The 2004 tsunami and mental health in Thailand: a longitudinal analysis of one‐and two‐year post‐disaster data

Some 280,000 people died in the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004. This cohort study examined its impact on mental health one and two years later. It did so by investigating the association between six consequent variables (personal injury, loss of home, loss of business, death of a family member, injury to a family member, or loss of a family member's business) and mental health, as measured by the 36‐item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36), among residents in four provinces of Thailand. One year later, participants who suffered a personal injury, the loss of a business, or the loss of a family member reported poorer mental health than those who were unaffected. Two years later, participants who experienced the loss of a family member reported poorer mental health than those who were unaffected. This research shows that such a disaster may have long‐lasting ramifications for mental health, and that diverse losses may influence mental health differently.     

Salt-induced land and water degradation in the Aral Sea basin: A challenge to sustainable agriculture in Central Asia

Expansion of irrigated agriculture in the Aral Sea Basin in the second half of the twentieth century led to the conversion of vast tracks of virgin land into productive agricultural systems resulting in significant increases in employment opportunities and income generation. The positive effects of the development of irrigated agriculture were replete with serious environmental implications. Excessive use of irrigation water coupled with inadequate drainage systems has caused large‐scale land degradation and water quality deterioration in downstream parts of the basin, which is fed by two main rivers, the Amu‐Darya and Syr‐Darya. Recent estimates suggest that more than 50% of irrigated soils are salt‐affected and/or waterlogged in Central Asia. Considering the availability of natural and human resources in the Aral Sea Basin as well as the recent research addressing soil and water management, there is cause for cautious optimism. Research‐based interventions that have shown significant promise in addressing this impasse include: (1) rehabilitation of abandoned salt‐affected lands through halophytic plant species; (2) introduction of 35‐day‐old early maturing rice varieties to withstand ambient soil and irrigation water salinity; (3) productivity enhancement of high‐magnesium soils and water resources through calcium‐based soil amendments; (4) use of certain tree species as biological pumps to lower elevated groundwater levels in waterlogged areas; (5) optimal use of fertilizers, particularly those supplying nitrogen, to mitigate the adverse effects of soil and irrigation water salinity; (6) mulching of furrows under saline conditions to reduce evaporation and salinity buildup in the root zone; and (7) establishment of multipurpose tree and shrub species for biomass and renewable energy production. Because of water withdrawals for agriculture from two main transboundary rivers in the Aral Sea Basin, there would be a need for policy level interventions conducive for enhancing interstate cooperation to transform salt‐affected soil and saline water resources from an environmental and productivity constraint into an economic asset.     

Long-range transport of acidifying substances in East Asia—Part II: Source–receptor relationships

Region-to-grid source–receptor (S/R) relationships are established for sulfur and reactive nitrogen deposition in East Asia, using the Eulerian-type Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model with emission and meteorology data for 2001. We proposed a source region attribution methodology by analyzing the non-linear responses of the CMAQ model to emission changes. Sensitivity simulations were conducted where emissions of SO₂, NO_x, and primary particles from a source region were reduced by 25%. The difference between the base and sensitivity simulations was multiplied by a factor of four, and then defined as the contribution from that source region. The transboundary influence exhibits strong seasonal variation and generally peaks during the dry seasons. Long-range transport from eastern China contributes a significant percentage (>20%) of anthropogenic reactive nitrogen as well as sulfur deposition in East Asia. At the same time, northwestern China receives approximately 35% of its sulfur load and 45% of its nitrogen load from foreign emissions. Sulfur emissions from Miyakejima and other volcanoes contribute approximately 50% of the sulfur load in Japan in 2001. Sulfur inflows from regions outside the study domain, which is attributed by using boundary conditions derived from the MOZART global atmospheric chemistry model, are pronounced (10–40%) over most parts of Asia. Compared with previous studies using simple Lagrangian models, our results indicate higher influence from long-range transport. The estimated S/R relationships are believed to be more realistic since they include global influence as well as internal interactions among different parts of China.     

Indicators of urban climate resilience: A contextual approach

As urban populations grow and climate exposure increases, more cities are introducing formal planning processes to adapt to climate change. This paper explains the process applied to eight cities in the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) for developing indicators for planning and monitoring local climate resilience. This process relied on transferring a common conceptual framework for climate resilience, together with a locally led iterative and collaborative process that engaged technical and planning authorities and vulnerable groups. The process varied slightly between cities and generated indicators that were chosen for their contextual fit and availability of data. The main benefit of developing resilience indicators in this way was the local capacity that the process built, in terms of understanding resilience, shared understanding of concepts and measurement and establishment of a common platform for future planning and monitoring of climate adaptation interventions at the city level.     

1980—2014年中亚地区植被净初级生产力对气候和CO2变化的响应

中亚干旱区分布着世界80%以上的温带荒漠,受气候变化影响显著。论文首先收集实验观测数据验证了干旱区生态系统模型（AEM）,然后运用AEM开展数值模拟实验量化研究了1980—2014年中亚净初级生产力（NPP）的时空格局,评估了不同环境因子（降水、温度、CO₂）的相对贡献率及其交互效应。结果表明：过去35 a中亚干旱区年均NPP总量为1 125±129 Tg C（1 T=10¹²）或218±25 g C/m²。哈萨克斯坦北部地区年NPP值较高（349±39 g C/m²）,而南疆地区年NPP值较低（123±45 g C/m²）。1980—2014年间,中亚NPP总体呈减少趋势 [-0.71 g C/(m²·a)],南疆极端干旱区的NPP降低最为显著 [-2.05 g C/(m²·a)]。相较于1980—1984年NPP均值,在1985—2014年中亚区域NPP总体降低了118 Tg（-10%）。其中CO₂施肥效应促进NPP增加了99.7 Tg （+8%）,气温升高的正效应促进NPP增加了35.4 Tg（+2%）,而降水减少导致NPP降低了221 Tg（-18%）。研究区内9%的地区的NPP主要控制因子为温度,主要分布在天山和哈萨克斯坦北部等高纬高寒地区。降水主控区面积占整个研究区的69%,主要分布在荒漠平原特别是南疆等植被受水分限制的区域。CO₂主控区占研究区面积的20%,主要分布在天山中山带森林区和低海拔地区等水热条件好的区域。研究表明新疆南部地区是中亚的关键生态脆弱区,其生态安全面临着气候变化的挑战,但21世纪的升温不大可能因刺激自养呼吸而对中亚区域NPP造成显著影响。     

全球变暖背景下中亚兴都库什、喀喇昆仑及天山气候变化研究进展

中亚兴都库什、喀喇昆仑及天山山脉（HKT）是气候变化敏感区,其在全球变暖背景下的气候变化对区域生态和经济系统的稳定性及可持续发展有重要意义。目前对中亚高海拔地区的研究多集中于局部区域,有关HKT地区气候变化的综合对比分析较为缺乏。本文对HKT地区现代气候变化的相关研究成果进行简单梳理和回顾,重点总结了HKT地区气候变化特征、影响机制及其与全球变暖的联系。结果表明：（1）近60 a,HKT地区不同区域气候的时空特征存在差异,从时间上看,天山的年均温及年降水量均呈上升趋势,而兴都库什-喀喇昆仑山的年均温呈不显著增加趋势,其年降水量变化趋势不稳定;从空间上看,HKT地区山脉南坡气温高于北坡,但北坡降水量高于南坡,且天山南北坡年降水均呈上升趋势。（2）HKT地区的气候变化除了受西风环流、南亚印度季风及局地条件等影响外,还受到北大西洋涛动和厄尔尼诺-南方涛动等大尺度气候模态的调制,如兴都库什-喀喇昆仑山脉在NAO正（负）位相和ENSO暖（冷）位相降水趋于增加（减少）。     

中亚跨境流域生态脆弱性评价及其时空特征分析——以阿姆河流域为例

生态脆弱性（EVI）的定量评估和长期分析,对于了解区域生态环境动态变化与指导生态环境保护与修复极为重要。但以往研究很少对跨境流域这一特殊单元进行生态脆弱性评价。以阿姆河流域为例,选择反映研究区植被、水文、气候、地形、土壤以及人类活动等方面的11个指标,通过共线性诊断分析,构建了阿姆河流域生态脆弱性评价体系,利用主观权重与客观权重相结合的方法确定指标权重,对1990-2015年研究区EVI进行了定量评价及时空特征分析。结果表明：（1）研究区生态环境呈恶化趋势,大部分区域处于重度脆弱状态,研究时段内重度脆弱性比例的平均值为46.40%;极度脆弱性占比在过去25年内呈增加趋势,从1990年的2.58%增加至2015年的16.97%,增幅为14.39%。（2）生态脆弱性在不同土地覆被类型之间差异巨大,其中草地的EVI值变化最大,裸地的生态环境最为脆弱,林地的生态脆弱性最小;研究区生态脆弱程度整体表现为裸地>灌丛>草地>耕地>城市用地>林地的规律。（3）EVI与地形因子的关系表明生态环境最为脆弱的区域主要位于低海拔地势平坦与高海拔坡度大的地区,而低脆弱性主要分布在海拔2500~3500 m或坡度15~25°的区间上。     

东北亚冬季PM2.5水溶性离子空间分布特征及来源

为探讨东北亚冬季PM_2.5水溶性离子空间分布特征及来源,测定了2017~2018年沈阳冬季PM_2.5水溶性离子浓度.结果显示：沈阳冬季PM_2.5水溶性离子平均质量浓度为28.5±11.9μg/m³,二次离子（SO₄^2-、NO₃^-和NH₄⁺）的浓度最高,分别占总水溶性离子质量浓度的31.0%、22.4%和19.2%.运用离子化学计量学关系、相关性和主成分分析,探讨了沈阳冬季PM_2.5水溶性离子的可能来源.并整合了东北亚冬季（中国东北、韩国、日本）近20a来PM_2.5水溶性离子数据,发现沿着东亚冬季风,东北亚冬季PM_2.5水溶性离子浓度从中国东北,经韩国海岸、韩国和济州岛,日本海岸至日本整体呈下降趋势,在韩国和日本出现局部上升,且在不同区域,不同水溶性离子占比明显不同.其中,韩国冬季PM_2.5中SO₄^2-、Ca²⁺和K⁺受外来源影响显著,NO₃^-和NH₄⁺主要来自本地源,Cl^-、Na⁺和Mg²⁺主要来自本地源或海源;日本中部冬季PM_2.5中SO₄^2-、NO₃^-、NH₄⁺和K⁺主要来自本地源,Cl^-、Ca²⁺、Na⁺和Mg²⁺主要来自本地源或海源.     

Ethnosciences––A step towards the integration of scientific and indigenous forms of knowledge in the management of natural resources for the future

Integration of indigenous knowledge and ethnoscientific approaches into contemporary frameworks for conservation and sustainable management of natural resources will become increasingly important in policies on an international and national level, both in countries that are industrialised and those that have a developing status. We set the scene on how this can be done by exploring the key conditions and dimensions of a dialogue between ȁ8ontologiesȁ9 and the roles, which ethnosciences could play in this process. First, the roles of ethnosciences in the context of sustainable development were analysed, placing emphasis on the implications arising when western sciences aspire to relate to indigenous forms of␣knowledge. Secondly, the contributions of ethnosciences to such an ȁ8inter- ontological dialogueȁ9 were explored, based on an ethnoecological study of the encounter of sciences and indigenous knowledge in the Andes of Bolivia, and reviewed experiences from mangrove systems in Kenya, India and Sri Lanka, and from case-studies in other ecosystems world-wide, incl. Australia, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Nepal, Niger, Philippines, Senegal, South-Africa and Tanzania.     

中亚水热资源匹配特征及敏感性分析

从水热积指数出发,基于1931—2019年Climatic Research Unit（CRU）再分析资料,运用多时序分析方法,从多时间尺度分析中亚水热资源匹配空间特征和时序变化,并进行敏感归因探究。结果表明：（1）空间上中亚水热匹配条件存在相对优劣,优势区多分布于高纬及高山高原地带,水热资源匹配较差区域分布于南部沙漠。优势区多和同期降水高值区、潜在蒸散低值区和气温低值区重合,年际水热积指数变化不明显或呈弱下降趋势;较差区域多为同期潜在蒸散和气温高值区,降水低值区,水热积指数降低且年际变幅较大。（2）中亚水热资源匹配年内存在季节差异,春秋较好、冬季次之、夏季较差;在年际尺度上,1931—1974年,水热匹配条件呈现上升趋势;1974—2000年左右,水热匹配条件波动上升;2000—2019年,水热匹配条件下降,且在1971—1980年、1981—1990年、1990—2000年发生匹配条件突变。春夏秋季水热匹配变化趋势同年际趋势大致相同,冬季波动幅度较小。（3）在春、夏及年尺度上,主导敏感性因子为平均气温因子,在秋冬两季为降水因子;在高纬、高原高山区,水热积指数变化敏感性气候因子多为降水因子;中亚南部水热积指数变化对降水敏感性减弱,平均气温敏感性增加,且北部平均气温敏感性系数绝对值略低于南部;高山高原区域对极端温度变化较为敏感。