Applying Place-Based Social-Ecological Research to Address Water Scarcity: Insights for Future Research
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- Every region does not have the resources to generate its own place-based SES science. Not only is interdisciplinary expertise needed, but a great deal of social capital and research funding is also required.
- While effective and equitable solutions are often best generated at a local/regional level, many regions require additional research and institutional infrastructure to enable solution development.
- Changing environmental and social conditions demand rapid scientific solutions. This often results in insufficient time to independently create new place-based solutions in specific places.
2. Workshop for Identifying Sustainability Challenges
3. Challenges for the Sustainability of Water Scarce Social-Ecological Systems
3.1. Sustainability Challenge 1: Bridging the Gap between Increasing Demands for Water and Declining Water Supply and Quality
3.2. Sustainability Challenge 2: Using Social-Ecological Knowledge for Water Scarcity Management
3.3. Sustainability Challenge 3: Towards Transdisciplinary Social-Ecological Research
4. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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WaterSES Research Site | SES Dynamics Influencing Water Scarcity and Governance |
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Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA | In the Treasure Valley, industrial-scale agriculture is responsible for nearly all of the region’s current water use and contributes to extensive water quality degradation. In addition, the Treasure Valley is home to Idaho’s largest metropolitan area, Boise, the fastest growing city in the USA. Rapid urban expansion coupled with climate change is driving conflicts related to the quality and quantity of water supplies. |
Portneuf River Valley, Idaho, USA | In the Portneuf River Valley, agricultural land use and irrigation water withdrawals in the upper drainage, combined with flood control management in the lower drainage via levees and a concrete channel, has reduced water quantity and quality. This has limited ecosystem health, recreational opportunities, and river-community connections, all of which are increasingly desired by residents, especially those in the midsize city of Pocatello, the only urban center in the valley. |
Kiamichi River watershed, Oklahoma, USA | The Kiamichi River is a relatively pristine, rural river known for its high aquatic biodiversity. The river lies within a Native American jurisdictional area and is at the center of intense, regional conflict over water use and governance. The river is influenced by two impoundments, which supply water for urban areas over 100 miles away. Water availability to these reservoirs is predicted to decrease over the next 25 years because of increased drought from climate change and an increasing human population. Concurrently, drought and poor water management have already led to large declines in biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by the river. These problems are exacerbated by the fact that there are no established environmental flows to protect aquatic life. |
San Marcos River, Texas, USA | Located in one of the fastest growing regions in the USA which is also a water-limited environment, the San Marcos River is experiencing increasing demands on its water resources, particularly due to recreational demands. This increased development and usage of the river is affecting its water quality and sensitive aquatic ecosystem. |
Mobile River Basin, Alabama, USA | In the Mobile River Basin, more frequent and extreme droughts in conjunction with human water demand, which is anticipated to increase in the future, is culminating in increased demands on water supply and potential declines in aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem function in this species rich area. |
Las Vegas Agrarian and Rural District, Madrid, Spain | This region, known as “the orchard of Madrid” due to its fertile valleys, has a long tradition of agriculture and related agri-food industries. While the area has not been subject to significant urbanization or loss of agricultural land, commercial agriculture has increased the total irrigated area, replacing traditional practices and crops with crops with higher water demands. This has compromised the maintenance of cultural values and decreased freshwater availability, leading to social-ecological conflict. |
Spanish watersheds, Almeria, Spain | The Spanish watersheds are the most arid region in Europe and have little surface water availability for much of the year. Despite this, groundwater use for greenhouse horticulture development (the largest concentration of greenhouse agriculture on the planet) has made this region the largest producer of vegetables in Europe, and the over-exploitation and salinization of aquifer systems is amplifying water scarcity issues. |
Norrstrom Basin, Sweden | The Norrstrom drainage basin is heterogeneous in terms of land cover and land use and includes two of Sweden’s largest lakes, Lake Malaren and Lake Hjalmaren. Lake Malaren is crucial for the water security of more than a fourth of the Swedish population, and the region is growing rapidly. Interestingly, the human-dominated landscapes in the region remain highly multifunctional with no major tradeoffs between agricultural and water-related ecosystems services. However, there is a looming risk of drinking water contamination due to climate change-related salt water intrusion. Climate change will also lead to drier summers and milder winters with more and higher intensities of precipitation. |
Breede-Gouritz, South Africa, Africa | In the Breede-Gouritz basin, limited rainfall over the last three years has led to drought in the Western Cape province of South Africa where this region is found. This recent drought, coupled with over-exploitation of water resources for irrigation purposes, has led to severe water scarcity in the region. As a result, water use restrictions are already in place to curb water use. |
The Loess Plateau, China, Asia | The Loess Plateau Region, home to more 50 million people, has been identified as one of the most agriculturally vulnerable regions to climate change in China. Climate change is predicted to cause increases in the average annual temperature and drought frequency, changes in the timing of rainfall, decreased water availability, and increased soil erosion. Additionally, intense precipitation events are likely to increase, while decreased runoff from the Yellow River is expected to lead to water shortages that will be made worse by a growing population. Compounding these problems are water quality issues caused by industrial pollution and soil erosion from agriculture practiced on the steep and highly erodible Loess slope land. |
Study Site | Area (km2) | Average Annual Rainfall (mm) | 2016 Population | Major Land Uses | Major Water Uses | Social-Ecological Stressors on Water Resources | Water-Related Ecosystem Services |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA | 3438 | 280 | 575,001 | Agriculture; urban | Agriculture; recreation | Farm land conversion; population growth; urbanization | Water quality; river recreation; aesthetic value |
Portneuf Valley, Idaho, USA | 3436 | 310 | 79,747 | Agriculture; protected areas; rural; urban | Agriculture; recreation | Agriculture; agricultural runoff and water pollution; | Water quality; flood control; irrigation water |
Kiamichi River, Oklahoma, USA | 4650 | 1300 | 24,214 | Pasture; plantation forest; rural | Agriculture; municipal/rural water supply; recreation | Inter-basin water transfers; water regulation and dewatering | Habitat for freshwater species; irrigation water; spiritual values |
San Marcos River, Texas, USA | 130 | 860 | 60,000 | Agriculture; industry; urban | Agriculture; recreation; tourism | Land-use change; population growth | Water quality; river-recreation; habitat for freshwater species |
The Mobile Basin, Alabama, USA | 110,000 | 1473 | 3,673,000 | Agriculture; rural; urban | Agriculture; endangered species preservation mining; recreation; urban | Habitat fragmentation | Irrigation water; habitat for freshwater species |
Las Vegas Rural District, Madrid, Spain | 1035 | 365 | 54,027 | Agriculture | Agriculture | Replacement of traditional crops towards those with more water demand (maize) occupying floodplains | Irrigation water; habitat for species, recreational value, cultural value |
Spanish Watersheds, Almeria, Spain | 12,207 | 250 | 919,405 | Agriculture; protected areas; urban, | Agriculture | Agricultural growth; desertification | Groundwater recharge; habitat for freshwater species |
Norrström Basin, Stockholm, Sweden | 22,650 | 550 | 1,500,000 | Agriculture, recreation; rural; urban | Agriculture; municipal water supply | Population increase and urban development | Water quality; irrigation water aesthetic value |
Breede-Gouritz, South Africa | 53,139 | 400 | 821,016 | Agriculture; mining; urban | Agriculture; recreation | Increasing groundwater use; population growth | Drinking water; habitat for freshwater species |
The Loess Plateau Region, China | 647,497 | 140 | 50,000,000 | Agriculture; industry; mining; rural; urban | Agriculture; industry | Agricultural runoff and water pollution; population growth; urbanization | Water quality; irrigation water; hydrological regulation |
WaterWater SupplyDemand | Intra-Basin Municipal Water Demands | Inter-Basin Municipal Water Demands | Agricultural Water Demands | Recreational Water Demands | Aquatic Ecosystem Demands |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring-fed river | SMR | SMR | SMR, BREE | ||
Regulated river | LOESS | KIA | MAD, LOESS, NORR | KIA | KIA |
Deep groundwater | MAD | ||||
Watershed runoff from rainfall | MOB, BREE | ||||
Watershed runoff from snowmelt | TRV | POR, TRV | |||
Seawater desalination | ALM | ALM | ALM |
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Castro, A.J.; Quintas-Soriano, C.; Brandt, J.; Atkinson, C.L.; Baxter, C.V.; Burnham, M.; Egoh, B.N.; García-Llorente, M.; Julian, J.P.; Martín-López, B.; et al. Applying Place-Based Social-Ecological Research to Address Water Scarcity: Insights for Future Research. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1516. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051516
Castro AJ, Quintas-Soriano C, Brandt J, Atkinson CL, Baxter CV, Burnham M, Egoh BN, García-Llorente M, Julian JP, Martín-López B, et al. Applying Place-Based Social-Ecological Research to Address Water Scarcity: Insights for Future Research. Sustainability. 2018; 10(5):1516. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051516
Chicago/Turabian StyleCastro, Antonio J., Cristina Quintas-Soriano, Jodi Brandt, Carla L. Atkinson, Colden V. Baxter, Morey Burnham, Benis N. Egoh, Marina García-Llorente, Jason P. Julian, Berta Martín-López, and et al. 2018. "Applying Place-Based Social-Ecological Research to Address Water Scarcity: Insights for Future Research" Sustainability 10, no. 5: 1516. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051516
APA StyleCastro, A. J., Quintas-Soriano, C., Brandt, J., Atkinson, C. L., Baxter, C. V., Burnham, M., Egoh, B. N., García-Llorente, M., Julian, J. P., Martín-López, B., Liao, F. H., Running, K., Vaughn, C. C., & Norström, A. V. (2018). Applying Place-Based Social-Ecological Research to Address Water Scarcity: Insights for Future Research. Sustainability, 10(5), 1516. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051516