Research Projects
Photo credit: Rafael Kelman and Chesf
Rethinking Hydropower to Satisfy Energy, Climate, and Biodiversity Goals
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Institution: Cornell University
To curb climate change, the share of renewables in the global electricity mix must triple by 2030. Alongside solar and wind, hydropower remains the world’s dominant renewable energy source and is projected to double to reach global decarbonization goals. Yet, hydropower expansion impacts river ecosystems, setting up tradeoffs between energy production, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity risks. To advance sustainable energy development, Cornell researchers will develop strategies for integrated hydropower that combines multiple energy production sources including floating photovoltaics and retrofitting non-powered dams to increase energy production without further dam construction. An interdisciplinary team with NGO, government, and external university partners will assess 20 ecologically sensitive river basins where hydropower is being considered, with the goal of protecting biodiversity while increasing renewable energy.
Balancing Environmental and Nutritional Tradeoffs of Expanding Amazonian Aquaculture
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Institution: Cornell University
One of the great sustainability challenges of the 21st century is reducing the environmental footprint of food production while alleviating widespread inequities in access to nutritionally complete diets. Animals, both wild and farmed, are key components of the global food system, and per capita consumption of meat and fish is increasing worldwide. Historically, the consumption of domesticated mammals and birds was complemented by harvesting a wide array of fish species from oceans, lakes, and rivers. In the last 20 years, the exponential expansion of fish farming has made it the fastest-growing sector of the global food system. Aquaculture is widely seen as key to eliminating malnutrition while also minimizing the environmental externalities that plague other animal source foods (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, land use change, overexploitation), yet its sustainability is intensely debated. Further, the nutritional value of farmed fish relative to other animal source foods remains uncertain. The goal of this project is to assess whether the promise of aquaculture to enhance human nutrition while reducing the environmental footprint of food production is legitimate and generalizable.
Targeted research for improving understanding of the global nitrogen cycle towards the establishment of an International Nitrogen Management System (INMS)
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Institution: National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
To date, there has been little joined-up effort to address the nitrogen (N) related threats and benefits. This is the challenge addressed by ‘Towards INMS’. Until now, many GEF interventions have included selected aspects of N as part of water quality issues. Similarly, several international projects have addressed the issues of atmospheric NH3 or N2O emissions and their possible solutions. Each of these efforts, however, has been conducted in a fragmented way. At the same time, there are substantial barriers to achieving the desired goals of better water quality, cleaner air, reduced greenhouse gas emissions etc.
‘Towards INMS’ is a UNEP project developed with the recognition that the present lack of a coherent approach across the nitrogen cycle contributes substantially to these barriers. ‘Towards INMS’ is prepared as a GEF ‘Targeted Research Project’ at the global scale. This is not research in the traditional sense of focusing on fundamental science. It is rather research on how these issues can be brought together to provide tools, approaches, information, and demonstration that can support the mobilization of change at a global scale. ‘Towards INMS’ is therefore pitched clearly at the interface of science-policy-practice development. With this framing, Towards INMS, has been developed with a broad partnership to address the following project objective: To improve the understanding of the global/region N cycle and investigate / test practices and management policies at the regional, national, and local levels with a view to reducing negative impacts of reactive nitrogen on the ecosystems.”​
Mitigation measures for the control and management of cyanobacterial blooms in a shallow tropical system​
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Institution: Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF)
Cyanobacterial Blooms are mainly a consequence of the eutrophication of aquatic environments that affect the water quality and compromise the use of water for various purposes. The restoration of eutrophic aquatic systems is one of the main challenges of today's limnology. Our objective in this project was to identify the main causes of the eutrophication process and the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in a shallow tropical lake, and to test the efficacy and applicability of the combined use of coagulants and adsorbents of P in solid phase for the control of eutrophication and cyanobacteria blooms in a tropical shallow system. The study was conducted in the lake of the Mariano Procópio Museum, located in Juiz de Fora - MG, and divided into four phases. The first one sought to know the dynamics of the phytoplankton community and to understand the causes of the cyanobacteria dominance in this system. In the second one, the main contributions of phosphorus to the system and the general balance of P were evaluated. In the third phase, laboratory experiments were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of different coagulants and ballasts for the removal of cyanobacteria. In the fourth phase, experiments were carried out in mesocosms in the lake to test the control of eutrophication and cyanobacterial blooms. This project was led by Dr. Marcela Miranda and showed that removing cyanobacterial blooms from eutrophic systems can be a simple process using chemicals. However, the biggest challenge is keeping the water clear without bloom recurrence for an extended period. A long-lasting recovery relies on integrated actions, and more than one strategy can be adopted. For this, tailored solutions are required, as each system is unique.
Transition to sustainability and the water-agriculture-energy nexus: exploring na integrative approach Cerrado e Caatinga biomes study cases
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Institution: National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
The Cerrado and Caatinga biomes have the largest available stock of land for agricultural expansion in Brazil, besides having vast areas of high solar and wind potential. Their natural resources are also vital for climate regulation and for human survival and well-being. The general objective of this proposal is to explore how a participatory approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative methods of the natural and social sciences at multiple scales, could support the transition to a sustainable future in these two biomes, through the definition of scenarios and indicators that reconcile the economic, social and environmental (the three pillars of sustainability) in food production and use of natural resources. To achieve this purpose, the project is divided into phases with specific goals. Phase 1 includes the organization and analysis of data on the social, economic, institutional and environmental dimensions of the study area to build sustainability indexes that reflect the current situation (past and present). Phase 2 focuses on the future of the study area, by constructing qualitative and quantitative scenarios, built in a participatory manner. Elements of stories about the future will be quantified by generating spatially explicit projections of land use change, regional climate and its impacts (translated into a significant set of social-environmental indicators, including water, vegetation, biodiversity, agriculture, energy, lightning, biogeochemical cycles, among others). Finally, Phase 3 involves the synthesis of activities between the scales, and the analysis of social transformation mechanisms to achieve sustainability (trajectories).
Waterfall Project
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Institution: National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
The Waterfall Project was very ambitious and, probably, a similar one was never made before worldwide! Between 12th July and 13th September 2015, Pedro Oliva carried his sporting challenge of paddling the entire river, and researchers from several institutes had the opportunity to have a high-resolution sampling program in one of the most important rivers of the Southeast region in Brazil. We sought a broader approach than just collecting data, although. The project was intended to have great visibility and a threefold impact on the local society by promoting science, environmental education, and sport. The project team had close contact with people in the communities, settlements, and schools in the watershed. We wanted to discover their problems and their feelings about the river. Through this approach, we learned how people everywhere want to help preserve the environment, but they have no idea how simple actions can make a huge difference, such as taking the right care of their own waste. The expedition included strategic stops in major cities to promote educational and informative activities on topics related to water resources. These forums were a great opportunity for the project team to share knowledge and experience, acquired by paddling the waterway, and foster the connection of the local population to the river environment. The communities living nearby the river were invited to share their knowledge and perceptions with the scientists and athletes about the environment and the importance of the river as a water resource and ecosystem.
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