Anthropocene Science最新文献

Throughout history of life, natural events have shaped ecosystems until the human species began to overwhelmingly conquer and exploit this planet. Humans are profoundly altering ecosystems and the natural course of evolution, posing a serious threat to the future of life on our planet. The term "anthropogenic factor" refers to the influence of human actions and population growth on ecosystem structure and dynamics. In light of this, ecosystems can be classified into two categories: (i) natural ecosystems, which remain unchanged by human intervention, and (ii) intervened ecosystems, which have been influenced by the anthropogenic factors. Intervened ecosystems can be further categorized into three types: human-altered ecosystems, human-engineered ecosystems, and urban ecosystems. There is another category of ecosystems, the disappeared ecosystems, whose disappearance may be due to natural catastrophe or human intervention. The disappearance of an ecosystem is a biological tragedy, but it can also represent a new opportunity for life. For the sustainability of the planet as a source of life and to ensure a future for our species in harmony with nature, we need to achieve a sustainable balance between the development and well-being of all human beings, the population growth, the use of the services provided by ecosystems and the preservation of wild nature.

Urbanization is considered as the key driver of social and economic progress, nationally and globally but such progress often comes at a cost of environmental degradation, resource depletion, and increasing inequalities. Despite occupying only 2–3% of the Earth’s surface, cities consume 75% of global resources, use 80% of energy, and are responsible for 50% of waste and 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. These challenges are further intensified by rapid population surge and uneven urbanization, which puts immense stress on natural ecosystems and existing urban infrastructure. These urban trend poses a significant threat to sustainable urban future, impacting both developing and developed countries. Therefore, the study dwells into evolving such urban landscapes into sustainable cities, in line with global sustainability goals, majorly aligning with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The study takes lessons from global case studies featured in Sustainable Cities Indexing (2024) like Amsterdam, Singapore and others, highlighting the significance of integrating mixed land use, data-smart technology, active mobility, nature-based solutions and green infrastructure to enhance liveability and resilience in urban areas. Additionally, the study also emphasizes the urgent need of smart urban planning which blends compact-polycentric model encompassing smart connectivity, multifunctionality, governance and environment as well as adopting smart-eco designs comprising data-driven smart-nature technologies with active community involvement. Thus, implementation of such strategic urban growth models enables cities to grow sustainably, putting people, planet, and profit at the center, paving the way for a more inclusive and resilient tomorrow.

Forest fires pose significant ecological, social, and economic threats, necessitating accurate risk assessment to inform disaster management. This study integrates geospatial technology with machine learning to map forest fire risk in Hamirpur District, Himachal Pradesh, India, using the knowledge-based analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and artificial neural network (ANN) models. Eleven variables, including elevation, slope, temperature, and proximity to roads and settlements, were analyzed to generate forest fire hazard maps. Demographic data of vulnerable groups were incorporated to delineate risk zones. The ANN model outperformed AHP, achieving an accuracy of 68.23% with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.746. The results indicate that 77.66% of the district falls within low to no-risk zones, 13.86% is at moderate risk, and 8.13% is at high risk. These findings support targeted fire prevention strategies, enhancing regional resilience and sustainable forest management in alignment with SDG-15 (Life on Land).

Carbon credit systems have emerged as a key policy tool in global efforts to mitigate climate change. Under these market-based schemes, entities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions below a specified cap are issued tradable credits that can be sold to entities exceeding their emissions allowances. In theory, this creates financial incentives for emissions reductions and allows reductions to occur where they are most cost-effective. However, this Policy Analysis argues that the increasing reliance on global carbon markets as a climate solution is deeply problematic and paradoxical. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from environmental economics, law, ethics, and political ecology, I explore the problem through a theoretical framework elucidating the inherent limitations and fallacies underpinning carbon credit approaches. I contend that carbon markets (1) fail to produce real, verifiable emissions reductions; (2) exacerbate global inequities and undermine climate justice; (3) distort climate policy by emphasising cost-effectiveness over ecological necessity; and (4) delay the structural economic changes needed to achieve deep decarbonisation. My analysis is supported by a narrative review of the literature, case studies, and empirical evidence. This Policy Analysis concludes by proposing alternative climate mitigation approaches that could help transcend the paradoxes of global carbon credits, including accelerating fossil fuel phaseouts, scaling up public investment in low-carbon infrastructure, advancing climate justice principles, and rethinking carbon accounting frameworks. Article Highlights

• Carbon credit systems have emerged as a key policy tool for mitigating climate change, but their effectiveness and equity are increasingly being questioned.

• This Policy Analysis explores the problem through a theoretical framework that elucidates four major paradoxes and limitations of carbon markets.

• The analysis draws on interdisciplinary perspectives and is supported by a narrative review of the literature, case studies, and empirical evidence.

• The Policy Analysis proposes alternative climate mitigation approaches that could help transcend the paradoxes of global carbon credits.

• Developing effective and equitable climate change mitigation policies in the coming decades will require moving beyond the limitations of carbon markets.

Graphical Abstract

Landslides pose a significant threat in the Kannan Devan Hill (KDH) region of the Western Ghats (WG) in Peninsular India, particularly during the monsoon season. This study seeks to explore the various factors contributing to landslides, beyond the primary trigger of heavy rainfall. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), which emphasize sustainable cities, climate action, and disaster risk reduction, we employed the Frequency Ratio (FR) method on Geographic Information System (GIS) platform to evaluate the influence of geological characteristics, terrain morphology, and human activities on landslide occurrences. As a result of this analysis, we developed a Landslide Susceptibility Zonation (LSZ) map for the KDH region. The map classifies the area into three risk categories: low-risk (20.96%), moderate-risk (46.40%), and high-risk (32.64%). These classifications reflect the combined effects of various contributing factors, with heavy rainfall and increased surface runoff identified as key drivers of landslide events. A focused analysis of the catastrophic Pettimudi Landslide (Idukki district, Kerala, dated 28.08.2020 Map No: 20202/03, NRSC/ISRO, Hyderabad, 2020), further demonstrated the complex interplay between climatic, geological, geomorphological, and anthropogenic factors in triggering such disasters. The study underscores the critical need for integrated preventive measures to mitigate future landslide risks, thereby enhancing the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable regions in accordance with global development objectives.

This article used bibliometric analysis and uncovered salient features of literature published in the twenty-first century focusing on river health assessment (RHA). We analysed 509 articles related to RHA obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) database from 2002 to 2024. The Bibliometrix package was used in RStudio software for the analysis of several publication characteristics viz. productivity, countries, country collaboration, journals, trending topics, and keyword co-occurrences. Results indicated a steep growth in total publications over the past 23 years. The Republic of China took the top rank out of 25 countries, followed by the USA and India. The largest collaborative research was done by scientists from China, the USA and Iran. The analysis highlighted a concentration of research outputs on river health in various journals, reflecting significant recognition of this area within the scientific community. The results revealed that the majority of RHA investigations have used physico-chemical parameters, but recent years have seen an increased emphasis on using biological factors to assess river health. However, geo-morphological, hydrological, and habitat-based parameters remain underutilized in RHAs. To achieve a comprehensive RHA, it is essential to include these parameters alongside indicators based on ecosystem services and people’s perception. This analysis would assist scientists, policymakers, and river managers by providing a holistic approach and facilitating the development of adequate policies and multifaceted management strategies for riverine ecosystems.

Graphical abstract

As the world's population continues to surge, the earth's ecological limits are being stretched. Some of the major threats to habitability stem from the pursuit of perpetual economic growth, and power struggles among nations, leading to ecological and social destruction and ongoing crises. A shift toward wiser earth management could enhance habitability through collective strategies within a global political framework. Key components include adopting renewable energy, limiting ecological footprints, fostering clean prosperity, and promoting peaceful coexistence among nations. Our survival hinges on embracing cooperative security and transitioning toward a collective approach to governance, redirecting resources from militarization toward protection of the global commons. This necessitates international collaboration and democratic participation across temporal and spatial scales, facilitated by a UN-led framework. We believe science should play a crucial role in developing common strategies for a viable world, contingent upon decision-makers prioritizing global cooperation over narrow short-term self-interest. Scientists and policymakers can work together, creating more viable futures through international cooperation and a move away from violence. Moreover, citizens have an important role to play by changing their lifestyles and supporting measures mentioned in this paper.

The study aims to advance the understanding of different stakeholders  about the sustainable intensification in India by assessing current cropping systems, analyzing the effects of intensification, comparing traditional and intensified systems, suggesting alternative cropping systems, and providing evidence-based policy recommendations to promote environmentally responsible agricultural practices. Globally, agroecosystems face serious environmental issues, which poses a significant challenge to achieving human food security. The world population is increasing at the rate of 1.3% while per capita effective cultivated land decreases at the rate of 0.55% per annum. The task is much more daunting in South Asia, especially in India, where annual population growth is ~2%. Hence, there is minimal scope to expand cropland to accommodate the food requirement of ever-increasing population. So, there is a need to increase the cropping frequency on the given piece of land for a definite period in sustainable manner. Intensive cropping systems have substantially increased energy use, fertilizer, and other input consumption, which causes environmental degradation and reduces agricultural sustainability. Thus, sustainable intensification is crucial for enhancing farm production, food security, agrobiodiversity, and ecological sustainability in India. Currently, the cropping intensity of India is ~143% this indicates that there is considerable scope to increase the cropping intensity through sustainable intensification, which can potentially cater to the nutritious food requirement of an ever-increasing population without compromising the environmental sustainability. Sustainable intensification is a robust substitution of traditional cropping systems to produce more food with lesser ecological footprints. This review aims to update the information on the areas under dominant cropping systems of India and the impact of cropping system intensification on food production, soil health, environmental quality, and economic returns and suggest alternative cropping systems for enhancing food production and achieving sustainable development goals. The outcome of this article will also be useful for the academicians and policy developers to plan a robust road map for environmentally sound, soil-supportive, and productive agricultural production planning in India. This study will expand the current understanding of the researchers and policy planners, which will backstop the cropping system research and planning in the country to achieve India’s Bonn challenges and COP-26 commitments besides achieving environmental sustainability, zero hunger, and cleaner production targets.

Sustainability means perpetuating the living conditions on our planet. All living conditions, no one excluded, are produced by ecosystem services, including the environmental stability and the physiological equilibrium that protect our health. Nature perpetuates these ecosystem services by spontaneously regenerating the biosphere. A corollary of these enunciations is that there cannot be sustainability without regeneration or, in other words, that sustainability is just regeneration. It is, therefore, urgent to address and quantify the regenerative capacity of the planet, which is the difference between the net primary production and human extraction of resources. Natural capital depletion is also a cause of poverty and inequality, due to its impacts on food security and on the economy in general. A second corollary of our diagnosis is that, due to its multisystem complexity—economic, social and environmental—sustainability must be managed with a systemic approach; in other words, it cannot be managed from a reductionist angle. The paper is structured in sections that address the transition from Holocene to Anthropocene and its implications, i.e. the fact that a clear-cut distinction between nature and culture no longer holds, while humans need to support the regeneration of lost natural capital. Then a section follows that addresses the close links between the social crisis (increasing inequalities) and the environmental crisis, and explains why any attempt to regenerate lost ecosystem services requires also action to fight inequalities and improve well-being of all. An analysis of the deep drivers of the environmental and social crisis is followed by a conceptual discussion of regeneration and its relationships with sustainability. This leads to the formulation of some proposals for a regenerative commitment of society, including in particular entrepreneurs and scientists, in the form of a Manifesto with five policy recommendations.

The plant–soil microbiome, comprising diverse microbial communities, holds immense potential for transforming agricultural practices and addressing climate challenges. Understanding and harnessing these microbial interactions can enhance soil and plant health, improve resource-use efficiency, and boost crop productivity. In this article, I have discussed the critical role of microbiome bioprospecting in advancing sustainable agriculture and the circular bioeconomy. The multifaceted benefits of microbiome research, including its implications for human health, ecosystem functioning, and environmental remediation, were presented. I have highlighted various strategies for microbiome manipulation and their potential applications in sustainable agrobiome management and examined the connections between microbiome bioprospecting and circular bioeconomy, exploring areas such as soil ecosystem enrichment, biomass valorization, bioremediation, biorefinery processes, and the development of microbial inoculants and biopesticides. The direct benefits of microbiome-enriched soils for farming communities are outlined, emphasizing increased productivity, reduced input costs, and new market opportunities. Further, I have concluded by underscoring the transformative potential of microbiome research in driving sustainable agricultural practices and fostering a circular bioeconomy. It calls for interdisciplinary collaboration and continued research to fully leverage microbial communities for innovative applications in agriculture and beyond, paving the way for a more sustainable and resource-efficient future in food production and environmental stewardship.