Mutual learning and policy transfer in integrated water resources management: A research agenda

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) has become a global paradigm for the governance of surface, coastal and groundwater. International bodies such as the European Union, the Global Water Partnership, and the United Nations have taken the lead to promote IWRM principles, while countries worldwide have undertaken reforms to implement these principles and to restructure their domestic or regional water governance arrangements. However, the international transfer of IWRM principles raises a number of theoretical, empirical and normative questions related to its causes, processes and outcomes. These questions will be explored in our Special Issue ‘Governing IWRM: Mutual Learning and Policy Transfer’. This editorial briefly introduces IWRM and links this governance paradigm to theoretical and empirical scholarship on policy transfer. We then summarise the aims and objectives of this Special Issue, provide an overview of the articles brought together here and offer avenues for future research

Highly Accurate Determination of Heterogeneously Stacked Van-der-Waals Materials by Optical Microspectroscopy

The composition of Van-der-Waals heterostructures is conclusively determined using a hybrid evaluation scheme of data acquired by optical microspectroscopy. This scheme deploys a parameter set comprising both change in reflectance and wavelength shift of distinct extreme values in reflectance spectra. Furthermore, the method is supported by an accurate analytical model describing reflectance of multilayer systems acquired by optical microspectroscopy. This approach allows uniquely for discrimination of 2D materials like graphene and hBN and, thus, quantitative analysis of Van-der-Waals heterostructures containing structurally very similar materials. The physical model features a transfer matrix method which allows for flexible, modular description of complex optical systems and may easily be extended to individual setups. It accounts for numerical apertures of applied objective lenses and a glass fiber which guides the light into the spectrometer by two individual weighting functions. The scheme is proven by highly accurate quantification of the number of layers of graphene and hBN in Van-der-Waals heterostructures. In this exemplary case, the fingerprint of graphene involves distinct deviations of reflectance accompanied by additional wavelength shifts of extreme values. In contrast to graphene the fingerprint of hBN reveals a negligible deviation in absolute reflectance causing this material being only detectable by spectral shifts of extreme values.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Observation of mixed anisotropy in the critical susceptibility of an ultrathin magnetic film

Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of Fe/W(110) films with thickness in the range of 1.6 to 2.4 ML Fe, show that in addition to the large response along the easy axis associated with the Curie transition, there is a much smaller, paramagnetic hard axis response that is not consistent with the 2D anisotropic Heisenberg model used to describe homogeneous in-plane ferromagnets with uniaxial anisotropy. The shape, amplitude, and peak temperature of the hard axis susceptibility, as well as its dependence upon layer completion close to 2.0 ML, indicate that inhomogeneities in the films create a system of mixed anisotropy. A likely candidate for inhomogeneities that are magnetically relevant in the critical region are the closed lines of step edges associated with the incomplete layers. According to the Harris criterion, the existence of magnetically relevant inhomogeneities may alter the critical properties of the films from those of a 2D Ising model. Experiments in the recent literature are discussed in this context.Comment: 9 two-column pages, 6 figures. This replacement has a new title and abstract, and one additional figur

The EU Water Initiative at 15: Origins, Processes and Assessment

This article examines the activities and achievements of the European Union Water Initiative, a transnational, multi-actor partnership established in 2002 by the European Commission to support water governance reforms around the world. Two regional components of the initiative – (a) Africa and (b) Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia – are studied with a focus on their organizational structures, activities, policies and achievements. The analysis provides evidence for improved regional dialogue and cooperation in the water sector, but also points to persistent weaknesses, in particular a lack of resources, ownership and mutual understanding as to the overall aims of the Initiative

Quantum phase transitions and decoupling of magnetic sublattices in the quasi-two-dimensional Ising magnet Co3V2O8 in a transverse magnetic field

The application of a magnetic field transverse to the easy axis, Ising direction in the quasi-two-dimensional Kagome staircase magnet, Co3V2O8, induces three quantum phase transitions at low temperatures, ultimately producing a novel high field polarized state, with two distinct sublattices. New time-of-flight neutron scattering techniques, accompanied by large angular access, high magnetic field infrastructure allow the mapping of a sequence of ferromagnetic and incommensurate phases and their accompanying spin excitations. At least one of the transitions to incommensurate phases at \mu 0Hc1~6.25 T and \mu 0Hc2~7 T is discontinuous, while the final quantum critical point at \mu 0Hc3~13 T is continuous.Comment: 5 pages manuscript, 3 pages supplemental materia