Improving the eco-efficiency of an agricultural water use system

During the last two decades, the concept of eco-efficiency has been recognized as a suitable measure of progress towards a greener and more sustainable economy. The prefix “eco-” refers to both economic and ecological (environmental) performance. The need for improving eco-efficiency leads to the challenge of identifying the most promising alternative solutions which improve both the economic and the environmental performance of a given system (“eco-innovations”). Therefore, it becomes critical to develop eco-efficiency metrics for measuring environmental and economic performance of a system. The current paper presents a methodological framework that attempts to explore the use of eco-efficiency indicators in meso-level water use systems and through them to assess the impact of innovative technologies in such systems. The assessment of the environmental performance follows a life-cycle oriented approach using the midpoint impact categories while the economic performance is measured using the Total Value Added to the product due to water use. The eco-efficiency is expressed as the ratio of the economic performance indicator to the environmental performance indicator. The proposed approach is applied to a water use system of the agricultural sector, and more specifically to the fresh form tomato crop production in Phthiotida. The analysis reveals that the most important environmental impacts of the system are (i) greenhouse gas emissions due to energy consumption, (ii) release of toxic substances, due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides and (iii) depletion of freshwater resources. Three alternative interventions are examined for upgrading the value chain: (i) installation of sub-surface drip irrigation system, (ii) replacement of diesel pumps with solar pumps and (iii) use of organic fertilizers. Based on the findings, all of the proposed interventions have a positive impact on the overall eco-efficiency of the system. Sub-surface drip irrigation is the least favorable mainly due to its high investment cost. The use of solar pumps strongly influences climate change and photochemical ozone formation while the use of organic fertilizers has a more balanced impact on all indicators, with an emphasis on eutrophication. Thus, for a more holistic approach, regarding the eco-efficiency performance, a combined application of these three scenarios may be proposed

A web-based Toolbox to support the systemic eco-efficiency assessment in water use systems

The eco-efficiency assessment of a water use system at the meso level, as well as the estimation of the anticipated eco-efficiency improvements as a result of innovative practices/technologies, is a conceptually and methodologically challenging issue. A systemic approach is required to capture the complexity of all interrelated aspects and the interactions among the heterogeneous actors involved in the system. This involves mapping the behaviour of the system into representative models, structuring the analysis in easy to understand procedures and developing versatile software tools for supporting the analysis. This paper presents a web-integrated suite of tools and resources (EcoWater Toolbox) for assessing eco-efficiency improvements from innovative technologies in water use systems. Equipped with a continuously updated inventory of currently available technological innovations as well as a repository of eco-efficiency indicators and their evaluation rules, the EcoWater Toolbox supports a comprehensive four-step eco-efficiency assessment of a water use system: (1) allows the users to frame the case study by defining system boundaries, describing the water supply chain and value chains and including all the actors; (2) helps the users to establish a baseline eco-efficiency assessment, using the integrated modelling tools; (3) supports the users in identifying both sector-specific and system-wide technologies and practices to suit their situation, through the integrated technology inventory; and (4) enables the users to assess innovative technology solutions by developing predictive technology scenarios and comparing these with baseline results. At the core of the Toolbox are two modelling tools, which combine both economic and environmental viewpoints into a single modelling framework. The “Systemic Environmental Analysis Tool” (SEAT) assists in building a representation of the physical system, its processes and interactions and forms the basis for evaluating the environmental performance of the system. The “Economic Value chain Analysis Tool” (EVAT) addresses the value chain and focuses on the economic component of the eco-efficiency. Both tools provide a graphical model construction interface that is implemented in client-side and incorporate advanced features such as model scripting. The methodology adopted and the operational aspects of the EcoWater Toolbox are presented and demonstrated through the assessment of the eco-efficiency performance associated with the water value chain in the case of a milk production unit of a dairy industry

Policy analysis and recommendations for EU CO 2 utilisation policies

To safeguard the competitiveness of energy-intensive industries, in light of lower-cost energy supplies elsewhere, Europe requires combined resource and energy efficiency technology. Most technical components of CO2 utilization can in principle be mobilized in Europe in the short term. Nevertheless, infrastructural, logistical, regulatory and business strategic issues must be addressed imminently by all relevant stakeholders. Given the already dense EU policy landscape, industry stakeholders need to assess first the applicability of the current framework and then the impact that policy changes could bring. Notably, connectivity infrastructure requires more analysis and coordination. This paper presents relevant policies to support CO2 utilisation along the value chain. It outlines the applicability of current policy and benefits of policy enhancements to address barriers to deployment of CO2- derived products. It also lays out the role of key stakeholders to effect appropriate changes in policy. Finally, it explores the justification for a CO2 Utilisation Directive, comparable to the Carbon Capture and Storage Directive

Holistic assessment of carbon capture and utilization value chains

Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is recognized by the European Union, along with carbon, capture and storage (CCS), as one of the main tools towards global warming mitigation. It has, thus, been extensively studied by various researchers around the world. The majority of the papers published so far focus on the individual stages of a CCU value chain (carbon capture, separation, purification, transportation, and transformation/utilization). However, a holistic approach, taking into account the matching and the interaction between these stages, is also necessary in order to optimize and develop technically and economically feasible CCU value chains. The objective of this contribution is to present the most important studies that are related to the individual stages of CCU and to perform a critical review of the major existing methods, algorithms and tools that focus on the simulation or optimization of CCU value chains. The key research gaps will be identified and examined in order to lay the foundation for the development of a methodology towards the holistic assessment of CCU value chains

THE INECO EXPERIENCE: MAIN OUTCOMES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM PARTICIPATORY CASE STUDY PROCESSES

ABSTRACT Multi-stakeholder participatory processes are increasingly viewed as the only means of developing policies and strategies for alleviating real (or perceived) water-related conflicts at local, national and international level. They are considered as problem-solving, institutional innovations to democratise water management, manage conflict and enhance effectiveness of water management operations. Methods and tools employed to foster stakeholder engagement vary greatly, depending on issues at hand, opportunities for dialogue and information sharing, as well as the overall socio-economic and political context. This paper outlines the approach followed in the EC-funded INECO Project (Institutional and Economic Instruments for Sustainable Water Management in the Mediterranean Region, Contract No: INCO-CT2006-517673) for fostering dialogue among diverse stakeholder groups and facilitating joint agreement on policy recommendations for mitigating water stress issues in seven Case Studies in the Mediterranean region. The scope of these Case Studies was defined through situation analysis, aimed at depicting significant water management issues faced by the local societies. Subsequently, through different methods (e.g. stakeholder workshops, surveys and questionnaires, individual consultation meetings with key actors), stakeholders jointly collaborated to identify ways through which these issues could be addressed in a desired water resources management situation. In this regard, the recommendations derived for problem mitigation incorporated the very different perspectives of stakeholders and facilitated the comprehensive analysis of the wider economic, societal, institutional and sustainability implications of proposed water management options

Architecture of a pan-European framework for Integrated Soil Water Erosion Assessment

Soil erosion implications on future food security are gaining global attention because in many areas worldwide there is an imbalance between soil loss and its subsequent deposition. Soil erosion is a complex phenomenon affected by many factors such as climate, topography and land cover (in\ud particular forest resources, natural vegetation and agriculture) while directly influencing water sediment transport, the quality of water resources and water storage loss. A modeling architecture, based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, is proposed and applied to evaluate and validate at regional scale potential and actual soil water erosion, enabling it to be linked to other involved natural resources. The methodology benefits from the array programming paradigm with semantic constraints (lightweight array behavioural contracts provided by the Mastrave library) to concisely implement models as composition of interoperable modules and to process heterogeneous data.\u