Climate Change and Water Issues in Mesopotamia: A Framework for Fostering Transboundary Cooperation in Euphrates-Tigris Basin

2015 ◽  
pp. 1685-1700
Author(s):  
Vakur Sümer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Transboundary Cooperation ◽  
Water Issues

scholarly journals Rethinking Climate, Climate Change, and Their Relationship with Water

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 849
Author(s):  
Demetris Koutsoyiannis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Main Element ◽  
The Political ◽  
Real World Data ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
External Agent ◽  
Historical Investigation ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Water Issues

We revisit the notion of climate, along with its historical evolution, tracing the origin of the modern concerns about climate. The notion (and the scientific term) of climate was established during the Greek antiquity in a geographical context and it acquired its statistical content (average weather) in modern times after meteorological measurements had become common. Yet the modern definitions of climate are seriously affected by the wrong perception of the previous two centuries that climate should regularly be constant, unless an external agent acts upon it. Therefore, we attempt to give a more rigorous definition of climate, consistent with the modern body of stochastics. We illustrate the definition by real-world data, which also exemplify the large climatic variability. Given this variability, the term “climate change” turns out to be scientifically unjustified. Specifically, it is a pleonasm as climate, like weather, has been ever-changing. Indeed, a historical investigation reveals that the aim in using that term is not scientific but political. Within the political aims, water issues have been greatly promoted by projecting future catastrophes while reversing true roles and causality directions. For this reason, we provide arguments that water is the main element that drives climate, and not the opposite.

scholarly journals Applications of Satellite Remote Sensing to Water Governance and the Mitigation of Climate Change Effects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilham Ali ◽  
Jay Famiglietti ◽  
Jonathan McLelland
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Management ◽  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Water Stress ◽  
Satellite Remote Sensing ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Sensing Data ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Water Issues

Water stress in both surface and groundwater supplies is an increasing environmental and sustainable management issue. According to the UN Environment Program, at current depletion rates almost half of the world's population will suffer severe water stress by 2030. This is further exacerbated by climate change effects which are altering the hydrologic cycle. Understanding climate change implications is critical to planning for water management scenarios as situations such as rising sea levels, increasing severity of storms, prolonged drought in many regions, ocean acidification, and flooding due to snowmelt and heavy precipitation continue. Today, major efforts towards equitable water management and governance are needed. This study adopts the broad, holistic lenses of sustainable development and water diplomacy, acknowledging both the complex and transboundary nature of water issues, to assess the benefits of a “science to policy” approach in water governance. Such negotiations and frameworks are predicated on the availability of timely and uniform data to bolster water management plans, which can be provided by earth-observing satellite missions. In recent decades, significant advances in satellite remote sensing technology have provided unprecedented data of the Earth’s water systems, including information on changes in groundwater storage, mass loss of snow caps, evaporation of surface water reservoirs, and variations in precipitation patterns. In this study, specific remote sensing missions are surveyed (i.e. NASA LANDSAT, GRACE, SMAP, CYGNSS, and SWOT) to understand the breadth of data available for water uses and the implications of these advances for water management. Results indicate historical precedent where remote sensing data and technologies have been successfully integrated to achieve more sustainable water management policy and law, such as in the passage of the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014. In addition, many opportunities exist in current transboundary and interstate water conflicts (for example, the Nile Basin and the Tri-State Water Wars between Alabama, Georgia, and Florida) to integrate satellite-remote-sensed water data as a means of “joint-fact finding” and basis for further negotiations. The authors argue that expansion of access to satellite remote sensing data of water for the general public, stakeholders, and policy makers would have a significant impact on the development of science-oriented water governance measures and increase awareness of water issues by significant amounts. Barriers to entry exist in accessing many satellite datasets because of prerequisite knowledge and expertise in the domain. More user-friendly platforms need to be developed in order to maximize the utility of present satellite data. Furthermore, sustainable co-operations should be formed to employ satellite remote sensing data on a regional scale to preempt problems in water supply, quantity, and quality.

Climate Change in Himalayas: Research Findings and Complexities

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (02) ◽  
pp. 01-13
Author(s):  
Surendra P. Singh ◽  
Surabhi Gumber
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Extreme Events ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Transboundary Cooperation ◽  
Translational Ecology ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
Water Springs

Himalayas are important for its influence on the climate of much of Asia, and ecosystem services, which serve some 1.3 billion people living in 10 river basins that originate from the region. The region is warming rapidly and is highly vulnerable to climate change. This review (i) sheds light on some fairly well established facts about climate change in Himalayas, (ii) makes an attempt to give an integrated picture of its impact on various components, and (iii) discusses complexities in generalizing the findings. Himalayas are warming at 2-3 time higher rates than global average rate, at least in some areas. The rate of warming is increasing in time and with elevation. As for rainfall, uncertainty is high, but generally predictions are for more violent events. According to an analysis based on 75 glaciers, 63 glaciers are showing shrinkage and 12 growth, however, their (growing ones) measurements are of low confidence level. The contribution of glacier and snow melt to total river discharge varies from 5-60% from west to east. Violent extreme events and glacier melt lakes are predicted to generate more disasters. The intensification of pre-monsoon drought is likely to be a critical climate change factor, affecting several ecological processes and social behaviour. Its examples are drying of water springs, suppression of treeline and desiccation of seeds of the species in which seeds remain lying on ground for a relatively longer period before conditions for germination become favourable, and spread of forest fires. The intensified water shortage is a threat even to tourism supporting capacity of the region. Apple cultivation in the state of Himachal Pradesh is getting adversely affected by the lack of sufficient winter-chilling. Some interventions are possible to undertake to address climate change impact. They include addressing data gaps, particularly with regard to changes in glacier ice mass, volumes and timing of river flows, frequency and duration of extreme events, transboundary cooperation, and development of translational ecology research in which scientists work in a close partnership with stakeholders and administrators. The Himalayan region is disproportionately affected by climate change induced disasters and miseries, though the region's per capita fossil fuel consumption is ridiculously low, raising a issue of climate change justice.

scholarly journals Seven Ways Climate Change Threatens U.S. Population's Health

Eos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randy Showstack
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Global Change Research Program ◽  
Global Change Research ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Water Issues ◽  
The U.S

A report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program finds health risks from global warming tied to heat, air quality, vector-borne diseases, water issues, extreme weather, nutrition, and mental stress.

scholarly journals Climate-water governance: a systematic analysis of the water sector resilience and adaptation to combat climate change in Pakistan

Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz Qaisar Yasin ◽  
Jessica Breadsell ◽  
Muhammad Naveed Tahir
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Water Sector ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
Leadership Policy ◽  
Combat Climate Change ◽  
Water Issues

Abstract Climate change and water security have become the most challenging global issues of this era, especially for developing countries like Pakistan. Amid many hindrances, poor governance has been identified as one of the most pressing reasons for ineffective action to tackle multifaceted and integrative climate-water issues in Pakistan. This article, therefore, applied a systematic literature review methodology to examine the current climate-water governance archetype, including key areas, major elements, critical gaps, and potential strategy in Pakistan. This study found that key climate-water governance areas in Pakistan are: river basin and watershed management, agriculture and irrigation management, urban and domestic water issues, floods, droughts and disaster management, groundwater management, and transboundary management. Moreover, it is revealed that the major governance elements are political commitment and leadership, policy formulation and regulation, institutional capacity and coordination, stakeholder engagement, and resource management, technology, and infrastructure development. The article also discusses how Pakistan has not effectively employed most of the identified governance elements to tackle its climate-water problems, lacking mostly in political, policy, institutional, coordination, and infrastructure aspects. In conclusion, a four-dimensional governance strategy, encompassing leadership, policy, institutions, and stakeholders is proposed to improve water sector resilience and adaptation to combat climate change in Pakistan.

scholarly journals Ghana's Akosombo Dam, Volta Lake Fisheries & Climate Change

Daedalus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 150 (4) ◽  
pp. 124-142
Author(s):  
Stephan F. Miescher
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Planning Stage ◽  
Local Agriculture ◽  
Volta Lake ◽  
Hydroelectric Dam ◽  
New Nation ◽  
Government Records ◽  
Water Issues

Abstract In Ghana, the Pwalugu Dam in the Upper East is in the final planning stage. Whereas promoters of Ghana's first dams emphasized the need for generating electricity to modernize and industrialize the new nation, the planners of Pwalugu have focused on water issues. Due to climate change, droughts have had a devastating impact on local agriculture. The dam's primary purpose is an irrigation scheme and flood control. This essay historicizes these concerns by revisiting the Akosombo Dam, Ghana's largest hydroelectric dam, completed in 1965. The discussion juxtaposes personal recollections of dam-affected communities with reports by administrators, biologists, and social scientists. The essay draws on government records, scientific studies about Volta Lake, and oral histories. Ultimately, it argues, builders and administrators of the Akosombo Dam failed to address most water issues, despite ample knowledge about their existence. One hopes that these shortcomings will not be repeated in the Pwalugu project.

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