scholarly journals Tools for Improved Drought and Flood Response

Eos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huan Wu ◽  
Dennis Lettenmaier ◽  
Qiuhong Tang ◽  
Philip Ward
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Drought And Flood ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Droughts And Floods ◽  
Flood Response

A new book presents recent advances in the modeling and remote sensing of droughts and floods of use to emergency response organizations and policy makers on a global scale.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in Remote Sensing of Evapotranspiration

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 4260
Author(s):  
Nishan Bhattarai ◽  
Pradeep Wagle
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Modeling Tools ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Wide Range

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an important role in coupling the global energy, water, and biogeochemical cycles and explains ecosystem responses to global environmental change. However, quantifying and mapping the spatiotemporal distribution of ET across a large area is still a challenge, which limits our understanding of how a given ecosystem functions under a changing climate. This also poses a challenge to water managers, farmers, and ranchers who often rely on accurate estimates of ET to make important irrigation and management decisions. Over the last three decades, remote sensing-based ET modeling tools have played a significant role in managing water resources and understanding land-atmosphere interactions. However, several challenges, including limited applicability under all conditions, scarcity of calibration and validation datasets, and spectral and spatiotemporal constraints of available satellite sensors, exist in the current state-of-the-art remote sensing-based ET models and products. The special issue on “Remote Sensing of Evapotranspiration II” was launched to attract studies focusing on recent advances in remote sensing-based ET models to help address some of these challenges and find novel ways of applying and/or integrating remotely sensed ET products with other datasets to answer key questions related to water and environmental sustainability. The 13 articles published in this special issue cover a wide range of topics ranging from field- to global-scale analysis, individual model to multi-model evaluation, single sensor to multi-sensor fusion, and highlight recent advances and applications of remote sensing-based ET modeling tools and products.

Can Bitcoin be the Future of Digital Payments?

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 489-500
Author(s):  
Andrea Valente ◽  
◽  
David Atkinson ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Price Volatility ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Future ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Digital Payments ◽  
Robust Regulation ◽  
Stakeholder Acceptance

This study aimed to investigate the conditions in which Bitcoin has developed as a leading cryptocurrency and, according to Nakamoto (2008), could become an instrument for everyday payments around the world. In comparison to other digital payment solutions, Bitcoin is based on a peer-to-peer electronic cash system using “the blockchain”. This innovative technology allows for decentralised storage and movement of currency in a fully anonymous way, introducing advantageous methods for encrypted security and faster transactions (Hagiu & Beach, 2014). Scepticism regards Bitcoin’s foundation, energy consumption and price volatility, however, did not take long to arise (Holthaus, 2017). Ten years from its white paper release, Bitcoin is further supported by the same drivers which could sustain its growth as the future of digital payments (Russo, 2018). In order to investigate the key drivers and feasibility of acceptance, a London based survey was used to understand the desirability of Bitcoin as a day-to-day tool for digital payments. Additionally, this research analysed Bitcoin’s stakeholders and forecast drivers of sustainability for its application to become the future of the payment industry. A space which relies on policies that involve multiple layers of society, governments, regulators and tech-firms, all on a global scale. The findings confirmed how the increasing lack of trust of political and financial institutions, coupled with the increasing cases of data-breaches by tech-firms, encouraged over 70% of respondents to consider more decentralised and anonymous methods for their day-to-day actions; like payments. Policy makers need to cope with societies increasingly separating politically but gathering together digitally (LBS, 2017). For Bitcoin to truly establish itself as a global digital payment solution, key stakeholder acceptance must converge alongside the introduction of more robust regulation.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing Methods for the Biophysical Characterization of Protected Areas Globally: Challenges and Opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Javier Martínez-López ◽  
Bastian Bertzky ◽  
Simon Willcock ◽  
Marine Robuchon ◽  
María Almagro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Biophysical Characterization ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Scale Characterization

Protected areas (PAs) are a key strategy to reverse global biodiversity declines, but they are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities and concomitant effects. Thus, the heterogeneous landscapes within PAs, containing a number of different habitats and ecosystem types, are in various degrees of disturbance. Characterizing habitats and ecosystems within the global protected area network requires large-scale monitoring over long time scales. This study reviews methods for the biophysical characterization of terrestrial PAs at a global scale by means of remote sensing (RS) and provides further recommendations. To this end, we first discuss the importance of taking into account the structural and functional attributes, as well as integrating a broad spectrum of variables, to account for the different ecosystem and habitat types within PAs, considering examples at local and regional scales. We then discuss potential variables, challenges and limitations of existing global environmental stratifications, as well as the biophysical characterization of PAs, and finally offer some recommendations. Computational and interoperability issues are also discussed, as well as the potential of cloud-based platforms linked to earth observations to support large-scale characterization of PAs. Using RS to characterize PAs globally is a crucial approach to help ensure sustainable development, but it requires further work before such studies are able to inform large-scale conservation actions. This study proposes 14 recommendations in order to improve existing initiatives to biophysically characterize PAs at a global scale.

scholarly journals Shared socioeconomic pathways for climate change research in Finland: co-developing extended SSP narratives for agriculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heikki S. Lehtonen ◽  
Jyrki Aakkula ◽  
Stefan Fronzek ◽  
Janne Helin ◽  
Mikael Hildén ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Level ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Change Scenario ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Agriculture And Food ◽  
Farm Subsidies

AbstractShared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), developed at global scale, comprise narrative descriptions and quantifications of future world developments that are intended for climate change scenario analysis. However, their extension to national and regional scales can be challenging. Here, we present SSP narratives co-developed with stakeholders for the agriculture and food sector in Finland. These are derived from intensive discussions at a workshop attended by approximately 39 participants offering a range of sectoral perspectives. Using general background descriptions of the SSPs for Europe, facilitated discussions were held in parallel for each of four SSPs reflecting very different contexts for the development of the sector up to 2050 and beyond. Discussions focused on five themes from the perspectives of consumers, producers and policy-makers, included a joint final session and allowed for post-workshop feedback. Results reflect careful sector-based, national-level interpretations of the global SSPs from which we have constructed consensus narratives. Our results also show important critical remarks and minority viewpoints. Interesting features of the Finnish narratives compared to the global SSP narratives include greater emphasis on environmental quality; significant land abandonment in SSPs with reduced livestock production and increased plant-based diets; continued need for some farm subsidies across all SSPs and opportunities for diversifying domestic production under scenarios of restricted trade. Our results can contribute to the development of more detailed national long-term scenarios for food and agriculture that are both relevant for local stakeholders and researchers as well as being consistent with global scenarios being applied internationally.

SOURCES OF GLOBAL SCALE SOIL MOISTURE MONITORING DATA BY SATELLITE BASED REMOTE SENSING OF EARTH’S SURFACE

2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41
Author(s):  
A.A. Volchek ◽  
◽  
D.O. Petrov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Equivalent Thickness ◽  
Satellite Gravimetry ◽  
Volumetric Soil Moisture ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Agricultural Regions ◽  
Land Water

A review of modern tools of global monitoring of soil moisture by means of remote sensing of the Earth’s surface is presented. The characteristic features of the use of orbital radiometers and radars of C, X and L microwave bands for estimating the volumetric soil moisture at a depth of 5 cm and the root layer of vegetation are considered. A review of the capabilities of satellite gravimetry to assess the land water equivalent thickness is made. A number of sources have been proposed for obtaining estimates of soil water content from satellite based radiometric devices and orbital gravimetric systems. Based on the analysis of scientific research papers, the complexity of monitoring the level of fire danger indices in forests is shown, and the prospects of assessing soil moisture in agricultural regions using microwave orbital instruments are demonstrated, and the adequacy of calculating the moisture content in soil at a depth of up to one meter using satellite gravimetry is described.

Assessment of Meteorological and Hydrological Droughts and Floods over mainland Australia based on Drought Indices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Yunzhong Shen ◽  
Fengwei Wang ◽  
Weiwei Li
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Hydrological Drought ◽  
Drought Indices ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Hydrological Conditions ◽  
Drought And Flood ◽  
Cross Correlation Analysis ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Droughts And Floods

<p>Climate change has led to increased droughts and floods over mainland Australia, resulting in water scarcity, excessive surplus and socioeconomic losses. Therefore, it is of great significance to comprehensively evaluate droughts and floods from the meteorological and hydrological perspective. Firstly, we determine the Standard Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) by correlation analysis to represent the meteorological conditions. To characterize the hydrological conditions, we calculate the hydrological drought indices including Standard Runoff Index (SRI), Soil Moisture Deficit Index (SMDI), and Total Storage Deficit Index (TSDI), using the runoff and soil moisture data from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) and the Terrestrial Water Storage Change (TWSC) data from Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) respectively. Results show that the most severe hydrological drought over mainland Australia during the study period occurred from May 2006 to Jan. 2009 with the drought severity of -58.28 (cm months) and the most severe flood from Jun. 2010 to Jan. 2013 is with the severity of 151.36 (cm months). The comprehensive analysis of both meteorological and hydrological drought indices shows that both meteorological and hydrological drought indices can effectively detect the droughts and floods over mainland Australia. Moreover, the meteorological drought and flood are of higher frequency, while hydrological drought and flood have a relatively longer duration. Based on the cross-correlation analysis, we find that the SPEI can firstly reflect the droughts or floods over mainland Australia, and then the SRI, SMDI and TSDI reflect with the time lags of one, three and six months respectively. Furthermore, we calculate the frequency of drought and flood at the basin scale and find that SPEI and SMDI are equally sensitive to drought and flood, while TSDI is more sensitive to flood than drought. This study reveals the relationship between meteorological and hydrological conditions in mainland Australia in the last two decades and highlights its intensifying extreme climate conditions under the circumstances of the increasing temperature and complex changing precipitation.</p>

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