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This paper introduces a participatory framework for Sustainability Assessment (SA) for urban Integrated Watershed Management (IWM). The framework is applied to the Lihu Lake Basin (Wuxi City), where between 2002 and 2012 an IWM program was implemented, coordinating water environmental management measures with urban planning. The framework for SA introduced in this paper is based on a Multi-Criteria-Decision-Analysis (MCDA) approach integrating criteria of environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Local stakeholders were engaged in focus group discussions (FGDs) to validate and weigh criteria and attributes employed in the SA framework. Results of the model application indicate that the programme implemented in the Lihu Basin yielded positive results in enhancing environmental conditions, providing more sustainable avenues of environmental management funding, and fostering economic growth. Despite efforts put forward by local authorities, performance of social indicators was comparatively worse, due to relocation policies, increase in housing prices, and scarce public participation. Results show that decision makers pursued viability, rather than comprehensive sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 60% and 80% of global energy is consumed in urban areas and given the projected increase in world׳s urban population, this share is expected to further increase in the future. Continuity of energy supply in cities is affected by climate change and a growing array of other threats such as cyber attacks, terrorism, technical deficiencies, and market volatility. Determined efforts, acknowledging the interactions and interlinkages between energy and other sectors, are needed to avoid adverse consequences of disruption in energy supply. Resilience thinking is an approach to management of socio-ecological systems that aims to develop an integrated framework for bringing together the (often) fragmented, diverse research on disaster risk management. The literature on urban resilience is immense and still growing. This paper reviews literature related to energy resilience to develop a conceptual framework for assessing urban energy resilience, identify planning and design criteria that can be used for assessing urban energy resilience, and examine the relationship of these criteria with the underlying components of the conceptual framework. In the conceptual framework, it is proposed that in order to be resilient, urban energy system needs to be capable of “planning and preparing for”, “absorbing”, “recovering from”, and “adapting” to any adverse events that may happen in the future. Integrating these four abilities into the system would enable it to continuously address “availability”, “accessibility”, “affordability”, and “acceptability” as the four sustainability-related dimensions of energy. The paper explains different resilience principles associated with these abilities and sustainability dimensions. Also, different planning and design criteria were extracted from the literature and categorized into five themes: infrastructure; resources; land use, urban geometry and morphology; governance; and socio-demographic aspects and human behavior. Examination of the relationship of these criteria with the underlying components of the conceptual framework highlighted the complexity and multi-faceted nature of energy resilience. Exploration of the relevance of the identified criteria to climate change mitigation and adaptation revealed that most of the identified criteria can provide both mitigation and adaptation benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Algeria as the Mediterranean countries is facing various challenges. Among them, the increasing of the population and their activities in the coastal zone, which impacts heavily the coastal and marine environment. Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) has been seen as an appropriate approach to tackle this situation. Algeria has set up numerous initiatives to strengthen its coastal governance, such as the Coastal Area Management Plan (CAMP) in the Algiers Coastal zone (ACZ) situated in the central part of Algeria. Also, various legal and institutional reinforcement have been done, like the enactment of a coastal law and the creation of agencies dedicated to coastal management. Even if assessment is seen as primordial in this process, yet few evaluations have been done in Algeria and particularly on the ACZ. This research paper aims is to assess the ICZM process in Algeria. A survey has been done with the various stakeholders involved in Coastal management at the different level of governance; national, regional and local in the ACZ. The objective was to assess the institutional capacities to implement the fundaments of ICZM. 7 parameters have been assessed: Data, interesectoriality, participation, legal framework, Capacity building, awareness and financial resources. A score for each parameter was set by the interviewees. Results shows that even some basements framework are now implemented, Algeria has still a long way to fully implement ICZM approach. Mainly regarding data management and the implementation of coastal monitoring systems, enhancing the coordination and participation of stakeholders, particularly the local communities and NGO's. The legal framework even it strengthening, a lot of efforts are still to be done for it real enforcement. The awareness and capacity building are still insufficient. Finally, sustainable funding for ICZM projects must be ensured. Highlights • The Algerian Coast is facing many environmental challenges. • Integrated Coastal Zone management (ICZM) has been seen as an appropriate approach to tackle these challenges. • ICZM process in the Algiers Coast has been assessed through the institutional capacities to implement ICZM principals. • Even though considerable efforts have been made, Algeria has still a long way to go to implement fully ICZM approach. • Focusing on Institutional capacities permits to highlight the critical aspect of governance to a better implementation ICZM process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the country with the most population in the world, and its climate is extremely diverse due to tremendous differences in latitude, longitude, and altitude, ranging from tropical in the far south to subarctic in the far north and alpine in the higher elevations of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Accurate assessment of its modern climate change is conductive to addressing global warming threat. Along with the development of Past Global Changes (PAGES) research, the focus has changed from paleo-climate reconstructions to using paleo-data for assessing the present and predicting the future. Previous studies have been devoted to climate change assessment using modern climate observations and simulations. This paper presents a new assessment approach based on the mid-Holocene, which provides a naturally oriented warming that can be compared to modern human-made global warming. A variety of climatic data, including modern observations, paleo-climate records, CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5) and PMIP3 (Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project 3) simulations, as well as lake level models, were applied in this synthesis. Numerical climate classification was introduced to evaluate climate change impacts to Chinese climate zones on various time scales. The results show that winter and summer seasons have different response to the naturally oriented mid-Holocene warming but human-made global warming makes the warming trend appear in all seasons. Temperate and continental dry winter climates expand dramatically during the mid-Holocene warm period; however, the future global warming could have few impacts to Chinese climate zones. Furthermore, the East Asian summer monsoon was strengthened obviously by the mid-Holocene warm climate and strong low-latitude insolation. There is no consistent trend both for the winter and summer monsoon on the background of human-made global warming. In this study, a new benchmark was established based on paleo-climate to evaluate the impacts of human-made global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is a paradigm that affects many sectors due to an increasing of stakeholders’ pressure, economic or political reasons. The wine industry is concerned about sustainability in both senses: it confronts threats from sustainability issues, such as climate change, chemical exposure and water and energy availability and its activities have their own impacts. In this sense, understanding sustainability in the wine world requires identifying definitions and principles, but also a review of current practices. This paper sets forth a cross-country analysis about current sustainability assessment frameworks in six countries (South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, US, Chile and France) in order to identify their main aspects, drivers and issues. A cross-analysis discusses the presentation, the scale, the scope, the governance, the deepness, the learning potential and the content, in a cross-disciplinary perspective. The common grounds are summarized in terms of main indicators linked with official guidelines. Most of the frameworks are certifications or labels in voluntary programs, using a qualitative approach to check compliance with guidelines, without proposing the improvement of sustainability performance. They are more focused on operation and on mitigating impact. All frameworks have indicators considering the main environmental issues to the wine industry. The frameworks development should move toward a more effective proposition for improving wine sustainability, in order to answer to the operational challenges with a strategic thinking. The analysis performed can contribute to the development of sustainability programs, improve current methods and encourage the diffusion of sustainability practices to the individuals or in terms of national programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global climate change and the rapid progress of urbanization, the frequent occurrence of flooding disasters and non-point source pollution seriously threaten the sustainable development of modern cities. To alleviate these problems, China started to pilot construction of the "Sponge City" (SPC). Over a decade, it has attracted public attention, supports, and participations. The paper presents a literature review of sponge city construction (SPCC) process (planning, design and construction) as well as the assessment of SPC, including: operation, maintenance, and effectiveness. Research gap and future works are also proposed. The paper offers some tactics for SPCC, including: 1) in the planning and construction stage of SPC, the goals and systematic plans should be formulated according to local water-environmental conditions. The drainage plan should cover the strategy to dispose runoff volumes at sources and the ultimately goal for flood mitigation. The drainage design involves the combination of various green and grey infrastructures; 2) It is important to identify monitoring methods and hydrological models which can be used to assess the performance of a SPC. With adequate field data, all models and methods should be calibrated for not only runoff quantity and quality control but also the alleviation of urban heat island effects, including the base flows and local groundwater table; 3) Based on the regional field data, it is necessary to standardize regional design parameters, construction material specifics, and maintenance scheme and schedule that would significantly affect the facility's infiltrating and filtering processes, therefore, a regular maintenance program should be initiated to monitor the operations of the as-built facilities according to local climate conditions. The paper evaluated several maintenance methods for ten typical facilities to provide a reference for the operation and maintenance of facilities in SPCC. • The sponge city construction (SPCC) and design methods were introduced in detail. • Scientific and reasonable assessment can better guide the SPCCs. • The sponge city (SPC) facilities can be a better way to control stormwater runoff. • Monitoring and simulation method are equally important for assessing SPC effect. • A maintenance program should be initiated to monitor the operations of SPC facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past couple of decades, the number of wildfires and area of land burned around the world has been steadily increasing, partly due to climatic changes and global warming. Therefore, there is a high probability that more people will be exposed to and endangered by forest fires. Hence there is an urgent need to design pervasive systems that effectively assist people and guide them to safety during wildfires. This paper examines the potential of mobile applications to be employed to assist people to escape wildfires in real-time, by means of using and evaluating EscapeWildFire, a system for suggesting evacuation paths to mobile phone users in real-time. Two different evaluation strategies are followed: (a) Considering different areas of the island of Cyprus as case studies with simulated wildfires and actual users and (b) Considering a historic wildfire that occurred in Amarillo, Texas in 2011. Results in both cases show that mobile apps can effectively be employed to assist people to escape wildfires, but their use is heavily dependent on a backend system that supports the precise modelling of the wildfire. The time between the wildfire outbreak and the notification reaching the user is crucial for their safety. Various recommendations for improvements have been recorded based on either the feedback of participants in the case studies or the observations from the Texas wildfire. The code of the mobile app, backend and administration interface used are all open-source; fire authorities around the world are encouraged to further investigate this opportunity and adopt this approach. • A method for assisting citizens to escape wildfires in real-time via mobile apps. • System implementation is realistic solution to the problem under study based on various requirements and design aspects. • Evaluation of method and system in various diverse scenarios. • Implemented system operates correctly, it is accepted by the users and easy to use. • Numerous recommendations recorded, an indication of the problem's complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper highlights the findings of a study from selected ecosystems in Indonesia, China and Japan. The study sought to trace changes to productive resources of ecosystems over a period of 50years; and trace the dependence of well-being of local populations on the ecosystems for the same time period. Data was collected from land-use maps, records and participatory rapid/rural appraisal (PRA) surveys in multistakeholder forums. To illustrate the changes, an indicator-based assessment framework was developed that integrates data from biophysical and socio-economic parameters. We observed that the approach (1) provides a better representation of the preferences of different stakeholders of ecosystem services, (2) fosters validation of data between the different stakeholders and (3) enables a communication and planning process among the stakeholders to sustainably utilize and manage their ecosystems. The use of spatial maps validates the relevance and utility of diachronic observations of communities and other stakeholders directly dependent on ecosystems. At the same time, they can be used to strengthen local planning processes for the development of services in the ecosystem. Such research thereby also acts as a catalyst to a social process of coordinated action to address local issues of global relevance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The highly contentious, complex negotiations over the past several years to establish a globally more-inclusive, post-Kyoto Framework illustrate the daunting complexity and diversity of interests, which had to be accommodated. Notwithstanding the many challenges, a “Copenhagen Accord” was reached at the December 2009 15th Conference of Parties (COP 15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Copenhagen, Denmark. That Accord provided the basis for subsequent delineation of the post-Kyoto Framework in 2010 at the meetings in Mexico City, Mexico. Adoption of more flexibility in the approaches nations can employ to achieve significant, verifiable emissions reductions is among the many critical and necessary accommodations made to achieve more inclusive participation from developing economies and other large economies that did not adhere to the Kyoto Protocol. Negotiations also had to address trade and national sovereignty issues as well. This flexibility is an essential recognition of national and cultural differences including differences in levels of national and sub-national economic wealth and growth, status of energy infrastructure development, and national energy resource endowments. This paper presents research findings from a project using a step-by-step methodology. The first step was defining a set of generic, guiding principles for economically efficient and effective national emissions reduction programs. These were employed to design a comprehensive portfolio of innovative national policy and technology strategies that could be adopted by large, developed economies as well as some large developing economies. A specific example is presented using the United States as the test case. The cost-effectiveness of the innovative policy and technology portfolio is assessed for the test case based on a number of effectiveness measures, including: projected economic impacts and emissions reductions, national security impacts, energy-related impacts on water use and other environmental aspects, and regional economic equity. The assessment methodology employs a Reference Case Scenario (RCS), based on the Annual Energy Outlook 2010 energy projections (AEO 2010) of the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA), extended through 2050. The EIA energy projections are a widely used basis for projecting future energy demand, supply, and prices in the United States. They provide a comprehensive economy-wide reference data set. Particular attention is given to the electric generation, transportation, and industrial sectors, which account for the majority of energy production, demand, and emissions. A Policy and Technology Innovations Scenario (PTIS) is constructed covering all sectors of the energy economy with special attention as described above. The case specifications include new Federal and State legislative innovations and modifications to existing laws, regulatory reforms and innovations, and enhanced low-carbon technology innovation programs. Based on the PTIS case specifications, the incremental energy, economic, emissions, and other impacts from successful adoption and implementation of the PTIS case are projected as changes to the Reference Case Scenario using transparent techno-economic modeling approaches. The enhanced, low-carbon energy technology innovations programs included in the PTIS case cover a broad spectrum of energy supply and demand innovations. Particular attention is given to innovations that increase energy efficiency in both production and uses of energy in all economic sectors. Recognizing the extremely large energy infrastructure and imbedded capital investments already existing in the United States, special attention is given to innovations to transform and expand that infrastructure to meet future clean energy needs. The latter is a key strategy for making the transition affordable. One focus of attention is innovative opportunities for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). These are described along with the policy, regulatory, and technology improvements necessary to enable those contributions. The quantitative and qualitative differences between the two Scenarios are compared using the effectiveness measures adopted. These comparisons confirm that a portfolio such as that modeled in this project can lead to significant, affordable emissions reductions in the near term, and establish a pathway to a future energy economy with much larger reductions in energy use and emissions than the Reference Case in the longer term. Other key insights and conclusions from the assessment are described. The national and sub-national political, economic, and regulatory barrier and constraint challenges to successful implementation of a PTIS case are presented along with options for overcoming those challenges. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The issue of “measuring” climate change vulnerability and adaptive capacity by means of indicators divides policy and academic communities. While policy increasingly demands such indicators an increasing body of literature criticises them. This misfit results from a twofold confusion. First, there is confusion about what vulnerability indicators are and which arguments are available for building them. Second, there is confusion about the kinds of policy problems to be solved by means of indicators. This paper addresses both sources of confusion. It first develops a rigorous conceptual framework for vulnerability indicators and applies it to review the scientific arguments available for building climate change vulnerability indicators. Then, it opposes this availability with the following six diverse types of problems that vulnerability indicators are meant to address according to the literature: (i) identification of mitigation targets; (ii) identification of vulnerable people, communities, regions, etc.; (iii) raising awareness; (iv) allocation of adaptation funds; (v) monitoring of adaptation policy; and (vi) conducting scientific research. It is found that vulnerability indicators are only appropriate for addressing the second type of problem but only at local scales, when systems can be narrowly defined and inductive arguments can be built. For the other five types of problems, either vulnerability is not the adequate concept or vulnerability indicators are not the adequate methodology. I conclude that both the policy and academic communities should collaboratively attempt to use a more specific terminology for speaking about the problems addressed and the methodologies applied. The one-size-fits-all vulnerability label is not sufficient. Speaking of “measuring” vulnerability is particularly misleading, as this is impossible and raises false expectations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper introduces the analyses of the potential impacts of climate change on the city of Chicago and the Great Lakes region and potential response options that provide the basis for this special issue. Covering projected changes in climate and hydrology, this collection of studies first estimates the potential impacts of climate change on human health, natural ecosystems, water resources, energy, and infrastructure in the city of Chicago and the surrounding Great Lakes region. A consistent set of future climate projections have been used as the basis for each analysis, which together provide a vivid impression of the consequences likely to result under the SRES higher (A1FI) as compared to the lower (B1) emission scenarios. These findings highlight the importance of the next set of analyses, which focus on quantifying Chicago''s greenhouse gas emissions and prioritizing emissions reduction and adaptation options in light of the projected impacts. Together, these analyses form the basis for the City of Chicago''s Climate Action Plan, the first such plan to be based on a thorough climate change impact assessment exploring the implications of a range of future climate scenarios. Although focused on Chicago and the Great Lakes region, the methods described here are generally applicable across North America and many other parts of the world, serving as a pattern for future regional assessments to directly inform adaptation and mitigation policy at the local to regional scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 1988, the incoming head of one of the most prominent scientific assessment bodies, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), explained: “Right now, many countries, especially developing countries, simply do not trust assessments in which their scientists and policymakers have not participated.” Since then, the international community gathered significant experience in designing and organising international assessments that allow for broad participation by representatives of national governments and influence domestic and international policy making. By analysing the case study of the IPCC, the paper focuses on the role of individual nation states played in international assessments and how this role changed over time and why. It is shown that there is a tendency of increasing internationalisation in the field of climate research and climate policy that limits the specific influence of individual nation states. The study of the internal processes of the IPCC reveals a growth of internal dynamics that built up boundaries for the behaviour of individual actors (such as government representatives and scientists). However, over the years the actors involved also learned how to use the IPCC mechanisms more effectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Climate warming and subsequent climate extremes have a wide impact on ecosystems and economic society. Scientifically quantitative assessment on climate change risks is an urgent issue attracted the attention of academics and decision-makers. In this paper, the theory of climate change risks was sorted out based on the three component elements of hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. Moreover, the idiomatic assessment methods and their applicability were systematically summarized. Comprehensive analysis found that the impacts of climate change generally showed a negative trend that was more harm than benefit, and further warming would aggravate the risk over China which was manifested to be more prominent in some sensitive sectors and key regions to climate change. Accessible management of the climate change risk should be engaged in effectively improving the methods of comprehensive identification, strengthening the mechanism and quantitative assessment, recognizing the temporal and spatial variation of components related to climate change risk, and reducing the uncertainty of climate change projection. • Theoretical framework of climate change risk was formed based on hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. • Assessment methods of climate change risk and their applicability were systematically summarized. • Climate change risk levels were analyzed in sensitive sectors and key regions over China. • In China, impacts of climate change were more harm than benefit while more warming was very likely to aggravate the risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A comprehensive assessment of the long-term impact of GHGs. • Using limnology theory assess the biogeochemical cycle of carbon. • Establishment of an improved theoretical base and methods of estimation. • Research into GHG emissions from the preexisting aquatic ecosystem. Three types of greenhouse gases (GHGs), namely carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emitted from reservoirs have an important but often ignored impact on the climate change. Based on the literature, this paper presents a comprehensive assessment of the long-term impact of GHGs generated by hydropower reservoirs, the systems for monitoring and assessing reservoir GHGs, the mechanism for their generation and key factors involved. Using limnology theory as a basis, the biogeochemical cycle of carbon in the environment is understood to be the main mechanism for generating reservoir based GHG emissions. A summary of relevant research in South American tropical rain forests and the Canada's temperate zone, also shows the extent of current systematic analysis of GHG emission research. Proposals are made for more comprehensive data collection from a wider variety of sources and the key problems identified that need to be solved to provide a theoretical basis for future development policies and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial planning plays a significant role in enhancing climate change adaptation especially within urban areas by improving their resilience. Despite all this, cities especially in developing countries still experience the effects of climate change. This paper adopted a mixed method approach to examine township spatial planning and climate change adaptation in identifying potentialities for an integrated approach. Mdantsane case study as one of the largest townships in South Africa was assessed as a unique landscape with reminiscent of apartheid legacies to improve the people's climate change adaptation under urban poverty, lack of basic facilities and other environmental challenges. In keeping with a case study design, we collected data making use of pretested open and close-ended survey forms with an interplay of GIS and remote sensing techniques. This study reveals that Mdantsane is extremely susceptible to the impacts of climate change due to their built-up and natural environment set up as well as the existing interrelations. Thus, comprehensive integration of spatial planning is essential for proofing, health, wellbeing and resilience. Consequently, recommendations to seek strategic intervention and planning were made to sustain adaptation of residents to climate change in the future with specific focus to reduce climate and environmental risks in Mdantsane Township. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]