Abstract
The middle reaches of Heihe River are located in the oasis of the Gobi Desert where limited freshwater supply supports more than 1.5 million inhabitants. The intense agricultural activities are depleting the groundwater reserve. Consequently, natural landscapes and habitats are degraded. Though such development improves the livelihood of the local community, long-term sustainability of the ecosystem is at risk. Local authorities must be informed holistically to prepare for adapting to the changes and/or mitigating the impacts. The purpose of this study was to perform a regional sustainability assessment based on downscaling the planetary boundaries (PBs). We proposed a regional safe operating space framework that applied a top-down approach using the environmental monitoring data, and a bottom-up approach using knowledge from the local perception about environmental disaster. We conducted on-site samplings and interviews of residents to demonstrate the method. Overall, we showed that the middle reaches had transgressed the safe operating space, particularly on the freshwater use and biogeochemical flow dimensions. We found that the local perception acquired from interviews complemented the insufficiency of the monitoring data and provided the insightful social implications of transgressing the safe operating space, i.e., the anticipated impacts on local livelihood, for policy support.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1233 |
| Journal | Sustainability (Switzerland) |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 Jan 1 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Downscaling planetary boundaries
- Local perception
- Planetary boundaries
- Regional safe operating space
- Semi-arid ecosystem
- Sustainability assessment
- Sustainable development
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Cite this
Assessment of downscaling planetary boundaries to semi-arid ecosystems with a local perception : A case study in the middle reaches of Heihe River. / Teah, Heng Yi; Akiyama, Tomohiro; Carlos, Ricardo San; Rayo, Orlando Vargas; Khew, Yu Ting Joanne; Zhao, Sijia; Zheng, Lingfeng; Onuki, Motoharu.
In: Sustainability (Switzerland), Vol. 8, No. 12, 1233, 01.01.2016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of downscaling planetary boundaries to semi-arid ecosystems with a local perception
T2 - A case study in the middle reaches of Heihe River
AU - Teah, Heng Yi
AU - Akiyama, Tomohiro
AU - Carlos, Ricardo San
AU - Rayo, Orlando Vargas
AU - Khew, Yu Ting Joanne
AU - Zhao, Sijia
AU - Zheng, Lingfeng
AU - Onuki, Motoharu
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - The middle reaches of Heihe River are located in the oasis of the Gobi Desert where limited freshwater supply supports more than 1.5 million inhabitants. The intense agricultural activities are depleting the groundwater reserve. Consequently, natural landscapes and habitats are degraded. Though such development improves the livelihood of the local community, long-term sustainability of the ecosystem is at risk. Local authorities must be informed holistically to prepare for adapting to the changes and/or mitigating the impacts. The purpose of this study was to perform a regional sustainability assessment based on downscaling the planetary boundaries (PBs). We proposed a regional safe operating space framework that applied a top-down approach using the environmental monitoring data, and a bottom-up approach using knowledge from the local perception about environmental disaster. We conducted on-site samplings and interviews of residents to demonstrate the method. Overall, we showed that the middle reaches had transgressed the safe operating space, particularly on the freshwater use and biogeochemical flow dimensions. We found that the local perception acquired from interviews complemented the insufficiency of the monitoring data and provided the insightful social implications of transgressing the safe operating space, i.e., the anticipated impacts on local livelihood, for policy support.
AB - The middle reaches of Heihe River are located in the oasis of the Gobi Desert where limited freshwater supply supports more than 1.5 million inhabitants. The intense agricultural activities are depleting the groundwater reserve. Consequently, natural landscapes and habitats are degraded. Though such development improves the livelihood of the local community, long-term sustainability of the ecosystem is at risk. Local authorities must be informed holistically to prepare for adapting to the changes and/or mitigating the impacts. The purpose of this study was to perform a regional sustainability assessment based on downscaling the planetary boundaries (PBs). We proposed a regional safe operating space framework that applied a top-down approach using the environmental monitoring data, and a bottom-up approach using knowledge from the local perception about environmental disaster. We conducted on-site samplings and interviews of residents to demonstrate the method. Overall, we showed that the middle reaches had transgressed the safe operating space, particularly on the freshwater use and biogeochemical flow dimensions. We found that the local perception acquired from interviews complemented the insufficiency of the monitoring data and provided the insightful social implications of transgressing the safe operating space, i.e., the anticipated impacts on local livelihood, for policy support.
KW - Downscaling planetary boundaries
KW - Local perception
KW - Planetary boundaries
KW - Regional safe operating space
KW - Semi-arid ecosystem
KW - Sustainability assessment
KW - Sustainable development
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85007288843&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85007288843&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/su8121233
DO - 10.3390/su8121233
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85007288843
VL - 8
JO - Sustainability
JF - Sustainability
SN - 2071-1050
IS - 12
M1 - 1233
ER -