Joint research studies also included a study of global water demand, climate smart agriculture, and risk perception of renewable energy technologies in South Africa.
Meeting the challenges of climate change, disasters, and competition for energy and resources requires transitions in the way we govern. In 2015 the focus of the Risk, Policy and Vulnerability (RPV) Program’s work on governance was on open government, stakeholder perceptions, and the involvement of multiple stakeholder perspectives in participatory settings. more
The successful completion of the fast-track analysis under the global Water Futures and Solutions (WFaS) initiative, is a major achievement of the Water (WAT) Program. The analysis has yielded the first set of multi-model, quantified scenarios of water demand with a focus on the domestic, industrial, and energy sectors. more
The Ecosystems Services and Management (ESM) Program’s Environmental Resources and Development (ERD) group has used the GLOBIOM model to analyze the consequences of climate change for the agricultural sector, with a focus on food availability consequences in developing countries. more
The Energy Program (ENE) is analyzing how improving access to modern energy technologies in developing countries can potentially improve human health and wellbeing. more
The Mitigation of Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases (MAG) Program has developed a new method that assigns particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to emission sources at the different scales of origin. This work allowed the implications of the recent emission scandal on local air quality to be quantified. more
The Mitigation of Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases (MAG) Program takes a unique systems perspective that integrates physical, social, economic, and policy aspects of air quality management. In 2015, the program introduced these aspects into numerous new policy and scientific initiatives that address the role of air quality management for improving human wellbeing and contribute to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals. more
Meeting the challenges of climate change, disasters, and competition for energy and resources requires transitions in the way we govern. In 2015 the focus of the Risk, Policy and Vulnerability (RPV) Program’s work on governance was on open government, stakeholder perceptions, and the involvement of multiple stakeholder perspectives in participatory settings. more
The Transitions to New Technologies (TNT) Program played a key role in the proposal for a large-scale, multi-year research project to analyze the synergies and trade-offs between different natural resource systems: Integrated Solutions for Water, Energy, and Land (IS-WEL). more
Modeling by the Mitigation of Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases (MAG) Program has shown that efforts to reduce the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) precursor emissions will not deliver the expected drop in air pollution unless a reduction of agricultural ammonia (NH3) emissions is achieved. more
In view of the global climate targets that were agreed in Paris in 2015, the Mitigation of Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases (MAG) Program revisited the feasibility and economics of achieving deep cuts in non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. This analysis revealed much higher emissions from global oil production and extended shale gas extraction than previously thought. more
The Risk, Policy and Vulnerability (RPV) Program built on its breakthrough in assessment of flood-risk distributions which accounts for spatial correlation between river basins and therefore avoids underestimation of risk. The program has now incorporated different types of copula dependency measures, such as the Archimedian- and Frank-based copula, and various dependency structures. more
A new method developed by the Mitigation of Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases (MAG) Program offers an unconventional perspective on the origin of harmful pollution, especially in urban areas in developing countries. The findings show that beyond vehicle emissions or household fuels, any (cost-) effective intervention strategy will need to addresses the socioeconomic complexities of a wide range of other economic sectors, not least agriculture. more
Ecosystems Services and Management (ESM) researchers have been working to support policymakers in Brazil and the Congo Basin to identify land-use and forest conservation policies that are economically, socially, and environmentally optimal. more
Shelly Bogra of TERI University, New Delhi, India, explored the agricultural water-energy nexus in the Free State, South Africa, focusing in particular on the impact of rainwater harvesting. more
Lucas Henneman of the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, used the Greenhouse Gas Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model emissions and control costs associated with eight energy and air pollution scenarios. more
Arnab Banerjee, of Visva-Bharati University, India, used a South African estuary, Mdloti, to examine the impacts of keystone species on ecosystem function. more
Aleksandra Falkiewicz of the Lodz University of Technology, Poland, used network models to examine the relationships between groups of organisms, and showed that although simpler models are sufficient in some cases, the more complex ‘microscopic’ models do provide extra detail. more
Elvis Modikela Nkoana, of the University of Antwerp, Belgium, conducted focus group discussions in rural and township communities of Limpopo Province, South Africa to gauge climate change awareness and risk perception. more
Moipone Mantsebo Letsie of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, analyzed how strategies to cope with climate change differ between households in Lesotho. more
Portia Mokoena of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, explored the possibility of using electrical resistivity imaging to improve groundwater management. more
Mavhungu Muthige, of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, used a “spectral-nudging technique” to improve predictions of rainfall pattern and seasonality. more
Carmen Klausbruckner of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa, examined how well climate change and air pollution policies are integrated in South Africa. more
Chukwuma Leonard Azimoh, of Mälardalen University, Sweden, examined whether mini-grids could provide a solution to off-grid electrification in South Africa. more
Shingirirai Savious Mutanga of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, examined how using sugar cane to produce electricity could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. more
Alois Katiti, of the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, compared models which are used to monitor evapotranspiration, providing essential information for sustainable irrigation practices. more
Nzalalemba Serge Kubanza, of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, examined environmental justice in the context of solid waste management in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. more
Tejas Rawal, of the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, used model simulations to explore the best policy options for achieving a sustainable transport network in Tamil Nadu, India. more
Martin Flatø, of the University of Oslo, Norway, examined households in South Africa in which women are the senior figure—so called female-headed households—and demonstrated that they are substantially more economically vulnerable to climate variation. more
Maria Rivera, of the University of Maryland, USA, used a comprehensive review to examine whether REDD+ is the best policy instrument for the Virunga Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. more
Mayank Prakash, of the International Institute for Population Sciences, India, investigated water quality and management in the slums of Mumbai to help policymakers develop improved water delivery services. more
Emmanuel Captain Vellemu, of Rhodes University, South Africa, used a multidisciplinary approach to identify areas in the Mpumalanga province severely affected by acid mine drainage, and examined the legal frameworks and policies used to deal with the problem. more
Shelly Bogra of TERI University, New Delhi, India, explored the agricultural water-energy nexus in the Free State, South Africa, focusing in particular on the impact of rainwater harvesting. more
Lucas Henneman of the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, used the Greenhouse Gas Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model emissions and control costs associated with eight energy and air pollution scenarios. more
Arnab Banerjee, of Visva-Bharati University, India, used a South African estuary, Mdloti, to examine the impacts of keystone species on ecosystem function. more
Elvis Modikela Nkoana, of the University of Antwerp, Belgium, conducted focus group discussions in rural and township communities of Limpopo Province, South Africa to gauge climate change awareness and risk perception. more
Moipone Mantsebo Letsie of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, analyzed how strategies to cope with climate change differ between households in Lesotho. more
Portia Mokoena of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, explored the possibility of using electrical resistivity imaging to improve groundwater management. more
Sennai Mesfun, of the Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, used the IIASA BeWhere model to investigate whether the feasibility of renewable energy can be enhanced by using gas/liquid fuels as power storage. more
Mavhungu Muthige, of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, used a “spectral-nudging technique” to improve predictions of rainfall pattern and seasonality. more
Carmen Klausbruckner of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa, examined how well climate change and air pollution policies are integrated in South Africa. more
Chukwuma Leonard Azimoh, of Mälardalen University, Sweden, examined whether mini-grids could provide a solution to off-grid electrification in South Africa. more
Shingirirai Savious Mutanga of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, examined how using sugar cane to produce electricity could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. more
Alois Katiti, of the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, compared models which are used to monitor evapotranspiration, providing essential information for sustainable irrigation practices. more
Jenni Koivisto, of Karlstad University, Sweden, investigated the different approaches stakeholders take to deal with flood risks and implement solutions. more
Erik Nilsson, of Lund University, Sweden, developed a risk modeling tool to estimate the adaptive capacities of communities surrounding Lake Chad in the face of future climate change. more
Nzalalemba Serge Kubanza, of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, examined environmental justice in the context of solid waste management in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. more
Martin Flatø, of the University of Oslo, Norway, examined households in South Africa in which women are the senior figure—so called female-headed households—and demonstrated that they are substantially more economically vulnerable to climate variation. more
Maria Rivera, of the University of Maryland, USA, used a comprehensive review to examine whether REDD+ is the best policy instrument for the Virunga Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. more
Mayank Prakash, of the International Institute for Population Sciences, India, investigated water quality and management in the slums of Mumbai to help policymakers develop improved water delivery services. more
Emmanuel Captain Vellemu, of Rhodes University, South Africa, used a multidisciplinary approach to identify areas in the Mpumalanga province severely affected by acid mine drainage, and examined the legal frameworks and policies used to deal with the problem. more
