Barriers and enablers of climate change adaptation in semi-arid Ghana

Canada's International Development Research Centre and JK aid funded this paper.This briefing note summarises the key findings from the Regional Diagnostic Study (RDS) recently conducted in Ghana, as part of the ASSAR project. The RDS aimed to: - Develop a systematic understanding of existing knowledge of climate change trends, impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation strategies. - Identify the key barriers and enablers of effective adaptation in semi-arid regions. - Identify gaps in research, policy and practice related to climate change adaptation. - Provide a foundation for developing an integrated regional research program (RRP) on climate change vulnerability and adaptation

ASSAR final report (2014-2018)

ASSAR’s overarching objective in the original proposal was to: “…strengthen knowledge systems in semi-arid regions (SARs) on climate change vulnerability and adaptation, to enable a shift from current adaptation practices and policy into a mode that achieves proactive, widespread adaptation embedded in development activities at multiple governance scales, yielding well-adapted enhanced livelihoods for vulnerable groups” (ASSAR proposal, pg. 21)

Planning for a harsher future

The brochure information emphasizes that by planning for a harsher future, people living in drought-prone areas can influence how climate changes will affect them. Personal stories illustrate some adaptive responses to seasonal climate forecasting such as diversifying crops, anticipating needs of livestock, and practicing soil and water conservation methods.UK Government’s Department for International Development (DfID

Economics of Alternative Crop Production in Arid Regions

As water resources in arid regions decline, agricultural producers are encouraged to adopt water conserving strategies. The implementation of alternative low-water use crops is one option, but is it economically feasible? Data on current and alternative crops for this study include enterprise budgets, producer interviews, and field trials in Northwestern Nevada, USA. We use WinEPIC, a Windows-based version of the EPIC model, which synthesizes both agronomics and economics, to model yields and returns of alternative crop production under differing irrigation levels. Risk analysis or the distribution of net returns to alternative crop production is also examined. This study determined that there are alternative crops that could be feasibly substituted for alfalfa and reduce water use by at least one-half while providing net returns that meet or exceed returns from alfalfa and keep producers profitable in agriculturealternative crops, arid regions, economic feasibility, irrigation, WinEPIC,

Water Subsidies and Aquifer depletion in Mexico’s Arid Regions

human development, water, sanitation

Mitigation of flash floods in arid regions using adjoint sensitivity analysis

This paper presents an analysis of the sensitivities of flood wave propagation to variations in certain control variables and boundary conditions by means of the adjoint method. This uses a variational technique to find the relationships between changes in predicted flood water levels and changes in control variables such as the inflow hydrograph, bed roughness, and bed elevation. The sensitivities can be used for optimal control of hydraulic structures, for data assimilation, for decision makers' procedures, for the analysis of the effects of uncertainties in control variables on the predictions of floods water levels, and for investigating both the sensitivities of model flood forecasts to model parameters, boundary and initial conditions. Example of the last application of the sensitivity analysis is presented and discussed These methods are developed and implemented through a numerical hydraulic model of channel flow based on the Shallow Water Equations (SWEs) and the corresponding adjoint model. The equations are integrated using finite difference methods and a new modified method of characteristics is used to define the open boundaries. Results of validation tests on both the forward hydraulic model and on the adjoint model are presented

Mesoscale mapping of sediment source hotspots for dam sediment management in data-sparse semi-arid catchments

Land degradation and water availability in semi-arid regions are interdependent challenges for management that are influenced by climatic and anthropogenic changes. Erosion and high sediment loads in rivers cause reservoir siltation and decrease storage capacity, which pose risk on water security for citizens, agriculture, and industry. In regions where resources for management are limited, identifying spatial-temporal variability of sediment sources is crucial to decrease siltation. Despite widespread availability of rigorous methods, approaches simplifying spatial and temporal variability of erosion are often inappropriately applied to very data sparse semi-arid regions. In this work, we review existing approaches for mapping erosional hotspots, and provide an example of spatial-temporal mapping approach in two case study regions. The barriers limiting data availability and their effects on erosion mapping methods, their validation, and resulting prioritization of leverage management areas are discussed.BMBF, 02WGR1421A-I, GROW - Verbundprojekt SaWaM: Saisonales Wasserressourcen-Management in Trockenregionen: Praxistransfer regionalisierter globaler Informationen, Teilprojekt 1DFG, 414044773, Open Access Publizieren 2019 - 2020 / Technische Universität Berli

A List of the Tenebrionidae of Michigan (Coleoptera)

The family Tenebrionidae, the darkling beetles, containing more than 14,000 species, is found primarily in the tropics and arid regions. As would therefore be expected, Michigan\u27s cool, moist environment is not attractive to very many tenebrionids. This list contains 50 identified species and six previously recorded species that were not confirmed by me

Appropriateness’ of the use of tensile membrane structures in hot arid regions

Today, with the vast technological progress and the deep understanding of our environment, and the insisting need to reduce energy consumption to save our natural resources there have been a shift in thinking and the need for a sustainable environmentally friendly architecture has evolved. The need of new materials and structures that fulfil the occupant’s needs and comfort, has the architectural beauty and attraction and be environmentally friendly has become a necessity. Although, tensile membrane structures (TMS) are relatively new as a structural material, they have been widely used in many architectural projects that were mainly considered as architectural statements and landmarks. Form finding and structure analysis of such structures has become an established discipline, however, their environmental understanding and behaviour are still in its infancy. This paper considers the appropriateness of the use of TMS in hot arid regions through a review of some of the built environment successful built examples