The Impacts of Louisiana’s Changing Climate on Food Crop Production

While various prior studies have delved into the potential consequences of climate change on crop production in specific areas, notably in southeastern Louisiana, limited investigation has been carried out concerning some crops within the state of Louisiana. Consequently, there exists a dearth of knowledge regarding the specific hurdles and potential benefits confronting agricultural producers in this region. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to explore and measure the impact of climate change on the yields of corn, rice, soybeans, and cotton in Louisiana, thereby addressing this informational void. The study uses data on average high temperatures and precipitation to assess the impact of climate change on these specific food crops in Louisiana. The researchers used ArcGIS and its symbology tool to create three separate maps depicting the spatial distribution of harvested cropland in Louisiana. The graduated color option was used on each map, which represented the years 2007, 2012, and 2017. Similarly, eight separate maps were created using the graduated color option to visually present the distribution patterns of Louisiana’s corn, cotton, rice, and soybean crops. These maps provided a visual representation of the state’s total crop production between 2007 and 2017. The researchers also created six bar charts to show the distribution of corn, cotton, rice, and soybean production in Louisiana over three time periods: 2007, 2012, and 2017. These charts also included information about the average high temperature and annual precipitation in each parish. The study revealed decreasing trends in Louisiana corn and cotton yields alongside consistent increases in rice and soybean yields, with projections suggesting future temperature rises may negatively impact crop yields, highlighting the need for research into climate-smart agricultural practices to mitigate these effects and safeguard global crop production. Louisiana’s response to climate change in food crop production involves implementing a comprehensive Climate-Resilient Agriculture Program, focusing on developing climate-adaptive crop varieties, sustainable water management, climate-responsive insurance, farmer education, and outreach to safeguard food security, enhance agricultural resilience, and ensure sustainable crop production.

Streamflow response to shrinking glaciers under changing climate in the Lidder Valley,Kashmir Himalayas

The study investigated the streamflow response to the shrinking cryosphere under changing climate in the Lidder valley, Upper Indus Basin(UIB), Kashmir Himalayas. We used a combination of multitemporal satellite data and topographic maps to evaluate the changes in area, length and volume of the glaciers from 1962 to 2013. A total of 37 glaciers from the Lidder valley, with an area of 39.76 km^2 in 1962 were selected for research in this study. It was observed that the glaciers in the valley have lost ~28.89 ±0.1% of the area and ~19.65 ±0.069% of the volume during the last 51 years, with variable interdecadal recession rates. Geomorphic and climatic influences on the shrinking glacier resources were studied. 30-years temperature records(1980-2010) in the study area showed a significant increasing trend in all the seasons. However, the total annual precipitation during the same period showed a nonsignificant decreasing trend except during the late summer months(July, August and September), when the increasing trend is significant. The depletion of glaciers has led to the significant depletion of the streamflows under the changing climate in the valley. Summer streamflows(1971-2012) have increased significantly till mid-nineties but decreased significantly thereafter, suggesting that the tipping point of streamflow peak, due to the enhanced glacier-melt contribution under increasing global temperatures, may have been already reached in the basin. The observed glacier recession and climate change patterns, if continued in future, would further deplete the streamflows with serious implications on water supplies for different uses in the region.

How can the forest sector mitigate climate change in a changing climate? Case studies of boreal and northern temperate forests in eastern Canada

Background:Forest based climate mitigation emerged as a key component of the Paris Agreement,and thus re-quires robust science to reduce uncertainties related to such strategies.The aim of this study was to assess and compare the cumulative effects on carbon dynamics of forest management and climate change on boreal and northern temperate forest sector in eastern Canada for the 2020–2100 period.Methods:We used the spatially explicit forest landscape model LANDIS-II and its extension Forest Carbon Suc-cession,in conjunction with the Carbon Budget Model for Harvested Wood Products framework.We simulated the dynamics of forest composition and carbon flows from forest ecosystems to wood products and their substitution effect on markets under increasing climate forcing,according to a tonne-year approach.Simulations were con-ducted for a series of forest management scenarios based on realistic practices principally by clearcut in the boreal territory and continuous-cover forestry in the northern temperate one.These scenarios included:i)a business-as-usual scenario(BaU),representing the current management strategy,ii)increased harvesting by 6.3%to 13.9%,iii)increased conservation(i.e.reduced harvesting by 11.1%to 49.8%),iiii)and a scenario representing the natural evolution of the forest landscape(i.e.without any management activity).Results:Our study revealed that increasing harvesting levels had contrasting effects on the mitigation potential in northern temperate(enhance net sequestration)and boreal forest sector(enhance net emissions)in comparison to the BaU from 2040 onwards,regardless of the future climate.Carbon storage in wood products and the substi-tution effect were not sufficient to offset carbon emissions from ecosystems.Moreover,climate change had a strong impact on the capacity of both landscapes to act as carbon sinks.Northern temperate landscapes became a net source of carbon over time due to their greater vulnerability to climate change than boreal landscapes.Conclusions:Our study highlights the need to consider the initial landscape characteristics in simulations to maximize the mitigation potential of alternative forest management strategies.The optimal management solution can be very different according to the characteristics of forest ecosystems.This opens the possibility of optimizing management for specific forest stands,with the objective of maximizing the mitigation potential of a given landscape.

Recognizing production options for pearl millet in Pakistan under changing climate scenarios

Climate change is making the lands a harsher environment all over the world including Pakistan. It is expected to oppose us with three main challenges： increase in temperature up to 2-5℃ （heat stress）, increasing water stress and severe malnourishment due to climate change. It has been foreseen that there will be a 10% increase of dryland areas with climate change in the world, with more variability and incidences of short periods of extreme events （drought and heat stress）. Pearl millet is a hardy, climate smart grain crop, idyllic for environments prone to drought and heat stresses. The crop continues to produce highly nutritious grain sustainably, thereby encouraging the fight against poverty and food insecurity due to its resilience. The crop is more responsive to good production options （planting time, planting density, inter/intra row spacing, nitrogen application and irrigation）. It has high crop growth rate, large leaf area index and high radiation use efficiency that confers its high potential yield. In most of the cases, pearl millet is remained our agricultural answer to the climate calamity that we are facing, because it is selected as water saving, drought tolerant and climate change complaint crop. In view of circumstances, pearl millet cultivation must be retrieved by recognizing production options in context to changing climate scenarios of Pakistan using crop modeling techniques.

Conservation of Quiver Trees in Namibia and South Africa under a Changing Climate

Aloe dichotoma (Quiver tree) occurs in the arid regions of Namaqualand and Bushman land in South Africa, and in arid regions of southern Namibia. The Quiver trees are not only threatened by agricultural expansion, overgrazing, and mining;but also by climate changes and droughts. Previous studies show that Quiver trees are very sensitive to environmental changes, and do not respond well to extreme hot and dry conditions. This study investigates the current status of the Quiver tree within its existing environment, and also assesses the projected future changes of the Quiver tree habitat under different climatic scenarios. It provided evidence regarding the importance of the study to understanding the climate change impacts on the Quiver tree and its geographical response to climate changes.

Developing Wheat for Improved Yield and Adaptation Under a Changing Climate： Optimization of a Few Key Genes

Wheat grown under rain-fed conditions is often affected by drought worldwide. Future projections from a climate simulation model predict that the combined effects of increasing temperature and changing rainfall patterns will aggravate this drought scenario and may significantly reduce wheat yields unless appropriate varieties are adopted. Wheat is adapted to a wide range of environments due to the diversity in its phenology genes. Wheat phenology offers the opportunity to fight against drought by modifying crop developmental phases according to water availability in target environments. This review summa- rizes recent advances in wheat phenology research, including vernalization （Vrn）, photoperiod （Ppd）, and also dwarfing （Rht） genes. The alleles, haplotypes, and copy number variation identified for Vrn and Ppd genes respond differently in different climatic conditions, and thus could alter not only the development phases but also the yield. Compared with the model plant Arabidopsis, more phenology genes have not yet been identified in wheat; quantifying their effects in target environments would benefit the breeding of wheat for improved drought tolerance. Hence, there is scope to maximize yields in water-limited envi-ronments by deploying appropriate phenology gene combinations along with Rht genes and other important physiological traits that are associated with drought resistance.

Projections of corrosion and deterioration of infrastructure in United States coasts under a changing climate

Climate change can accelerate infrastructure deterioration in coastal areas because increased temperature and humidity can promote steel corrosion.This study(1)projects corrosion rate changes for reinforced concrete and steel structures in 223 coastal counties,(2)assesses the impact of corrosion rate changes on the useful life of structures,and(3)evaluates direct economic losses due to shortened useful life of highway bridges over the period 2000-2100.The results show that the useful life of concrete structures may decrease by 1.7-2.7%under the representative concentration pathway(RCP)8.5 and decrease by 0.7-1.1%under RCP 4.5 by the end of the 21st century.The useful life of steel structures may decrease by 7.9-15.9%under RCP 8.5 and 3.3-6.7%under RCP 4.5.Concrete bridges may suffer an average loss of$6.5-11.7/m 2 under RCP 8.5 and$3.3-16.5/m 2 under RCP 4.5 due to shortened useful life.Steel bridges may suffer an average loss of$73.4-111.3/m 2 under RCP 8.5 and$46.9-81.2/m 2 under RCP 4.5.In both climate scenarios,10%of counties may have negative losses and 10%of counties may have losses greater than$20 million due to corrosion rate changes for concrete and steel bridges.The results reveal the spatial difference of climate change impacts on infrastructural deterioration and suggest the importance of developing regional specific adaptation strategies.

Climatic change in Western North America during the last 15,000 years:The role of changes in the relative strengths of air masses in producing the changing climates

In the Cordillera of western North America, the influence of the Pacific Interdecadal Oscillation only affects coastal areas west of the Coast Range and the lowlands of western and southern Alaska. The rest of the area is subject to a climate controlled by the relative strengths of three distinct air masses, viz., the cold cA/cP air that is dominant in winter, the mP air bringing cool moist air over the mountains throughout the year, and the dry hot cT air from the deserts of the southwestern United States. The Arctic Front marks the boundary between the cA/cP air mass and the other two. Changes in the relative strengths of these air masses appear to explain the climatic changes documented throughout the region. Thus, in the last 30 years, the average position of the Arctic Front has moved north from about 53°N to 58°N, causing the warming in northern British Columbia and cooling south of Calgary, Alberta. This concept of changing positions of the air masses also appears to explain the mechanism behind the past climatic changes in this region. During the last Neoglacial event （c.1400-1900 A.D.）, it appears that the cA/cP air mass had strengthened enough to push the Arctic Front south of the 49th parallel. Incursions of mP air increased with localized areas of short-term heavy snowfalls resulting in small-scale advances of glaciers in these regions. This accounts for the variability in timing and extent of these glacial advances, while the resulting increased Chinook activity produced the development of a sand sea between Medicine Hat and Regina on the southern Prairies. The cT air mass was relatively weak, permitting these changes. During the maximum of the Altithermal/Hysithermal warm event （6,000 years B.P.）, the Arctic Front had retreated into the southern Yukon Territory as the cT air mass became stronger. The mP air could not move inland as easily, resulting in drier climates across the region. Prairie plants mi- grated into the southern Yukon Territory, and land snails from the eastern United States were able to migrate up the Saskatchewan River system as far as Lake Louise, Alberta. On the southern Prairies, the many small sloughs and lakes dried up. During the maximum of the Late Wisconsin Glacial event （15,000 years B.P.）, the Arctic Front had moved south to the vicinity of 30°N, while there had been a southward movement of the Zone of Intertropical Convergence from the equator to about 10°S. The mP air was also very strong and dumped enormous quantities of snow in the glaciated Canadian Cordillera, but it does not appear to have moved south any distance into the northern United States, witness the limited glaciation and widespread permafrost that developed there. Instead, there is evidence for buffering of the climatic changes in the closed basins in the northern Cordillera of the contiguous United States. The source of the cT air mass had moved south into the northern part of South America, permitting an exchange of savannah biota between the two continents. An extensive area of white dune sands inundated both savannah and forest along the inland hills in Guyana. This parallels the massive changes in African climatology during the last Ice Age （Fairbridge, 1964）. If these changes occurred each time there was a major glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere, this would explain the movement of biota from all terrestrial environments between the two American continents in the last 2 million years. A similar northward movement of climatic belts occurred in South America, with the cA air from Antarctica expanding northwards into southern Argentina and Chili. However paucity of data and the potential effects of El Ni o and the Southern Oscillation make it difficult toprovide details of the changes there in the present state of knowledge. This technique of studying the mechanisms of present-day climatic changes and applying the results to past climatic events has considerable potential for elucidating past climatic changes elsewhere in continental regions. This may prove particularly valuable in studying the Siberian anticyclone that is the main cause of the distribution of permafrost, but this will need international cooperation to be successful.

The Diseases of Coffee under the Changing Climate： The Established Situation in Kenya

The distribution of key diseases of coffee particularly the Coffee berry disease （CBD） and Coffee leaf rust （CLR） in Kenya depended on coffee growing agro-ecological zones, which have varied climatic conditions. Under the changing climate, there has been an observed shift in their altitudinal distribution. To ascertain whether these diseases have shifted in their distribution, an extensive field survey covering 120 coffee farmers/households in all the coffee growing agro ecological zones was conducted. The survey established four coffee diseases; -viz. Coffee berry disease, Coffee leaf rust, Fusarium root disease （FRD） and Bacterial blight of coffee （BBC） as of economic importance to the farming community. The CBD, CLR and FRD were widely distributed in all coffee growing agro ecological zones. Of the four diseases, the CBD （65%） and CLR （63.3%） were most common as reported by the farmers, however these diseases dominated in their respective agro ecological zones; CBD （72.2%） in Upper Midland 1 （UM1） and CLR （75.0%） in Upper Midland 2 （UM2）. Both diseases equally infected coffee farms （69.2%） in main coffee zone （UM2）. According to the survey said diseases have increased their altitudinal range, a trend that will increase diseases pressure in coffee growing areas.

Impact of Changing Climate in the Kairouan Hydrological Basin （Central Tunisia）

The Merguellil catchment （central Tunisia） has undergone rapid hydrological changes over the last decades. The most visible signs are a marked decrease in surface runoff in the upstream catchment and a complete change in the recharge processes of the Kairouan aquifer downstream. Fluctuations in rainfall have had a real but limited hydrological impact. Much more important are the consequences of human activities such as soil and water conservation works, small and large dams, pumping for irrigation. Several independent approaches were implemented： hydrodynamics, thermal surveys, geochemistry including isotopes. They helped to identify the different terms of the regional water balance and to characterize their changes over time.

Sea Turtle Nesting: What Is Known and What Are the Challenges under a Changing Climate Scenario

The rate of climate change experienced globally in recent decades may compromise sea turtles’ survival;especially temperature increase, which is particularly fast, impacts life history characteristics, such as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), late maturity and sea turtles highly migratory nature. This review aims to identify and summarize the information that has been collected from 2009-2020 in order to aid future empirical studies that seek to fill these and other knowledge gaps, and subsequently assist conservationists in making multilevel decisions to protect sea turtle populations and species. In a summarized way the general knowledge acquired so far on the influence of environmental abiotic and biotic factors on nesting behaviour and hatching, emergence and survival successes of sea turtle hatchlings, was gathered. To accomplish this work, a search on Web of Science, Science Direct, NCBI/PubMed, and Google Scholar was carried out using the terms “sea turtles + climate change”. Published articles in the period 2009-2020 were selected, related to the nesting ecology of 5 species of sea turtles: Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, Dermochelys coriacea, Chelonia mydas, Lepidochelys olivacea. Emphasis was also placed on geographical information and on population location (e.g. climatic conditions during the nesting season). These articles (N = 126) were analysed giving relevance to researcher’s data interpretations, comparisons with other researches, and the reached conclusions. An attempt was made to represent all 5 species of sea turtles when selecting articles on each of the environmental factors that influence sea turtle nesting: temperature, humidity, nesting substrate, gases, depth of the nest, sea surface temperature (SST), nest location on the beach, nesting phenology and geographic distribution of nesting habitats. The interaction between these parameters and their consequences on the terrestrial phase of reproduction are presented and discussed.

The Risk of Flooding to Architecture and Infrastructure amidst a Changing Climate in Lake Baringo, Kenya

Climate change has grown more apparent in recent years with people becoming more aware of its potentially disastrous consequences. Flooding is one of the many consequences of a changing climate in Kenya known to cause immense devastation resulting in the loss of lives and property. This paper discusses the risk of flooding in Kenya as one of the many outcomes of climate change in the face of urgency to adapt Kenya’s built environment to flooding which is likely to continue to prevail in the decades as a result of the looming climate change. It also sought to evaluate the physical, traumatic, and psychological effects on communities affected by flood events. This cross-sectional survey, both qualitative and quantitative in nature, executed between 13th January 2021 and 14th July 2021 with 132 respondents along the western shoreline of Lake Baringo, near Marigat Town focused on the flood levels, structures, their materials, and quantities. Results show that the area covered by Lake Baringo increased by 18% from 236 km2 to 278 km2. The depth of floods ranged from 0.3 m to 1.2 m and exceeded 1.6 m during heavy rainfall up to 3.2 m with homes completely submerged by the lake. Flooding was experienced more by residents living in low areas nearer to the shoreline of the lake as compared to those living on higher grounds. 100% of the structures didn’t have the architectural technology to withstand the impacts of flooding with 59% of housing made of corrugated iron sheets both on wall and roofing, 22% of mud houses roofed with either corrugated iron sheets, 10% being timber with thatch and only 8% stoned walled houses. This predisposed all the residents to the harmful impacts of flooding. Piled sandbags by locals as a mitigating measure proved inadequate to withstand the forces of the rising waters. Flood walls were built around local lodges near the lake but the rising water level quickly breached these defences. The study recommends that county and national governing authorities develop flood adaptation strategies for resilience. These include long-term land-use planning, the establishment of early warning systems, evacuation plans, identification of vulnerable or high-risk populations, measures to ensure water quality, sanitation, and hygiene. Flood-resilient architecture including stilt and floating houses that mechanically rise and fall with respect to the highest water mark are recommended during flood events. Bridges on swollen rivers and resilient construction materials like reinforced concrete are to be used for sustainable development for flood risk adaptation.

Uncertainty in Precipitation Projection under Changing Climate Conditions: A Regional Case Study

This study investigates different sources of uncertainty in the assessment of the climate change impacts on total monthly precipitation in the Campbell River basin, British Columbia, Canada. Four global climate models (GCMs), three greenhouse gas emission scenarios (RCPs) and six downscaling methods (DSMs) are used in the assessment. These sources of uncertainty are analyzed separately for two future time periods (2036 to 2065 and 2066 to 2095). An uncertainty metric is calculated based on the variation in simulated precipitation due to choice of GCMs, emission scenarios and downscaling models. The results show that the selection of a downscaling method provides the largest amount of uncertainty when compared to the choice of GCM and/or emission scenario. However, the choice of GCM provides a significant amount of uncertainty if downscaling methods are not considered. This assessment work is conducted at ten different locations in the Campbell River basin.

Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Natural and Anthropomorphic Effects, and Earth’s Changing Climate

This study will both compare and contrast the characteristics and roles of two pollutants: nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. It will begin by tracing each gas’ negative contributions to the Earth’s spheres, as well as relate any negative links that each plays concerning human activity, health, and interaction with the environment. It will include an in-depth analysis of what the proliferation of such toxic gases indicates about human production and causality, plus reflect on any current attempts being made to improve the effects of these pollutants on the environment. This examination will also inspect three NASA missions, i.e., MOPITT/Terra, AIRS/Aqua, and OMI/Aura, the aim of which, among many other tasks, is to detect pollutants within the Earth’s various spheres, as well as analyze weather anomalies, improve prediction methodology, and chronicle meteorological patterns for future study. It will also cover some of the goals, engineering breakthroughs, and in one case, the limitations, of these three satellite missions. Finally, it should be noted that in all stages of this discussion, the author’s main aim will be to focus on the positives that need to be implemented in order to improve the current situations that both anthropogenic and natural disasters have created for the planet.

Seagrass Meadows under the Changing Climate:A Review of the Impacts of Climate Stressors

Seagrass meadows provide important ecological functions,particularly by serving as carbon sinks and breeding grounds for marine species.Climate change has threatened seagrass communities,causing their replacement,loss and increased vulnerability.This review examined scholarly articles published between 2010-2021 to comprehensively present the impacts of climate change on seagrass meadows.It shows that ocean warming negatively affects seagrass communities by favouring communities of lower structuring capacities,thus reducing the effectiveness of their ecological functions.Ocean warming also promotes the propagation and spread of invasive species,and changes the trophic structures leading to further loss of seagrasses of value.Higher seawater temperature is associated with shoot mortality and retarded growth of certain seagrasses.Sea level rise causes more wave energy to be received by coastal seagrass communities,thus,creating more damage to the communities.Deepening sea limits light penetration and alters distribution of seagrass meadows.Carbon dioxide enrichment of seawater increases photosynthetic rate of seagrasses but ocean warming and acidification counteract this beneficial effect.Carbon dioxide enrichment affects different seagrass species and different parts of a seagrass species differently,and,where beneficial to seagrass communities,could enhance their ecological services.Temperature extremes could kill seagrasses while marine heatwaves and flooding could act synergistically to increase carbon demand of certain seagrasses and unfavourably change their biomass.These impacts are often aggravated by anthropogenic activities.This review calls for more studies and conservation efforts to understand the impacts of climate change on seagrass communities and future-proof them against the changing climate.

Community-Based Coral Reef Rehabilitation in a Changing Climate:Lessons Learned from Hurricanes,Extreme Rainfall,and Changing Land Use Impacts

Coral reefs have largely declined across multiple spatial scales due to a combination of local-scale anthropogenic impacts, and due to regional-global climate change. This has resulted in a significant loss of entire coral functional groups, including western Atlantic Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) biotopes, and in a net decline of coral reef ecosystem resilience, ecological functions, services and benefits. Low-tech coral farming has become one of the most important tools to help restore depleted coral reefs across the Wider Caribbean Region. We tested a community-based, low-tech coral farming approach in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, aimed at adapting to climate change-related impacts through a two-year project to propagate A. cervicornis under two contrasting fishing management conditions, in coastal areas experimenting significant land use changes. Extreme rainfall events and recurrent tropical storms and hurricanes had major site-and method-specific impacts on project outcome, particularly in areas adjacent to deforested lands and subjected to recurrent impacts from land-based source pollution (LBSP) and runoff. Overall, coral survival rate in “A frame” units improved from 73% during 2011-2012 to 81% during 2012-2013. Coral survival rate improved to 97% in horizontal line nurseries (HLN) incorporated during 2012-2013. Percent tissue cover ranged from 86% to 91% in “A frames”, but reached 98% in HLN. Mean coral skeletal extension was 27 cm/y in “A frames” and 40 cm/y in HLN. These growth rates were up to 545% to 857% faster than previous reports from coral farms from other parts of the Caribbean, and up to 438% faster than wild colonies. Branch production and branchiness index (no. harvestable branches > 6 cm) increased by several orders of magnitude in comparison to the original colonies at the beginning of the project. Coral mortality was associated to hurricane physical impacts and sediment-laden runoff impacts associated to extreme rainfall and deforestation of adjacent lands. This raises a challenging question regarding the impact of chronic high sea surface temperature (SST), in combination with recurrent high nutrient pulses, in fostering increased coral growth at the expense of coral physiological conditions which may compromise corals resistance to disturbance. Achieving successful local management of reefs and adjacent lands is vital to maintain the sustained net production in coral farms and of reef structure, and the provision of the important ecosystem services that they provide. These measures are vital for buying time for reefs while global action on climate change is implemented. Adaptive community-based strategies are critical to strengthen institutional management efforts. But government agencies need to transparently build local trust, empower local stakeholders, and foster co-management to be fully successful. Failing to achieve that could make community-based coral reef rehabilitation more challenging, and could potentially drive rapidly declining, transient coral reefs into the slippery slope to slime.

The electricity,industrial,and agricultural sectors under changing climate:Adaptation and mitigation in China

Climate change is a pressing global concern with far-reaching consequences that vary across sectors.Addressing the adverse impacts of climate change on various sectors is a challenging issue faced by countries worldwide,including China.It is imperative for China to address climate change to foster sustainable development and make meaningful contributions to global climate mitigation efforts.This paper presented a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of climate change on the electricity,agriculture,and industry sectors,which together account for over 80%of the greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions in China.Additionally,the strategies employed by these sectors to address climate change were reviewed,and potential future developments were explored.This review article could shine light on climate change practices and evidence-based policies aimed at addressing climate-related challenges across various sectors in China.

A multi-objective optimization approach for harnessing rainwater in changing climate

As the world grapples with the profound impacts of climate change,water scarcity has become a pressing issue.However,there is a shortage of in-depth research on the trade-offs between water resource dependence and the economic,ecological,and social needs of arid and semi-arid regions like Lanzhou,China.Flower cultivation in Lanzhou relies heavily on the Yellow River,often overlooking the potential of natural rainfall.Here we first calibrated a water balance model through artificial precipitation experiments in a Soil and Water Conservation Demonstration Park in Lanzhou.We then developed a multi-objective optimization model to balance the cost-benefit considerations of various plausible measures across economic,ecological,and social dimensions in the searching for solutions that are more adaptable to climate change and local devel-opment needs.Model simulations show that the solutions we designed can effectively manage water-shortage days,significantly reduce Yellow River water extraction,and improve cost-effectiveness,meeting 66%-80%of water needs for flower cultivation in the studied park.The findings highlight the potential of rainwater collection and utilization solutions to mitigate water scarcity in arid and semi-arid cities,thereby enriching water resource management.

Blue economy:A new era of petroleum microbiology in a changing climate

The productivity and health of our ocean hold some good solutions to the world’s challenges in socio-economy.However,climate change and waste discharge are changing the marine capacity to buffer human impacts,further challenging the marine industry,primarily in offshore oil and gas,shipping,and fishery operations.These encourage the blue economy,a sustainable development approach to utilize marine resources.Petroleum microbiology dealing with microbes that can respond,degrade,and alter crude oils,offers an unprecedented opportunity to achieve the knowledge-and science-based blue economy.However,the new-era petroleum microbiology for supporting the blue economy has yet to be systematically discussed.This review introduces the climate change impacts on key marine industrial sectors,highlights the critical role of advanced petroleum microbiology in supporting sustainable development,and offers insight into the challenges and future research opportunities in availing of petroleum microbiology for benefiting our marine environment and responsible economic growth.