Adaptation to climate change of Italian agricultural systems: the role of adaptive governance and social learning

Agriculture sustainability in the changing climate world is a difficult issue for both research and policy communities. While scientists are still struggled with CC knowledge uncertainties. Policy makers are stuck in understanding CC impacts in order to develop and implement policies to ensure an optimal level of adaptation. Several questions emerged in this context for policy makers are who and what adapts, what they adapt to and which levels they need to adapt. Through an empirical study at Oristano (Italy) with the 4 representative Italian agricultural systems, this research aimed to examine the local farmers’ adaptation capacity in the context of climate uncertainty. The research was designed flexibly in 4 phases as guided by the Grounded Theory Methodology. Participatory and bottom-up approach adopting methods such as interviews or questionnaires, meetings and workshops developed during the 3 years to trigger the interactions with/among stakeholders, engage their participation and open new space for social learning occurrence. The results provided an insight understanding about farmers’ perceptions, their knowledge, attitude and practices in coping with climate uncertainties, and importantly scenarios of adaptation to CC of Italian agricultural systems. It also highlighted several theoretical frameworks, that have significant implications for research and policy, on emerging social learning processes and forming local adaptive governance for CC adaptation at local levels

A Global Perspective for Sustainable Highway Tunnel Lighting Regulations: Greater Road Safety with a Lower Environmental Impact

Tunnel lighting installations function 24 h a day, 365 days a year. These infrastructures have increased exponentially and now connect quite distant locations, even on different continents. This has led European administrations and international regulatory bodies to establish regulations for tunnel safety with the lowest environmental impact. However, until now, these regulations have almost exclusively focused on traffic safety, and relegated sustainability to the background. Even though they recognize the need to reduce energy consumption, they do not propose any tools for doing so. Given the impact of these installations and the lack of a specific regulatory framework, Asian countries will soon be forced either to update previous standards for tunnel lighting or elaborate new ones. A better understanding of the weaknesses of European regulations combined with a willingness to embrace innovation could position Asia as a world leader in the regulation of more sustainable road tunnels. The objective of this research was to improve the sustainability of tunnel lighting installations through new regulations or amendments to existing ones, without impairing the mental well-being of users, who could potentially be affected by energy-saving measures. Accordingly, this paper presents and analyzes a broad proposal for formulating tunnel lighting regulations. The originality of this proposal lies in the fact that it integrates road safety, lower environmental impact, and user well-being. Furthermore, it is expected to broaden the perspective of regulatory bodies and public administrations with regard to tunnel installations, which would ultimately enhance their sustainability.This research was carried out as part of project ENE2015-67031-R (MINECO/FEDER), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Madrid, Spain)

Users’ Awareness, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Health Risks Associated with Excessive Lighting in Night Markets: Policy Implications for Sustainable Development

The introduction of artificial lighting has dramatically transformed nighttime activities, becoming a very positive but also disruptive factor that must be optimized and adapted according to the guidelines of sustainable policies. In this framework, night markets in Thailand are definitely popular destinations among locals and tourists that are found in every town and city in the whole country, being the source of livelihoods for many people. It is well-known that shops in night markets frequently use colorful light sources, emitting high levels of illumination to attract customers. Since previous research has shown environmental risks of inappropriate lighting on human health and well-being, as well as on ecosystems, excessive lighting in night markets could have adverse effects on vendors’ health if they are exposed to high illumination levels during long hours every night. This is a risk for people, but also for their attachment to their lands, traditions, culture, and way of life. This study was designed to explore whether excessive illumination of night markets has impacts on vendors’ health and well-being. The research was conducted through an empirical study in a night market in the center of Surin province (Thailand), using observations and a questionnaire survey of 205 vendors and clients (non-vendors). The results show that night markets’ vendors were more likely to suffer from eye- and sleep-related problems than non-vendors. Women were affected more than men

Perceptions of Present and Future Climate Change Impacts on Water Availability for Agricultural Systems in the Western Mediterranean Region

Many Mediterranean countries have experienced water shortages during the last 20 years and future climate change projections foresee further pressure on water resources. This will have significant implications for irrigation water management in agricultural systems in the future. Through qualitative and quantitative empirical research methods carried out on a case study on four Mediterranean farming systems located in Oristano, Italy, we sought to understand the relationship between farmers' perceptions of climate change (i.e., increased temperature and decreased precipitation) and of present and future water availability for agriculture as forecasted by climatic and crop models. We also explored asymmetries between farmers' perceptions and present and future climate change and water scenarios as well as factors influencing perceptions. Our hypotheses were that farmers' perceptions are the main drivers of actual water management practices and that sustainable practices can emerge from learning spaces designed from the understanding of the gaps between perceptions and scientific evidences. Results showed that most farmers perceived that climate change is occurring or will occur in their area. They also perceived that there has been an increased temperature trend, but also increased precipitation. Therefore, they are convinced that they have and will have enough irrigation water for agriculture in the near future, while climate change projections foresee an increasing pressure on water resources in the Mediterranean region. Such results suggest the need for (i) irrigation management policies that take into account farmers' perceptions in order to promote virtuous behaviors and improve irrigation water use efficiency; (ii) new, well-designed learning spaces to improve the understanding on climate change expectations in the near future in order to support effective adaptive responses at the farm and catchment scales

Combining modeling and stakeholder involvement to build community adaptive responses to climate change in a Mediterranean agricultural district

The case study area (54,000 ha) is located at Oristano, Italy. The main cropping systems are based on forages (silage maize, Italian ryegrass and alfalfa under irrigation, winter cereals and grasslands under rainfed conditions), rainfed cereals (durum wheat, barley), vegetables (e.g. artichokes), rice, citrus, olives and vineyards. Some 36,000 ha are served by irrigation. The area includes the dairy cows cooperative system of Arborea (30,000 cows, 5500 ha, nitrate vulnerable zone). The rainfed dairy sheep includes 372,000 sheep and a number of small milk processing plants. The research aims to support adaptive responses to climate change through the combination of modeling approaches and stakeholder engagement. Present (2000-2010) and future (2020-2030) climatic scenarios were developed by combining global climate models with Regional Atmospheric Modelling Systems to produce calibrated time series of daily temperature and precipitation for the case study. The EPIC model was calibrated to simulate the impact of climate scenarios on the main cropping systems. The impact of THIndex on milk yield, milk quality and mortality was also simulated for dairy cows. A territorial farm-type Discrete Stochastic Programming model was implemented to simulate choices for thirteen farming typologies as influenced by crop yields and water consumptions. Participatory activities, including field experiments, interviews, focus groups and interactive workshops, involved farmers and other stakeholders in the most critical phases of the research. The assessment of uncertainties and opportunities were proposed as a basis for discussion with policy makers to identify priorities for agro-climatic measures in 2014-2020

PILOT SCALE STUDY ON AMMONIUM REMOVAL IN PHAP VAN WATER PLANT, HANOI CITY

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Local Governance of Groundwater Resources through the Lens of Stakeholders in the Context of State-Led Management in the Lower Mekong Region

Local groundwater governance in the Lower Mekong Region (LMR) is often inadequate and ineffective because of policy incoherence and lack of public participation; thus, groundwater exploitation and pollution have been accelerated in many LMR countries. Through a case study in Khon Kaen, Thailand, this study aims to assess the state of local groundwater governance (GWG) through the stakeholders’ perception by using Water Governance Framework developed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Although it is useful for the assessment at the national scale, it is still inadequate and has some limitations on the local scale. Hence, the principles were reconsidered and translated to fit the local context. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to explain the state of GWG, while confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the relations between GWG indicators and GWG dimensions. The findings show that clear roles and responsibilities are have the highest performance. However, integrity and transparency are the challenges of GWG. We found that the indicators explained the effectiveness, efficiency, and trust and engagement in the GWG model. Consequently, this study contributes stakeholder involvement in GWG assessment. The findings show to policymakers and policy practitioners the current state of GWG and propose key indicators in groundwater governance assessment at the local context

STEM Education in Secondary Schools: Teachers’ Perspective towards Sustainable Development

Young people are the future of society and agents for social change, and so it is crucial to provide education that not only equips them with knowledge and skills but also changes their attitudes and behavior towards sustainable development. This study provides a review on how pedagogical approaches in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education can be deployed to teach concepts of sustainability. It also shows how secondary school teachers perceived STEM education and how they applied integrated STEM disciplines in designing projects to address development issues in Vietnam. Seventy-seven STEM teaching projects of teachers across the country were analysed, and interviews were conducted with 635 teachers who participated in the STEM program. Teachers valued STEM education and were willing to apply constructivist pedagogical methods to help solve the real-world problems. It is hoped that an integrated STEM approach can transform education into an innovative and inclusive education for social equity and sustainable development