godden , M. Gibson , L. Kelly , A. King , T. Kompas , C. Leppold , C. Li , A. March , M. McCarthy , T. Ngo , K. Parkins , L.T. Bennett

{"title":"Interdisciplinary challenges for wildfire futures","authors":"T.A. Fairman , J. Aryal , P.J. Baker , A. Best , J. Cawson , H. Clarke , M.S. Fletcher , L. Gibbs , G. Foliente , L. Godden , M. Gibson , L. Kelly , A. King , T. Kompas , C. Leppold , C. Li , A. March , M. McCarthy , T. Ngo , K. Parkins , L.T. Bennett","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104175","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104175","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wildfire has shaped many ecosystems across Earth, and humans have in turn shaped fire and its interactions within a range of socio-ecological systems. Climate change is changing fire regimes, and recent major and disruptive fire seasons around the globe have indicated a need to reimagine and redefine how fire research is conducted. One potential path forward is increased promotion and development of interdisciplinary approaches to fire research, yet these are hindered by a lack of a common language and ‘framing’ of the ‘problem’. In this paper, we seek to advance the field of interdisciplinary fire research by bringing together experts from a wide range of disciplines to identify the key challenges for understanding and living with wildfires of the future (‘Wildfire Futures’). Through an iterative process, we identify seven major interdisciplinary challenges relating to Wildfire Futures in south-eastern Australia: data and understanding of fire; the need to reorientate cultural relationships with fire; recognising diverse tangible and intangible values of fire; exploring different ways to understand fire risk; adaptation pathways to envision alternate ways of living with fire; exploring the uncertainties and trade-offs inherent in decision making around fire; and how inertia in multiple systems hinders transformative change and interdisciplinary progress. Our paper illustrates how researchers from diverse disciplines can develop a common language for interdisciplinary fire research and identifies fire challenges relevant to many other regions around the world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104175"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Legitimising different futures: Swedish forest management as a climate change mitigation measure 使不同的未来合法化：瑞典森林管理作为减缓气候变化的措施

IF 5.2 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-30 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104174

Alexander Olsson , Johanna Johansson

{"title":"Legitimising different futures: Swedish forest management as a climate change mitigation measure","authors":"Alexander Olsson , Johanna Johansson","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104174","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104174","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Storage of carbon in forests is essential if net-zero targets are to be reached. This realisation has brought about a ‘climatisation’ of forest policy – i.e. climate change mitigation has become a major priority in an arena traditionally dominated by wood production and biodiversity conservation interests. Due to the urgent nature of the climate issue, climate change-related arguments have come to play a significant role in forest discourse. Here, we study climatisation in Swedish forest policy debates using interviews with national level policy actors and workshops with forest stakeholders. The goal of this study is to analyse how actors use legitimation strategies, specifically how climate change is used as an argument for various policy proposals. In the interviews with national policymakers, we find strong resonance with previously presented discourses in environmental governance literature. Actors with significant local knowledge often draw on global top-down discourses rather than on ideas associated with bottom-up environmental governance. Nevertheless, we observe a civic EU-sceptic discourse among forest landowners and politicians who express mistrust and confusion over increased top-down forest governance induced by, for example, the EU land use, land-use change and forestry regulation. We show how the legitimation strategies used by forest policy actors perpetuate global discourses and influence the policy position of the actors in this study. Since forests’ role in climate mitigation differs fundamentally between discourses, we suggest that forest policy should focus on finding common ground around local issues, rather than hoping for national win-win solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104174"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144725119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Embodying the impact of climate change for decision makers using augmented reality (AR): A case study of climate-threatened cultural heritage sites in Western Alaska 利用增强现实（AR）为决策者体现气候变化的影响：阿拉斯加西部气候威胁文化遗产地的案例研究

IF 5.2 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-30 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104178

Emma L. Verstraete , Sharon Kuo , Natasha Adams , Alexandra J. Zachwieja

{"title":"Embodying the impact of climate change for decision makers using augmented reality (AR): A case study of climate-threatened cultural heritage sites in Western Alaska","authors":"Emma L. Verstraete , Sharon Kuo , Natasha Adams , Alexandra J. Zachwieja","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104178","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104178","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Three-dimensional (3-D) scans and augmented reality (AR) are common tools that can place the user into a landscape threatened by climate change. Combining the ability to rapidly preserve at-risk location data and entice the public, LiDAR and photogrammetric methods have quickly gained popularity; however, industry quality 3-D scanning methods are often costly and time-consuming. Recently, Apple has added commercial-grade LiDAR scanning to many of their mobile devices, giving researchers an opportunity to use a low cost and low expertise method to produce 3-D scans of environmentally at-risk sites that can easily engage with the public, decision makers, and government representatives on mobile devices. Here, we argue the usefulness of collecting LiDAR data of environmentally-threatened localities as a way of allowing decision makers to embody the true impact of climate change on any given conservation case using AR while also providing researcher data for time-series comparison with minimal spatial error (<2 cm). We discuss cases showcasing the use of an iPad Pro 12 to take 3-D scans of at-risk cultural heritage sites on the western coast of Alaska using a free app (Scaniverse) that can be employed in a model hosting platform (SketchFab). We show how AR scans can both be used to create accurate time-series data and be incorporated to provide an immersive and accessible experience. Embodying the impacts of climate change on an environmentally at-risk site may increase attachment for the public, including climate adaptation funding and policy decision makers, by establishing a connection to “Place”.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104178"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144725114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Advancing community disaster resilience: A data-knowledge driven paradigm for integrating environmental science and policy decision-making 推进社区抗灾能力：整合环境科学与政策决策的数据知识驱动范式

IF 5.2 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-29 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104180

Siyu Chen , Qiang Zou , Bin Wang , Wentao Zhou , Hu Jiang , Bin Zhou , Tao Yang

{"title":"Advancing community disaster resilience: A data-knowledge driven paradigm for integrating environmental science and policy decision-making","authors":"Siyu Chen , Qiang Zou , Bin Wang , Wentao Zhou , Hu Jiang , Bin Zhou , Tao Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104180","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Researching disaster resilience communities involves complex, interdisciplinary efforts. Integrating various disciplines in disaster resilience research remains challenging, particularly in quantifying community resilience and reaching consensus on implementation strategies. Despite the widespread adoption of resilience research methodologies, data and information are often fragmented, impeding effective decision-making processes for enhancing community resilience. To advance the achievement of SDG 11 and implement more robust practical actions, it is essential to critically evaluate the work done thus far and identify the obstacles impeding progress toward the targets. This study critically reviews the current landscape of disaster resilience research, identifying key obstacles and proposing a data-knowledge-driven framework to enhance interdisciplinary integration and inform policy decisions. This framework supports more effective environment decision-making throughout the disaster cycle by consolidating fragmented data and optimizing resilience assessment systems. Through scientometric and critical reviews, we provide insights into resilience research dynamics and offer recommendations for advancing sustainable and resilient communities in the post-SDG era.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104180"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Caring policy-relevant knowledge? The case of the Brazilian Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services 关心政策相关知识？巴西生物多样性和生态系统服务平台的案例

IF 4.9 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-28 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104170

Adriana Ressiore C. , Giulia De Fusco , David Ludwig , Charbel N. El-Hani , Esther Turnhout

{"title":"Caring policy-relevant knowledge? The case of the Brazilian Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services","authors":"Adriana Ressiore C. , Giulia De Fusco , David Ludwig , Charbel N. El-Hani , Esther Turnhout","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104170","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104170","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Science-policy interfaces like the Brazilian Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BPBES) aim to provide policy-relevant knowledge that guides decision-makers in addressing the current biodiversity crisis. At the same time, dominant approaches to policy-relevant knowledge have been widely challenged for relying on a misguided linear model that treats science and policy as separate domains, presenting the former through depoliticized ideals of neutrality and objectivity while prioritizing efficiency, standardization, and measurable outputs over transdisciplinary collaboration, inclusivity, and plurality of knowledge systems. This article focuses on “care” as an embodied, situated, and relational practice that could open pathways to policy-relevant knowledge that is inclusive and responsive to diverse human and non-human needs. Through semi-structured interviews and analysis of Summaries for Decision-Makers (SDMs) in BPBES, we investigate how different forms of care shape the content, creation process, and impact of SDMs. Our findings reveal that care is present across all of these dimensions but also that systemic barriers limit its practices. In particular, we argue that the legacy of the linear model often creates tensions with care perspectives as they can often be seen as too subjective and as threatening the credibility of BPBES. We, therefore, conclude that there remain substantial challenges to articulating a vision and practice of “caring policy-relevant knowledge” that embraces care as central to shaping relations between science and policy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104170"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144713709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Opportunities for optimizing phosphorus inputs in EU agricultural soils 优化欧盟农业土壤磷投入的机会

IF 4.9 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104168

Elise Van Eynde , Gerard H. Ros , Felipe Yunta , Anna Muntwyler , Philippe Hinsinger , Arthur N. Fendrich , Panos Panagos

{"title":"Opportunities for optimizing phosphorus inputs in EU agricultural soils","authors":"Elise Van Eynde , Gerard H. Ros , Felipe Yunta , Anna Muntwyler , Philippe Hinsinger , Arthur N. Fendrich , Panos Panagos","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104168","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104168","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Excessive phosphorus (P) fertilization has resulted in elevated soil P concentrations in some regions in the EU. Legacy soil P imposes a risk for soil functioning and may lead to P losses into the aquatic environment. Recent proposed EU policies aim to optimize P inputs and mitigate excessive soil P concentrations. We present a framework to estimate how much and where P inputs in EU agricultural (cropland and grassland) soils can be optimized. The framework, with assumptions on optimal soil P concentrations and modelled soil P balances, allows calculating how much of the EU agricultural area experiences a build-up or maintenance of soil P concentrations despite having high soil P concentrations. Next, we calculated how much P inputs can be reduced to reach maintenance situation (inputs equal outputs) or to reach optimal soil P concentrations. Assuming optimal soil P concentrations (Olsen) being 20 – 40 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>, we calculated that current P inputs across the EU can be reduced by 21 % without adverse impacts on crop production, in line with EU policy objectives. The most appropriate strategy strongly depended on the farming system properties and varied across the European regions. The results are discussed in view of current or desired policies limiting P application rates. The framework, with suggested future improvements on uncertainties in data and models, can guide policy makers and land managers to set targets on P application rates, thereby reconciling agronomic and environmental objectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104168"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

A systematic literature review on the interconnection between climate change impacts and conflicts 气候变化影响与冲突相互关系的系统文献综述

IF 4.9 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104169

Hayrol Azril Mohamed Shaffril , Walter Leal Filho , Asnarulkhadi Abu Samah , Syafila Kamarudin

{"title":"A systematic literature review on the interconnection between climate change impacts and conflicts","authors":"Hayrol Azril Mohamed Shaffril , Walter Leal Filho , Asnarulkhadi Abu Samah , Syafila Kamarudin","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104169","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104169","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study attempts to systematically review the available evidence on the impacts of climate change on conflicts. It simultaneously explores how conflict can hinder people from practicing their best adaptation strategies. The systematic literature review was guided by ROSES (RepOrting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses in Environmental Research) and based on searching processes in Scopus, Science Direct, Dimensions.ai, and Google Scholar databases. The final number of articles for the review is 35. Based on the thematic analysis performed, four main themes were discussed in the review, namely 1) climate change exacerbates internal conflicts; 2) Climate change, military disputes and diplomatic tensions between countries over natural resources; 3) Climate change, migration, and conflict; and 4) Conflicts obstruct the community from practicing the best adaptation strategies toward climate change impacts. Multifaceted conflicts often impede communities from adopting their most effective climate adaptation strategies. Humans' economic habits are disrupted by social disturbance, which limits their capacity and motivation to seek workable ways to mitigate the consequences of climate change. In addition to weakening social ties, the dispute has made it more difficult for community members to access resources and allocate limited funds in the community's best interests, thereby detracting from the adoption of crucial actions to mitigate the consequences of climate change. The capacity of people to organise, plan, and carry out efficient methods to safeguard community interests in the context of climate change can be enhanced by effective communication at the organisational or community level, as well as by the absence of conflict-related community capacity building. Conflict also prevents outside assistance and support that may aid the community's preparation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104169"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

When climate assemblies call for stringent climate mitigation policies: Unlocking public acceptance or fighting a losing battle? 当气候大会呼吁采取严格的气候减缓政策：争取公众接受还是打一场必败之战？

IF 4.9 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-22 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104159

Emilien Paulis , Jean-Benoit Pilet , Davide Vittori , Sebastien Rojon

{"title":"When climate assemblies call for stringent climate mitigation policies: Unlocking public acceptance or fighting a losing battle?","authors":"Emilien Paulis , Jean-Benoit Pilet , Davide Vittori , Sebastien Rojon","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104159","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104159","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In a context where traditional political institutions struggle to build consensus on urgent climate action, this study investigates the role of deliberative instruments in climate policymaking. Specifically, it examines how Climate Assemblies (CAs) influence public acceptance of implementing stringent climate policies. Using public reactions to the recommendations of Luxembourg’s <em>Klima Biergerrot</em> (KBR) as a case study—which, like other European CAs, called for more ambitious climate mitigation measures—our findings indicate the importance of outcome favorability: agreement with the content of the KBR policy proposals (i.e., winning from the process) was the strongest predictor of acceptance for their effective implementation. However, we also found that, while policy losers were prominent, their acceptance of implementing proposals they disagree with increased the more they perceived CAs as legitimate and fair decision-making processes. This evidence suggests that CAs’ can foster ‘loser consent’ and help bridge divides with climate policy opponents. In this way, CAs have the potential to help overcome climate policy gridlock by building broader public acceptance for necessary, though often unpopular, climate actions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104159"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Measuring soil, making territory: Developing eDNA and other soil biodiversity indicators in Finland as a struggle over scales of governance 测量土壤，创造领土：在芬兰开发eDNA和其他土壤生物多样性指标，作为治理规模的斗争

IF 4.9 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104173

Jelena Salmi , Anna Krzywoszynska

{"title":"Measuring soil, making territory: Developing eDNA and other soil biodiversity indicators in Finland as a struggle over scales of governance","authors":"Jelena Salmi , Anna Krzywoszynska","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104173","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104173","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a key instrument of governance, indicators are world-making; and yet, the processes by which indicators are made are rarely critically examined or opened to public scrutiny. Monitoring a soil biodiversity, as part of monitoring soil health, is increasingly relevant to policy. Healthy soils are cast as a ‘nature-based solution’ to socio-ecological challenges such as sustainable food production, land degradation, human health, and climate change. In this paper, we shed light on the unexamined politics of soil biodiversity indicators, with Finland as a case study. Our discourse analysis of 103 governance and grey literature documents finds that tensions around indicators can clearly be seen as struggles over the scale of governance. Soil biodiversity indicators are part of the EU’s project of territorialization: an attempt to create governable territories for EU-scale ecosystem services optimization. We find that in Finland eDNA emerges as the preferred scientific basis for soil biodiversity governance due to an alignment of interests between scientific and policy groups concerned with cost efficiency and competitive prestige. However, critical voices, especially from within land workers’ organisations, argue that basing soil policies on eDNA methods risks obscuring local specificity, and creating environmental and social injustice. Instead, alternative indicators are called for and proposed, which are more relevant at local scales of action: accessible, and epistemically just. Without heeding these critical voices, we argue, soil biodiversity science and governance risks further alienating land management groups - who are indispentible in achieving soil health. We call, therefore, for soil biodiversity indicators and knowledge infrastructures centered on strengthening the capacities of the very people tasked with delivering soil biodiversity improvements: land workers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104173"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Balancing water and sand demands: a research agenda to support more sustainable sand harvesting from sand rivers in sub-Saharan Africa 平衡水和沙的需求：支持撒哈拉以南非洲更可持续的沙河采砂的研究议程

IF 4.9 2区环境科学与生态学

Environmental Science & Policy Pub Date : 2025-07-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104162

A.E.C. Duker , T.G. Embaye , E.Y. Hagos , M. Smigaj , D.W. Walker , H. Yusuf

{"title":"Balancing water and sand demands: a research agenda to support more sustainable sand harvesting from sand rivers in sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"A.E.C. Duker , T.G. Embaye , E.Y. Hagos , M. Smigaj , D.W. Walker , H. Yusuf","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104162","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104162","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sand river systems, a type of ephemeral river with shallow groundwater stored in its sandy riverbed, are increasingly gaining recognition for being nature-based water storage systems that play a pivotal role for ecosystems and rural livelihoods. However, these unique water systems are not only appreciated for their water storage and transmission; the sand is also extracted to serve the growing urban construction demands. As a result, there is increasing competition, tension and conflict about the different, often mutually-exclusive, uses of these rivers. In this paper, we call for research action as we see an urgent need to recognise the challenges and conflicts that occur and have a detrimental impact on the ecosystems and people depending on these rivers. We identify challenges and knowledge gaps, based on three case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, each with different sand harvesting histories and approaches to address these challenges. We conclude that current knowledge about the scope, intensity and impacts of sand harvesting from these shallow aquifers is minimal. Despite the regulation attempts in a few countries, monitoring and governance to establish sustainable sand harvesting and sand river conservation remain below par in all countries studied. Therefore, we call for conjunctive action to address the identified research needs, based on different actors from riparian communities, governments, academia, NGOs and the private sector. We conclude that addressing these needs is pivotal in coping with current and future challenges in different contexts to protect and benefit from these valuable river systems in the semi-arid and arid lands of sub-Saharan Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 104162"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0