scholarly journals The development of bioeconomy of the Baltic Region in the context of regional and global climate change

Baltic Region ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 20-35
Author(s):  
Joachim von Braun ◽  
Alisher Mirzabaev

Climate change is projected to have a profound effect on natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and societies both in the Baltic region and globally, particularly so through agriculture and food systems. The Baltic region has a vast potential for the development of bioeconomy due to the existing opportunities for biomass production and advances in microbiology leading to process- and product innovations in biomass production and utilization. The development of sustainable bioeconomy in the Baltic region, however, requires a flexible and timely adaptation to climate change. Based on an overview of the relevant state-of-the-art literature, the article explores the implications of the development of bioeconomy for the adaptation to and the mitigation of climate change in the Baltic region. The paper elaborates on actions that may facilitate the sustainability of bioeconomy in the region. It concludes that scientific collaboration across borders in the Baltic region can accelerate innovations to successfully adapt bioeconomy to climate change. Sustainable development of bioeconomy can provide considerable opportunities for mitigating consequences of climate change.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2415
Author(s):  
Carla Johnston ◽  
Andrew Spring

Communities in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT) are at the forefront of the global climate emergency. Yet, they are not passive victims; local-level programs are being implemented across the region to maintain livelihoods and promote adaptation. At the same time, there is a recent call within global governance literature to pay attention to how global policy is implemented and affecting people on the ground. Thinking about these two processes, we ask the question: (how) can global governance assist northern Indigenous communities in Canada in reaching their goals of adapting their food systems to climate change? To answer this question, we argue for a “community needs” approach when engaging in global governance literature and practice, which puts community priorities and decision-making first. As part of a collaborative research partnership, we highlight the experiences of Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation, located in Kakisa, NWT, Canada. We include their successes of engaging in global network building and the systemic roadblock of lack of formal land tenure. Moreover, we analyze potential opportunities for this community to engage with global governance instruments and continue connecting to global networks that further their goals related to climate change adaptation and food sovereignty.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart A. Jennings ◽  
Ann-Kristin Koehler ◽  
Kathryn J. Nicklin ◽  
Chetan Deva ◽  
Steven M. Sait ◽  
...  

The contribution of potatoes to the global food supply is increasing—consumption more than doubled in developing countries between 1960 and 2005. Understanding climate change impacts on global potato yields is therefore important for future food security. Analyses of climate change impacts on potato compared to other major crops are rare, especially at the global scale. Of two global gridded potato modeling studies published at the time of this analysis, one simulated the impacts of temperature increases on potential potato yields; the other did not simulate the impacts of farmer adaptation to climate change, which may offset negative climate change impacts on yield. These studies may therefore overestimate negative climate change impacts on yields as they do not simultaneously include CO2 fertilisation and adaptation to climate change. Here we simulate the abiotic impacts of climate change on potato to 2050 using the GLAM crop model and the ISI-MIP ensemble of global climate models. Simulations include adaptations to climate change through varying planting windows and varieties and CO2 fertilisation, unlike previous global potato modeling studies. Results show significant skill in reproducing observed national scale yields in Europe. Elsewhere, correlations are generally positive but low, primarily due to poor relationships between national scale observed yields and climate. Future climate simulations including adaptation to climate change through changing planting windows and crop varieties show that yields are expected to increase in most cases as a result of longer growing seasons and CO2 fertilisation. Average global yield increases range from 9 to 20% when including adaptation. The global average yield benefits of adaptation to climate change range from 10 to 17% across climate models. Potato agriculture is associated with lower green house gas emissions relative to other major crops and therefore can be seen as a climate smart option given projected yield increases with adaptation.


Author(s):  
Yanyu Zhang ◽  
Shuying Zang ◽  
Xiangjin Shen ◽  
Gaohua Fan

Precipitation during the main rain season is important for natural ecosystems and human activities. In this study, according to daily precipitation data from 515 weather stations in China, we analyzed the spatiotemporal variation of rain-season (May–September) precipitation in China from 1960 to 2018. The results showed that rain-season precipitation decreased over China from 1960 to 2018. Rain-season heavy (25 ≤ p < 50 mm/day) and very heavy (p ≥ 50 mm/day) precipitation showed increasing trends, while rain-season moderate (10 ≤ p < 25 mm/day) and light (0.1 ≤ p < 10 mm/day) precipitation showed decreasing trends from 1960 to 2018. The temporal changes of precipitation indicated that rain-season light and moderate precipitation displayed downward trends in China from 1980 to 2010 and rain-season heavy and very heavy precipitation showed fluctuant variation from 1960 to 2018. Changes of rain-season precipitation showed clear regional differences. Northwest China and the Tibetan Plateau showed the largest positive trends of precipitation amount and days. In contrast, negative trends were found for almost all precipitation grades in North China Plain, Northeast China, and North Central China. Changes toward drier conditions in these regions probably had a severe impact on agricultural production. In East China, Southeast China and Southwest China, heavy and very heavy precipitation had increased while light and moderate precipitation had decreased. This result implied an increasing risk of flood and mudslides in these regions. The advance in understanding of precipitation change in China will contribute to exactly predict the regional climate change under the background of global climate change.


Author(s):  
Shaikh Mohammad Kais

Global aquaculture is one of the key features of present global agro-food systems. Though aquaculture is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, its growth trajectory is confronted with various challenges including climate disruptions. Since both aquaculture and climate change have regional variations, their interconnections are very complex and require systematic investigation. In various regions of the world, especially in the Global South, aquaculture countries are assessing those interconnections and devising resilience-enhancing programs for the development of the sector. Thorough investigations are required for a comprehensive understanding of the complex interconnections between climate vulnerability and resilience of global aquaculture. Drawing on primary and secondary data from the Bangladesh shrimp sector, and using conceptual lenses of global climate change and resilience, this chapter critically examines how the industrial shrimp aquaculture in Bangladesh is affected by climate disruptions and how the shrimp farming communities address these challenges.


Author(s):  
Shaikh Mohammad Kais

Global aquaculture is one of the key features of present global agro-food systems. Though aquaculture is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, its growth trajectory is confronted with various challenges including climate disruptions. Since both aquaculture and climate change have regional variations, their interconnections are very complex and require systematic investigation. In various regions of the world, especially in the Global South, aquaculture countries are assessing those interconnections and devising resilience-enhancing programs for the development of the sector. Thorough investigations are required for a comprehensive understanding of the complex interconnections between climate vulnerability and resilience of global aquaculture. Drawing on primary and secondary data from the Bangladesh shrimp sector, and using conceptual lenses of global climate change and resilience, this chapter critically examines how the industrial shrimp aquaculture in Bangladesh is affected by climate disruptions and how the shrimp farming communities address these challenges.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Shrivastava ◽  
Laszlo Zsolnai ◽  
David Wasieleski ◽  
Mark Stafford-Smith ◽  
Thomas Walker ◽  
...  

The Anthropocene era is characterized by a pronounced negative impact of human and social activities on natural ecosystems. To the extent finance, economics and management underlie human social activities, we need to reassess these fields and their role in achieving global sustainability. This article briefly presents the scientific evidence on accelerating impacts of human activities on nature, which have resulted in breach of planetary boundaries and onset of global climate change. It offers some potential leverage points for change toward sustainability stewardship by highlighting the important role of finance and economics in addressing climate change. We examine the role of financial stakeholders in addressing planetary boundaries and offer a modified stakeholder theory, from which we propose future directions for finance in the Anthropocene.


2020 ◽  
Vol 154 ◽  
pp. 07004
Author(s):  
Magdalena Tyszer ◽  
Slávka Gałaś

In the last years, the European Union has developed and set a several environmental policies whose imposes an obligation on Member States to implement specific actions, including incorporating climate change considerations into SEA and EIA processes. One of major environmental challenges facing most developing countries is that of global climate change. The aim of the research was to obtain a comprehensive review of existing SEA and EIA practical approaches for renewable energy installations in the aspect of adaptation to climate change with specific reference to Polish projects. Both SEA and EIA procedures implemented in Poland and other countries was introduced with the intent of factoring in potential risk to the environment by future large-scale project developments such as the construction of power plants, roads, or dams. The paper consist the initial recognition of available data of the current experience and level of implementation climate change impact and adaptions into local procedures. Preliminary results suggest that the additional funding should be given for climate change adaptation in the energy sector, especially in renewable energy projects, as well as specific interventions for climate-adapted energy systems should be targeted in order to fill the gap in RES sector and spur sustainable energy development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 576-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjut Rajasilta ◽  
Jari Hänninen ◽  
Lea Laaksonen ◽  
Päivi Laine ◽  
Jukka-Pekka Suomela ◽  
...  

Global climate change can affect the energy content of fish by altering their lipid physiology and consumption. We investigated the effects of different environmental stressors on the lipid content of the Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) from spawning ground samples that were collected annually in the northern Baltic Sea. During 1987–2014, the average lipid content of herring muscle decreased from 5%–6% (wet mass) to 1.5% (wet mass). Generalized linear mixed models indicated that sea water salinity and the size of the herring stock explained best the declining trend of lipid content. We estimated that the amount of the lipid storage incorporated in the spawning stock decreased by approximately 45% during the study, with respective energy content decreases. Fatty acid composition analysis revealed that herring lipids contained a high proportion of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid; 20:5n-3) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid; 22:6n-3), which likely originated from its main summertime prey, Limnocalanus macrurus. The results illustrate various climate change-induced processes leading to changes in the lipid content of the Baltic herring and, consequently, to changes in the energy flows of the northern Baltic ecosystem.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Mahmud NASER

AbstractGlobal climate change and consequent potential migration pose a number of challenges and are becoming increasingly important policy issues for Bangladesh. Therefore, policy responses need to deal with diverse issues, including sustainable development (SD), adaptation to climate change, and humanitarian assistance, to address the future challenges posed by climate change and consequent human displacement. There is no simple and straightforward solution to the challenges posed by climate-induced migration, and a “one-size-fits-all” approach will not effectively resolve the complex nature, and patterns, of population displacement. Rather than any single approach, a multifarious, comprehensive, proactive, and coherent policy approach is imperative for managing climate-induced migration in an orderly and humane manner. Based on the available data regarding the environment, climate change, and migration, this paper suggests a range of policy tools and approaches. It also sets out a road map showing how policy interventions could contribute to better integrating the full spectrum of migration issues and concerns into an overall environmental and developmental policy, and vice versa, within Bangladesh.


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