Spatio-temporal analysis of land use and land cover change: a systematic model inter-comparison driven by integrated modelling techniques

Currently, land use and land cover change (LULCC) is of utmost concern for global environmental change and sustainability. Among the portfolio of techniques, modelling is considered as the best approach to explore LULC dynamics. We have performed a model inter-comparison exercise (including hybrid and non-hybrid models) using multiple performance metrics to identify the best modelling approach for the subsequent projection of future LULC. The methodology is demonstrated on the Subarnarekha basin of Eastern India by utilizing the LANDSAT imagery of 1989, 1994, 2006, and 2011. Before LULC modelling, the cross-tabulation and trend-surface analyses were performed to identify dominant land transitions in post-classification maps. Temporal mapping results over 1989–2011 exhibited a drastic decrease in the area under dense forest (25.7% to 19.0%), a substantial increase in the area under scrubland (21.0% to 26.1%) and a nominal reduction in the coverage of the agricultural land (51.2% to 49.0%). Four integrated models namely Multilayer perceptron-Markov Model (MLP-MC), Logistic Regression-Markov Model (LR-MC), and two hybrid models, i.e. Multilayer perceptron-Cellular automata-Markov model (MLP-CA-MC) and Logistic Regression-Cellular automata-Markov model (LR-CA-MC) were tested for their suitability for predicting future LULC for the basin. Based on the multiple model validation techniques, the MLP-MC model performed the best. MLP-MC model subsequently used a non-stationary relationship between selected explanatory variables and LULC to predict the future LULC for 2020 and 2030. The MLP-MC model projected that relative to the level of 2011, agricultural land, dense forest, and barren land may decrease by 8.3, 28.2 and 23.5%, respectively, and scrubland, built-up area, and water bodies may increase by 22.5, 87.3 and 13.3%, respectively, by 2030. Our findings contradict the prevalent view regarding the nationwide intensification of agriculture over the Indian subcontinent but are consistent with the national decreasing trend in the dense forest. The study provides a transferable methodology for the systematic comparison of LULC models (including hybrid and non-hybrid) against multiple performance metrics. The outcomes of the study may help land-use planners, environmentalist, and policymakers in framing better policies and management .recommendations

Architectures for Next Generation EU Cities

Cities are facing unprecedented challenges driven by different forces. On the one hand the ever-increasing effects of climate change are impacting on the urban microclimate and environmental balance, on the other one social, political and economic issues are influencing the living conditions, the accessibility to primary services and resources, as well as growth opportunities for the younger generations. The rise of a social awareness regarding these topics suggests how relevant scientific-based evidence could be and calls for additional efforts to bridge the gap between science and society, in order to stimulate a collective responsibility and due actions. The complex interaction among these factors inspired a forward-looking reflection not only on key drivers of change but also on possible future trends for research assuming an interdisciplinary and multiscale perspective. The book collects several experiences from different contributors working in many contexts and countries, but sharing the same projection to the future. Four key priorities are addressed: the resilience to climaterelated events and impacts, the energy issue with reference to both the advances at building level and the role of end users, the capacity to adapting components and systems to emerging needs, and the adoption of assessment and simulation tools for improving the design capacity within a circular system perspective. The book provides therefore insights, experiences, approaches to deal with current and especially with future transition processes which are expected to shape the cities of tomorrow. Thus, its ambition is not to provide definitive answers but to become a starting point for exploring promising research pathways for the next generation cities

Architectures for Next Generation EU Cities

Cities are facing unprecedented challenges driven by different forces. On the one hand the ever-increasing effects of climate change are impacting on the urban microclimate and environmental balance, on the other one social, political and economic issues are influencing the living conditions, the accessibility to primary services and resources, as well as growth opportunities for the younger generations. The rise of a social awareness regarding these topics suggests how relevant scientific-based evidence could be and calls for additional efforts to bridge the gap between science and society, in order to stimulate a collective responsibility and due actions. The complex interaction among these factors inspired a forward-looking reflection not only on key drivers of change but also on possible future trends for research assuming an interdisciplinary and multiscale perspective. The book collects several experiences from different contributors working in many contexts and countries, but sharing the same projection to the future. Four key priorities are addressed: the resilience to climaterelated events and impacts, the energy issue with reference to both the advances at building level and the role of end users, the capacity to adapting components and systems to emerging needs, and the adoption of assessment and simulation tools for improving the design capacity within a circular system perspective. The book provides therefore insights, experiences, approaches to deal with current and especially with future transition processes which are expected to shape the cities of tomorrow. Thus, its ambition is not to provide definitive answers but to become a starting point for exploring promising research pathways for the next generation cities

Making maps that matter?: the role of geospatial information in addressing rural landscape change

Rural communities with bountiful natural amenities are attracting unprecedented in-migration. When unmanaged, the ensuing development threatens the ecological and cultural assets that are driving growth and valued by many residents. Despite the availability of geospatial analysis and visualization tools that seem well-suited to aiding community deliberations about land use planning and common pool resources, these tools have rarely been shown to effectively help communities understand and address threats to their landscape. Through a multi-year, mixed-method participatory research process with community partners in Macon County, North Carolina, I have studied the potential of geospatial information to enjoy increased local relevance, become more accessible to local discussions, and better engage local stakeholders. I co-developed an iterative research process that draws on critical GIS and participatory research traditions, using ethnographic interviews to guide geospatial analysis and mapping. I produced maps and landscape visualizations that successfully contributed to efforts to engage local residents in discussions about their changing community. I also studied how maps contribute to local planning efforts and their effect on attitudes towards planning. I found that maps designed to be relevant to local planning discussions can support more deliberative discussion and successful public engagement, aid in the recognition and articulation of shared community goals that challenge dominant pro-growth narratives, and enhance local capacity for planning and resource management. Further, the maps produced in community-driven processes both reflect and shape the shifting discursive strategies through which land use planning or conservation advocates navigate amenity migration landscapes. However, simply supplying visual information about growth and development trends in an experimental mail survey did not affect attitudes towards planning measures. This research addresses critical but often unasked questions about the relationship between research and on-the-ground outcomes. It should be of interest to landscape change researchers who want their findings to inform land use decision making, critical GIS scholars who are interested in applications, participatory researchers interested in GIS and iterative research designs, and local leaders who want to better engage residents in thinking about changing landscapes and growth management

New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation

This reprint reports on new advances in basic and applied research of soil pollution and remediation. A list of contaminants are targeted, including toxic metal(loid)s (e.g., Pb, As, Sb, and multi-metals), organic contaminants (e.g., organochlorine pesticides, phenanthrene, and petroleum), and antibiotics (e.g., sulfadiazine). The occurrence, environmental behaviors, and risks of these contaminants are explored. Special attention is devoted to techniques for the remediation of polluted soils, such as stabilization/solidification, photocatalytic degradation, and thermal desorption. This reprint provides new insights into soil pollution and remediation

Measuring and modelling carbon stocks in rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) dominated landscapes in Subtropical China

Rubber plantation has been rapidly expanded in Montane Mainland South East Asia in past decades. Limited by long-term monitoring data availability, the impacts of environmental change on rubber trees carbon stock development still not fully understood. Against global warming background, in order to better facilitate regional forest management, we applied synergetic approach combining field survey and modelling tools to improve predictions of dynamic carbon stock changes. The trade-off analysis regarding to rubber carbon stock and latex production optimization was further discussed in view of sustainable rubber cultivation. The first study explored the impact of regional land-use changes on landscape carbon balances. The Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve (NRWNNR), Xishuangbanna, China, was selected as a case study location. Carbon stocks were evaluated using the Rapid Carbon Stock Appraisal (RaCSA) method based on tree, plot, land use and landscape level assessments of carbon stocks, integrating field sampling with remote sensing and GIS technology. The results showed that rubber plantations had larger time-averaged carbon stocks than non-forest land use types (agricultural crops, bush and grassland) but much lower than natural forest. During 23 years (1989-2012), the whole landscape of the nature reserve (26574 ha) gained 0.644 Tg C. Despite rubber expansion, the reforestation activities conducted in NRWNNR were able to enhance the carbon stocks. Regional evaluation of the carbon sequestration potential of rubber trees depends largely on the selection of suitable allometric equations and the biomass-to-carbon conversion factor. The second study developed generic allometric equations for rubber trees, covering rotation lengths of 4-35 years, within elevation gradient of 621-1,127 m, and locally used rubber tree clones (GT1, PRIM600, Yunyan77-4) in mountainous South Western China. Allometric equations for aboveground biomass (AGB) estimations considering diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, and wood density were superior to other equations. We also tested goodness of fit for the recently proposed pan-tropical forest model. The results displayed that prediction of AGB by the model calibrated with the harvested rubber tree biomass and wood density was more accurate than the results produced by the pan-tropical forest model adjusted to local conditions. The relationships between DBH and height and between DBH and biomass were influenced by tapping, therefore biomass and C stock calculations for rubber have to be done using species-specific allometric equations. Based on the analysis of environmental factors acting at the landscape level, we noticed that above- and belowground carbon stocks were mostly affected by stand age, soil clay content, aspect, and planting density. The results of this study provide reference for reliable carbon accounting in other rubber-cultivated regions. In the last study, we explored how rubber trees growth and production response to climate change and regional management strategies (cultivation elevation, planting density). We applied the process-based Land Use Change Impact Assessment tool (LUCIA) calibrated with detailed ground survey data to model tree biomass development and latex yield in rubber plantations at the tree, plot and landscape level. Model simulation showed that during a 40-year rotation, lowland rubber plantations (< 900m) grew quicker and had larger latex yield than highland rubber (&#8807;900m). High planting density rubber plantations showed 5% higher above ground biomass than those at low- and medium-planting density. The mean total biomass and cumulative latex yield per tree over 40 years increased by 28% and 48%, respectively, when climate change scenarios were modelled from baseline to highest CO2 emission scenario (RCP 8.5). The same trend of biomass and latex yield increase with climate change was observed at plot level. Denser plantations had larger biomass, but the cumulative latex production decreased dramatically. The spatially explicit output maps produced during modelling could help maximize carbon stock and latex production of regional rubber plantations. Overall, rubber-based system required for appropriate monitoring scale in both temporal aspect (daily-, monthly-, and yearly-level) and in spatial aspect (pixel-, land use-, watershed-, and landscape- level). The findings from present study highlighted the important application of ecological modelling tools in nature resources management. The lessons learned here could be applicable for other rubber-cultivated regions, by updating with site-specific environmental variables. The significant role of rubber tree not limited in its nature latex production, it also lies in its great carbon sequestration potential. Our results here provided entry point for future developing comprehensive climate change adaption and mitigation strategies in South East Asia. By making use of interdisplinary cooperation, the sustainable rubber cultivation in Great Mekong Regions could be well realized.In den vergangenen Jahrzehnten wurde der Kautschukanbau in den Bergregionen des südostasiatischen Festlandes rasch ausgebaut. Die Auswirkungen von Umweltveränderungen auf die Entwicklung des Kohlenstoffbestandes von Kautschukbäumen sind durch die eingeschränkte Verfügbarkeit von Langzeit-Monitoring-Daten noch nicht vollständig geklärt. Vor dem Hintergrund der globalen Erwärmung und um die regionale Waldbewirtschaftung zu unterstützen, haben wir einen synergetischen Ansatz angewandt, der Feldmessungen und Modellierungswerkzeuge kombiniert, um die Vorhersage dynamischer Veränderungen der Kohlenstoffbestände zu verbessern. Die Kosten-Nutzen Abwägung für einen nachhaltigen Kautschukanbau bezüglich der Kautschuk-Kohlenstoffvorräte und der Optimierung der Latexproduktion wird im Weiteren diskutiert. Die erste Studie untersuchte die Auswirkungen regionaler Landnutzungsänderungen auf die Kohlenstoffbilanz der Landschaft. Das Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve (NRWNNNR), Xishuangbanna, China, wurde als Fallstudienstandort ausgewählt. Die Bewertung der Kohlenstoffvorräte erfolgte mit der Rapid Carbon Stock Appraisal (RaCSA)-Methode. Diese basiert auf der Bewertung von Kohlenstoffvorräten auf dem Niveau von Bäumen, Grundstücken, Landnutzung und Landschaft, mit Einbindung von Feldprobennahme verbunden mit Fernerkundung und GIS-Technologie. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass Kautschukplantagen einen größeren zeitgemittelten Kohlenstoffvorrat hatten als nicht-forstliche Landnutzungsarten (Ackerland, Busch- und Grünland), aber viel weniger als natürliche Wälder. Während 23 Jahren (1989-2012) gewann das gesamte Gebiet des Naturschutzgebietes (26574 ha) 0,644 Tg C hinzu. Trotz Ausdehnung der Kautschukanbauflächen konnten die Aufforstungsaktivitäten in NRWNNR die Kohlenstoffvorräte erhöhen. Die regionale Bewertung des Kohlenstoffsequestrierungspotenzials von Kautschukbäumen hängt wesentlich von der Auswahl geeigneter allometrischer Gleichungen und des Biomasse-Kohlenstoff-Umwandlungsfaktors ab. Die zweite Studie entwickelte allgemeine allometrische Gleichungen für Kautschukbäume, basierend auf Daten aus Kautschukplantagen mit Umtriebszeiten von 4-35 Jahren, Höhenlagen von 621-1.127 m und lokal verwendeten Kautschukbaumklonen (GT1, PRIM600, Yunyan77-4) im bergigen Südwesten Chinas. Allometrische Gleichungen zur Berechnung der oberirdischen Biomasse (AGB), welche den Durchmesser in Brusthöhe (DBH), Baumhöhe und Holzdichte berücksichtigten, waren anderen Gleichungen überlegen. Wir haben auch die Anpassungsgüte des kürzlich vorgeschlagene pan-tropische Waldmodell getestet. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Vorhersage der AGB durch das mit der destruktiv bestimmten Biomasse und der Holzdichte kalibrierte Modell genauer war als die Ergebnisse des pan-tropischen Waldmodells, das an die lokalen Bedingungen angepasst wurde. Die Beziehungen zwischen DBH und Höhe, und DBH und Biomasse wurden durch die Anzapfung der Bäume beeinflusst. Aufgrund dessen müssen Biomasse- und C-Bestandsberechnungen für Kautschuk mit artspezifischen allometrischen Gleichungen durchgeführt werden. Basierend auf der Analyse von Umweltfaktoren, die auf Landschaftsebene wirken, stellten wir fest, dass die ober- und unterirdischen Kohlenstoffvorräte vor allem durch das Bestandsalter, den Tongehalt des Bodens, die Hanglage und die Pflanzdichte beeinflusst wurden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie liefern Anhaltspunkte für eine zuverlässige Kohlenstoffbilanzierung in anderen Kautschukanbaugebieten. In der letzten Studie haben wir untersucht, wie Kautschukbäume auf den Klimawandel und regionalen Managementstrategien (Anbauhöhe, Pflanzdichte) reagieren. Wir setzten das prozessbasierte Land Use Change Impact Assessment Tool (LUCIA) ein, das mit detaillierten Bodenuntersuchungsdaten kalibriert wurde, um die Entwicklung der Baumbiomasse und den Latexertrag in Kautschukplantagen auf Baum-, Parzelle- und Landschaftsebene zu modellieren. Die Modellsimulation zeigte, dass während einer 40-jährigen Rotationzeit die Flachland-Kautschukplantagen (< 900m) schneller wuchsen und eine höhere Latexausbeute hatten als die Hochland-Kautschukplantagen (&#8807;900m). Kautschukplantagen mit hoher Pflanzdichte zeigten eine um 5% höhere oberirdische Biomasse als solche mit niedriger und mittlerer Pflanzdichte. Der durchschnittliche Gesamtertrag an Biomasse und der kumulative Latexertrag pro Baum stieg in 40 Jahren um 28% bzw. 48%, wenn die Klimaszenarien vom Basisszenario bis zum höchsten CO2-Emissionsszenario (RCP 8. 5) durchsimuliert wurden. Dieser Trend der Zunahme der Biomasse- und Latexausbeute mit verstärktem Klimawandel wurde auch auf der Ebene der Parzelle beobachtet. Dichtere Plantagen hatten eine größere Biomasse, aber die kumulative Latexproduktion ging drastisch zurück. Die während der Modellierung erstellten räumlich expliziten Output-Karten könnten helfen, die Kohlenstoffvorräte und die Latexproduktion regionaler Kautschukplantagen zu maximieren. Allgemein ist für ein angemessenes Monitoring ein Kautschuk-basiertes System erforderlich, das sowohl in zeitlicher Hinsicht (Tages-, Monats- und Jahresebene) als auch in räumlicher Hinsicht (Pixel-, Landnutzungs-, Wassereinzugs- und Landschaftsebene) geeignet ist. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Studie verdeutlichen die Bedeutung ökologischer Modellierungswerkzeuge im Naturressourcenmanagement. Die hier gemachten Erfahrungen könnten auch auf andere Kautschukanbaugebiete übertragen werden, indem sie mit standortspezifischen Umweltvariablen aktualisiert werden. Die bedeutende Rolle des Kautschukbaums ist nicht nur auf dieHerstellung von Naturlatex beschränkt, sondern liegt auch in seinem großen Potenzial zur Kohlenstoffbindung. Unsere Ergebnisse lieferen den Ausgangspunkt für die künftige Entwicklung umfassender Strategien zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel und zur Eindämmung des Klimawandels in Südostasien. Durch interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit könnte der nachhaltige Kautschukanbau in den Großen Mekong-Regionen realisiert werden

Achieving sustainable wastewater treatment through Nexus thinking

This present habilitation thesis in wastewater systems explores the theoretical and practical implications of achieving sustainability through and in wastewater treatment. It herby uses the discussions on circularity, sustainability and nexus thinking while investigating their relationship amongst each other and in their relation to wastewater treatment. This thesis consists of seven main chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the approach in which the present manuscript delves into the aspects of circularity, sustainability and nexus concepts and wastewater treatment. Chapter 2 to 5 contain the manuscripts that relate to (a) conceptual considerations, (b) examples of circularity, (c) sustainability assessments and (d) nexus applications. Chapter 6 provides a series of lessons learned from the collated findings. Chapter 7 holds the appendix with supplemental information from the respective manuscripts. The work is based on a variety of publications that the author and her team members produced primarily between January 2016 and October 2019 (and in part until the submission of this thesis). While they include 5 published first-author peer-reviewed publications some sections also contain further relevant co-authored publications. Water security is key for a sustainable world. Wastewater can play a critical role towards provisioning water sustainably to address water scarcity and water stress. However, wastewater treatment is currently itself not sustainable. For wastewater treatment to be put on a sustainable footing, systemic change of the sector and the way wastewater is viewed needs to occur. Wastewater treatment can provide a series of resources for circular use – with nature-based solutions offering co-benefits over grey infrastructure that extend to other nexus sectors such as food and energy. However, circularity does not necessarily equate with sustainability. Environmental components are just one of the three dimensions of sustainability, but data for indicators for social and economic aspects of wastewater treatment are scarce. Moving towards sustainable solutions may only be possible by employing tools that step away from an ever-better understanding of current systems and shifting towards modes of analysis that help generate target and transformation knowledge in inter- and transdisciplinary research and project settings. These views mandate a radical revision of current curricula of engineers and other disciplines to include courses on social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Training in designing, conducting and evaluating participatory processes that include a variety of stakeholders may significantly improve future generations’ capacities to design, construct, and operate sustainable wastewater treatment systems that provide treated wastewater as a sustainable source of water in a water secure world.:ABSTRACT vii ZUSAMMENFASSUNG (ABSTRACT in German) ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi 1 Introduction 2 1.1 Scope 2 1.2 The structure of this work 8 1.3 References 10 2 Conceptual explorations 14 2.1 Learning from Integrated Management Approaches to Implement the Nexus 15 2.1.1 Introduction 16 2.1.2 Methods 19 2.1.3 Results 21 2.1.4 Discussion 26 2.1.5 Conclusion 27 2.1.6 References 29 2.2 Making the Water–Soil–Waste Nexus Work: Framing the Boundaries of Resource Flows 33 2.2.1 Introduction 34 2.2.2 An Overview of Integrated Approaches Related to the WSW Nexus 36 2.2.3 The System Boundaries of Integrated Environmental Management Approaches 38 2.2.4 What Is Different This Time?—The Boundary of the Water–Soil–Waste Nexus System 41 2.2.5 Illustrating the Boundaries of the WSW Nexus System—Case Studies 43 2.2.6 Conclusions 48 2.2.7 References and Notes 50 3 Examples of circularity 56 3.1 The Role of Constructed Wetlands for Biomass Production within the Water-Soil-Waste Nexus 59 3.1.1 Introduction 60 3.1.2 Methods 63 3.1.3 Results and discussion 63 3.1.4 Conclusions 68 3.1.5 References 70 3.2 Constructed Wetlands for Resource Recovery in Developing Countries 73 3.2.1 Introduction 74 3.2.2 Methods 76 3.2.3 Results 80 3.2.4 Discussion 91 3.2.5 Conclusions 99 3.2.6 References 102 4 Assessing sustainability of wastewater systems 110 4.1 Assessing Sustainability of Wastewater Management Systems in a Multi-Scalar, Transdisciplinary Manner in Latin America 113 4.1.1 Introduction 114 4.1.2 Materials and Methods 116 4.1.3 Results 124 4.1.4 Discussion 129 4.1.5 Conclusion 132 4.1.6 References 134 4.2 Selecting Sustainable Sewage Sludge Reuse Options through a Systematic Assessment Framework: Methodology and Case Study in Latin America 137 4.2.1 Introduction 138 4.2.2 Methods 139 4.2.3 Results and discussion 141 4.2.4 Conclusion 154 4.2.5 References 156 5 Applying the Nexus 160 5.1 Considering Resources Beyond Water: Irrigation and Drainage Management in the Context of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus 161 5.1.1 Introduction 163 5.1.2 Integrating resource management through Nexus thinking 165 5.1.3 Assessing the negative and positive environmental effects of irrigation, and the provision of ecosystem services 169 5.1.4 The role of stakeholders in governing irrigation 171 5.1.5 Conclusion 173 5.1.6 References 175 5.2 Co-generating knowledge in nexus research for sustainable wastewater management 177 5.2.1 Introduction 178 5.2.2 Material and Methods 180 5.2.3 Results 184 5.2.4 Discussion 202 5.2.5 Conclusions 204 5.2.6 References 206 6 Lessons learned and outlook 210 6.1 Increased circularity does not equate in increased sustainability. 212 6.2 Data scarcity hampers quantitative knowledge generation. 214 6.3 Moving from systems’ understanding to comprehensive knowledge generation for systemic change. 217 6.4 Participation and inclusion of stakeholders is important and should not be an afterthought. 218 6.5 References 221 7 Supplemental Information (SI)/Supplemental Material (SM) 226 7.1 SI for 4.1 ‘Assessing Sustainability of Wastewater Management Systems in a Multi-Scalar, Transdisciplinary Manner in Latin America’ 226 Appendix A 226 Appendix B 233 Appendix C 240 Appendix D 241 Appendix E 243 Appendix F 251 7.2 SI for 4.2 ‘Selecting Sustainable Sewage Sludge Reuse Options through a Systematic Assessment Framework: Methodology and Case Study in Latin America’ 256 7.3 SI for 5.1 ‘Co-generating knowledge in nexus research for sustainable wastewater management’ 261 7.3.1 SM1: Expert interview questionnaire assessing information on stakeholder’s perspectives. 261 7.3.2 SM2: Wickedness Analysis questions 264 7.3.3 SM3: Detailed results of the stakeholder perspective of wastewater treatment in each case 265 7.3.4 SM4: Detailed responses to the workshop/training evaluations 272 8 Contribution of the author in collaborative publications 283 9 Eidesstattliche Versicherung 285Diese Habilitationsschrift untersucht die theoretischen und praktischen Implikationen der Erreichung von Nachhaltigkeit durch und in der Abwasserbehandlung. Sie nutzt die Diskussionen über Kreislaufwirtschaft, Nachhaltigkeit und Nexus-Denken und untersucht deren Beziehung untereinander und in ihrem Verhältnis zur Abwasserbehandlung. Dieses Manuskript besteht aus sieben Hauptkapiteln. Kapitel 1 gibt einen Überblick über den Ansatz, in dem das vorliegende Manuskript die Aspekte der Kreislaufwirtschaft, Nachhaltigkeit und Nexus-Konzepte und Abwasserbehandlung untersucht. Kapitel 2 bis 5 enthält die Manuskripte, die sich auf (a) konzeptionelle Überlegungen, (b) Beispiele für Kreislaufwirtschaft, c) Nachhaltigkeitsbewertungen und (d) Nexusanwendungen beziehen. Kapitel 6 enthält eine Reihe von Einsichten, die aus den gesammelten Erkenntnissen gezogen wurden. Das letzte Kapitel enthält die Zusatzdaten und -informationen einiger der Artikel. Die Arbeit basiert auf einer Vielzahl von Publikationen, die die Autorin und ihre Teammitglieder hauptsächlich zwischen Januar 2016 und Oktober 2019 (und teilweise bis zur Einreichung dieser Arbeit) erstellt haben. Während sie 5 veröffentlichte Erstautoren-Peer-Review-Publikationen umfassen, enthalten manche Abschnitte auch weitere relevante, mitverfasste Veröffentlichungen. Wassersicherheit ist unumgänglich für eine nachhaltige Welt. Abwasser kann eine Schlüsselrolle bei der Bereitstellung einer nachhaltigen Wasserquelle spielen, um Wasserknappheit und Wasserstress zu bewältigen. Die Abwasserbehandlung selbst ist jedoch derzeit nicht nachhaltig. Damit die Abwasserbehandlung auf eine nachhaltige Grundlage gestellt werden kann, müssen die Sektoren und die Art und Weise, wie Abwasser betrachtet wird, verändert werden. Die Abwasserbehandlung kann eine Reihe von Ressourcen für die Kreislaufwirtschaft bereitstellen – naturbasierte Lösungen bieten weitere Vorteile gegenüber grauer Infrastruktur, die sich auf andere Nexus-Sektoren wie Nahrung und Energie erstrecken. Kreislaufwirtschaft ist jedoch nicht unbedingt gleichbedeutend mit Nachhaltigkeit. Umweltkomponenten sind nur eine der drei Dimensionen der Nachhaltigkeit, aber Daten für Indikatoren für soziale und wirtschaftliche Aspekte der Abwasserbehandlung sind rar. Der Übergang zu nachhaltigen Lösungen ist möglicherweise nur möglich, wenn Instrumente eingesetzt werden, die sich von einem immer besseren Verständnis aktueller Systeme entfernen und sich in Richtung Analysemodi bewegen, die dazu beitragen, Ziel- und Transformationswissen in inter- und transdisziplinären Forschungs- und Projektumgebungen zu generieren. Diese Ergebnisse schreiben eine radikale Überarbeitung der aktuellen Lehrpläne von Ingenieuren und anderen Disziplinen vor, um Kurse über soziale, wirtschaftliche und ökologische Dimensionen der Nachhaltigkeit aufzunehmen. Schulungen in der Konzeption, Durchführung und Bewertung partizipatorischer Prozesse, die eine Vielzahl von Akteuren einbeziehen, können die Kapazitäten der zukünftigen Generation zur Planung, Konstruktion und zum Betrieb nachhaltiger Abwasserbehandlungssysteme, die behandeltes Abwasser als nachhaltige Wasserquelle in einer wassersicheren Welt bereitstellen, erheblich verbessern.:ABSTRACT vii ZUSAMMENFASSUNG (ABSTRACT in German) ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi 1 Introduction 2 1.1 Scope 2 1.2 The structure of this work 8 1.3 References 10 2 Conceptual explorations 14 2.1 Learning from Integrated Management Approaches to Implement the Nexus 15 2.1.1 Introduction 16 2.1.2 Methods 19 2.1.3 Results 21 2.1.4 Discussion 26 2.1.5 Conclusion 27 2.1.6 References 29 2.2 Making the Water–Soil–Waste Nexus Work: Framing the Boundaries of Resource Flows 33 2.2.1 Introduction 34 2.2.2 An Overview of Integrated Approaches Related to the WSW Nexus 36 2.2.3 The System Boundaries of Integrated Environmental Management Approaches 38 2.2.4 What Is Different This Time?—The Boundary of the Water–Soil–Waste Nexus System 41 2.2.5 Illustrating the Boundaries of the WSW Nexus System—Case Studies 43 2.2.6 Conclusions 48 2.2.7 References and Notes 50 3 Examples of circularity 56 3.1 The Role of Constructed Wetlands for Biomass Production within the Water-Soil-Waste Nexus 59 3.1.1 Introduction 60 3.1.2 Methods 63 3.1.3 Results and discussion 63 3.1.4 Conclusions 68 3.1.5 References 70 3.2 Constructed Wetlands for Resource Recovery in Developing Countries 73 3.2.1 Introduction 74 3.2.2 Methods 76 3.2.3 Results 80 3.2.4 Discussion 91 3.2.5 Conclusions 99 3.2.6 References 102 4 Assessing sustainability of wastewater systems 110 4.1 Assessing Sustainability of Wastewater Management Systems in a Multi-Scalar, Transdisciplinary Manner in Latin America 113 4.1.1 Introduction 114 4.1.2 Materials and Methods 116 4.1.3 Results 124 4.1.4 Discussion 129 4.1.5 Conclusion 132 4.1.6 References 134 4.2 Selecting Sustainable Sewage Sludge Reuse Options through a Systematic Assessment Framework: Methodology and Case Study in Latin America 137 4.2.1 Introduction 138 4.2.2 Methods 139 4.2.3 Results and discussion 141 4.2.4 Conclusion 154 4.2.5 References 156 5 Applying the Nexus 160 5.1 Considering Resources Beyond Water: Irrigation and Drainage Management in the Context of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus 161 5.1.1 Introduction 163 5.1.2 Integrating resource management through Nexus thinking 165 5.1.3 Assessing the negative and positive environmental effects of irrigation, and the provision of ecosystem services 169 5.1.4 The role of stakeholders in governing irrigation 171 5.1.5 Conclusion 173 5.1.6 References 175 5.2 Co-generating knowledge in nexus research for sustainable wastewater management 177 5.2.1 Introduction 178 5.2.2 Material and Methods 180 5.2.3 Results 184 5.2.4 Discussion 202 5.2.5 Conclusions 204 5.2.6 References 206 6 Lessons learned and outlook 210 6.1 Increased circularity does not equate in increased sustainability. 212 6.2 Data scarcity hampers quantitative knowledge generation. 214 6.3 Moving from systems’ understanding to comprehensive knowledge generation for systemic change. 217 6.4 Participation and inclusion of stakeholders is important and should not be an afterthought. 218 6.5 References 221 7 Supplemental Information (SI)/Supplemental Material (SM) 226 7.1 SI for 4.1 ‘Assessing Sustainability of Wastewater Management Systems in a Multi-Scalar, Transdisciplinary Manner in Latin America’ 226 Appendix A 226 Appendix B 233 Appendix C 240 Appendix D 241 Appendix E 243 Appendix F 251 7.2 SI for 4.2 ‘Selecting Sustainable Sewage Sludge Reuse Options through a Systematic Assessment Framework: Methodology and Case Study in Latin America’ 256 7.3 SI for 5.1 ‘Co-generating knowledge in nexus research for sustainable wastewater management’ 261 7.3.1 SM1: Expert interview questionnaire assessing information on stakeholder’s perspectives. 261 7.3.2 SM2: Wickedness Analysis questions 264 7.3.3 SM3: Detailed results of the stakeholder perspective of wastewater treatment in each case 265 7.3.4 SM4: Detailed responses to the workshop/training evaluations 272 8 Contribution of the author in collaborative publications 283 9 Eidesstattliche Versicherung 28

Green Consensus and High Quality Development

This open access book is based on the research outputs of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) in 2020. It covers major topics of Chinese and international attention regarding green development, such as climate, biodiversity, ocean, BRI, urbanization, sustainable production and consumption, technology, finance, value chain, and so on. It also looks at the progress of China’s environmental and development policies，and the impacts from CCICED. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing insight for policy makers in environmental issues