Anthropocene Science最新文献

A serious environmental and socioeconomic problem in India is land degradation, which has a significant impact on rural communities that depend on the land for their livelihoods. This review paper delves into the pressing issue of land degradation in India, exploring its multifaceted dimensions, impacts, and the array of policy measures and restoration programs aimed at mitigating this challenge. The review provides a comprehensive overview of the factors contributing to land degradation, including soil erosion, deforestation, and unsustainable agricultural practices, and their repercussions on the broader concerns of biodiversity, food security, and livelihoods. The paper critically examines India's strategic responses and enabling efforts, notably the National Agroforestry Policy and other significant initiatives like the Green India Mission and Integrated Wasteland Development Program, highlighting their objectives, achievements, and the synergies with global commitments for improving policy effectiveness. Furthermore, it identifies key constraining conditions impeding policy implementation, including encroachment on forest lands, forest fires, and unregulated grazing as a few critical concerns. The review stresses on strengthening and improving policy enforcement, by fostering community engagement, enhancing research and innovation, and ensuring the integration of land restoration with broader national priorities by enhancing convergence. The paper underscores the necessity of a holistic, adaptive management approach, involving all stakeholders to effectively combat land degradation and achieve sustainable land management in India.

The world presently witnesses two distinct “Doomsday Clocks” for symbolically recognizing and creating awareness of the threats to the survival of humanity. The Doomsday clocks have been set for 2025 by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) and the Asahi Glass Foundation (AF). Both clocks serve as symbolic warning systems for global existential risks but differ in methodology, scope, and target audiences. The BAS, through expert committee deliberation focusing on the nuclear, climate, biological and technological threats, fixed the Doomsday Clock 89 s to midnight. The AF Environmental Doomsday Clock set at 9:33 exclusively addresses environmental crises through weighted surveys of global environmental experts. This article explores their comparative methodologies, current settings, key factors, and significance for the Anthropocene era. Both clocks moved closer to midnight in 2025, indicating unprecedented pace of worsening global conditions and stresses the urgent need for integrated approaches to address both immediate existential risks and long-term environmental sustainability. It also highlights the complementary nature of both the Doomsday Clocks in emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

The seasonal practice of stubble (crop residue) burning in northern India, particularly in the states surrounding the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi, has negative impacts on the air quality. This study examines the effects of stubble burning on air quality across Delhi-NCR, between 2019 and 2024, with a focus on seasonal variations. Further, potential solutions for crop residue management, including agricultural equipment, organic treatments , and incentive based programs have been explored. The study also evaluates government initiatives, such as subsidies and technological support, and provides policy recommendations to enhance these efforts. The findings indicate that a multi-faceted approach, integrating financial incentives, technological advancements, and regulatory measures, is crucial for mitigating air pollution caused by stubble burning. Implementing these strategies will not only reduce emissions but also improve soil health, thereby promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Since the publication of the influential report The Limits to Growth, the scientific community has generated essential insights and developed technical solutions to tackle the climate crisis, as well as critically examined the prevailing conventions that impede climate goals. One major omission, however, is the need for science to confront and clarify its own impact on climate change. Notably, recent scientific publications hint at poor uptake of sustainability measures in research. Trusted across many layers of society, scientists have a responsibility to lead by example and promote transparency regarding the broader impact of their practices. Drawing on lessons from the financial sector, we explore how the scientific community could adopt Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards to enhance the ways in which responsible research practices are promoted. We propose that ESG criteria be integrated across all levels of research, spanning institutional policies, protocol registrations, grant applications, and scientific outputs. The global scientific community may thus create and implement what we call “Principles for Sustainable Research”. This in turn may increase awareness and further enable science to become more ecologically and ethically sustainable, with the ultimate aim of advancing the wellbeing of the global population.

In the recent past, climate change has caused severe stress to crops in India, with subsequent major challenges for farmers. This situation has prompted efforts to adapt and reduce the risks of crop failure by developing more resilient crop varieties. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi has played a key role in this regard, including the development and promotion of these new crop varieties among farmers. This study presents a qualitative overview of 109 climate resilient crop varieties, released by ICAR on 11th August 2024 in a national programme and dedicated to the nation. These 109 crop varieties were representing to different crop categories: cereal 23; pulses 11; oilseeds 7; forage 7; sugarcane 4; fibre 6; potential crops 11; fruits 8; vegetables 8; tubers 3; spices 6; plantation 6; flowers 5; and medicinal plants 4. By showcasing the processes used in developing these new varieties, their unique attributes for withstanding abiotic (e.g., drought, moisture stress, flood, alkalinity and salinity) and biotic (insect pests and diseases) stresses were identified along with strategy needed to promote them. Further, the enhanced quality attributes of some of these field and horticultural crop varieties have the potential to mitigate nutritional deficiencies prevailing in masses. These new varieties also have the capacity for adoption in different states, characterized with diverse agro-climatic zones in the country. A strong collaboration and networking among central and state institutions; and private players are a pre-requisite in promoting and sustaining diversity of crop through newly developed climate resilient crop varieties. The strategy of proliferating the seeds and propagules, and promoting the newly developed crop varieties to a range of stakeholders (including central and state agencies, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Farm Science Centre), FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations), private seed growers, and social institutions), is seen as instrumental for their wider production, enabling adaptation to multiple stressors and their associated agricultural risks. The socio-economic and institutional aspects of these new crop varieties, including bio-fortification and nutraceutical dimensions, may help policy planners in devising suitable strategies for facing and adapting to differential stressors and ensuring nutritional security. Ultimately, the collective efforts enabled through planned and autonomous practices supported by state and central policies can ease access of climate resilient varieties by farmers, and reducing climate risk in agriculture. Overall, such process can build social-ecological resilience in agricultural field and strengthen SDG-2 (Zero Hunger), SDG-13 (Climate Action) and SDG-15 (Life on Land).

Graphical Abstract

People value plants differently, based on their own experiences of nature and how those experiences relate to a particular plant. Plant species that are perceived to be of low value (i.e. ‘weeds’) are often managed to prevent their spread. Such weed management typically involves prescribed burning, cutting and/or treatment with herbicide. Productive uses of weeds are rarely considered in weed management decision making. This paper develops a decision support framework to aid land stakeholders in assessing the feasibility of reviving past productive uses of weeds to support their sustainable management. Through a qualitative case study of Ulex europaeus L. (commonly known as gorse), the decision support framework is derived from: (i) semi-structured interviews with key informants and walking interviews with land managers in the United Kingdom (UK) (where U. europaeus is native) and (ii) questionnaires and written interviews in Australia (where U. europaeus is non-native). Data were analysed using NVivo 20 and thematic analysis, then used to design the decision support framework. Two simulations, one considering a UK smallholding and one on a large landholding in Australia, demonstrate the ability of the framework to guide on the feasible uses of U. europaeus on a particular plot of land, the costs and benefits it offers for livelihoods and the potential environmental impacts of its use. Findings show productive use is a feasible management process in certain contexts. Scale and cost remain limiting factors, and a broad enabling environment is also needed. Real-world testing is required as the next step for the wider deployment of the framework.

Emerging pollutants (EPs) in Indian rivers pose a significant threat to the riverine environment and human health. Originating from wastewater from industries, hospitals, and sewage, these pollutants are especially prevalent in the Ganga and its tributaries, adversely affecting river biodiversity, including algae, macroinvertebrates, and fish. Six pharmaceuticals—caffeine, azithromycin, naproxen, diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole, and norfloxacin—are found at levels exceeding safety recommendations. There is limited understanding of sediment–water-groundwater interactions regarding EP storage and release, and the bioaccumulation of EPs in aquatic species is not well studied. Current wastewater treatment technologies are inadequate for removing these EPs, leading to their direct release into rivers. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach: reducing pollutant discharge, enhancing wastewater treatment infrastructure, and increasing public awareness about EPs. This review emphasizes significant knowledge gaps regarding the impact of EPs on aquatic life, human health, and the effectiveness of existing remediation technologies. There are significant knowledge gaps regarding the seasonal variation of EPs, the bioaccumulation of EPs in aquatic species, and the effectiveness of remediation techniques. Effective pollution control and watershed management are critical for preserving ecosystems and human health. Future research should prioritize improving treatment methods to eliminate EPs before they contaminate river ecosystems.

Climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of extreme weather events worldwide, with developing regions becoming increasingly vulnerable to their impacts. Brazil has experienced a rise in climate-related disasters, particularly in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, which has shown growing susceptibility to extreme rainfall events. On April 27, 2024, what began as typical seasonal rainfall escalated into one of the most devastating climate catastrophes in Brazil’s history. The event resulted in 184 deaths, 25 missing people, and more than 2.4 million affected across 478 municipalities, approximately 96.1% of all cities in the state. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of this extreme event, assessing the associated short- and long-term negative effects and projecting what can be expected in the near future. The findings highlight the scale and complexity of the disaster’s repercussions and underscore the need to rethink flood management strategies, particularly in urban areas. Lessons from this event point to the necessity of integrating updated climate projections into urban planning and reinforcing flood control infrastructure, while also recognizing the role of nature-based and systemic approaches to increase resilience in the face of future climate threats. The Rio Grande do Sul tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the cascading risks posed by climate change and the need for systemic solutions to build resilient communities.

Most industrialised and developing economies are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. This study presents a comparative analysis of emissions from the mining sector by G20 members over five years (2017–2021). We examined emissions from the production of 36 minerals, which were categorised into three groups: iron and ferro-alloy metals (11), non-ferrous metals (20) and precious metals (5). Our findings indicate that Australia is a significant emitter, producing approximately 4487.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e). China follows closely with 4251.21 million tonnes CO₂e. Brazil and India also contribute notably, with emissions of around 2121.96 million tonnes and 1328.53 million tonnes CO₂e, respectively. Our analysis shows that emissions from the mining of iron and ferro-alloy metals are higher than those from non-ferrous metals and precious metals. This is primarily due to the scale of production of these minerals. However, it is noteworthy that the unit emissions per tonne of production are comparatively higher for precious metals, despite their lower total emissions. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of the emissions landscape in the mining sector across G20 members, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to mitigate the environmental impact of mineral production.