Defining sustainability in agricultural water management using a Delphi survey technique

Abstract Sustainable water management measures are being developed to address the challenges posed by agriculture runoff and leaching on water resources. These measures are based on experts’ opinions from various sectors and disciplines, ensuring that all stakeholders’ perspectives are considered. For this, establishing a common understanding of ’sustainability’ is essential to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and operational challenges. In this research, the Delphi survey technique was utilized to develop a definition of ’sustainability’ in agricultural water management (SAWM) by considering the interdisciplinary group of experts from different parts of the world and those involved in a Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action. Twenty-six experts’ perspectives on environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability were assessed, and identified key concepts included climate change, water quality, water availability, stakeholder participation, capacity building, subsidies, and incentives. These concepts were used to define sustainability for multi/interdisciplinary project settings. The definition was validated with consortium members of the project in the regular consortium-wide meetings and used in the respective deliverables dealing with sustainability. The results serve as a foundation for communication between the involved actors and the project’s definition of ’sustainability.’ One recommendation from this work for broader policy formulation for SAWM in Europe is to prioritize farmer needs and focus on environmental sustainability

Unconventional water resources:global opportunities and challenges

Abstract Water is of central importance for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. With predictions of dire global water scarcity, attention is turning to resources that are considered to be unconventional, and hence called Unconventional Water Resources (UWRs). These are considered as supplementary water resources that need specialized processes to be used as water supply. The literature encompasses a vast number of studies on various UWRs and their usefulness in certain environmental and/or socio-economic contexts. However, a recent, all-encompassing article that brings the collective knowledge on UWRs together is missing. Considering the increasing importance of UWRs in the global push for water security, the current study intends to offer a nuanced understanding of the existing research on UWRs by summarizing the key concepts in the literature. The number of articles published on UWRs have increased significantly over time, particularly in the past ten years. And while most publications were authored from researchers based in the USA or China, other countries such as India, Iran, Australia, and Spain have also featured prominently. Here, twelve general types of UWRs were used to assess their global distribution, showing that climatic conditions are the main driver for the application of certain UWRs. For example, the use of iceberg water obviously necessitates access to icebergs, which are taken largely from arctic regions. Overall, the literature review demonstrated that, even though UWRs provide promising possibilities for overcoming water scarcity, current knowledge is patchy and points towards UWRs being, for the most part, limited in scope and applicability due to geographic, climatic, economic, and political constraints. Future studies focusing on improved documentation and demonstration of the quantitative and socio-economic potential of various UWRs could help in strengthening the case for some, if not all, UWRs as avenues for the sustainable provision of water

Co-generating knowledge in nexus research for sustainable wastewater treatment

Abstract Currently installed wastewater treatment systems in many developing countries are unsustainable, failing in either the social, economic or ecological dimension of sustainability. Nexus research looking at resources involved in wastewater treatment could support the transition towards more sustainable systems. Nexus thinking aims to overcome bio-physical systems thinking by including transdisciplinary research methods. Approaches for integrating results from different types of analysis and disciplinary backgrounds are scarce and have not been described extensively in nexus research. Transdisciplinary research suggests creating system, target and transformation knowledge as a common framework to describe meaningful transformations. Our goal is to show how a better understanding of the level of knowledge created by different types of analysis can pave the way towards integrating results for sustainability. In this article, three types of analysis, namely sustainability assessment, stakeholder perspective analysis and wickedness analysis, were applied in two pilot case wastewater treatment systems in Latin America. Through a three-step process, generated knowledge was assessed for each type of analysis individually while also highlighting synergies between them. The results demonstrate that structuring results by generated knowledge type can help combining outcomes in a meaningful manner. The findings show that technical flaws are present and fixable, and that issues relating to behaviours or values are more challenging to address but arguably more meaningful for systemic change

Perceptions of transdisciplinary research:a comparative case study from Latin America

Abstract Transdisciplinary research has gained momentum in the field of environmental sustainability. Research highlights that high degrees of participation in research can help identify integrated and acceptable solutions on the ground. However, research has also shown that high degrees of participation do not automatically result in positive outcomes. This study assumes that perceptions of participation diverge in different (cultural) settings. While conceptual frameworks provide good guidance on how project managers can design participatory processes, stakeholders involved in such processes may perceive their involvement differently. This article tests this assumption in transdisciplinary research carried out at two pilot sites in Latin America where the aim was for local stakeholders and experts to co-design wastewater management solutions. Based on a comprehensive stakeholder analysis, our research focuses on how project manager’s original intention of high participation is perceived by stakeholders involved across the phases of the research process from project design, via implementation, to its evaluation. Analyses are based on written project documents and a survey amongst participants on the perceived degree of participation. Results show a discrepancy between the intended participation and the perceived participation. Furthermore, we find that perceptions of transdisciplinarity vary across the phases of the research process. These results help in understanding potential differences between intended and perceived participation, supporting the effective design of transdisciplinary research in the future

Capacity challenges in water quality monitoring: understanding the role of human development

Abstract Monitoring the qualitative status of freshwaters is an important goal of the international community, as stated in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) indicator 6.3.2 on good ambient water quality. Monitoring data are, however, lacking in many countries, allegedly because of capacity challenges of less-developed countries. So far, however, the relationship between human development and capacity challenges for water quality monitoring have not been analysed systematically. This hinders the implementation of fine-tuned capacity development programmes for water quality monitoring. Against this background, this study takes a global perspective in analysing the link between human development and the capacity challenges countries face in their national water quality monitoring programmes. The analysis is based on the latest data on the human development index and an international online survey amongst experts from science and practice. Results provide evidence of a negative relationship between human development and the capacity challenges to meet SDG 6.3.2 monitoring requirements. This negative relationship increases along the course of the monitoring process, from defining the enabling environment, choosing parameters for the collection of field data, to the analytics and analysis of five commonly used parameters (DO, EC, pH, TP and TN). Our assessment can be used to help practitioners improve technical capacity development activities and to identify and target investment in capacity development for monitoring