Análisis de la gestión del agua en el acuífero de la Mancha Occidental: construcción de una red bayesiana mediante procesos de participación pública

Tesis doctoral inédita. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Ecología . Fecha de lectura: 19-06-09Bibliogr.: p.313-33

Evaluating Ecosystem Services in Transhumance Cultural Landscapes: An Interdisciplinary and Participatory Framework

Following the concept of ecosystem services, we propose in this article an interdisciplinary and participatory methodological framework for ecosystem services assessment and participatory decision-making in Mediterranean cultural landscapes linked with transhumant pastoralism. It is based on four sequential phases: 1. characterisation of the social-ecological network associated with transhumance, 2. preliminary identification and characterisation of ecosystem services, 3. evaluation of ecosystem services (in biophysical, socio-cultural, and economic terms), and 4. future scenario planning for the analysis of social conflicts related to ecosystem services use and trade-offs as well as the proposal of management strategies. Applying the framework to a case study on one of the major transhumance landscapes in Spain, we could identify and evaluate more than 30 ecosystem services. The framework facilitated the design of robust policy measures that aim to maintain this livestock raising model and its associated flow of ecosystem services. It also contributes to provide the basis for the implementation of adaptive co-management strategiesThis research has been financed by the Spanish Ministry for the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (Project 079/RN08/02.1

Forgone opportunities of large-scale agricultural investment: A comparison of three models of soya production in Central Mozambique

Agriculture is one of the main engines for prosperity and economic growth in Africa but effective agricultural strategies to support rural development and poverty alleviation are not yet identified. While state investment in the small-scale farming sector is minimal, and the medium-scale “emergent” household farm sector remains underrepresented, large-scale land investments are advocated as means to bring capital to rural areas and stimulate development. Yet, little empirical research has been done to contrast agricultural development strategies and to understand their strengths and weaknesses. We present an analysis of different soya production models - small-scale farmers, medium-scale mechanised emergent farmers, and large-scale commercial operations - and their socio-economic aspects in Central Mozambique. Based on purposefully collected data in 10 villages in Gurué district, our findings suggest that large-scale plantations create localized land scarcity and that the benefits from wage labour and local investments do not compensate rural populations for lost access to land. Small- and medium-scale soya farming also leads to decreasing land availability, but provides greater socio-economic benefits such as on-farm employment and work opportunities along the local value chain. Small- and medium-scale soya production increases on- and off-farm income and leads to spill-over effects to the local economy. Negative effects of these models of soya production on food production could not be detected; instead the cultivation of soya significantly increases maize yields grown in rotation. These findings suggest that small- and medium-scale commercial farming can compete with large-scale operations in key socio-economic parameters and that a concentration on large-scale investments can result in forgone opportunities regarding rural development and poverty reduction

Combining social network analysis and agent-based model for enabling nature-based solution implementation: The case of Medina del Campo (Spain).

Abstract Several barriers still hamper the effective implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). Among the others, this work focuses on collaboration barriers. NBS implementation claims for effective collaboration among different decision-agents. However, ambiguity in problem framings, which is ineradicable in multi-agents' decision environments, could create collaboration barriers. This work aims to demonstrate that collaboration barriers to NBS implementation can be overcome by enhancing the network of interactions among the decision-agents. An innovative method based on the integration between Social Network Analysis and hybrid Agent-Based Model/System Dynamic Model was adopted to this aim. The analysis results were used for designing networking interventions, i.e. efforts using social network characteristics that could enhance interactions mechanisms among decision-agents. The developed method was implemented in the Medina del Campo (Spain) case study. This area is characterised by one of the most critical groundwater bodies of the Duero River Basin. This work aims at supporting the implementation of suitable NBS to stop the degradation of the groundwater status and associated ecosystem services. The activities carried out within the framework of the NAIAD project showed that, by enhancing the interaction mechanisms, ambiguity in problem frames can still yield collective actions for NBS implementation

Understanding complex relationships between human well-being and land use change in Mozambique using a multi-scale participatory scenario planning process

The path for bringing millions of people out of poverty in Africa is likely to coincide with important changes in land use and land cover (LULC). Envisioning the different possible pathways for agricultural, economic and social development, and their implications for changes in LULC, ecosystem services and society well-being, will improve policy-making. This paper presents a case that uses a multi-scale participatory scenario planning method to facilitate the understanding of the complex interactions between LULC change and the wellbeing of the rural population and their possible future evolution in Mozambique up to 2035. Key drivers of change were identified: the empowerment of civil society, the effective application of legislation and changes in rural technologies (e.g., information and communications technologies and renewable energy sources). Three scenarios were constructed: one characterized by the government promoting large investments; a second scenario characterized by the increase in local community power and public policies to promote small and medium enterprises; and a third, intermediate scenario. All three scenarios highlight qualitative large LULC changes, either driven by large companies or by small and medium scale farmers. The scenarios have different impact in wellbeing and equity, the first one implying a higher rural to urban area migration. The results also show that the effective application of the law can produce different results, from assuring large international investments to assuring the improvement of social services like education, health care and extension services. Successful application of these policies, both for biodiversity and ecosystem services protection, and for the social services needed to improve the well-being of the Mozambican rural population, will have to overcome significant barriers

An Initial Framework for Understanding the Resilience of Aquifers to Groundwater Pumping

Groundwater stored in aquifers experiences a wide variety of natural, induced and/or anthropogenic disturbances. Among them, groundwater extraction is the main disturbance that affects most of the aquifers in the world. Aquifer’s resilience, understood as the potential of the aquifer to sustain disturbances on the long term and to guarantee essential qualities and functions, provides a key tool when assessing sustainable groundwater management alternatives. The aim of this work is to illustrate an aquifer resilience framework that can support groundwater sustainable management. A theoretical framework is based on the identification of the key variables that parameterize the quantitative and qualitative responses of the groundwater flow system to pumping. An example from the literature based in Denmark is provided as an illustration of the proposed framework. The results show that long-term high quality data are essential to make a step further in aquifers dynamic responses. The quantitative understanding of the aquifer’s behavior before, during and after groundwater extraction provides a valuable source of information in order to identify thresholds of change (tipping points, transitions or regime shifts) which could permit pro-active groundwater management decisions. Moreover, a deeper understanding on the aquifer’s dynamics provides useful information in order to avert threats that may put the sustainability of the system at risk

Integrating stakeholders' inputs to co-design climate resilience adaptation measures in Mediterranean areas with conflicts between wetland conservation and intensive agriculture

[EN] Designing sustainable management strategies in groundwater-dependent socio-economic systems in areas with scarce water resources and protected wetlands is a challenging issue. The high vulnerability of these systems to droughts will be exacerbated even further under future climate change (CC) and socio-economic scenarios. A novel integrated bottom-up/top-down approach is used to identify “climate resilient pathways”, from which to co-design adaptation strategies to reduce the impact of potential future CC and socio-economic scenarios. The approach followed two steps (1) the generation of local CC and socio-economic scenarios by downscaling global/regional climate models and (2) the identification and assessment of potential adaptation strategies through an iterative bottom-up/top-down approach. Top-down assessments of the impact of CC have been undertaken by propagating local scenarios within a chain of mathematical models based on expert criteria/assumptions. This allowed us to analyse of the physical vulnerability of the system under different potential CC and socio-economic scenarios by simulating them with a sequential modelling of rainfall–recharge, agriculture, and hydrological processes through a distributed groundwater finite difference model. These model results were discussed with the stakeholders at a first workshop, which aimed to identify potential adaptation strategies. The influence of the adaptation strategies on the future hydrological status was assessed by simulating them through the chain of models. These results were the inputs into the discussions at a second workshop, which aimed to validate and/or improve the results of the first workshop. The methodology was applied in the Upper Guadiana River Basin, where there is a long-standing conflict between wetland conservation and groundwater overexploitation for intensive agriculture. The future horizon 2016–2045 is analysed with the scenarios compatible with the emission scenario RCP4.5. The research has allowed us to conclude that groundwater pumping reduction would be the most robust and effective measure to reduce the impact of CC in the area.This research was partially supported by the research projects SIGLO-AN (RTI2018-101397-B-I00) and SIGLO-PRO (PID2021-128021OB-I00) from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Programa Estatal de ICDCI orientado a los Retos de la Sociedad), the GeoE.171.008-TACTIC Project funded by European Union's Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Programme, and the NextGenerationEU Fund through the programme “Fondos de Recuperación”.Peer reviewe