Cities can only run smoothly if all of the parts that build them up are working together. The road maintenance part of the municipality has the difficult job of keeping roads safe and functional, even if crashes or accidents have occurred. Here are the four things every city must do to ensure all of the residents are safe and the roads are open for use.
Clear Problem Reporting Services
It’s vital that if a giant pothole or a bridge is damaged, the city can be notified as soon as possible. A general hotline for the area is helpful, but so is a website to report issues and request area maintenance. The residents in the area pay to live in a safe and well-maintained area through their taxes. You must show that you’ve heard them.
An essential part of any road maintenance system is that it’s responsive and gets the information across clearly and promptly. Poor road maintenance can lead to car crashes, accidents, and injuries.
Repair of All Sudden Damage
Sudden damage, like a vehicle cracking the foundation of a bridge, a road that’s damaged, or trees that have fallen onto a major street, is all things that have to be repaired quickly. Well-run municipalities will quickly assign workers, find a fix that will work, and will set to the job of putting that plan into action. Although it’s not easy work to do, the faster the plan is put into action, the fewer people and pieces of property will get injured.
Roads deteriorate and age with time. Municipalities must work to create roadways that stay safe as possible for as long as possible. This plan could mean refinishing pavement that’s older, filling in potholes, widening car lanes, and putting down fresh guideline paint. Urban planners should also take into account the cost of full depth reclamation.
In most cities, this construction runs from May through October, but in some warmer states, it can run year-round. This type of work is especially vital for constantly hit areas with natural disasters, storms, earthquakes, or fires. If a roadway is poorly maintained in the middle of an emergency, it can cost lives.
Clarity With Residents
If there are going to be delays in certain areas for a few weeks, or if the city is looking at repairs that may inconvenience residents: it’s essential that this information is put out there. People get angrier if they feel like they’re being lied to or tricked than they would if the correct information was given to them in the first place.
Make it clear when and where repairs will happen to show that the municipality is taking it seriously, and residents can plan around the delays and traffic issues.
No two municipalities are the same, but these steps will help ensure that most small towns can have a lower accident and injury rate.
Climate change involves and impacts every system within the planet, from ecosystems to fresh water distribution. It’s infinitely complex. But while many causes are still unknown, we do know that the earth’s temperature is rising and that human activity is contributing to the temperature spike noted since with the Industrial Revolution.
While common climate change culprits include increased use of fossil fuels and rising levels of CO2, other causes are lesser known. For example, methane gas from biodegradable waste is a major greenhouse gas. Scientists now say biodegradable waste in dumpsites is contributing more methane to the atmosphere than they thought. Identifying contributors like this helps us make smart choices when it comes to things like waste management.
It’s been found that human overpopulation and climate change are scientifically linked. As the influential political economist Robert Malthus noted, “The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man.” In other words, it’s much easier to make new humans than it is to support them. The increase in population brings more demand for natural resources, more land dedicated to farming, more deforestation, and elevated carbon emissions. Population growth and climate change are a perfect feedback loop.
But the implications of maintaining this system are disastrous for the planet and human civilizations. The demand for natural resources to support 7.5 billion people already exceeds what the planet can provide. Experts estimate that humans currently use the equivalent of 1.7 earths worth of resources. That means it takes 18 months for the planet to regenerate 12 months worth of resources. This situation is untenable.
And the challenges to population control are staggering. Most industrialized nations like the U.S. balk at the idea of implementing population controls. But allowing numbers to grow will only meet an inevitable confrontation with fewer resources. Without addressing overpopulation, climate change will continue. And with it, we will see an increase in migration, war, displacement, crime, poverty, disease, and shorter life expectancy.
Climate Warming is Changing Our Oceans
Oceans are big regulators of the planet’s temperature. They absorb and trap heat from the atmosphere — acting like a giant sponge that protects the planet from overheating. The oceans’ layers heat at different rates, with the top layer being the warmest. But over the last 50 years, climate change has increased the temperature of our oceans by 0.3°F. And the ocean’s top layer is now warming at a rate of .2°F per decade.
But what happens when our oceans get too warm? Well, quite a bit. For one, warming oceans increase the rate of melting glaciers and ice sheets. The runoff contributes to rising sea levels, which is already making the consistent flooding of coastal cities and towns a new normal for residents. Less habitable coastal land will bring massive property losses and increased migration by displaced people.
Warming oceans also threaten critical ecosystems like coral reefs, which provide habitats for millions of the world’s aquatic life. The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is already seeing massive “bleaching” effects from warming oceans. And experts predict coral reefs may become all but extinct by 2050 if current trends continue. Click here to know about the EPCB Act for environmental conservation in Australia.
Another climate change threat to our planet’s oceans is from increased “acidification” — the rise in acidity from dissolved carbon dioxide. Like heat, oceans also absorb CO2 from our atmosphere and produce half of the oxygen we breathe. Since the Industrial Revolution, increased CO2 emissions have raised the levels of ocean acidification by 30%. Higher acid levels affect calcified shellfish like clams, oysters, and corals by eating away at their protective layers. Any threat to these aquatic species could destroy the entire ecosystem — a system that supplies 15% of the protein intake for 4.3 billion people.
Climate Change is Affecting Your Health
Climate change brings an increase in the severity and frequency of climate events. More flooding, stronger hurricanes, longer heat waves, and rising pollution are a few consequences of global warming. These heightened weather phenomena also raise the risks to public health in the following ways:
Less freshwater supplies
A warmer climate means melting glaciers. The roughly 150,000 glaciers around the world store about three-quarters of our freshwater supply. As more glaciers near the earth’s poles retreat, their abundance of fresh water runs into the oceans, becoming undrinkable salt water.
Less freshwater will lead to contaminated water supplies and waterborne diseases like cholera and dysentery (already responsible for 3.4 million deaths each year). Rising sea levels will cause sewage backups and water contamination for coastal cities, exacerbating the situation.
A rise in disease-carrying insects
While warming climates will devastate some species like polar bears, it will be a boon for others like mosquitoes, ticks, and crop pests. Stagnant water and growing populations of insects will spread more mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria and the Zika virus. And more insects means hardier diseases that mutate to become resistant to treatment.
More drowning deaths
Larger and more frequent flooding events will lead to higher losses of life via drowning. Floods are the leading cause of death among all weather-related disasters that happen in the U.S. Drowning while driving is a big problem, specifically for flash floods. People desperate to make it home or to safety too often take the chance to cross flooded areas in their cars. But it only takes 18 inches of water to lift a vehicle, roll it over, and trap the victims inside. Flash floods will be a hallmark of climate change, as sudden and violent downpours will inundate populated areas near river valleys and coastlines.
There are many things you can do to help combat and adapt to climate change. Take part in recycling campaigns, use public transportation, turn off your electronics when you’re not using them, and eat less meat. But one of the most effective things you can do is share what you know. Find reputable information and spread the word to your family, friends, and anyone who will listen.
Sustainability is a societal goal to meet everyday needs without negatively harming the environment. This whole concept is commonly referred to as ‘going green.’
Various global industries aim to run operations without causing harm to the environment and, consequently, to future generations through sustainability standards and practices. With this in mind, businesses that have gone green prefer to work with others who’ve implemented the green concept. It ensures their efforts aren’t futile, and they protect the environment throughout the product cycle.
Finding suppliers that have gone green can be challenging if you’re sourcing specialty chemicals. Here’s a guide on picking the most suitable provider:
1. Research Their Sustainable Practices
Specialty chemicals providers follow sustainable practices to deliver products and materials with less environmental impact. These practices include waste management, carbon footprint, and the use of renewable sources of energy.
Waste Management
First, ask – what are the provider’s waste management protocols? It’s no news that plastic waste is one of the biggest threats to our environment. What are they doing to mitigate their plastics use? What is their disposal system? A good specialty chemicals provider is an active participant in sustainability efforts and will not just pass the burden on the consumers of their products.
Carbon Footprint Management
Their website, collaterals, and company information should also mention their plans to minimize their carbon footprint. Carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide a provider releases into the environment. Did you know that the industrial sector, the specialty chemicals industry is the 3rd highest contributor of carbon emissions? This statement emanates from the fact that the industry utilizes many toxic raw materials to make specialty chemicals. Therefore, an ideal green provider puts measures to prevent these toxic emissions from getting into the environment.
Use of Renewable Energy
Specialty chemicals providers are racing to adopt green energy in their operations. In the next few years, we can expect these companies to wean off fossil fuels and be run by renewable energy completely. Is your provider adopting a similar strategy?
These sustainable practices are at the forefront of the chemicals industry’s effort to positively impact the planet. Choose a provider that’s actively adopting sustainable practices.
2. Compare Several Providers
Suppose in your search for a green provider for specialty chemicals, you find several. How will you choose?
It’s best to compare them on the extent of their sustainability. First, do they meet your definition of being green? If yes, what else do they offer beyond that?
The aim is to work with a green provider who provides more than the bare minimum. You’ll get value for your money and will have less to worry about whether or not you’re protecting the environment.
3. Get Recommendations
Finding a green provider for specialty chemicals can be arduous, especially if you only rely on general Google searches. That’s why it’s important to get recommendations from other customers that seek services from green businesses.
They’ll have a rough idea of green providers they’ve previously worked with who sell these products. With the list at hand, the process is easier and faster.
In addition, it’d help to look at reviews of the green provider. Reviews are feedback from the provider’s current and previous clients. Look out for comments about their sustainability. Do the clients fully confirm this, or are there doubts? Your chosen provider should have a clean record regarding sustainability.
4. Ask For Proof Of Sustainability
Your specialty chemicals provider may claim to be sustainable. However, how true is this?
Various regulating bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) issue certifications to sustainable businesses. These are the certifications you should ask to see from a given provider. Ensure the certifying body exists and is legitimate.
The other way of proofing a provider’s sustainability is by requesting a tour of their premises. During the tour, focus on how they run operations. Where do they source their raw materials; is it from sustainable suppliers? Do they have waste in their production process? If yes, how do they manage the waste? Do they recycle the waste, or is it taken for disposal?
These should give you a good grasp of the company’s sustainability efforts.
5. Look At Costs
Affordability is key when seeking a product or service; you should pay reasonable prices.
Specialty chemicals green providers will charge different prices for these goods. It’d help to compare these costs to get the most affordable one. As you do this, you’ll find that some providers will charge more because they’re green. Consider understanding why they’ve arrived at the said price. You want to maintain sustainability in your search for affordability.
Ensure you settle for a green provider whose prices you’re willing and able to pay, all factors considered.
Conclusion
Consciously taking care of the environment, directly or indirectly, is a commendable practice. The discussion above has established that one of the ways to do it indirectly is by buying products from sustainable vendors. Before choosing an eco-friendly specialty chemicals provider, do your research, check out their sustainable practices, and compare them with other providers.
Rice has been around for an extremely long time. You can trace its origin back thousands of years. It’s filling, versatile, and many cultures use it as a staple.
Most people do not spend much time thinking about rice farming, though. They might buy rice at their local grocery store, but they don’t consider how it got to them. They don’t ponder the best rice farming practices that let them enjoy this side dish they set down on the table for lunch or dinner.
Let’s talk about sustainable rice farming practices now.
What are Sustainable Rice Farming Practices?
When we talk about getting the best rice for consumption, we’re essentially discussing the implementation of sustainable rice farming practices for improved yield. A crop’s yield means how much edible food the farmer gets from it. Farmers want better yields from their crops, but they also must practice sustainability.
Sustainable farming means practices that don’t harm the environment. When we talk about this, we don’t just mean rice farming. We also mean any farming or agriculture method that produces food and don’t impact the planet.
Why Does Sustainable Farming Matter?
Agriculture helps humans, but it frequently harms the planet. You might plant a simple vegetable garden in your backyard and water it with a watering can. The sun warms the earth and helps the plants grow. That won’t harm the environment.
If you plant crops that might feed thousands of people, though, you need more soil, water, and other resources. In these instances, you must practice sustainable agriculture. Humans can understand this when they look at what mass food manufacturing does.
If you utilize sustainable farming practices, you protect the planet for future generations. You can also harvest food crops while expanding the Earth’s natural resources, not depleting them.
If you can plant and harvest crops so that you maintain or improve soil fertility, that’s even better. Some farmers do these things. Others are not so conscientious.
Soil Enrichment and Clean Air and Water
Any time you can grow rice, or any other crop, so that you’re implementing soil enrichment, that’s excellent. You want to let the soil retain water while storing carbon. You should keep the water and air clean while you farm.
You should also create greater biodiversity through your farming practices if you can. Most critically, though, you should use farming methods that continue these practices indefinitely. If you’re farming correctly, you have implemented practices that someone could continue, in theory, one hundred years or even five hundred years from now.
Obviously, that is wishful thinking. Sustainable farming practices do not guarantee a crop like rice can continue growing the same way when future generations take over. If you use sustainable farming practices, though, you give those generations the best possible chance to enjoy the same crops that we do today. The rest of the world must cooperate to achieve that goal, though.
What Should You See from Your Rice Company?
Getting back to buying rice in the grocery store, you might feel you should support sustainable farming, even if you’re a consumer and not a farmer yourself. You can do that.
Start by researching your rice company. Look at the name on the box or bag and look it up online. You should see that the rice company from which you buy supports large-scale and small-scale farmers. You should also look at any information the company provides about its distribution network.
Their distribution, sales, and warehousing should all exist as harmoniously as possible. They should not pollute the planet, but they should also treat their employees respectfully. They must pay them a good living wage and not overwork them.
The company from which you buy should operate transparently. They should show you on their website the process by which the rice gets to you, even from halfway around the world.
Rice Companies Should Work Closely with Their Suppliers
They must improve rice farmer livelihood whenever possible. They should mention the agricultural practices they use and how they don’t harm the planet. They should support agricultural development chances for local farmers.
Their distribution networks and storage should produce a consistent product that tastes great and lets you know you’re supporting the most modern, sustainable practices.
You’re Part of a Global Network When You Purchase Rice
If you toss some rice in your shopping cart, you may not ponder where it comes from or how a farmer produced it. However, you are the end user following a complicated growing, harvesting, storing, and distributing system that takes many months. If you know more about your place in this complex economic dance, you can decide whether you should continue supporting this particular company.
Don’t assume all rice manufacturers have similarities. If you learn about them, you might learn some harm the planet, while others will immediately mention their sustainable practices.
The rice you put on your plate may come from a different country, but the farmers and harvesters that produce it work hard to feed their families, just as you do. You should support them as they put themselves out there every day, growing and cultivating the rice you use as a staple.
A little effort on your part increases your awareness. If you learn about sustainable rice planting, harvesting, shipping, and storing, you might learn about other food companies and how they operate as well. By supporting the ones that don’t inflict environmental harm, you’re helping the planet, even in just a small way.
If you have doubts regarding your rice company, you can contact them and ask them any questions about their sustainability and general farming practices. Some will gladly talk about these things. They want their customers well informed, and you’ll feel good about yourself as you become better educated.
Waste management in the SAARC countries has occasionally been raised as an area for regional co-operation. It fits in with other more pressing regional concerns such as environmental degradation, food safety, power generation, poverty alleviation and trans-boundary technology transfer. The Dhaka Declaration on Waste Management of 2004, for example, recognises the environmental imperative to promote more effective waste management systems ‘with special attention to addressing the needs of the poor’.
Similarly, the SAARC action plan on Climate Change of 2008 listed waste management as an area for nationally appropriate mitigation actions where regional sharing of best practices could be useful. The 2010 convention on co-operation on the environment, also included waste management among a list of 19 areas for the exchange of best practices and knowledge, and transfer of eco-friendly technology. However, these commitments have rarely turned into concerted action.
Effectively tackling the growing waste management crisis has not proved easy for most municipalities. Their capacity to cope has not kept pace with the increasing quantities of waste generated, and yet waste management can be one of the biggest costs of municipal budgets. Often they are able to collect waste only from limited areas of their towns. For the South Asia region, waste collection rates are on average 65%, with wide variations between towns.
At the same time, there is often a very active recycling system through waste pickers and the informal sector, involving large numbers of poor people. Large schemes to recycle, separate and produce useful end-products such as compost have often run into problems if they relied too heavily on donor inputs. Once these were phased out they failed to generate sufficient income from sales to be sustainable.
A municipal drain choked by garbage in north Indian city of Aligarh
Two global agreements signed in 2015 may help to raise the profile and stimulate greater action on solid waste management. First, the Sustainable Development Goals which include a goal focused on cities and sustainable urban development. Within this, target 11.6 is to “by 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management”.
This is the first time a global agreement of this sort has included commitments on waste management. Second, the Paris Climate Agreement, with a number of South Asian countries including better management of urban waste as part of their Intended Nationally Determined Contribution.
Solid waste management is already a significant concern for municipal governments across the South Asian region. It constitutes one of their largest costs and the problem is growing year on year as urban populations swell. And yet it is an area that has not received the attention it deserves from policy-makers. There are signs this may change, with its inclusion in the SDGs and in many INDCs which are the basis of the Paris Climate Agreement.
There is a quote attributed to Mark Twain: “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.” Water has always been the first and most precious resource for any community.
Mark Twain would have seen this along the Mississippi River and the towns and farms it supplied. Then he would observe the role water played in the West when he followed the pioneers out to California and Nevada in the 1860s.
In modern times, no one knows better how vital water is to all of us than farmers. They need to keep their crops alive and flourishing but also be sure they are protecting their water source for all the dry seasons to come.
Farms, both big and small, are becoming examples for harnessing and preserving this life-giving resource.
100 Years of Water Use in Northern California
Farmers have come a long way in their ability to use water wisely. Take a typical family in Northern California. Many from this region have been farming the same 100 acres of land on the Sacramento River for 105 years.
Through three generations, the family has had horses, grapes, apples, nectarines, and apricots on the property. But the main crop has only changed once: peaches until the 1950s, and prunes to the current day.
The current farmers have a particular interest in water conservation. They have educated themselves on the best irrigation methods for crops in this area of the country.
Flooding the Crop
In the beginning, like all the farms in the area, farmers would water their crops with flood irrigation when the ground was dry. A pump would deliver water from a well into one field at a time. Water would stay in the field inside boundaries of built-up earth, and seep down to the roots.
Flood irrigation is simple and requires minimal equipment, but for most crops, it is an inefficient use of water. Often, it used about four acre-feet of water per year.
Sprinklers
To use less water and gain a little more precision about where the water went, farmers switched to a system of pipes and sprinklers. Workers would move large metal pipes from one section of the orchard to the next. They hooked the pipes up to the pump and pointed the spray directly onto the trees.
The sprinkler method used about three acre-feet of water per year. A significant improvement, but still not as efficient as they would like to be in a place where water supply is always at risk.
Hose and Drip
Now, the orchards used drip irrigation. The farmers lay flexible black roll pipe directly along the rows of trees, lining up the holes with the tree roots. Water goes only to the trees and is no longer watering all the weeds in the spaces between the rows.
The drip irrigation system has reduced water use to one acre-foot of water per year on some California farms. Combine this simple but efficient system with modern sensors to measure real-time water output, and every single drop of water is put to work.
Using Modern Tools to Measure Water
Finding the right method of water delivery for the land is the first and most significant step to managing your water source wisely. But modern-day farmers don’t stop there.
Tracking Where the Water Is
Farmers across the country use tools installed on their property to understand what the water is doing precisely on their land.
Ground sensors at one, two, three, and four feet deep in the soil track where the water level is below the surface. Ground sensors can be part of a tool such as a DTN ag weather station, which can send current moisture data and weather readings from each field.
A weather station can also tell the farmer what the soil temperature is, and how quickly the water is leaving their land and crops through evapotranspiration.
A pressure bomb can tell a farmer exactly how much water is available to a tree. Just before dawn, he takes a piece of plant and puts it inside the pressure bomb chamber. He then slowly adds pressurized gas until water comes out of the leaf or plant.
If it took too long for the pressure to extract water, the farmer knows his plants are not getting the supply they need. Taking a measurement predawn is usually the most indicative of how much moisture the plant has access to overall. However, farmers will often take a sample midday to learn about the stress level of the plant when the sun is the hottest.
Using Tools to Know the Weather
Every farmer knows the most valuable tool they have in conserving water is understanding the weather patterns in their area. The most efficient irrigation system is still wasting water if they spend one day saturating their crop, then watch the rain falling for free the next.
Organizations like the California Irrigation Management Information System will give access to weather data collected from a system of weather stations throughout a designated area. Farmers can learn things like:
How much water their kind of crop has used in their area
What the precipitation pattern has been in the past
What the weather is likely to do next.
Many farms see value in investing in weather stations directly on their property. Knowing precisely what the crop needs, and whether there will be rain soon, can save the farm thousands of dollars each day. And as more farmers become experts on what the water is doing on their land, they can work together to preserve the water in their area.
Taking Advantage of Water Education in Nebraska
The states of the Great Plains know how precious water can be. Eight states draw their water from the Ogallala Aquifer, stretching across 175,000 square miles. The U.S. Geological Survey states the aquifer level has dropped an average of 16 feet in the last several decades.
When the aquifer was being formed about 10 million years ago, it was fed by runoff into its western edge by the Rockies. That water source has since been closed off by erosion, and the water level depends solely on precipitation.
Farmers are Becoming Experts on Water Behavior
The farmers who depend on the Ogallala Aquifer know the urgency of using the water they have wisely. That’s why 1,500 farmers and cooperators have joined the Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network (NAWMN).
The NAWMN is a knowledge-sharing group that tests out water-saving technologies. They share their experiences with types of irrigation, water sensors, erosion-reducing crops, and soil, among many other water-related topics. They are educating each other, and everyone who draws from the Ogallala aquifer will benefit.
Many farms in Nebraska use pivot irrigation to bring water to their crops. Long pipes on wheels suspended over that crop rotate around a center pivot, creating the circular fields easy to spot from an airplane.
Pivot irrigation has been around for 50 years, but low-pressure nozzles and water sensors in the ground are making them more efficient than ever before.
When the surface of the ground starts to look dry, it’s natural to think it’s time to begin supplementing the crop’s water supply. But if ground sensors are saying the roots are still drinking, the sprinklers can wait a few more days.
A farmer can save about $2,000 for every 2 inches of water he doesn’t use. And that water stays where it is, ready to use on an even drier day.
Backing up Instinct
Strong instinct has always been an indispensable trait of a successful farmer. Farmers who know their land, their crops and their weather will have a much better chance of success. Today’s farmers know that. They still rely on their gut, but thanks to modern technologies, they can make informed decisions better than ever before.
Innovative technologies can help improve the resilience of different industries. Agriculture and forestry are no exception. In this piece, you will find out whether you can take care of the health of the fields, detect common tree diseases promptly and save resources without harming the environment.
Sustainability and Technologies
At first glance, digital technologies and environmental sustainability are mutually exclusive concepts since common development factors do not link them. Technological changes are aimed at increasing production efficiency using artificial intelligence, IoT, and robotics. Environmental sustainability is promoted by a combination of several factors associated with geopolitical instability, deteriorating climatic conditions, and the environment.
The business will not cover all the needs of a growing population for food and services by simply increasing production. Social and environmental problems of the modern world can be solved only with the help of innovative technologies. The combination of digital innovation and environmental sustainability can help address these challenges. In addition, this combination is an excellent way for a business to stand out and consolidate its viability among clients and related organizations. Indeed, sustainable practices and digital technologies may be an integral part of any business. This combination can provide the company with higher income at lower costs while providing a positive customer experience.
Sustainable Forestry
Humanity needs the resources that the forest provides. Sustainable forestry involves forest management and caring for its health. It is vital to save the forest as a separate ecosystem and habitat for many animals and so that the essential resources remain for future generations.
1. Forest Health and Forest Management
Various sustainable forest management practices are tailored for each area. One of the basic methods is to check the regeneration. It means that you need to make sure you have enough tree sprouts, natural seeds and seedlings. Excessive populations of certain species of animals can lead to the destruction of young trees as they eat them. In such cases, people can install a fence. If there is little sunlight in the forest, some trees can be removed, as can weeds, which grow and take up a significant portion of the nutrients or water.
Sustainable forestry practices also include caring for wet areas and forest streams. Do not allow much soil to enter the water, as it can harm aquatic organisms. Large pipes should control rain flow to prevent erosion of exposed soil in areas where trees have been felled.
Caring for the health of the forest is another challenge for sustainable forest management. The extinction of a large number of trees testifies to the health problems of the woods. They can be caused by insect pests, diseases, wildfires, or unfavorable weather conditions. Sustainable forestry is concerned with promoting health and reducing negative health factors.
2. Precision Forestry
Precision forestry relies on various innovative technologies, including drones, soil sensors, drones, and laser scanning. However, this concept is not limited only to the introduction of technologies. Still, it means a transition from an analog control system to a system with operational control and digital data collection.
The technologies of precision forestry are designed to improve management. With their help, you can optimize the decision-making process, relying on advanced analytics. Better data collection goes hand in hand with more control over various operations, automation of production, and better meeting the needs of the forest, for example, when it comes to nutrients or soil moisture.
Sustainable Agriculture
The agricultural sector, as well as the use of forest resources, is necessary for humanity. However, the use of harmful farming practices, including the release of agricultural waste, is detrimental to the environment. Sustainable agriculture exists to minimize the negative impact on the environment. It offers the use of environmentally friendly technologies and methods.
The concept of safe food using organic waste generated compost is getting traction.
1. Irrigation
Smart irrigation systems can go beyond just providing timely watering and reporting soil moisture levels and temperatures so growers can effectively care for their crops. Many plants have specific requirements for these parameters. Special sensors inform farmers about the need to change the growing environment depending on the temperature conditions while reducing water loss.
Another serious cause of the irrigation system is hard water. The high levels of salt of hard water can clog up your irrigation system. Moreover, it can make the soil hard and unsuitable for use. Choose a sustainable technology to treat hard water for your irrigation system is one thing everyone should really consider.
2. Biotechnology
Thanks to biotechnology, breeders can develop plants with specific traits using more precise methods with faster results. Scientists are also working on plants that use water more efficiently and can thrive even in drought conditions. Biotechnology also contributes to higher yields, as breeders by editing the genes of plants make them more resistant to various diseases. It also has great potential in animal husbandry.
3. Data and Software
The Internet of Things has a significant impact on the sustainability of agriculture, and it is through this technology, farmers can use intelligent irrigation systems or livestock health trackers using high-speed internet. Software and sensors transmit data to a central system, from where farmers receive information. You can make more effective decisions based on the obtained data regarding the health of the crops, and therefore save resources.
There is a strong link between the serious humanitarian situation of refugees and lack of access to sustainable energy resources. According to a 2019 UNCHR report, there are more than 80 million displaced people around the world, the highest level of human displacement ever documented. Access to clean and affordable energy is a prerequisite for sustainable development of mankind, and refugees are no exception. Needless to say, almost all refugee camps are plagued by fuel poverty and urgent measure are required to make camps livable.
Usually the tragedy of displaced people doesn’t end at the refugee camp, rather it is a continuous exercise where securing clean, affordable and sustainable energy is a major concern. Although humanitarian agencies are providing food like grains, rice and wheat; yet food must be cooked before serving.
Severe lack of modern cook stoves and access to clean fuel is a daily struggle for displaced people around the world. This article will shed some light on the current situation of energy access challenges being faced by displaced people in refugee camps.
Why Energy Access Matters?
Energy is the lifeline of our modern society and an enabler for economic development and advancement. Without safe and reliable access to energy, it is really difficult to meet basic human needs.
Energy access is a challenge that touches every aspect of the lives of refugees and negatively impacts health, limits educational and economic opportunities, degrades the environment and promotes gender discrimination issues. Lack of energy access in refugee camps areas leads to energy poverty and worsen humanitarian conditions for vulnerable communities and groups.
Energy Access for Cooking
Refugee camps receive food aid from humanitarian agencies yet this food needs to be cooked before consumption. Thus, displaced people especially women and children take the responsibility of collecting firewood, biomass from areas around the camp. However, this expose women and minors to threats like sexual harassments, danger, death and children miss their opportunity for education. Moreover, depleting woods resources cause environmental degradation and spread deforestation which contributes to climate change. Moreover, cooking with wood affects the health of displaced people.
Access to efficient and modern cook stove is a primary solution to prevent health risks, save time and money, reduce human labour and combat climate change. However, humanitarian agencies and host countries can aid camp refugees in providing clean fuel for cooking because displaced people usually live below poverty level and often host countries can’t afford connecting the camp to the main grid.
So, the issue of energy access is a challenge that requires immediate and practical solutions. A transition to sustainable energy is an advantage that will help displaced people, host countries and the environment.
Energy Access for Lighting
Lighting is considered as a major concern among refugees in their temporary homes or camps. In the camps life almost stops completely after sunset which delays activities, work and studying only during day time hours.
Talking about two vulnerable groups in the refugees’ camps “women and children” for example, children’s right of education is reduced as they have fewer time to study and do homework. For women and girls, not having light means that they are subject to sexual violence and kidnapped especially when they go to public restrooms or collect fire woods away from their accommodations.
Rationale For Sustainable Solutions
Temporary solutions won’t yield results for displaced people as their reallocation, often described as “temporary”, often exceeds 20 years. Sustainable energy access for refugees is the answer to alleviate their dire humanitarian situation. It will have huge positive impacts on displaced people’s lives and well-being, preserve the environment and support host communities in saving fuel costs.
Also, humanitarian agencies should work away a way from business as usual approach in providing aid, to be more innovative and work for practical sustainable solutions when tackling energy access challenge for refugee camps.
UN SDG 7 – Energy Access
The new UN SDG7 aims to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”. SDG 7 is a powerful tool to ensure that displaced people are not left behind when it comes to energy access rights. SDG7 implies on four dimensions: affordability, reliability, sustainability and modernity. They support and complete the aim of SDG7 to bring energy and lightening to empower all human around the world.
All the four dimensions of the SDG7 are the day to day challenges facing displaced people. The lack of modern fuels and heavy reliance on primitive sources, such as wood and animal dung leads to indoor air pollution.
Energy access touches every aspect of life in refugee camps
For millions of people worldwide, life in refugee camps is a stark reality. Affordability is of concern for displaced people as most people flee their home countries with minimum possessions and belongings so they rely on host countries and international humanitarian agencies on providing subsidized fuel for cooking and lightening.
In some places, host countries are itself on a natural resources stress to provide electricity for people and refugees are left behind with no energy access resources. However, affordability is of no use if the energy provision is not reliable (means energy supply is intermittent).
Parting Shot
Displaced people need a steady supply of energy for their sustenance and economic development. As for the sustainability provision, energy should produce a consistent stream of power to satisfy basic needs of the displaced people.
The sustained power stream should be greater than the resulted waste and pollution which means that upgrading the primitive fuel sources used inside the camp area to the one of modern energy sources like solar energy, wind power, biogas and other off-grid technologies.
Access to clean, affordable and renewable energy is a prerequisite for sustainable development of mankind, and refugees are no exception. Refugee camps across the world house more than 65 million people, and almost all refugee camps are plagued by fuel poverty. Needless to say, urgent measure are required to make camps livable and sustainable.
Rapid advancements in renewable energy technologies have made it possible to deploy such systems on various scales. The scalability potential of renewable energy systems makes them well-suited for refugee camps, especially in conflict-afflicted areas of the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Renewable energy in refugee camps can be made available in the form of solar energy, biomass energy and wind energy. Solar panels, solar cooking units, solar lanterns, biomass cookstoves and biogas plants are some of the popular renewable energy technologies that can improve living standards in refugee camps. It is important to focus on specific needs of refugees and customization of technology towards local conditions. For example, solar technologies are better understood than biogas systems in Jordan.
1. Solar Energy
Solar energy can provide long-term resilience to people living in refugee camps. With many camps effectively transformed into full-fledged towns and cities, it is essential to harness the power of sun to run these camps smoothly. Solar cookers, solar lanterns and solar water heaters are already being used in several refugee camps, and focus has now shifted to grid-connected solar power projects.
The 5MW Azraq solar project is the world’s first grid-connected renewable energy project to be established in a refugee camp. The project is being funded entirely by Ikea through the Brighter Lives for Refugees campaign. The program, now in its third year, seeks to improve the lives of refugees around the world by providing access to sustainable energy supplies.
2. Biomass Energy
Due to lack of land and resources, refugee camps puts tremendous pressure on natural vegetation, especially supply of fuel wood to camp-dwellers. Replacement of traditional stoves with efficient biomass-fired cook stoves can save as much as 80% of cooking fuel.
Instead of wood, it would be also be a good option to use agricultural wastes, like husk and straw. Another interesting proposition for refugee camps is to set up small-scale DIY biogas plants, based on human wastes and food residuals. The biogas produced can be used as a cooking medium as well as for power/heat generation.
3. Wind Energy
Small wind turbines can also play a key role in providing energy to dwellers of refugee camps. Such turbines are used for micro-generation and can provide power from 1kW to 300kW. Majority of small wind turbines are traditional horizontal axis wind turbines but vertical axis wind turbines are a growing type of wind turbine in the small wind market.
Small wind turbines are usually mounted on a tower to raise them above any nearby obstacles, and can sited in refugee camps experiencing wind speeds of 4m/s or more.
Solar lights in Azraq Refugee Camp (Jordan)
Conclusions
Renewable energy systems have the potential to improve living standards in refugee camps and ease the sufferings of displaced and impoverished communities. Solar panels, biogas system, biomass stoves and micro wind turbines are some of the renewable energy systems that can be customized for refugee camps and transform them into a less harsh place for displaced people.
Biomass energy systems not only offer significant possibilities for clean energy production and agricultural waste management but also foster sustainable development in rural areas. The increased utilization of biomass energy will be instrumental in safeguarding the environment, generation of new job opportunities, sustainable development and health improvements in rural areas.
Biomass energy has the potential to modernize the agricultural economy and catalyze rural development. The development of efficient biomass handling technology, improvement of agro-forestry systems and establishment of small, medium and large-scale biomass-based power plants can play a major role in rural development.
Sustainable harvesting practices remove only a small portion of branches and tops leaving sufficient biomass to conserve organic matter and nutrients. Moreover, the ash obtained after combustion of biomass compensates for nutrient losses by fertilizing the soil periodically in natural forests as well as fields.
Planting of energy crops on abandoned agricultural lands will lead to an increase in species diversity. The creation of structurally and species diverse forests helps in reducing the impacts of insects, diseases and weeds. Similarly the artificial creation of diversity is essential when genetically modified or genetically identical species are being planted.
Agricultural modernization promises to increased biomass yields, reductions in cultivation costs, and improved environmental quality. Extensive research in the fields of plant genetics, analytical techniques, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) will immensely help in increasing the energy potential of biomass feedstock.
Rural areas are the preferred hunting ground for the development of biomass sector worldwide. By making use of various biological and thermal processes (anaerobic digestion, combustion, gasification, pyrolysis), agricultural wastes can be converted into biofuels, heat or electricity, and thus catalyzing sustainable development of rural areas economically, socially and environmentally.
Biomass energy can reduce ‘fuel poverty’ in remote and isolated communities
A large amount of energy is utilized in the cultivation and processing of crops like sugarcane, wheat and rice which can met by utilizing energy-rich residues for electricity production. The integration of biomass-fueled gasifiers in coal-fired power stations would be advantageous in terms of improved flexibility in response to fluctuations in biomass availability and lower investment costs.
There are many areas in India where people still lack access to electricity and thus face enormous hardship in day-to-day lives. Biomass energy promises to reduce ‘fuel poverty’ commonly prevalent among remote and isolated communities. Obviously, when a remote area is able to access reliable and cheap energy, it will lead to economic development and youth empowerment.
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