This paper examines the interacting problems which govern poor access to quality drinking water, as well as the related problems of solid waste treatment and recycling. The need for a stable political resolution of the Israel–Palestine conflict is paramount. Although long-term solutions to the crisis require a regional political solution, there are several local activities that can reduce the degradation of water supplies and larger eco-systems. These include desalination of seawater and brackish water, water import and domestic water filtration units.

Many studies have done econometric estimates of how climate alters crop yields and or land rents in an effort to gain information on potential effects of climate change. However, an important related factor, the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, and in fact a driver of climate change is ignored. This means the prior econometric estimates are biased as they infer what will happen under climate change from observations in the recent past, but without consideration of CO2 effects.

We present a new indicator taxa approach to the prediction of climate change effects on biodiversity at the national level in Switzerland. As indicators, we select a set of the most widely distributed species that account for 95% of geographical variation in sampled species richness of birds, butterflies, and vascular plants. Species data come from a national program designed to monitor spatial and temporal trends in species richness. We examine some opportunities and limitations in using these data.

Summary The relationship between woody fuel consumption and fireline intensity was assessed using data collected at controlled fires and wildfires in south-western Western Australia, central Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales. The combined dataset consisted of fires in a range of dry eucalypt forests. Fire behaviour varied from slow, self-extinguishing prescribed burns to intense, fast—moving fires burning under conditions of extreme fire danger. Fireline intensity ranged from 50 kW m⁻ˡ to

Detecting soil degradation and recognizing its various types is a necessity to take the practical measures for combating it as well as conserving and keeping the agricultural soil healthy. The present study aims at monitoring soil degradation process within the last four decades in the middle part of Nile Delta. To fulfill this objective, Landsat ETM images and digital elevation model (DEM) are used to produce the physiographic map of the studied area at the landform level.

Non-Urbanised Areas (NUAs) are part of agricultural and green infrastructures that provide ecosystem services. Their role is fundamental for the minimization of urban pollution and adaptation to climate change. Like all natural ecosystems, NUAs are endangered by urban sprawl. The regulation of sprawl is a key issue for land-use planning. We propose a land use suitability strategy model to orient Land Uses of NUAs, based on integration of Land Cover Analysis (LCA) and Fragmentation Analysis (FA). With LCA the percentage of evapotranspiring surface is defined for each land use.

In response to climate change, research is being undertaken to understand the on-farm greenhouse gas emissions and water use for agricultural systems and investigate options farmers may have for mitigating or offsetting emissions. In the present study, a life cycle assessment framework is used to determine on-farm GHG emissions and water use, and the overall 'cradle-to-farm gate' GHG emissions and water use attributed to beef production.

Cities are facing considerable challenges resulting from imminent climate change impacts. Urban planning to minimise adverse impacts of climate change at the city level can establish a climate-resilient city. Mitigation strategies to reduce CO₂ emissions would lead to a climate-friendly city. Integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation into sustainable city planning should not be merely added as a single level of sustainable city planning, but requires a wide range of multi-level cooperation.

This paper analyses the land use/cover dynamics of land degradation through the interpretation of aerial photographs (1958 and 1980) and 2006 SPOT-5 satellite image of the Gerado catchment. Other, non-visual data were gathered from personal interview and focus group discussions conducted in 2010 and 2011 with local elders, farmers and development (agricultural extension) agents. The results identified the presence of cultivated and rural settlement land, shrubland, woodland, bare land, grassland, urban built up area and forest.

Indonesia has set the target that by the year 2020 its emissions of greenhouse gases will be reduced by 26 per cent relative to business-as-usual conditions. This article analyses the effectiveness of a subsidy to the use of land in forestry as a means of achieving this goal. The analysis uses a general equilibrium model of the Indonesian economy characterised by explicit treatment of land use, disaggregated by industry and by region.

The expansion of built environments and agriculture land in the Nan watershed, Thailand, to support the rapid increase of the national population has resulted in deforestation, thus affecting the ecological balance. This deforestation, especially in high mountainous areas, has led to serious environmental degradation. Recent reports reveal an increasing soil-erosion problem in the watershed. This study analyses land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes and their potential impact on soil erosion during a study period between 1995 and 2005.

Land degradation and desertification is a common feature in Mediterranean landscapes due to extensive and intensive land use and natural or man induced disturbances. The ecosystem may need external inputs to recover its composition and function as soils are often impoverished and vegetal key stone species lost. We evaluated the effects of the application of fresh and air-dried biosolids in the establishment and morphological and physiological performance of seedlings of Pinus halepensis and Quercus ilex under dry Mediterranean field conditions.