Academic literature on the topic 'Ecological transition movement'

The article seeks to understand how the digital commons movement addresses ecological issues, how its actors incorporate them into their ethics and praxis, and the challenges they face in scaling up to become a viable ecological alternative to digital capitalism. Building on three case studies, we show that the digital commons currently face three major limitations: reliance on unsustainable Big Tech products, inability or unwillingness to scale up, and negligible political support. Based on two Policy Labs we conducted with actors of the digital commons movement, we conclude by outlining proposals to overcome these limits by adopting E.O. Wright’s anti-capitalist strategies framework.

The accelerating ecological crisis affecting all human beings around the world has made existing social problems such as inequality, marginalization and violence more visible, and there is now a shared understanding that ecological and social crises are fundamentally one problem that requires a unified effort. This study aims to establish the foundation to systematize the characteristics of ecocitizenship of the 21st century by examining the Transition Town Movement in Brazil as an example of ecological transition and analyzing the values shared by ecopedagogy, which seeks a new educational paradigm, and the Transition Town Movement. The fundamental purpose of this study is to explore what philosophical and practical orientations ecocitizenship have and how it differs from existing approaches to addressing inequality. To this end, this article analyzed the Transition Network website, the global umbrella organization for the Transition Town movement, the Transition Brazil website, and further related literature. It then focused on identifying the goals and main characteristics of ecopedagogy, focusing on the Pedagogia da Terra of Moacir Gadotti, a pioneer of ecological pedagogy in Brazil. The results of the study revealed a set of shared values at the intersection of the Transition Town Movement and ecopedagogy. Meanwhile, while the Transition Movement in the U.K. was centered in middle-class neighborhoods, in Brazil it started in the favelas of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. And it was found that Transition Town Movement and ecopedagogy do not specifically target the poor, but presuppose their active participation as the same as other citizens, and consequently practice a more constructive approach to inequality.

AbstractDifferent governments and international organizations have shown interest in agroecology as a promising pathway for transition to sustainable agriculture. However, the kinds of innovation needed for agro-ecological transition are subject to intense debate. The scale of this debate is itself an indicator of the complicated relation between innovation and sustainability in the agro-food arena and beyond. This review paper analyses the potential of agro-ecology in agricultural sustainability transitions. It also explores whether agro-ecological transition is a sustainable innovation (cf. ecological, green, open, social, responsible). Furthermore, the paper investigates the potential contribution of agro-ecological transition to sustainability, using the 3-D (Direction, Distribution and Diversity) model of the STEPS centre. Agroecology is one of the few approaches that can harmoniously combine innovation and sustainability in agriculture while promoting genuine transition to agro-food sustainability since it embraces all dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, social/cultural/ethical). Nevertheless, it can be taken for granted neither that all traditional practices can be classified as ‘agro-ecological’ nor that all farmer-led innovations can be included in the agro-ecological repertoire. Moreover, the relationship between the three aspirations of agroecology (science, movement and practice) needs further elaboration in order to maximise potential for agriculture transition.

To link Marxism and ecological transition may seem at first like trying to bridge two entirely different movements and discourses, each with its own history and logic: one having mainly to do with class relations, the other with the relation between humans and the environment. However, historically socialism has influenced the development of ecological thought and practice, while ecology has informed socialist thought and practice. Since the nineteenth century, the relationship between the two has been complex, interdependent, and dialectical.&hellip; This essay unearths the deep ecological roots of Marx's thought, showing how he brought an environmental perspective to bear on the overarching question of social transformation. From there it traces the evolution of Marxian ecology, illuminating its profound, formative link to modern ecological economics and systems ecology. It concludes with the wider project of building the broad and deep social movement required to halt and reverse ecological and social destruction.<p class="mrlink"><p class="mrpurchaselink"><a href="http://monthlyreview.org/index/volume-67-number-7" title="Vol. 67, No. 7: December 2015" target="_self">Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the <em>Monthly Review</em> website.</a></p>

This article explores the connections between West German autonomous women's movement and the green movement from inception of the green movement in the 1970s until its institutionalization with the Green Party in the 1980s. I argue that understanding the role of feminism in the movement and vice versa requires scholars to rethink the autonomous strategies of the New Women's Movement. In doing so, I contend that autonomous feminists understood the wider implications of the green movement beyond ecological preservation, thus aiding in the transition to political party. Entangling the two movements also highlights the limits of gender equality in the Green Party as it implemented the quota system in the 1980s, and offers lessons for the potential future success of gender parity in German politics.

The practice of ecological restoration spans a wide range of human interventions in socio-ecological systems. These interventions include activities ranging from plant propagation to river rerouting, and are done with the intention of bringing about desirable futures in response to ecosystem degradation. Through restoration, post-industrial sites have been transformed into thriving oases, and forests decimated by severe fire have been revegetated. This ever-expanding global body of work offers concrete, longstanding examples of people working together to design for transitions and create restored human habitats. In this paper, I frame this widespread movement of multiple epistemic cultures and their restorative projects as examples of designing for transitions. This paper concentrates on one specific subculture within restoration: the international Ecosystem Restoration Communities movement, which is a network of more than fifty restoration communities across thirty different countries working at the grassroots level to restore degraded land. I analyse the case of the Ecosystem Restoration Communities movement using the lens of “theories of change” from the Transition Design framework, bringing the two fields into conversation. Transition Design scholarship argues for greater consideration of the theories of change that drive designing. As such, those who design for transitions need concrete examples of how a theory of change may be translated into a design strategy and designed artifacts as part of a change-making process. To this end, I present four themes of change theories present in the Ecosystem Restoration Communities network. I discuss how they are translated into restoration approaches and subsequently into designed artifacts through individual Ecosystem Restoration Communities. I present this case to strengthen the connection between designing for transitions and restoration, as well as to illustrate how theories of change can guide the work of designing transformative change.

INTRODUCTION: Social work is engaged with understanding and acting into change processes within society at various levels. How new social and environmental movements are conceptually framed can be usefully explored to enable new ways of understanding their role in change processes, particularly in addressing the most significant problem of our times, climate change and excessive non-renewable energy use.METHODS: Complex systems theory and deep ecology are two of the theoretical conceptualisations that inform the Transition Town movement transnationally. Social workers share these two theoretical frameworks with the Transition Town movement as ways of thinking about effecting change processes. A brief introduction to a biopolitical lens, based on Lemke’s reading of Michel Foucault is added to offer another way to conceptualise the movement’s naturalistic logic.CONCLUSION: A biopolitical lens seeks to make visible the precarious and contingent difference between nature and culture as well as politics and life. Biopolitical analytics aims to focus social workers on investigating the network of power relations, knowledge practices and modes of subjectification evident in change processes. The intersection of life and politics has transformed modern society and biopolitics aims to bring this into focus to understand what we are doing to ourselves.

The emergence of grassroots social movements variously preoccupied with a range of external threats, such as diminishing supplies of fossil energy or climate change, has led to increased interest in the production of local food. Drawing upon the notion of cognitive praxis, this article utilises transition as a trajectory guided by an overarching cosmology that brings together a broad social movement seeking a more resilient future. This ‘grand narrative’ is reinforced by ‘transition movement intellectuals’ who serve to shape an agenda of local preparedness in the face of uncertainty, rather than structural analysis of the global system. In this context, growing and producing food offers important multi-functional synergies by reconnecting people to place and its ecological endowments and serves to provide a vital element in civic mobilisation. Yet, local food could also become a means to build international solidarity in defence of food sovereignty and establish a global coalition opposed to the corporate agri-food agenda of biotechnologies, land grabbing and nutritional impoverishment.

In the last few years, a theological trend has developed in France that is committed to listening to the words of people in precarious situations. In the tradition of Father Joseph Wresinski, founder of ATD Fourth World, this theological movement seeks to hear the joys, the struggles, the hopes, the dreams, and the faith of those who live on the margins of the world. They are the first to be affected by social and environmental injustices. They are the first to fight poverty. They are the first to invent a sustainable way of life. Listening to and taking seriously the experiences and words of the very poor opens up new perspectives for theology, especially in the ecological field. Indeed, the link between the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor has become commonplace. According to the World Bank, it is even “evidence”. Certainly “everything is linked”, as Pope Francis writes in Laudato Si’, but the characterization of this link must be deepened. It is not simply a matter of juxtaposing these two cries, but of perceiving that it is only from the most excluded that fair, effective, and sustainable solutions can be proposed. Bringing their words and thoughts into our modern agoras is an essential anthropological, political, and theological challenge for ecological conversion.

La transition écologique investit le champ de la communication environnementale en mobilisant deux phénomènes communicationnels distincts, le film documentaire et des initiatives citoyennes de transition révélant certaines attitudes, renouvelant une interconnexion de notre tradition avec le vivant. En ouvrant à un élargissement de la compréhension du fonctionnement des espèces, la transition écologique inspirée de la permaculture permettrait un autre rapport à l’autre. En communication, les acteurs du mouvement de la transition se focaliseraient sur le présent dans de nombreux pays, favorisant la créativité des acteurs et assurant que les actions quotidiennes fabriqueraient le monde de demain. Développé par des individus montés en capacité sur les questions environnementales, inclusif, ce mouvement culturel s’appuierait sur différents formats de « récits », composant une communication emprunte de factuel et d’expériences sensibles. A partir d’une étude de films qui ont marqué un tournant dans le champ du documentaire écologique et de l’observation de la création d’un projet de transition sous l’approche de la permaculture, la recherche conduite en SIC selon une méthode inductive priorise l’étude des procédés mis en place par les acteurs ainsi que les processus discursifs narratifs engagés permettant l’étude des échanges intergroupes où les notions de culture, de performativité et d’acculturation sont mobilisées par les acteurs dans leur quotidien. Dans un contexte où les thématiques de la peur, de la catastrophe sont présentes autour de la communication environnementale, du mouvement de la transition écologique traduirait-elle un changement d’heuristique ?
The ecological transition is investing the field of environmental communication by mobilising two distinct communicational phenomena, documentary film and transitional civic initiatives revealing attitudes that renew the interconnection between our tradition and the living world. By letting our comprehension of the way species function broaden, the permaculture-inspired ecological transition would allow for another relation to others. In communication sciences, players of the transition movement would be focusing on the present in numerous countries, thus encouraging the creativity of its protagonists based on their abilities and ensuring that daily actions would build the world of tomorrow. Developed by individuals with increased capabilities on environmental issues, inclusive, this cultural movement would rely on different narrative structures composing a communication gathering facts and sensitive experiences. From a corpus of movies that marked a turning point in the field of ecological documentary films, and the observation of a new permaculture-based transition project, the research conducted in information and communication sciences using an inductive and anthropological method prioritises the study of processes set up by the protagonists as well as the narrative processes employed, allowing to access interpersonal and inter-groups communications showing how people integrate notions of culture, performativity and acculturation in their daily lives. In a context where environmental communication calls up notions of fear, catastrophe and anxiety is the communication around the transition movement showing a change in heuristics?

Sustainability is an overused term in global politics. Yet, deciding on what to sustain indefinitely, and over time, in the face of the current ecological crisis is essentially a matter of moral-ethical concern. The primary objective of this dissertation is to investigate whether Islam, as a religion and spiritual tradition, has something to say about present-day sustainability problems. A secondary, but no less important objective of the present work is to examine the cultural, social, and political aspects of sustainability mobilisation and activism in predominantly Muslim contexts. The qualitative ethnographic study, which is based on fifteen semi-structured interviews and two focus groups conducted between 2015 and 2016, focuses on permaculture and eco-justice movements presently operating in Arab-Muslim countries (namely, Morocco and Tunisia) and uses methodological triangulation of frame and narrative analysis. Its main purpose is to empirically detect whether, among the motivational framing strategies deployed by sustainability movement actors to provide reasons for sustainability engagement and action, there is indication of moral-ethical motives that are consistent with the “eco-Islamic” worldview. The study shows that, especially in the Moroccan case, some religious-spiritual motives echo “eco-Islamic” wisdom and its foundational tenets. Overall, however, the normative and performative nature of Islamic ‘eco-tradition’ is unorthodox and syncretic.

How do transitions to sustainability emerge? Save Rosia Montana Campaign is a representative socio-environmental movement, that cancelled an open-cast gold mining project in the urban-village of Rosia Montana, Romania. After almost 20 years of conflict with the mining project initiators, the people that oppose mining are now struggling for implementing tourism as an alternative development of the place, that could allow the possibility of sustainable development. The research aims to assess the extent that Rosia Montana represents an example of an environmental conflict that generates change towards sustainable development. The paper reconstructs the history of conflict around Rosia Montana by using the theoretical framework of ecological distribution conflict, while it's investigating the outcomes that this struggle produced. By revealing the visions of sustainable development and the challenges experienced by the opposition to mining, we can understand the notion of alternatives in conflict. The alternatives to development from Rosia Montana are questioning conventional perceptions of development and democracy, while requesting social transformation for meeting their needs and enhancing their quality of life.

The present research Thesis is part of a growing interdisciplinary field of studies concerned with finding strategies to foster ecosystem stewardship of social-ecological systems as complex adaptive systems, such as cities and, in particular, of those that involve the notion of participation and collaborative design, to effectively build resilience in the context of climate change and ecological crisis. Framed within other glocal climate action movements, as part of an increasing number of “urban climate change experiments”, often emerging outside formal contexts of decision-making and led by actors other than municipal government, the object of the present research is the globally growing socio-technological phenomenon of Civic/Green Hackathons, and of Climathon® in particular, an international 24-hour collaborative design event aimed developing solutions to tackle climate change in urban settings. Through the double lenses of social-ecological resilience and of participatory processes, with the objective of helping Urban Institutions in better coordinating, integrating and consolidating bottom-up contributions towards the achievement of pressing global targets of social-ecological resilience and sustainability, the findings of the present research have been used to develop a clear set of Recommendations for improving the ability to expand social-ecological resilience under conditions of uncertainty, and to understand the role and importance of Climathon® and of the other glocal climate action movements, in a new adaptive co-design framework for urban resilience and ecological transition. The proposed new framework is an heuristic model and pragmatic tool, implementable and replicable in other regulatory contexts and decision-making processes, addressed to Urban Institutions that have undertaken a path of resilience planning and ecological transition, to assist them in planning and managing participatory resilience planning processes more adaptively, and to facilitate their recognizing windows of opportunity to address change towards sustainable development and, in prospective, to foster active (Human) ecosystem stewardship through collective action, starting from cities.

Mongolia is currently undergoing a rapid socioeconomic transition with extensive development driven by increased mineral resource extraction and large scale agriculture and pastoral expansion. There has also been unprecedented urbanisation and continued population growth that has placed added pressure on the ageing public infrastructure including power stations and waste water treatment plants. As a result, the country’s pristine landscapes, including its vast freshwater ecosystems, are now facing widespread degradation, contamination and species losses in the most impacted regions. The proposed large-scale dams and imminent climate change effects will further damage these fragile ecosystems. With a number of rivers and lakes deteriorating, resident aquatic communities, including unique fish species, have suffered significant population declines. However, a more substantial threat currently facing these fish populations is the rapid and largely unregulated rise in fishing activities within an emerging recreational fishery. Although historically fish capture and consumption has not been a traditional part of the Mongolian diet or culture, this is changing rapidly. Therefore a comprehensive set of research projects were developed and implemented across Mongolia, to gather essential information on this new fishery, while also addressing existing knowledge gaps regarding the spatial ecology and genetic structure of the main target species. In addition, a potential human health risk was evident due to the increased consumption of locally caught fish species from a heavily impacted river basin, and thus this was also investigated. Overall, the collective aim of this fisheries research was to increase the scientific understanding and knowledge across a range of issues and ultimately advise authorities on improving current management regulations and conservation strategies. It is hoped that the recommendations can assist in safeguarding the future sustainability and resilience of the threatened fish populations and the emerging recreational fishery across Mongolia for the future. A total of five fisheries related research projects were completed between 2011 and 2014, with the results from each used to formulate the conservation and management recommendations presented in this thesis. Due to the lack of knowledge regarding the emerging recreational fishery, roving creel surveys were conducted across three river basins and covered five key topics including angler demographics, fishing practices, current fishing trip data, fishing gear and costs, and angler knowledge and opinions. Fifty-eight fishing groups (n = 154 anglers) were interviewed and two angler types were identified: rural anglers with no or low incomes, who reside in the basin, fish alone or in smaller groups, fish frequently for shorter periods, and consumed fish more regularly; and urban anglers who have medium to high incomes, live in larger cities, spent more money on fishing gear / trips and fished for multiple days at a time. B. lenok was identified as the most targeted and caught species in the fishery. The results of the creel surveys confirmed increased fish consumption in the Kharaa River basin, which was identified as a potential human health risk due to the widespread heavy metal contamination from both past and present mining activities. Thus heavy metal contaminates in river water, sediment and five consumed fish species were examined at 11 sites across the basin. Heavy metals were evident in all five sampled species, with maximum muscle contents of chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) detected in fish from the middle and lower reaches, while zinc (Zn) was highly elevated in B. lenok from the upper tributaries. Elevated median contents of Cr, copper (Cu), Hg and Pb increased with trophic level, with the bioaccumulation of Hg posing the greatest threat to human health with over 10 % of all fish sampled exceeded the internationally recommended threshold for Hg in consumable fish tissue (> 0.5 µg g-1 ww). This bioaccumulation in resident fish species could lead to chronic toxicity in people who consume them regularly and have additional exposure to other sources of contamination e.g. gold mining. A further two projects were conducted that utilised passive acoustic telemetry to describe the spatial and temporal autecology, habitat use and behaviour of B. lenok in the Eroo River and H. taimen in the Onon/Balj rivers under Mongolia’s extreme seasonal conditions. The maximum longitudinal movements (home ranges) detected were more extensive than previously reported for both species with 45.3 km for B. lenok and 126.1 km for H. taimen. Increased movements were recorded in spring and summer, with individuals entering surrounding tributaries and remaining there for between four and 85 days before returning to the main river channel. The results highlighted the importance of maintaining the integrity and connectivity of tributary habitats for spawning, feeding and overwintering, as well as hydrological and thermal refuges, which will be increasingly important for these species in the region with the pending impacts of climate change. This increased knowledge relating to the spatial ecology of these threatened species can guide the design and implementation of new protective measures such as the introduction of Freshwater Protected Areas (FPAs) across Mongolia. Further research was conducted to gain a broader, multigenerational understanding of the interconnectedness between conspecific populations of H. taimen, B. lenok and T. baicalensis across the major river basins. Both molecular and nuclear markers were used to demarcate the population’s genetic structure and define Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs) and priority populations for these species across their Mongolian distributions. Across all species, the most prominent pattern was a strong differentiation among major basins with low differentiation and weak patterns of isolation by distance within basins, which indicates high within-basin connectivity between populations, although exact patterns were not completely concordant among species. The extensive results produced from the current scientific research has facilitated the development of a comprehensive set of key recommendations for implementing new, and enhancing existing, management and conservation measures relating to Mongolia’s threatened salmonid species and its emerging recreational fishery. These recommendations include: 1. Establishing a series of Freshwater Protected Areas (FPAs) throughout Mongolia’s major river basins, with their design and location based upon the spatial ecology and genetic population structure determined by the current research results; 2. Shifting the opening date of the fishing season to encompass the entire spawning period of B. lenok (the fishery’s main target species), which appears to currently not be the case; 3. Adding the blunt-snouted lenok (B. sp.) to the prohibited species list, as it has been genetically proven to be an independent species and has a restricted distribution and low abundance in Mongolia; and 4. Introducing minimum (and potentially maximum) size limits for B. lenok and T. baicalensis, to better protect immature and pre-spawning individuals from being removed from the population. In addition, it is highly recommended to commence fisheries dependent and independent assessments in key river basins and conduct biomonitoring programs (using a bioindicator species) to track toxic heavy metal contamination and identify potential human health risks associated with consuming resident fish species from the more heavily impacted regions. The lack of knowledge of the current fishing regulations by anglers as well as the observed and reported widespread illegal fishing activities demands a wide-ranging angler education program to improve understanding and compliance within the fishery. The future survival of these threatened salmonids and the sustainability of the emerging recreational fishery in Mongolia currently hangs in the balance. However, if these scientifically based recommendations are implemented in full, and can be adequately enforced, then the responsible authorities can take a huge step forward towards reversing the current trends and preserving the country’s imperilled freshwater fish populations and their valuable aquatic ecosystems. Mongolia can be a model for freshwater species conservation and management throughout the region and the world.:DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY I TABLE OF CONTENTS II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS V LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VI LIST OF FIGURES VII LIST OF TABLES VIII SUMMARY IX SUMMARY IN GERMAN / ZUSAMMENFASSUNG AUF DEUTSCH XII SUMMARY IN MONGOLIAN / ХУРААНГУЙ XVI INTRODUCTION 1 1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND HYPOTHESES 1 1.1 OVERALL THESIS OBJECTIVES 6 2 MONGOLIA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 7 2.1 GEOGRAPHIC ECOREGIONS 7 2.2 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 7 2.3 HYDROLOGICAL NETWORKS 8 2.4 FRESHWATER FISH FAUNA 9 3 ANTHROPOGENIC FORCINGS 11 3.1 CURRENT SOCIOECONOMIC TRANSITIONS 11 3.2 INTENSIFYING FISHING ACTIVITIES 11 3.3 CONTAMINATION OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS 12 3.4 IMMINENT THREATS 15 RESEARCH CHAPTERS 17 4 AN EMERGING RECREATIONAL FISHERY IN MONGOLIA’S URBANISING SOCIETY: A THREAT TO ITS PRISTINE FISH STOCKS? 17 4.1 ABSTRACT 17 4.2 INTRODUCTION 18 4.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 20 4.4 RESULTS 22 4.5 DISCUSSION 29 5 REGIONAL PATTERNS OF HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE AND CONTAMINATION IN THE FISH FAUNA OF THE KHARAA RIVER BASIN (MONGOLIA) 36 5.1 ABSTRACT 36 5.2 INTRODUCTION 37 5.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 39 5.4 RESULTS 43 5.5 DISCUSSION 49 6 MOVEMENTS AND BEHAVIOUR OF AN ARCHAIC TROUT, BRACHYMYSTAX LENOK (PALLAS, 1773) UNDER EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN MONGOLIA 57 6.1 ABSTRACT 57 6.2 INTRODUCTION 57 6.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 60 6.4 RESULTS 64 6.5 DISCUSSION 71 7 SEASONAL HOME RANGE SHIFTS OF THE SIBERIAN TAIMEN (HUCHO TAIMEN; PALLAS, 1773): EVIDENCE FROM PASSIVE ACOUSTIC TELEMETRY IN THE ONON RIVER AND BALJ TRIBUTARY (AMUR RIVER BASIN, MONGOLIA) 78 7.1 ABSTRACT 78 7.2 INTRODUCTION 79 7.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 81 7.4 RESULTS 84 7.5 DISCUSSION 88 8 FISH CONSERVATION IN THE LAND OF STEPPE AND SKY: EVOLUTIONARY SIGNIFICANT UNITS OF THREATENED SALMONID SPECIES IN MONGOLIA MIRROR MAJOR RIVER BASINS 95 8.1 ABSTRACT 95 8.2 INTRODUCTION 95 8.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 98 8.4 RESULTS 101 8.5 DISCUSSION 108 DISCUSSION 115 9 SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES IN MONGOLIA 115 9.1 OVERVIEW AND LINKAGES OF KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS 115 9.2 FRESHWATER FISH CONSERVATION IN A TRANSITIONAL SOCIETY 118 9.3 ADDRESSING MANAGEMENT SHORTFALLS TO CURB INTENSIFYING FISHING ACTIVITIES 119 9.4 BIOMONITORING TO MITIGATE HUMAN HEALTH RISKS 122 9.5 IMPROVING ANGLER COMPLIANCE WITH INCREASED EDUCATION 123 9.6 PRESERVING HYDROLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY AND RIVER INTEGRITY IN THE FACE OF IMMINENT THREATS 124 9.7 MANAGEMENT AVOIDANCES 127 9.8 TRANSFERABILITY OF RESEARCH METHODS, RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 127 9.9 FUTURE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES 129 10 REFERENCES 132 APPENDIX 1 I APPENDIX 2 II APPENDIX 3 VI APPENDIX 4 VIII APPENDIX 5 XXI APPENDIX 6 XXII APPENDIX 7 XXIV 11 REFERENCES TO OWN PUBLISHED / SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT IN THE PRESENT THESIS XXV 12 INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CURRENT THESIS XXVI 13 NOTE ON THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE DOCTORAL PROCEDURE XXVIII 14 CURRICULUM VITAE XXIX 15 LIST OF PUBLICATIONS XXXI
Die Mongolei befindet sich derzeit in einem rasanten sozioökonomischen Übergang mit tiefgreifenden Veränderungen, die v.a. durch eine Zunahme bergbaulicher Aktivitäten sowie einen Ausbau ackerbaulicher Nutzungen wie auch der Viehwirtschaft angetrieben werden. Derzeit vollzieht sich eine noch nie dagewesene Urbanisierung und ein weiteres Bevölkerungswachstum, das auf die alternde öffentliche Infrastruktur, einschließlich Kraftwerke und Abwasserbehandlungsanlagen, einen zusätzlichen Druck ausübt. Infolgedessen zeigen sich in den weitgehend unberührten Landschaften des Landes, einschließlich seiner riesigen Süßwasser-Ökosysteme, deutliche Anzeichen von Übernutzung natürlicher Ressourcen, Umweltverschmutzung und Artenverlusten. Zukünftig geplante große Staudämme werden neben den bevorstehenden Auswirkungen des Klimawandels die Hydrologie deutlich verändern. So sind bereits deutliche Beeinträchtigungen der Fluss-und See-Ökosysteme erkennbar, insbesondere in Hinblick auf ihre aquatischen Lebensgemeinschaften. Einige der weltweit einzigartigen Fischarten haben bereits erhebliche Bevölkerungsrückgänge erlitten. Eine weitere existenzielle Bedrohung für diese Fischpopulationen ist der rasche und weitgehend un-regulierte Anstieg der Fischereitätigkeiten aus einer aufstrebenden Freizeitfischerei. Obwohl Fischfang und -konsum keine traditionellen Elemente der mongolischen Ernährung oder Kultur darstellen, vollziehen sich diesbezüglich derzeit tiefgreifende Veränderungen. Daher wurden in der Mongolei umfangreiche Forschungsprojekte geplant und durchgeführt, um wesentliche Informationen über diese neue Art der Fischerei zu sammeln und gleichzeitig bestehende Wissenslücken in Bezug auf die räumliche Ökologie und die Metapopulationsstruktur der wichtigsten Zielarten zu schließen. Darüber hinaus zeigten Untersuchungen, dass sich aufgrund des erhöhten Konsums von lokal gefangenen Fischarten aus einem stark beeinträchtigten Einzugsgebiet ein potenzielles Risiko für die menschliche Gesundheit ergibt. Insgesamt ist das übergeordnete Ziel dieser Fischereiforschung, das wissenschaftliche Verständnis und Wissen zu erweitern und letztlich die derzeitigen Managementinstrumente zu verbessern und neue Erhaltungsmaßnahmen zu ergreifen, um die Nachhaltigkeit und Widerstandsfähigkeit der bedrohten Fischartenpopulationen und die aufkommende Erholung zu sichern. Insgesamt wurden zwischen 2011 und 2014 insgesamt fünf fischereibiologische Forschungsprojekte abgeschlossen, wobei die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeiten in Erhaltungs- und Managementempfehlungen münden. Wegen des Mangels an Wissen über die aufkommende Freizeitfischerei wurden Anglerbefragungen in drei Einzugsgebieten durchgeführt, welche fünf wichtige Themen wie Angler-Demographie, Fischereipraktiken, Reisetätigkeiten, Fanggeräte und Kosten sowie Anglerwissen und Meinungen umfassten. Fünfundsechzig Angelgruppen (n = 154 Angler) wurden interviewt und zwei Anglertypen identifiziert: ländliche Angler ohne oder niedrige Einkommen, die in dem Becken wohnen, alleine oder in kleineren Gruppen fischen, häufig für kürzere Zeiten fischen und regelmäßig Fisch verzehren; und städtische Angler, die mittlere bis hohe Einkommen haben, in größeren Städten leben, mehr Geld für Fanggeräte / Ausflüge ausgegeben und typischerweise für mehrere Tage am Stück fischen. B. lenok wurde als die bevorzugte und am meisten gefangene Zielarten der Fischerei identifiziert. Die Ergebnisse der Anglerbefragungen bestätigten den erhöhten Fischkonsum im Kharaa-Einzugsgebiet, das aufgrund der weit verbreiteten Schwermetallverunreinigung aus der Vergangenheit und den gegenwärtigen Bergbauaktivitäten als potenzielles Risiko für die menschliche Gesundheit identifiziert wurde. So wurden Schwermetallverunreinigungen im Flusswasser, Sediment und fünf konsumierten Fischarten an 11 Standorten im Einzugsgebiet untersucht. Schwermetalle zeigten sich in allen fünf Stichprobenarten, wobei der maximale Muskelgehalt von Cr, As, Hg und Pb in Fischen aus dem Mittel- und Unterlauf festgestellt wurde, während Zn in B. lenok in den Oberlaufregionen stark erhöht war. Der erhöhte mediane Gehalt an Cr, Cu, Hg und Pb nahm mit trophischer Ebene zu, wobei die Bioakkumulation von Hg die größte Bedrohung für die menschliche Gesundheit darstellte, wobei über 10% aller Fischproben den international empfohlenen Schwellenwert für Hg im verzehrbaren Fischgewebe überstiegen (> 0,5 μg g-1 ww). Diese Bioakkumulation in residenten Fischarten könnte zu chronischen Intoxikationen bei Menschen führen, die sie regelmäßig konsumieren und zusätzliche Exposition gegenüber anderen Kontaminationsquellen haben, z.B. im Goldbergbau. Es wurden weitere zwei Projekte durchgeführt, die eine passive akustische Telemetrie zur Beschreibung der räumlichen und zeitlichen Autökologie, des Lebensraumnutzens und des Verhaltens von B. lenok im Eroo River und H. taimen in den Flüssen Onon und Balj unter den extremen Klimabedingungen der Mongolei verwendeten. Die maximalen Längsbewegungen (Heimatbereiche) wurden -umfangreicher als bisher angenommen- für beide Arten wurden auf 45,3 km für B. lenok und 126,1 km für H. taimen ermittelt. Im Frühjahr und Sommer wurden erhöhte Bewegungen aufgezeichnet, wobei die Individuen in die umliegenden Nebenflüsse eintraten und dort zwischen 4 und 85 Tagen verblieben, bevor sie zum Hauptfluss des Flusses zurückkehrten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen die Bedeutung der Aufrechterhaltung der Integrität und der Konnektivität von Nebenflüssen für Laichen, Nahrungssuche und Überwinterung sowie hydrologische und thermische Schutzräume, die für diese Arten in der Region mit den anstehenden Auswirkungen des Klimawandels zunehmend an Bedeutung gewinnen werden. Die verbesserten Kenntnisse der räumlichen Ökologie dieser bedrohten Arten kann die Gestaltung und Umsetzung neuer Schutzmaßnahmen wie Süßwasser-Schutzgebiete in der Mongolei wissenschaftlich fundieren und leiten. Weitere Untersuchungen wurden durchgeführt, um ein breiteres, multigenerationales Verständnis der Zusammenhänge zwischen den konkreten Populationen von H. taimen, B. lenok und T. baicalensis über die großen Flusseinzugsgebiete zu gewinnen. Sowohl molekulare als auch nukleare Marker wurden verwendet, um die genetische Struktur abzugrenzen und definieren, so z.B. evolutionär signifikante Einheiten (ESUs) und eigenständige Populationen für diese Arten einschließlich ihrer räumlichen Verteilung in der Mongolei. Über alle Arten hinweg war das deutlichste Muster eine starke Differenzierung zwischen den großen Becken mit geringer Differenzierung. Dem gegenüber stehen schwache Muster der Isolation durch die Distanz in den Becken, die eine hohe einzugsgebietsinterne Konnektivität anzeigen, obwohl exakte Muster nicht vollständig unter allen Arten übereinstimmten. Die Prioritäten der Erhaltung müssen sich auf die Verbesserung des Schutzes der vorrangigen Bevölkerungsgruppen innerhalb jeder Art und ESU konzentrieren, um die begrenzten verfügbaren Ressourcen für die Arten- und Populations-Erhaltung und fischereiliche Bewirtschaftung in der Mongolei zu maximieren. Die umfangreichen Ergebnisse aus der aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Forschung ermöglichten die Ableitung umfassender Empfehlungen für die Umsetzung neuer und die Verbesserung der bestehenden Management- und Erhaltungsmaßnahmen in Bezug auf die bedrohten Lachsarten der Mongolei und die aufkommende Freizeitfischerei. Diese Empfehlungen beinhalten 1.die Gründung einer Reihe von Süßwasser-Schutzgebieten (FPA) in den großen Flussgebieten der Mongolei auf der Grundlage der räumlichen Ökologie und der genetischen Bevölkerungsstruktur, die durch die aktuellen Forschungsergebnisse untermauert wird; 2. Eine Verschiebung des Eröffnungstermins der Fangsaison, welche im Gegensatz zur aktuellen Praxis die gesamte Laichzeit von B. lenok (die Hauptzielspezies der Fischerei); umfassen sollte; 3. Hinzufügen des Stumpfschnauzen-Lenok (B. sp.) zur Liste der besonders geschützten Arten, da er sich als eine genetisch unabhängige Spezies erwiesen hat, welche eine begrenzte räumliche Verteilung und geringe Populationsdichte in der Mongolei hat; und 4. Einführung von minimalen (und potentiell maximalen) Körpergrößenbeschränkungen für B. lenok und T. baicalensis, um die unreifen und heranwachsenden Individuen besser vor menschlichen Einflüssen zu schützen. Darüber hinaus empfiehlt es sich dringend, in den wichtigsten Flussgebieten fischereilich genutzte und nicht genutzte Fischpopulationen zu erfassen und Biomonitoring-Programme (unter Verwendung von Bioindikator-Spezies) zu implementieren, um toxische Schwermetallverunreinigungen zu verfolgen und potenzielle Risiken für die menschliche Gesundheit zu identifizieren, die mit dem Verzehr Fischen aus beeinträchtigten Regionen einhergehen. Schließlich verlangt das Fehlen von Kenntnissen über die derzeitigen Fischereiverordnungen durch Angler sowie die beobachteten und gemeldeten weitverbreiteten illegalen Fischereitätigkeiten ein weitreichendes Angler-Bildungsprogramm, um das Verständnis und die Einhaltung fischereilicher Regelungen zu verbessern. Das künftige Überleben der bedrohten Salmoniden und die Nachhaltigkeit der aufkommenden Freizeitfischerei in der Mongolei sind eng miteinander verbunden. Sofern die hier dargestellten wissenschaftlich fundierten Empfehlungen in vollem Umfang umgesetzt werden und hinreichend kontrolliert werden können, würden die zuständigen Behörden einen großen Schritt in Richtung der Umkehrung der aktuellen Trends machen und die gefährdeten Süßwasserfischpopulationen des Landes und ihre wertvollen aquatischen Ökosysteme bewahren. Die Mongolei könnte dann ein Modell für die Erhaltung und Bewirtschaftung von Süßwasserarten in der ganzen Region und der Welt werden.:DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY I TABLE OF CONTENTS II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS V LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VI LIST OF FIGURES VII LIST OF TABLES VIII SUMMARY IX SUMMARY IN GERMAN / ZUSAMMENFASSUNG AUF DEUTSCH XII SUMMARY IN MONGOLIAN / ХУРААНГУЙ XVI INTRODUCTION 1 1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND HYPOTHESES 1 1.1 OVERALL THESIS OBJECTIVES 6 2 MONGOLIA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 7 2.1 GEOGRAPHIC ECOREGIONS 7 2.2 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 7 2.3 HYDROLOGICAL NETWORKS 8 2.4 FRESHWATER FISH FAUNA 9 3 ANTHROPOGENIC FORCINGS 11 3.1 CURRENT SOCIOECONOMIC TRANSITIONS 11 3.2 INTENSIFYING FISHING ACTIVITIES 11 3.3 CONTAMINATION OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS 12 3.4 IMMINENT THREATS 15 RESEARCH CHAPTERS 17 4 AN EMERGING RECREATIONAL FISHERY IN MONGOLIA’S URBANISING SOCIETY: A THREAT TO ITS PRISTINE FISH STOCKS? 17 4.1 ABSTRACT 17 4.2 INTRODUCTION 18 4.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 20 4.4 RESULTS 22 4.5 DISCUSSION 29 5 REGIONAL PATTERNS OF HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE AND CONTAMINATION IN THE FISH FAUNA OF THE KHARAA RIVER BASIN (MONGOLIA) 36 5.1 ABSTRACT 36 5.2 INTRODUCTION 37 5.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 39 5.4 RESULTS 43 5.5 DISCUSSION 49 6 MOVEMENTS AND BEHAVIOUR OF AN ARCHAIC TROUT, BRACHYMYSTAX LENOK (PALLAS, 1773) UNDER EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN MONGOLIA 57 6.1 ABSTRACT 57 6.2 INTRODUCTION 57 6.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 60 6.4 RESULTS 64 6.5 DISCUSSION 71 7 SEASONAL HOME RANGE SHIFTS OF THE SIBERIAN TAIMEN (HUCHO TAIMEN; PALLAS, 1773): EVIDENCE FROM PASSIVE ACOUSTIC TELEMETRY IN THE ONON RIVER AND BALJ TRIBUTARY (AMUR RIVER BASIN, MONGOLIA) 78 7.1 ABSTRACT 78 7.2 INTRODUCTION 79 7.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 81 7.4 RESULTS 84 7.5 DISCUSSION 88 8 FISH CONSERVATION IN THE LAND OF STEPPE AND SKY: EVOLUTIONARY SIGNIFICANT UNITS OF THREATENED SALMONID SPECIES IN MONGOLIA MIRROR MAJOR RIVER BASINS 95 8.1 ABSTRACT 95 8.2 INTRODUCTION 95 8.3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 98 8.4 RESULTS 101 8.5 DISCUSSION 108 DISCUSSION 115 9 SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES IN MONGOLIA 115 9.1 OVERVIEW AND LINKAGES OF KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS 115 9.2 FRESHWATER FISH CONSERVATION IN A TRANSITIONAL SOCIETY 118 9.3 ADDRESSING MANAGEMENT SHORTFALLS TO CURB INTENSIFYING FISHING ACTIVITIES 119 9.4 BIOMONITORING TO MITIGATE HUMAN HEALTH RISKS 122 9.5 IMPROVING ANGLER COMPLIANCE WITH INCREASED EDUCATION 123 9.6 PRESERVING HYDROLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY AND RIVER INTEGRITY IN THE FACE OF IMMINENT THREATS 124 9.7 MANAGEMENT AVOIDANCES 127 9.8 TRANSFERABILITY OF RESEARCH METHODS, RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 127 9.9 FUTURE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES 129 10 REFERENCES 132 APPENDIX 1 I APPENDIX 2 II APPENDIX 3 VI APPENDIX 4 VIII APPENDIX 5 XXI APPENDIX 6 XXII APPENDIX 7 XXIV 11 REFERENCES TO OWN PUBLISHED / SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT IN THE PRESENT THESIS XXV 12 INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CURRENT THESIS XXVI 13 NOTE ON THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE DOCTORAL PROCEDURE XXVIII 14 CURRICULUM VITAE XXIX 15 LIST OF PUBLICATIONS XXXI

Mongolia is currently undergoing a rapid socioeconomic transition with extensive development driven by increased mineral resource extraction and large scale agriculture and pastoral expansion. There has also been unprecedented urbanisation and continued population growth that has placed added pressure on the ageing public infrastructure including power stations and waste water treatment plants. As a result, the country’s pristine landscapes, including its vast freshwater ecosystems, are now facing widespread degradation, contamination and species losses in the most impacted regions. The proposed large-scale dams and imminent climate change effects will further damage these fragile ecosystems. With a number of rivers and lakes deteriorating, resident aquatic communities, including unique fish species, have suffered significant population declines. However, a more substantial threat currently facing these fish populations is the rapid and largely unregulated rise in fishing activities within an emerging recreational fishery. Although historically fish capture and consumption has not been a traditional part of the Mongolian diet or culture, this is changing rapidly. Therefore a comprehensive set of research projects were developed and implemented across Mongolia, to gather essential information on this new fishery, while also addressing existing knowledge gaps regarding the spatial ecology and genetic structure of the main target species. In addition, a potential human health risk was evident due to the increased consumption of locally caught fish species from a heavily impacted river basin, and thus this was also investigated. Overall, the collective aim of this fisheries research was to increase the scientific understanding and knowledge across a range of issues and ultimately advise authorities on improving current management regulations and conservation strategies. It is hoped that the recommendations can assist in safeguarding the future sustainability and resilience of the threatened fish populations and the emerging recreational fishery across Mongolia for the future. A total of five fisheries related research projects were completed between 2011 and 2014, with the results from each used to formulate the conservation and management recommendations presented in this thesis. Due to the lack of knowledge regarding the emerging recreational fishery, roving creel surveys were conducted across three river basins and covered five key topics including angler demographics, fishing practices, current fishing trip data, fishing gear and costs, and angler knowledge and opinions. Fifty-eight fishing groups (n = 154 anglers) were interviewed and two angler types were identified: rural anglers with no or low incomes, who reside in the basin, fish alone or in smaller groups, fish frequently for shorter periods, and consumed fish more regularly; and urban anglers who have medium to high incomes, live in larger cities, spent more money on fishing gear / trips and fished for multiple days at a time. B. lenok was identified as the most targeted and caught species in the fishery. The results of the creel surveys confirmed increased fish consumption in the Kharaa River basin, which was identified as a potential human health risk due to the widespread heavy metal contamination from both past and present mining activities. Thus heavy metal contaminates in river water, sediment and five consumed fish species were examined at 11 sites across the basin. Heavy metals were evident in all five sampled species, with maximum muscle contents of chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) detected in fish from the middle and lower reaches, while zinc (Zn) was highly elevated in B. lenok from the upper tributaries. Elevated median contents of Cr, copper (Cu), Hg and Pb increased with trophic level, with the bioaccumulation of Hg posing the greatest threat to human health with over 10 % of all fish sampled exceeded the internationally recommended threshold for Hg in consumable fish tissue (> 0.5 µg g-1 ww). This bioaccumulation in resident fish species could lead to chronic toxicity in people who consume them regularly and have additional exposure to other sources of contamination e.g. gold mining. A further two projects were conducted that utilised passive acoustic telemetry to describe the spatial and temporal autecology, habitat use and behaviour of B. lenok in the Eroo River and H. taimen in the Onon/Balj rivers under Mongolia’s extreme seasonal conditions. The maximum longitudinal movements (home ranges) detected were more extensive than previously reported for both species with 45.3 km for B. lenok and 126.1 km for H. taimen. Increased movements were recorded in spring and summer, with individuals entering surrounding tributaries and remaining there for between four and 85 days before returning to the main river channel. The results highlighted the importance of maintaining the integrity and connectivity of tributary habitats for spawning, feeding and overwintering, as well as hydrological and thermal refuges, which will be increasingly important for these species in the region with the pending impacts of climate change. This increased knowledge relating to the spatial ecology of these threatened species can guide the design and implementation of new protective measures such as the introduction of Freshwater Protected Areas (FPAs) across Mongolia. Further research was conducted to gain a broader, multigenerational understanding of the interconnectedness between conspecific populations of H. taimen, B. lenok and T. baicalensis across the major river basins. Both molecular and nuclear markers were used to demarcate the population’s genetic structure and define Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs) and priority populations for these species across their Mongolian distributions. Across all species, the most prominent pattern was a strong differentiation among major basins with low differentiation and weak patterns of isolation by distance within basins, which indicates high within-basin connectivity between populations, although exact patterns were not completely concordant among species. The extensive results produced from the current scientific research has facilitated the development of a comprehensive set of key recommendations for implementing new, and enhancing existing, management and conservation measures relating to Mongolia’s threatened salmonid species and its emerging recreational fishery. These recommendations include: 1. Establishing a series of Freshwater Protected Areas (FPAs) throughout Mongolia’s major river basins, with their design and location based upon the spatial ecology and genetic population structure determined by the current research results; 2. Shifting the opening date of the fishing season to encompass the entire spawning period of B. lenok (the fishery’s main target species), which appears to currently not be the case; 3. Adding the blunt-snouted lenok (B. sp.) to the prohibited species list, as it has been genetically proven to be an independent species and has a restricted distribution and low abundance in Mongolia; and 4. Introducing minimum (and potentially maximum) size limits for B. lenok and T. baicalensis, to better protect immature and pre-spawning individuals from being removed from the population. In addition, it is highly recommended to commence fisheries dependent and independent assessments in key river basins and conduct biomonitoring programs (using a bioindicator species) to track toxic heavy metal contamination and identify potential human health risks associated with consuming resident fish species from the more heavily impacted regions. The lack of knowledge of the current fishing regulations by anglers as well as the observed and reported widespread illegal fishing activities demands a wide-ranging angler education program to improve understanding and compliance within the fishery. The future survival of these threatened salmonids and the sustainability of the emerging recreational fishery in Mongolia currently hangs in the balance. However, if these scientifically based recommendations are implemented in full, and can be adequately enforced, then the responsible authorities can take a huge step forward towards reversing the current trends and preserving the country’s imperilled freshwater fish populations and their valuable aquatic ecosystems. Mongolia can be a model for freshwater species conservation and management throughout the region and the world
Die Mongolei befindet sich derzeit in einem rasanten sozioökonomischen Übergang mit tiefgreifenden Veränderungen, die v.a. durch eine Zunahme bergbaulicher Aktivitäten sowie einen Ausbau ackerbaulicher Nutzungen wie auch der Viehwirtschaft angetrieben werden. Derzeit vollzieht sich eine noch nie dagewesene Urbanisierung und ein weiteres Bevölkerungswachstum, das auf die alternde öffentliche Infrastruktur, einschließlich Kraftwerke und Abwasserbehandlungsanlagen, einen zusätzlichen Druck ausübt. Infolgedessen zeigen sich in den weitgehend unberührten Landschaften des Landes, einschließlich seiner riesigen Süßwasser-Ökosysteme, deutliche Anzeichen von Übernutzung natürlicher Ressourcen, Umweltverschmutzung und Artenverlusten. Zukünftig geplante große Staudämme werden neben den bevorstehenden Auswirkungen des Klimawandels die Hydrologie deutlich verändern. So sind bereits deutliche Beeinträchtigungen der Fluss-und See-Ökosysteme erkennbar, insbesondere in Hinblick auf ihre aquatischen Lebensgemeinschaften. Einige der weltweit einzigartigen Fischarten haben bereits erhebliche Bevölkerungsrückgänge erlitten. Eine weitere existenzielle Bedrohung für diese Fischpopulationen ist der rasche und weitgehend un-regulierte Anstieg der Fischereitätigkeiten aus einer aufstrebenden Freizeitfischerei. Obwohl Fischfang und -konsum keine traditionellen Elemente der mongolischen Ernährung oder Kultur darstellen, vollziehen sich diesbezüglich derzeit tiefgreifende Veränderungen. Daher wurden in der Mongolei umfangreiche Forschungsprojekte geplant und durchgeführt, um wesentliche Informationen über diese neue Art der Fischerei zu sammeln und gleichzeitig bestehende Wissenslücken in Bezug auf die räumliche Ökologie und die Metapopulationsstruktur der wichtigsten Zielarten zu schließen. Darüber hinaus zeigten Untersuchungen, dass sich aufgrund des erhöhten Konsums von lokal gefangenen Fischarten aus einem stark beeinträchtigten Einzugsgebiet ein potenzielles Risiko für die menschliche Gesundheit ergibt. Insgesamt ist das übergeordnete Ziel dieser Fischereiforschung, das wissenschaftliche Verständnis und Wissen zu erweitern und letztlich die derzeitigen Managementinstrumente zu verbessern und neue Erhaltungsmaßnahmen zu ergreifen, um die Nachhaltigkeit und Widerstandsfähigkeit der bedrohten Fischartenpopulationen und die aufkommende Erholung zu sichern. Insgesamt wurden zwischen 2011 und 2014 insgesamt fünf fischereibiologische Forschungsprojekte abgeschlossen, wobei die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeiten in Erhaltungs- und Managementempfehlungen münden. Wegen des Mangels an Wissen über die aufkommende Freizeitfischerei wurden Anglerbefragungen in drei Einzugsgebieten durchgeführt, welche fünf wichtige Themen wie Angler-Demographie, Fischereipraktiken, Reisetätigkeiten, Fanggeräte und Kosten sowie Anglerwissen und Meinungen umfassten. Fünfundsechzig Angelgruppen (n = 154 Angler) wurden interviewt und zwei Anglertypen identifiziert: ländliche Angler ohne oder niedrige Einkommen, die in dem Becken wohnen, alleine oder in kleineren Gruppen fischen, häufig für kürzere Zeiten fischen und regelmäßig Fisch verzehren; und städtische Angler, die mittlere bis hohe Einkommen haben, in größeren Städten leben, mehr Geld für Fanggeräte / Ausflüge ausgegeben und typischerweise für mehrere Tage am Stück fischen. B. lenok wurde als die bevorzugte und am meisten gefangene Zielarten der Fischerei identifiziert. Die Ergebnisse der Anglerbefragungen bestätigten den erhöhten Fischkonsum im Kharaa-Einzugsgebiet, das aufgrund der weit verbreiteten Schwermetallverunreinigung aus der Vergangenheit und den gegenwärtigen Bergbauaktivitäten als potenzielles Risiko für die menschliche Gesundheit identifiziert wurde. So wurden Schwermetallverunreinigungen im Flusswasser, Sediment und fünf konsumierten Fischarten an 11 Standorten im Einzugsgebiet untersucht. Schwermetalle zeigten sich in allen fünf Stichprobenarten, wobei der maximale Muskelgehalt von Cr, As, Hg und Pb in Fischen aus dem Mittel- und Unterlauf festgestellt wurde, während Zn in B. lenok in den Oberlaufregionen stark erhöht war. Der erhöhte mediane Gehalt an Cr, Cu, Hg und Pb nahm mit trophischer Ebene zu, wobei die Bioakkumulation von Hg die größte Bedrohung für die menschliche Gesundheit darstellte, wobei über 10% aller Fischproben den international empfohlenen Schwellenwert für Hg im verzehrbaren Fischgewebe überstiegen (> 0,5 μg g-1 ww). Diese Bioakkumulation in residenten Fischarten könnte zu chronischen Intoxikationen bei Menschen führen, die sie regelmäßig konsumieren und zusätzliche Exposition gegenüber anderen Kontaminationsquellen haben, z.B. im Goldbergbau. Es wurden weitere zwei Projekte durchgeführt, die eine passive akustische Telemetrie zur Beschreibung der räumlichen und zeitlichen Autökologie, des Lebensraumnutzens und des Verhaltens von B. lenok im Eroo River und H. taimen in den Flüssen Onon und Balj unter den extremen Klimabedingungen der Mongolei verwendeten. Die maximalen Längsbewegungen (Heimatbereiche) wurden -umfangreicher als bisher angenommen- für beide Arten wurden auf 45,3 km für B. lenok und 126,1 km für H. taimen ermittelt. Im Frühjahr und Sommer wurden erhöhte Bewegungen aufgezeichnet, wobei die Individuen in die umliegenden Nebenflüsse eintraten und dort zwischen 4 und 85 Tagen verblieben, bevor sie zum Hauptfluss des Flusses zurückkehrten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen die Bedeutung der Aufrechterhaltung der Integrität und der Konnektivität von Nebenflüssen für Laichen, Nahrungssuche und Überwinterung sowie hydrologische und thermische Schutzräume, die für diese Arten in der Region mit den anstehenden Auswirkungen des Klimawandels zunehmend an Bedeutung gewinnen werden. Die verbesserten Kenntnisse der räumlichen Ökologie dieser bedrohten Arten kann die Gestaltung und Umsetzung neuer Schutzmaßnahmen wie Süßwasser-Schutzgebiete in der Mongolei wissenschaftlich fundieren und leiten. Weitere Untersuchungen wurden durchgeführt, um ein breiteres, multigenerationales Verständnis der Zusammenhänge zwischen den konkreten Populationen von H. taimen, B. lenok und T. baicalensis über die großen Flusseinzugsgebiete zu gewinnen. Sowohl molekulare als auch nukleare Marker wurden verwendet, um die genetische Struktur abzugrenzen und definieren, so z.B. evolutionär signifikante Einheiten (ESUs) und eigenständige Populationen für diese Arten einschließlich ihrer räumlichen Verteilung in der Mongolei. Über alle Arten hinweg war das deutlichste Muster eine starke Differenzierung zwischen den großen Becken mit geringer Differenzierung. Dem gegenüber stehen schwache Muster der Isolation durch die Distanz in den Becken, die eine hohe einzugsgebietsinterne Konnektivität anzeigen, obwohl exakte Muster nicht vollständig unter allen Arten übereinstimmten. Die Prioritäten der Erhaltung müssen sich auf die Verbesserung des Schutzes der vorrangigen Bevölkerungsgruppen innerhalb jeder Art und ESU konzentrieren, um die begrenzten verfügbaren Ressourcen für die Arten- und Populations-Erhaltung und fischereiliche Bewirtschaftung in der Mongolei zu maximieren. Die umfangreichen Ergebnisse aus der aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Forschung ermöglichten die Ableitung umfassender Empfehlungen für die Umsetzung neuer und die Verbesserung der bestehenden Management- und Erhaltungsmaßnahmen in Bezug auf die bedrohten Lachsarten der Mongolei und die aufkommende Freizeitfischerei. Diese Empfehlungen beinhalten 1.die Gründung einer Reihe von Süßwasser-Schutzgebieten (FPA) in den großen Flussgebieten der Mongolei auf der Grundlage der räumlichen Ökologie und der genetischen Bevölkerungsstruktur, die durch die aktuellen Forschungsergebnisse untermauert wird; 2. Eine Verschiebung des Eröffnungstermins der Fangsaison, welche im Gegensatz zur aktuellen Praxis die gesamte Laichzeit von B. lenok (die Hauptzielspezies der Fischerei); umfassen sollte; 3. Hinzufügen des Stumpfschnauzen-Lenok (B. sp.) zur Liste der besonders geschützten Arten, da er sich als eine genetisch unabhängige Spezies erwiesen hat, welche eine begrenzte räumliche Verteilung und geringe Populationsdichte in der Mongolei hat; und 4. Einführung von minimalen (und potentiell maximalen) Körpergrößenbeschränkungen für B. lenok und T. baicalensis, um die unreifen und heranwachsenden Individuen besser vor menschlichen Einflüssen zu schützen. Darüber hinaus empfiehlt es sich dringend, in den wichtigsten Flussgebieten fischereilich genutzte und nicht genutzte Fischpopulationen zu erfassen und Biomonitoring-Programme (unter Verwendung von Bioindikator-Spezies) zu implementieren, um toxische Schwermetallverunreinigungen zu verfolgen und potenzielle Risiken für die menschliche Gesundheit zu identifizieren, die mit dem Verzehr Fischen aus beeinträchtigten Regionen einhergehen. Schließlich verlangt das Fehlen von Kenntnissen über die derzeitigen Fischereiverordnungen durch Angler sowie die beobachteten und gemeldeten weitverbreiteten illegalen Fischereitätigkeiten ein weitreichendes Angler-Bildungsprogramm, um das Verständnis und die Einhaltung fischereilicher Regelungen zu verbessern. Das künftige Überleben der bedrohten Salmoniden und die Nachhaltigkeit der aufkommenden Freizeitfischerei in der Mongolei sind eng miteinander verbunden. Sofern die hier dargestellten wissenschaftlich fundierten Empfehlungen in vollem Umfang umgesetzt werden und hinreichend kontrolliert werden können, würden die zuständigen Behörden einen großen Schritt in Richtung der Umkehrung der aktuellen Trends machen und die gefährdeten Süßwasserfischpopulationen des Landes und ihre wertvollen aquatischen Ökosysteme bewahren. Die Mongolei könnte dann ein Modell für die Erhaltung und Bewirtschaftung von Süßwasserarten in der ganzen Region und der Welt werden

La tesis defiende la necesaria aportación de las humanidades en procesos de transformación cultural hacia la sostenibilidad y, más en concreto, profundiza en los proyectos que desde el arte se están llevando a la práctica. Nos basamos en la capacidad de la creación artística para potenciar la concienciación ambiental y la transformación social, entre otras funciones, haciendo énfasis en herramientas como la empatía y la colaboración. Para mostrar este nuevo rol de los creadores en la sociedad, nos situaremos en contextos de transición a la sostenibilidad entendida en sentido amplio, así como en el Movimiento de Ciudades y Pueblos en Transición (MCT), surgido en Reino Unido en 2005. Siendo dicho país pionero en MCT, revisaremos una recopilación de casos contenidos en la publicación Playing for time. Making art as if the world mattered (Neal, 2015) y pertenecientes a la red internacional Transition Network, para centrarnos más en concreto en los ejemplos que responden a nuestros criterios de selección. Dado que la mayoría de estudios sobre la transición se centran en casos anglosajones, (Haxeltine y Seyfang 2009; Bailey et al. 2010; Aiken 2012; Neal, 2013), estableceremos un paralelismo con las iniciativas actuales de la Red de Transición en España, destacando el caso de Almócita (Almería). Por otra parte, también se analizarán propuestas artísticas al margen del MCT como Nithraid y Dundee Urban Orchard en Reino Unido y, en España, Biodivers, El Cubo Verde y Aula-R entre otras. La metodología de investigación se basa en técnicas cualitativas como encuestas y entrevistas, así como en la Investigación Acción Participativa implicándonos en algunos de los proyectos estudiados, así como en la práctica artística personal en los casos de Biodivers y Aula-R. Siguiendo a la experta en arte público Suzanne Lacy, se analizarán estas propuestas en base a la participación, la intención de los creadores, los resultados, la estética, los puntos de tensión y puntos clave, la influencia de la financiación y las funciones que desempeñan. Además comprobaremos como responden estos casos a los principios del transitional art definidos por la autora Lucy Neal (2015). Como resultado mostraremos la función del arte en el fomento de la cooperación en la comunidad local, en la celebración colectiva, en la construcción de identidad, en la revitalización del territorio, en el aumento de resiliencia, en la conexión de las personas con su entorno y como desencadenante de dinámicas de cambio, entre otras funciones. Pero también se subrayan las dificultades para hacer visible su papel, la necesidad de introducir las preocupaciones de la huella ecológica en la práctica artística y los requisitos de sostenibilidad en el campo cultural, especialmente en España. El texto contribuye así al conocimiento del MCT más allá del contexto anglosajón y a la valoración del arte como importante herramienta para el cambio cultural hacia la sostenibilidad que necesitamos.
La tesi defén la necessària aportació de les humanitats en processos de transformació cultural cap a la sostenibilitat i, més en concret, aprofundeix en els projectes que des de l'art s'estan portant a la pràctica. Ens basem en la capacitat de la creació artística per tal de potenciar la conscienciació ambiental i la transformació social, entre altres funcions, fent èmfasi en ferramentes com l'empatia i la col.laboració. Per a mostrar aquest nou rol dels creadors en la societat, ens situarem en contextos de transició a la sostenibilitat entesa en sentit ampli, així com en el Moviment de Ciutats i Pobles en Transició (MCT), sorgit en Regne Unit l'any 2005. Sent el dit país pioner en MCT, revisarem una recopilació de casos continguts en la publicació Playing for time. Making art as if the world mattered (Neal, 2015) i pertanyents a la xarxa internacional Transition Network, per a centrar-nos més en concret en els exemples que responen als nostres criteris de selecció. Atés que la majoria d'estudis sobre la transició se centren en casos anglosaxons (Haxeltine i Seyfang 2009; Bailey t'al. 2010; Aiken 2012; Neal, 2013), establirem un paral¿lelisme amb les iniciatives actuals de la Xarxa de Transició a Espanya, destacant el cas d'Almócita (Almeria). D'altra banda, també s'analitzaran propostes artístiques al marge del MCT com Nithraid i Dundee Urban Orchard en Regne Unit i, a Espanya, Biodivers, El Cubo Verde i Aula-R entre altres. La metodologia d'investigació es basa tant en tècniques qualitatives com enquestes i entrevistes, com en la Investigació Acció Participativa implicant-nos en alguns dels projectes estudiats, així com en la pràctica artística personal en els casos de Biodivers i Aula-R. Seguint l'experta en art públic Suzanne Lacy, s'analitzaran aquestes propostes basant-se en la participació, la intenció dels creadors, els resultats, l'estètica, els punts de tensió i punts clau, la influència del finançament i les funcions que exerceixen. A més comprovarem com responen aquests casos als principis del transitional art, definits per l'autora Lucy Neal (2015). Com a resultat mostrarem la funció de l'art en el foment de la cooperació en la comunitat local, en la celebració col¿lectiva, en la construcció d'identitat, en la revitalització del territori, en l'augment de resiliència, en la connexió de les persones amb el seu entorn i com a desencadenant de dinàmiques de canvi, entre altres funcions. Però també se subratllen les dificultats per a fer visible el seu paper, la necessitat d'introduir les preocupacions de l'empremta ecològica en la pràctica artística i els requisits de sostenibilitat en el camp cultural, especialment a Espanya. El text contribueix així al coneixement del MCT més enllà del context anglosaxó i a la valoració de l'art com a important ferramenta per al canvi cultural cap a la sostenibilitat que necessitem.
This thesis defends the significant contribution of the humanities in processes of cultural transformation towards sustainability and, more specifically, delves into how emerging practices in art are specifically contributing to it. We rely on the ability of artistic creation to enhance environmental awareness and social transformation, among other functions, emphasizing tools such as empathy and collaboration. To show this new role of creators in society, the research is situated in contexts of transition to sustainability understood in a broad sense, as well as in the Transition Town Movement (TTM), which emerged in the United Kingdom in 2005. Being UK a pioneer in TTM, the study will review a collection of Anglo-Saxon cases contained in the publication Playing for time. Making art as if the world mattered (Neal, 2015) and belonging to the Transition Network. It will draw on specific cases that meet our selection criteria. Given the fact that a great part of the international studies are focused on Anglo-saxon case studies, (Haxeltine and Seyfang 2009; Bailey et al., 2010; Aiken 2012; Neal, 2013), the research will develop a comparative study with the current initiatives of the Transition Network in Spain, highlighting the case of Almócita (Almería). On the other hand, artistic proposals will also be analyzed outside the TTM such as Nithraid and Dundee Urban Orchard in the United Kingdom and, in Spain, Biodivers, El Cubo Verde and Aula-R among others. The research methodology is based on qualitative techniques such as surveys and interviews, as well as on Participatory Action Research, involving myself as a researcher in some of the projects studied, as well as in personal artistic practice in the cases of Biodivers and Aula-R. Following the framework developed by the expert in public art Suzanne Lacy in her practice-led PhD (2013), these proposals will be analyzed based on the participation, the intention of the creators, the results, the aesthetics, the points of tension and key points, the influence of funding and the functions they perform. How these cases respond to the principles of transitional art defined by the author Lucy Neal (2015) will also be checked out. As a result the case studies will show how art is expanding its role with positive narratives in the field of sustainability playing a function in promoting cooperation in the local community, in the collective celebration, in the construction of identity, in the revitalization of the territory, in the increase of resilience, in the connection of people with their environment and as a trigger for dynamics of change, among others. But it also underlines the difficulties to make visible its role, the necessity to introduce ecological footprint concerns in the artistic practice and sustainability requirements in the cultural field, specially in Spain. The text thus contributes to the knowledge of the TTM beyond the Anglo-Saxon context and to the appreciation of art as an important tool for cultural change towards sustainability in order to face the biggest challenge of the 21st century: the environmental crisis.
Sánchez León, N. (2018). La función del arte en procesos de transición a la sostenibilidad: casos anglosajones y españoles [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/113603
TESIS

After having explored various locally oriented projects in participatory governance that present practical alternatives to the theory of deliberative democracy, this chapter examines the democratic participatory potentials and realities of other local initiatives. It looks at the participatory activities of cities, including large cities, with a particular focus on the role for citizens in programs designed for adaptive responses to the consequences of climate change. Sponsored by city officials, these participatory initiatives are seen to be largely top-down in nature and not generally democratic per se. We then turn to the Transition Town movement, often cited by environmentalists as a progressive ecological alternative founded on citizen engagement. The participatory activities of this movement, while ecologically credible, are shown not to be geared to the furtherance of democratic practices. One main reason has to do with its emphasis on the theory of resilience, which ignores the political questions raised by ecological transition.

Can contemporary democratic governments tackle climate crisis? Some say that democracy has to be a central part of a strategy to deal with climate change. Others say that experience shows it not to be up to the challenge in the time frame available—that it will require a stronger hand, even a form of eco-authoritarianism. This work seeks to sort out and assess the competing answers to a question that is not easily resolved. While the book supports the case for environmental democracy, it argues that establishing and sustaining democratic practices will be difficult during the global climate turmoil ahead, especially if confronted with permanent states of emergency. This inquiry undertakes a search for an appropriate political-ecological strategy capable of preserving a measure of democratic governance during hard times. Without ignoring the global dimensions of the crisis, the analysis finds an alternative path in the theory and practices of participatory environmental governance embodied in a growing relocalization movement, and a form of global eco-localism. Although these movements largely operate under the radar of the social sciences, the media, and the political realm generally, such vibrant socio-ecological movements not only speak to the crisis ahead, but are already well established and thriving on the ground, including ecovillages, eco-communes, eco-neighborhoods, and local transition initiatives. With the help of these ideas and projects, the task is to shift the discourse of environmental political theory in ways that can assist those who will face the climate crisis in its full magnitude in real terms.

This essay examines the adoption of and the indifference to the term “Anthropocene” in diverse discourses addressing the urgency of climate change in the early twenty-first century. Through an analysis of keynote speeches, this essay argues that Anthropocene—a storytelling device invoking a pan-human species responsibility for the current climate crisis—is deployed widely within Euro-Australo-American academic environmental studies and environmental politics, but has not gained political or epistemic traction in environmental justice and climate justice organizations and social movements. Challenging the underlying universalism, anti-humanism, and cynicism woven into Anthropocene discourse, activists from environmental justice, climate justice, and indigenous organizations do not invoke Anthropocene’s rhetoric of humans as destroyers or masters of nature. Rather, these groups provide examples of “people powered” regenerative politics based on life-enhancing political strategies and proactive organizing in support of a just transition toward renewable energy, local economies, and socially and ecologically sustainable communities.

AbstractJoan Martínez Alier has made relevant contributions to the agrarian question by treating the southwestern Spanish latifundio and Latin American hacienda systems as capitalist ways of exploiting land and labour, not as backward feudal remnants. He has also invoked the resistance of Latin American tenant-labourers and other smallholder peasants as an explanation for the limited extent of wage labour. To that end, he helped rescue Alexander Chayanov and the former Narodnik movement from oblivion. With José Manuel Naredo, he paid tribute to Sergei Podolinsky, another member of this peasant neo-populist current, for pioneering the first calculation of energy balances and returns from agricultural systems. As agricultural and environmental historians, we have followed both paths to develop new proposals for a form of agrarian metabolism that, while contributing to ecological economics, is also aligned with agroecology. We summarize our contributions to these topics, developed together with Eduardo Sevilla Guzmán, Victor Toledo and Gloria Guzmán, as well as some of the researchers at the Institute of Social Ecology in Vienna and many other participants in the international project on Sustainable Farm Systems (SFS). Our teams have also started using these socio-metabolic accounts to take up the agrarian question of labour and gender exploitation through the unequal appropriation of natural resources from a historical point of view, as well as contribute to the next agroecology transition to a fairer food regime within planetary boundaries.

AbstractThis contribution presents a systematic overview of the steps followed in co-creating the learning and research resource Follow Your Heart: The School for Multipotentialites for children, educators, and researchers. This resource promotes ecological and emotional research and education for sustainability by cultivating values and behaviours consistent with how nature makes us feel connected and nurtured. Built upon the intersection of ecological literacy and socio-emotional learning, grounded in sustainability and relational thinking, the steps in developing this project from book to educational movement are outlined. The steps include educational workshops, book launches, translation into different cultural contexts and languages, an accompanying online platform, and international research collaborations. This work concludes by outlining the transition from a single resource into an educational movement and strategies for sustaining forward progress. Graphical Abstract The methodological approach as a stitched heart, vision of Laura Vita, 2023.

AbstractThis chapter argues that rebalancing liberal economics through the new macroeconomic approach to welfare and institutional economics described in the book would reinforce Keynes’s “Middle Way” reforms of the 1930s, which were aimed at better reconciling capitalism with social justice by maintaining full employment in decent work through robust domestic demand and investor confidence. It would add a systematic institutional dimension to Keynes’s fiscal and monetary strategies, expanding the toolbox available to policymakers to run their economies relatively hot on a sustainable basis through ongoing improvement in the fundamental conditions underpinning of supply and demand rather than the mainly transitory macroeconomic or deregulatory stimulus measures traditionally favoured by the social democratic centre-left and conservative centre-right. Moreover, the Paris climate agreement requires a new Middle Way in economics to be forged over the next generation, this time between environmentally destructive growth and socially destructive stagnation or degrowth. By internalizing the relevant institutional drivers of a just climate transition in macroeconomic theory and policy, the concepts and tools of human-centred economics create the possibility of a such a “neoclassical-Keynesian-ecological synthesis” focused as much on the social and environmental quality of growth as its quantity. Policymakers must abandon the reflex of standard liberal economics to assume, whether explicitly or implicitly, that broad and sustainable progress in household living standards trickles down inevitably from higher national income. A certain intentionality is required to optimize both—a sustained process of institutional deepening and investment to foster movement closer to the frontier of good policy and institutional practice in the aggregate distribution function’s five domains. The chapter concludes by explaining how operationalizing this forgotten aspect of liberal political economy’s founding principles holds the key not only to satisfying societal demands for greater inclusion, sustainability and resilience but also to reversing liberalism’s declining political prospects within countries and the international system.

This chapter examines abiotic pollination via wind or water. It begins with a discussion of wind pollination or anemophily, which is a common occurrence in modern plants, especially in most gymnosperms, in the catkin-bearing angiosperm trees, and in cereals (Poaceae and Cyperaceae). Anemophily is predominantly a derived condition in angiosperms, associated with ecological conditions where zoophily is difficult. Transition from zoophily to anemophily has occurred at least sixty-five times in such circumstances. The chapter looks at wind-pollinated angiosperm and conifer flowers and goes on to consider critical factors affecting pollen movement in anemophilous plants. It concludes with an overview of hydrophily, or water pollination.

The introduction makes the case for why it is important to envision alternatives to current socioecological practices, for both psychological as well as social movement reasons. Mounting evidence suggests that many converging environmental crises are caused by unequal social structures, thus social scientists have insights into how inequalities shape environmental problems and what can be done to solve them. This book explores two holistic examples of socioecological sustainability: an urban ecovillage in the United States and an urban farm in Cuba. It argues that alternative visions and solutions must be holistic, attending to the social and ecological aspects of sustainability. With these insights, communities can develop a vision that will help them move beyond debilitating fear and denial toward a just transition to a new economy.

Growing concerns about climate-change pollutants, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, resource shortages, and the world’s gamut of ecological problems have placed new pressures on sustainists. Creating a sustainable society that thrives within its biophysical limits is no longer seen as a distant and utopian objective; it’s now an urgent matter that, if neglected or mismanaged, will bring devastating consequences for the planet and the human economy that lives off of it. The increased political attention, institutional support, and financial commitment to the cause of sustainability means heightened expectations for immediate, tangible results. The public doesn’t want idle chatter; it wants workable solutions to very real problems. Can sustainists seize the moment and lead the transition to the sustainable future? The quest to create a sustainable society faces a host of obstacles, and many pressing questions remain unanswered: How can the entrenched political and corporate interests that perpetuate unsustainability be overcome? How can society willingly transform itself? Where will the money and political will come from to coordinate the transition? Will this sustainable society be “industrialized” or “post-industrial,” “globalized” or “localized”? Will the changes be top–down, bottom–up, or both? By charting the growth and development of sustainability since 1700, this book has not meant to imply that ecotopia is an inevitable end point. Even optimists concede that it’s quite possible that the task is too tall, that industrial society could drive itself straight into the ground, that collapse is a real threat, and that the Industrial Revolution was the first phase of humanity’s protracted extinction event. If sustainability does succeed in undoing the many harms that have caused our ecological predicament, it will only do so with the broad support of the public and through a cooperative effort to adapt and transform. At the risk of bombast, it will have to change the course of human history, and that’s no easy task. This book ends with a discussion of 10 challenges faced by the sustainability movement.

Globally, changes of macro-determinants of health occur as consequences of population movement, urbanization, globalization, technology advancement, and globalized living environments in the twenty-first century. Rayner and Lang (2012) argue that these transitions have changed the dynamics among humans, their activity patterns and the living eco-system. Regardless of development status, these health transitions change the human health determinants and outcomes. One of the latest frontiers in public health protection is to understand how these macro transitions might affect human health risks, disease outcomes, and the ecosystems that support and sustain living creatures. This chapter discusses current understanding of how some of these transitions, including globalization, demographic, epidemiological, economic, ecological, energy, technological, nutrition, and urban transitions, may be associated with health and well-being.

Energy transition towards sustainable power generation affects the offshore wind energy sector greatly. Due to extensive research work and technological developments, the number of foundation types for offshore wind energy plants has increased significantly. Independent of foundation type, each structure influences the ecological and hydrodynamic regime surrounding the structure. As a consequence, local flow turbulences may cause scours at the seabed and can lead to a reduction of structure stability. Geotextile sand containers (GSC) are an approved method for scour protection. During installation of scour protection systems, the sinking behaviour of GSC is affected by translational and rotational movement, which impedes an accurate positioning of GSC. Physical model tests have been conducted to analyse the influence of container shape and material properties of GSC. This paper presents the results of these model tests.

Currently, environmental problems such as droughts, floods, tsunamis, depletion of natural resources, air and land pollution, etc., and especially climate change, are increasing, happening, has been directly affecting human survival. Therefore, calls for people to think and act practically to protect the environment are becoming increasingly urgent. National, regional, and global environmental protection activities today are not only at the level of formal movements but have become a key content in the policy-making of each country. To protect the environment towards sustainable development, we need the consensus of the entire society, all levels and sectors as well as each individual. We need to promote the role of many different resources, in which education and training of human resources with ecological ethics for sustainable development is one of the important resources. Therefore, the article contributes to clarifying some general theoretical issues about human resources, concepts, characteristics, roles of the green economy, and the concept of ecological ethics education in training human resources for sustainable development. transition from the traditional economy to the green economy. On that basis, the author analyzes the role of human resource training for green economic development and the role of ecological ethics education in human resource training for green economic development in Vietnam. Finally, the author proposes some basic solutions to strengthen ecological ethics education in training human resources for green economic development in Vietnam.

This paper explores the evolving relationship between artistic research, architecture, and urban design in the context of shifting paradigms in the understanding of architecture and urban development. It highlights the transition from top-down planning to inclusive bottom-up processes and emphasises the importance of perceiving the city as a habitat rather than just a built environment. The historical precedents of artistic avantgarde movements, such as dérive and psychogeography, are examined, and their limitations in the contemporary context are discussed. The potential of artistic research to contribute to sustainability in ecological, economic, and societal dimensions is explored through various examples. Overall, the paper argues for the transformative power of artistic research in shaping future city spaces.

Urban areas are very rich in terms of biodiversity. The study's goal in this context is to develop proposals to ensure the sustainability of biodiversity, particularly in urban areas, by emphasizing the significance of biological diversity, which is the most important component of ecological systems and biological processes. Furthermore, it is intended to be a resource to be used in future studies on biological diversity, particularly in the context of the importance and sustainability of urban biodiversity. Biodiversity is a whole of genes, species, ecosystems and ecological events in a region. Biodiversity, from large to small part, consists of three major main parts and a fourth part that connects these three parts. These are ecosystem diversity, species diversity, genetic diversity and diversity of ecological processes .In parallel with the developing technology since the nineteenth century, pressures on natural resources have increased as a result of human effects such as industrialization, population growth, urbanization, different types of pollution, forest fires, field openings, overgrazing, drying of wetlands, pollution caused by pesticides used in agriculture, excessive and unconscious use of resources. In terms of protecting and improving the quality of nature and the environment, ensuring the continuity of the natural structures of biological riches and population sizes is important for the protection and development of species and their habitats. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the data related to the biological entity and analyze it correctly. Urban areas are very complex. Cities, in addition to constituting the majority of the world's population, focus disproportionately on the global economy and decision-making power. Furthermore, despite covering only about 2% of the Earth's surface, urban areas consume 75% of its resources. Cities, however, can be a powerful catalyst for greener economies as a hub for social and political movements as well as centers of technological and corporate knowledge and innovation. Cities are arguably the most important elements in the development of the green economy due to their growing size and importance around the world. Cities' management may be more sensitive to pressing issues while receiving some relief from competing national interests (e.g., regional development agendas and sector lobbies) and responsibilities (such as national defense costs). Urban transition activities are becoming increasingly important in the implementation of global environmental policies such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Depending on their level of development and spatial organization, different cities' green economies will take on different identities. The protection of urban areas is important because of the protection and sustainability of the species' habitats. From this point of view, ecosystem, species and genetic diversity should be considered and evaluated together in the conservation of biodiversity in urban areas. To ensure the sustainability of biodiversity, in-situ and exsitu conservation approaches need to be applied together.