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The article discusses the global water crisis and the unsustainable management of water resources. It highlights the increasing frequency and duration of extreme hydrometeorological events due to climate change. The lack of long-term political priority given to water management by policymakers is identified as a major problem. The article also emphasizes the importance of sustainable groundwater management and the need for policies to reduce the decline of groundwater levels and contamination. The negative consequences of unregulated groundwater extraction in countries like the United States and India are discussed. The article concludes by mentioning other papers in the journal that cover various water-related topics. [Extracted from the article]

Hydrogeological effects of climate change will continue to affect water reservoirs worldwide. Some regions are experiencing and will experience severe decline in their water resources due to prolonged periods of drought. Since emergency practices such as the provision of emergency drinking water and forest firefighting depend on regional surface and groundwater resources, the safety of the hydro geosphere's of a region is of fundamental importance, especially in times of crisis. The study uniquely addresses the integration of emergency water management within broader sustainable practices, particularly in the German context where such an analysis has not been previously consolidated. Using the example of emergency drinking water management, the paper elaborates the extent to which measures of emergency response are currently recognised as part of sustainable water management. In an analysis, 79 documents addressing emergency drinking water management of both water supply companies and crisis management authorities in Germany were analysed. The findings revealed a general lack of documents addressing the long-term dependencies between water resources and emergency measures currently applied. Furthermore, the documents do not elaborate on how to implement these measures in a sustainable way recognising the distinctive characteristics of a region. Since response measures can potentially intensify water stress in a region, emergency water management must be consequently included in a holistic water management process to protect landscapes and communities for the future. This paper provides a first comprehensive compilation of essential documents dealing with emergency drinking water management in Germany. It furthermore introduces a new approach to emergency water management and identifies necessary research that could serve as a baseline for future crisis decision making to strengthen national and international initiatives on water resource protection. • Holistic water management must include water intense measures of emergency response. • Procedures of crisis management can intensify processes of regional water depletion. • Performance of emergency response can decline in times of long-term dryness. • The management of water emergencies requires adaptation to regional hydrogeography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2020, infections with a novel coronavirus were confirmed in China. Two years into the pandemic, countries continue to struggle with fifth and sixth waves, new virus variants, and varying degrees of success in vaccinating national populations. Travel restrictions continue to persist, and the global tourism industry looks into a third year of uncertainty. There is a consensus that the COVID crisis should be a turning point, to "build back better", and that a return to pre-pandemic overtourism phenomena is undesirable. Yet, there is very limited evidence that the crisis has changed or will change tourism beyond the micro-scale. In regard to many issues, such as new debt, global tourism has become more vulnerable. Against the background of the climate crisis, the purpose of this paper is to take stock: Which lessons can be learned from the pandemic for global warming? To achieve this, relevant papers are discussed, along with a dissection of the development of the crisis in Germany, as an example of ad hoc crisis management. Findings are interpreted as an analogue to climate change, suggesting that our common interest should be to put every possible effort into mitigation and the avoidance of a > 1.5 °C future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sufficiency is a normative principle that aims to reorganise the configurations between production and consumption to reduce ecological overshoot and improve human well-being. At its heart is the notion of "living well on less," recognising the need to restructure resource allocations between production and consumption hitherto unsustainable. Although sufficiency has gained attention from scholars and policymakers as a strategy to mitigate the climate crisis and resource management, evidence on its formation, causality, and antecedents remains fragmented. This paper reorders antecedents from three disciplinary roots of sufficiency: complementarity of capital, social metabolism, and altruism, to reorganise empirical evidence and examine the formation of sufficiency in producers and consumers. Through configurational analysis, we mapped the responses of Chilean producers and consumers to explore the conditions that enable the formation of sufficiency and the configurations that emerge as a result. Our findings reveal the prominence of three interrelated attributes for both agents: labour security, moral duty and intrinsic motivation, which, when combined, give rise to two complex and nonlinear approaches for producers and consumers, labelled aggregately as metabolic , limited and ecocentric configurations. These results suggest that intertwining different attributes allows actions and behaviours to be adopted regarding decreased resource use, drawing transformational leverage points towards sustainability. • We evaluate a formative measure of sufficiency in producers and consumers. • We empirically leverage our measure from three premises of sufficiency. • We reveal three interrelated attributes on sufficiency formation. • We apply configurational comparative methods to reveal multiple approaches. • We highlight sufficiency configurations as transformative leverage points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper provides a detailed survey of the greatest dangers facing humanity this century. It argues that there are three broad classes of risks – the "Great Challenges" – that deserve our immediate attention, namely, environmental degradation, which includes climate change and global biodiversity loss; the distribution of unprecedented destructive capabilities across society by dual-use emerging technologies; and value-misaligned algorithms that exceed human-level intelligence in every cognitive domain. After examining each of these challenges, the paper then outlines a handful of additional issues that are relevant to understanding our existential predicament and could complicate attempts to overcome the Great Challenges. The central aim of this paper is to constitute an authoritative resource, insofar as this is possible in a scholarly journal, for scholars who are working on or interested in existential risks. In the author's view, this is precisely the sort of big-picture analysis that humanity needs more of, if we wish to navigate the obstacle course of existential dangers before us.Design/methodology/approach Comprehensive literature survey that culminates in a novel theoretical framework for thinking about global-scale risks.Findings If humanity wishes to survive and prosper in the coming centuries, then we must overcome three Great Challenges, each of which is sufficient to cause a significant loss of expected value in the future.Originality/value The Great Challenges framework offers a novel scheme that highlights the most pressing global-scale risks to human survival and prosperity. The author argues that the "big-picture" approach of this paper exemplifies the sort of scholarship that humanity needs more of to properly understand the various existential hazards that are unique to the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • This paper reviewed 82 papers related to Climate Change (CC) impacts on Energy Critical Infrastructure (ECI). • The papers were reviewed with regards to Critical Infrastructure interdependencies and their effects on ECI resilience to CC. • Gaps in the field have been identified and a new framework proposed. Abstract Critical Infrastructure Protection is a relatively new scientific domain stemming from an American Presidential directive PDD-63 of May 1998. Critical Infrastructure (CI) performance and protection are national priorities for all European Union (EU) countries following the introduction of the EU Directive 2008/114/EC, which takes an all hazards approach. This paper has an international focus. At the global and European level, the interest in identifying the impacts of climate change on CIs and extreme weather events (EWE) has increased in the last decades, following several high-profile so-called natural disasters. Concern is evidenced by the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the EU Commission's Staff Working Document on Risk Assessment and Mapping; Guidelines for Disaster Management, SEC (2010) 1626. This paper presents and discusses scientific work which has been published in this area, with a focus on energy CI. The impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on energy CI are initially identified. Important aspects in CI protection such as risk assessment, interdependencies with other sectors, and adaptation/resilience options are subsequently presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the existence and use of disaster risk management laws across the Commonwealth. It commences by considering approaches to risk management and disaster response. It reviews international and regional disaster law, policy and tools. The paper examines national disaster risk management laws through the lens of a typology of laws, based on the complexity and scope of the disaster risk reduction and response system. It makes recommendations for Commonwealth countries relating to review of disaster laws, implementation of international frameworks, and the inclusion of disaster risk reduction, recovery, climate change, quality standards and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence in disaster laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore aspects of migration from islands in the context of disasters including climate change. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a conceptual exploration reviewing strengths and limitations of key literature. Findings – The paper finds that not much work goes into sufficient depth to understand the topic properly. It suggests that truisms should be admitted and the many factors influencing migration should be fully investigated. Originality/value – The paper examines migration topics from an island perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theme of the 16th International Conference on Digital Government Research (dg.o 2015) - "Digital Government and Wicked Problems" - drew attention to the increasingly complex global problems we are facing today. In the late 1960s, the term "wicked problems" was coined to refer to societal and public planning problems that had no definitive solutions [1,2]. Many problems, such as those identified in the theme of the conference - climate change, urbanization, and inequality - often exhibit the characteristics of "wickedness" in the sense that they are both difficult to define and solve. The selection of this theme for dg.o 2015 reflects the digital government research community's ambition and dedication to achieve a degree of understanding necessary to address some of the most intractable of these problems with the aid of emerging technologies. This special issue includes seven of the best papers from the dg.o 2015 conference. In this editorial, we highlight the characteristics of "wicked problems" briefly, and the way in which the term is relevant in digital government research. We then introduce the articles selected for this special issue. Lastly, we provide suggestions to foster future research that addresses the nature of "wickedness" in digital government initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the principle aspects of key European Union legislation concerning critical infrastructure protection. Fundamental definitions and assumptions covered by the respective documents, with a special focus on critical infrastructure, its identification and protection, are also included. Basic outcomes of the regulations, reflecting other acts of law concerning the rights and obligations of States within their territorial sea and exclusive economic zone, regarding specific matters related to the Baltic Sea area and EU member states located around it, have also been introduced. Some approaches to the modelling of ECI identification is also given, and analysis of the latest EU activities, associated with the adaptation of critical infrastructure systems to climate change predictions, is introduced. As the vulnerability to the impact of climate change is of key importance for systems operating within the Baltic area, essential findings that apply to them are also covered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal and small island communities in Southeast Asia face daily threats from the impacts of climate change and climate-related hazards. This paper describes and analyses local and indigenous knowledge and practices related to climate-related hazards identified and documented in Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste. These include observations of changes in the environment and celestial bodies to predict climate-related hazards. Communities use local materials and methods to prevent and/or mitigate such hazards, and adapt to and prepare for them. Rituals and ceremonies are based on traditional or religious beliefs. Together with customary laws that govern behaviour, these rituals engender and reinforce respect for the environment, strengthen social cohesion, and thus help communities to better face and respond to the impacts of climate change and climate-related hazards. After going through a process of documentation, analysis and validation, local and indigenous knowledge can be grouped and categorised, which helps us better understand how such knowledge can be integrated with science. This will then enable communities to develop strategies to cope with climate-related hazards and adapt to climate change. Scientists, practitioners and policy-makers can also harness this knowledge for further research, education, and policy. It is important to promote the transmission of local and indigenous knowledge to increase community resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban areas, the impacts of flash floods can be very severe as these regions are generally densely populated and contain vital infrastructure. Parts of the UK have been particularly prone to serious urban flooding in recent years, such as Boscastle in 2004. Due to climate change, the occurrence of urban flooding is predicted to increase in the future, which is likely to lead to increasing flood risk to people and property in urban areas. It is therefore appropriate to estimate potential flood risk to people and property for improved flood risk management. This paper outlines an integrated numerical model for estimating flood risk in urban areas. The model includes a module for predicting the two-dimensional hydrodynamic characteristics of urban floods and a new module for predicting the flood risk to people (both children and adults) and property (including vehicles and buildings). The hydrodynamic module of this model was verified against laboratory experimental data and real flood tracks in urban areas. The integrated model was also applied to predict the flood risk to people and property for the Boscastle 2004 floods, with different recurrence frequencies. The developed integrated model can be used to predict the potential flood risk to people and property in urban areas and such predictions can be used as a rough assessment in improving flood risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the land cover changes on the Tibetan Plateau during the last 50 years partly caused by natural climate change and, more importantly, influenced by human activities. Recent warming trends on the plateau directly influence the permafrost and snow melting and will impact on the local ecosystem greatly. Human activities increased rapidly on the plateau during the last half century and have significant impacts on land use. Significant land cover changes on the Tibetan Plateau include permafrost and grassland degradation, urbanization, deforestation and desertification. These changes not only impact on local climate and environment, but also have important hydrological implications for the rivers which originate from the plateau. The most noticeable disasters include the flooding at the upper reaches of Yangtze River and droughts along the middle and lower reaches of Yellow River. Future possible land cover changes under future global climate warming are important but hard to assess due to the deficits of global climate model in this topographically complex area. Integrated investigation of climate and ecosystems, including human-beings, are highly recommended for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within social work discourse, “the environment” seems inevitably to refer to the sociocultural environment. Such a focus reflects the domain that social work has defined for itself through various codes of ethics, as well as the theory and practice focus of social workers. Over a long period of time, doubt has gradually been dispelled about the effect that humankind has had on the environment, and it is now largely accepted that global warming has an anthropogenic basis. The present paper examines the place of social work in a world that is trying to come to terms with various ecological disasters, not the least of which is climate change. Social work is cast as a profession that needs to become more aware of the ways in which society is embedded in the natural world and our physical environment as a whole. The issue of social sustainability is explored as a focus for the relevance of social work knowledge and practice in this time of environmental crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive tools developed within the RegIS project for assessing the impacts of flooding provide information to support flood management policies and analyse the performance of possible adaptation activities to climate change. This paper describes the methodologies used in the development of these tools including tidal and fluvial flooding processes with different levels of climate pressures, represented by changes in sea level and peak river flows. Potential impacts of climate change for East Anglia and North West England are explored to the 2050s using four socio-economic scenarios to represent plausible futures. This includes changes in urban land use as well as adaptive responses to flooding comprising dike upgrade and realignment options. The results indicate that future climate will increase flood risk in both regions. East Anglia is more vulnerable to climate change than North West England at the present level of protection, especially in the extensive coastal lowlands of the Fens and Broads because of the combined effects of sea-level rise and increased fluvial flows. Although the present adaptive policy of upgrading defences in East Anglia will reduce the impacts of flooding, this policy is not effective in the case of the more extreme climate change scenarios by 2050s. In this case, more extensive adaptation would be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has been seen as a crisis looming in the future, and has therefore not reached the top of the political agenda. This no longer holds true when looking at Australia, where climate change has become high politics. In this paper we examine the Australian electoral debate in terms of accountability framing, where the Government and Opposition were involved in a ‘framing contest’. We argue that theories on accountability framing in crisis need to be modified in order to capture the complex dynamics of climate change due to its inherent scientific uncertainty and global nature. After conducting an inductive analysis of Australian Broadcasting Corporation-reporting we found three themes to be of importance for accountability framing in the ‘risk society’: labeling, linking and coping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing losses to weather-related disasters, meeting the Millennium Development Goals and wider human development objectives, and implementing a successful response to climate change are aims that can only be accomplished if they are undertaken in an integrated manner. Currently, policy responses to address each of these independently may be redundant or, at worst, conflicting. We believe that this conflict can be attributed primarily to a lack of interaction and institutional overlap among the three communities of practice. Differences in language, method and political relevance may also contribute to the intellectual divide. Thus, this paper seeks to review the theoretical and policy linkages among disaster risk reduction, climate change and development. It finds that not only does action within one realm affect capacity for action in the others, but also that there is much that can be learnt and shared between realms in order to ensure a move towards a path of integrated and more sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reviews the overall perspectives of end-use studies on urban water crisis management by analysing their beneficial application in water conservation and wastewater recycling. The paper incorporates a critical review of water end-use consumption of 16 major countries from 3 major continents, i.e. Asia, Europe, and Australia. The study reflected a different trend between the water consumption of developed and developing nations, thereby implying a need for separate prospects of end-use results in these countries. Besides, the percentage of greywater generated varies from 54% to 86% of the total indoor household water consumption and thus can be a valuable water resource to solve the urban water crisis. There exists a strong correlation between the amount of greywater generated and the amount of water used for the shower (R2 = 0.69) and laundry (R2 = 0.50). The same, i.e. R2 values, for end-uses of the toilet flushing, dishwashing, and indoor taps with the amount of greywater, were found to be 0.30, 0.26, and 0.04, respectively. Further, except for the end-use pertaining to indoor taps, water consumption of all other end-uses has witnessed an upward spiral in developing countries with time, which may be attributed to the improved accuracy of collected end-use data or increased contribution of 'leaks/others' category. In developed nations like the USA, there is not a single end-use that has shown an absolute increase with time owing to a variety of measures such as increased awareness, education, retrofitting of appliances and several other factors like governmental restrictions. Change in attitude or/and behaviour of people towards water use driven by drought-like experience could also be a valid reason. After this extensive review of the end-use pattern, we proposed specific greywater recycling models that are expected to help engineers, governments, and policymakers in sustainable urban water management. Image 1 • Water end-use estimation can adequately support the urban water crisis management. • Greywater generated at household varies from 54% to 86% of total indoor water use. • Correlation (R2) of greywater with bath and washing was 0.7 and 0.5, respectively. • Water consumption of all end-uses witnessed a temporal shift in developing countries. • Specific greywater recycling models have been proposed based on end-use studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a framework to analyze the maturity of humanitarian logistics systems to face crisis situations related to recurrent events, and thus to identify the main areas of action and the community needs in terms of crisis logistics planning. First, the main notions of humanitarian logistics systems planning, and the theoretical contribution of maturity models are presented. Second, a maturity model for humanitarian logistics systems is proposed and the main categories of elements defining maturity extracted from literature. Then, the methodology to define the main elements of the maturity model via evidence is presented. This methodology combines a literature overview, a documentary analysis, and the development of three case studies, two located in Colombia and one in Peru. The main elements that characterize capability maturity model in humanitarian logistics systems facing recurrent crises are identified, from which the administration of donations, design of a distribution network, and the choice of suppliers are highlighted. The practical implications of the framework are proposed to allow its use to anticipate humanitarian logistics system for future crises. The framework allowed a first analysis guide and will be further extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]