Composting,anaerobic digestion and biochar production in Ghana. Environmental–economic assessment in the context of voluntary carbon markets

In some areas of Sub-Saharan Africa appropriate organic waste management technology could address development issues such as soil degradation, unemployment and energy scarcity, while at the same time reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper investigates the role that carbon markets could have in facilitating the implementation of composting, anaerobic digestion and biochar production, in the city of Tamale, in the North of Ghana. Through a life cycle assessment of implementation scenarios for low-tech, small scale variants of the above mentioned three technologies, the potential contribution they could give to climate change mitigation was assessed. Furthermore an economic assessment was carried out to study their viability and the impact thereon of accessing carbon markets. It was found that substantial climate benefits can be achieved by avoiding landfilling of organic waste, producing electricity and substituting the use of chemical fertilizer. Biochar production could result in a net carbon sequestration. These technologies were however found not to be economically viable without external subsidies, and access to carbon markets at the considered carbon price of 7 EUR/ton of carbon would not change the situation significantly. Carbon markets could help the realization of the considered composting and anaerobic digestion systems only if the carbon price will rise above 75–84 EUR/t of carbon (respectively for anaerobic digestion and composting). Biochar production could achieve large climate benefits and, if approved as a land based climate mitigation mechanism in carbon markets, it would become economically viable at the lower carbon price of 30 EUR/t of carbon.     

The imperiled fish fauna in the Nicaragua Canal zone

Large‐scale infrastructure projects commonly have large effects on the environment. The planned construction of the Nicaragua Canal will irreversibly alter the aquatic environment of Nicaragua in many ways. Two distinct drainage basins (San Juan and Punta Gorda) will be connected and numerous ecosystems will be altered. Considering the project's far‐reaching environmental effects, too few studies on biodiversity have been performed to date. This limits provision of robust environmental impact assessments. We explored the geographic distribution of taxonomic and genetic diversity of freshwater fish species (Poecilia spp., Amatitlania siquia, Hypsophrys nematopus, Brycon guatemalensis, and Roeboides bouchellei) across the Nicaragua Canal zone. We collected population samples in affected areas (San Juan, Punta Gorda, and Escondido drainage basins), investigated species composition of 2 drainage basins and performed genetic analyses (genetic diversity, analysis of molecular variance) based on mitochondrial cytb. Freshwater fish faunas differed substantially between drainage basins (Jaccard similarity = 0.33). Most populations from distinct drainage basins were genetically differentiated. Removing the geographic barrier between these basins will promote biotic homogenization and the loss of unique genetic diversity. We found species in areas where they were not known to exist, including an undescribed, highly distinct clade of live bearing fish (Poecilia). Our results indicate that the Nicaragua Canal likely will have strong impacts on Nicaragua's freshwater biodiversity. However, knowledge about the extent of these impacts is lacking, which highlights the need for more thorough investigations before the environment is altered irreversibly.     

COVID-19: From health crises to food security anxiety and policy implications

Like the rest of the world, African countries are reeling from the health, economic and social effects of COVID-19. The continent’s governments have responded by imposing rigorous lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus. The various lockdown measures are undermining food security, because stay at home orders have among others, threatened food production for a continent that relies heavily on agriculture as the bedrock of the economy. This article draws on quantitative data collected by the GeoPoll, and, from these data, assesses the effect of concern about the local spread and economic impact of COVID-19 on food worries. Qualitative data comprising 12 countries south of the Sahara reveal that lockdowns have created anxiety over food security as a health, economic and human rights/well-being issue. By applying a probit model, we find that concern about the local spread of COVID-19 and economic impact of the virus increases the probability of food worries. Governments have responded with various efforts to support the neediest. By evaluating the various policies rolled out we advocate for a feminist economics approach that necessitates greater use of data analytics to predict the likely impacts of intended regulatory relief responses during the recovery process and post-COVID-19.     

中亚地区粮食生产潜力及发展潜力分析——基于GAEZ方法

中亚地区因特殊的地理位置和高粮食生产能力,对维护世界粮食安全意义重大,发掘中亚地区粮食生产潜力有助于全球粮食危机缓解。采用GAEZ方法,结合联合国粮农组织数据库,定量分析了中亚地区5个国家、9种粮食作物的潜在单产及潜在面积,并通过控制粮食单产和生产面积的变化提出三种假设,测算出不同假设下中亚地区的粮食生产潜力、发展潜力和发展潜力幅度。结果表明：中亚地区的哈萨克斯坦粮食生产潜力和发展潜力大;小麦、大麦产量有较大提升空间,高粱、黑麦、谷子、燕麦、荞麦产量提升空间小且潜力集中在哈萨克斯坦,但高粱的发展潜力幅度很大。     

Analyzing the carbon dynamics of central European forests: comparison of Biome-BGC simulations with measurements

Biogeochemical models are often used for making projections of future carbon dynamics under scenarios of global change. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the process-based biogeochemical model Biome-BGC for application in central European forests from the lowlands to upper treeline as a pre-requisite for environmental impact assessments. We analyzed model behavior along an altitudinal gradient across the alpine treeline, which provided insights on the sensitivity of simulated average carbon pools to changes in environmental factors. A second set of tests included medium-term (30 years) simulations of carbon fluxes, and a third set of tests focused on daily carbon and water fluxes. Model results were compared to aboveground biomass measurements, leaf area index recordings as well as net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and actual evapotranspiration (AET) measurements. The simulated medium-term forest growth agreed well with measured data. Also daily NEE fluxes were simulated adequately in most cases. Problems were detected when simulating ecosystems close to the upper timberline (overestimation of measured growth and pool sizes), and when simulating daily AET fluxes (overestimation of measured fluxes). The results showed that future applications of Biome-BGC could benefit much from an improvement of model algorithms (e.g., the Q₁₀ model for respiration) as well as from a detailed analysis of the ecological significance of crucial parameters (e.g., the canopy water interception coefficient).     

Scientific Bases for Pollution Control in African Inland Waters

The awareness of the harm caused by pollutants to natural environments has led the political and legislative authorities of industrially-developed countries to introduce or review regulations to protect the environment. However, in recent years, all over the world and particularly in many countries in Africa, there has been a remarkable population growth, accompanied by an intense urbanization, an increase of industrial activities and a higher exploitation of cultivable land. These transformations have brought about a huge increase in the quantity of discharges and a wide diversification in the types of pollutants that reach river waters and have undesirable effects on fish and on the potential for fishery exploitation.     

A botanical importance rating system for estuaries

In many semi-arid areas, estuaries are threatened because of freshwater impoundment. Estuaries are important sites for ecological diversity and, increasingly, for recreation. A system has been developed which rates estuaries according to their botanical importance. A formula allows a single numerical importance score to be calculated. The area cover of each estuarine plant community type (i.e. intertidal salt marsh, submerged macrophytes, reed/sedge swamps and supratidal salt marsh) and its importance in the estuary forms the basis of the score. The ‘ecological condition’ of the plant community and the community richness within the estuary are incorporated into the formula. The formula is effective in determining the botanical importance of estuaries. Further methods to determine the zoological, physical and socio-economic importance of estuaries need to be developed to allow the overall importance of estuaries to be determined.     

中非铜矿带造山带特征演化模式

本文对中非铜矿带造山带基本地质构造特征进行了分析,阐述了其大地构造演化模式,认为造山带的加丹加超群标准地层剖面由4个群组成,分别为罗安群、木瓦夏群、下昆代隆古群和上昆代隆古群,底部沉积岩时代为8.8亿年,其中以5.5~5.6亿年的卢菲利造山运动产生大规模北东向逆推作用为主要造山事件,并认为裂谷拉张与陆陆碰撞为本区大地构造演化的基本模式。     

齐齐哈尔市热电联产项目节能减排分析

以热电联产集中供热作为节能减排的重要措施,分析了齐齐哈尔市热电联产项目在节能降耗和污染减排中的作用.     

中原城市群PM2.5浓度驱动因子联动效应及非线性影响

城市群是中国PM_2.5污染与防治的核心区.为探究中原城市群PM_2.5浓度驱动因子的作用机制,基于多源遥感数据和统计数据,采用空间自相关、参数最优地理探测器以及系统动态面板回归模型等方法,量化了PM_2.5浓度的驱动因子及因子间的联动效应,进一步分析了社会经济因素对PM_2.5浓度的非线性影响并给出相应的治霾建议.结果表明：①2012~2018年,中原城市群PM_2.5浓度下降程度存在空间分异,北部较南部地区污染减弱更为显著.②PM_2.5浓度高值聚集有从中原城市群北部向东部转移的趋势,而低值聚集情况相对稳定.③高程对PM_2.5浓度的解释力最强,因子间联动效应对PM_2.5污染的解释力均表现为增强,其中高程与降水交互后解释力最强.④人均GDP、人口密度、夜间灯光、外商直接投资和第二产业占比均与PM_2.5浓度之间存在非线性关系.结合中原城市群现状,加大污染治理投入、调整城市结构形态、加强基础设施建设、调整人口分布与产业结构、保持较高的城市活跃水平、设定严格的环境法规和引入高质量外商投资等有助于治理PM_2.5污染.