Resource use in lithuanian agricultural sector

The financial and economic mechanism of balanced use of natural resources includes a wide specification of environmental, organizational, economic and financial instruments. The author's vision of the multi-vector nature of the ecological and economic assessment of water resources is outlined, which is a comprehensive approach to the analysis of the use and management of water resources for making informed decisions with the determination of priorities for Ukraine. It is substantiated that formation of fundamental scientific bases for the evaluation of water resources of Ukraine should be based on the use of ecological and economic approaches, in particular: ecological dimension, economic analysis, social dimension, technical analysis, legal and regulatory context, risk analysis, climate change analysis, water infrastructure projects, water conflict management, environmental impact monitoring and assessment, alternative scenarios. A study of publicly available data on the assessment of the use of water resources of Ukraine was conducted. Based on the results of the study, we proposed the structure of a multi-vector model of the tools of the ecological and economic mechanism of water resources assessment, which is systematized according to interrelated instrumental blocks: ecological dimension — assessment of the impact of any water projects or activities on natural ecosystems, aquatic biological resources, and water quality; economic analysis — consideration of economic indicators; social dimension — assessment of the impact of projects on society; technical analysis — analysis of technical solutions, engineering aspects and technological parameters of water projects; legal and regulatory context — consideration of relevant legislative and regulatory requirements; analysis — risk assessment of possible risks and development of strategies for their management. The ecological and economic approach helps ensure balanced use of water resources, taking into account the needs of humanity and the requirements of the environment. On the basis of the multi-vector nature of the ecological and economic assessment of water resources, recommendations on environmental protection, optimal use of resources, social impact of projects, risk management strategies and other important aspects can be provided. The author's approach to theoretical-methodological approaches and methodological provisions regarding the formation of a model of tools for the ecological-economic mechanism of water resources assessment, the effective influence of which is aimed at balancing the ecological, economic and social components of the use of water resources of Ukraine, is proposed. It is substantiated that the functioning of multi-directional tools of the ecological and economic mechanism will ensure both greening and increasing the economic and social effectiveness of the use of water resources, the consolidation of management aspects around strategic tasks and priorities determined by the Basic principles of the state environmental policy of Ukraine for the period up to 2030.

The importance of developing and optimizing the structure of a modern payment system, which will facilitate not only the accumulation of these funds in the budget, but also to make relevant management decisionson their allocation for conservation measures and restoration of lost aquatic ecosystem functions was demonstrated. The methodological and theoretical basis of the study is the key concepts of modern economic theory, economics of environmental management and sustainable development, international ecosystem ecosystem accounting, institutional and neo-institutional theories related to the problem of scientific substantiation of payments for the use of resources and services of aquatic ecosystems. The key elements of the structure of payments for the use of water resources in Ukraine (rent for special water use, environmental tax for discharges of pollutants into water bodies, rent for water bodies, fines) are studied and analytical evaluation of these taxes were studied and performed their analytical evaluation. The main factors of low efficiency of payments for the use of aquatic ecosystem resources are identified. It is proposed scientific concepts to optimize the structure of payments for the use of resources and services of aquatic ecosystems taking into account the best models of international experience. Attention was focused on the necceserity of the creation in Ukraine a special extra-budgetary National Environmental Fund of Water Resources in the form of a legal entity, similar to the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Poland, with the aim of accumulating payments for water ecosystem services and introducing tools to stimulate and support water protection measures. Perspectives for further research on this issue, in particular, with regard to the formation of a comprehensive strategic ecosystem approach to the introduction of payments for the use of resources and services of aquatic ecosystems, development of modern methodological approaches to assessing the services of aquatic ecosystems and formation of an optimal structure of payments for the use of water resources, taking into account their functional characteristics were identified.

The impact of water rights trading on water resource use efficiency: Evidence from China's water rights trading pilots

Spatio-temporal variation and influencing factors of industrial carbon emission effect in China based on water-land-energy-carbon nexus

The effective and integrated response to critical contemporary global challenges, including sustainable recovery from the adverse effects of the pandemic crisis, depletion of natural resources, climate change and green transition, requires the adoption of coherent and forward-looking public policies and comprehensive implementing means and criteria. It necessitates the establishment of sustainable financing instruments and the reorientation of economic activities and investments into projects and actions that promote sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth. The utmost objective of this article is to highlight the fundamental principles, primary objectives and key financial aspects of the regulatory regime established by the EU Taxonomy Regulation, governing the classification of the environmentally sustainable economic and investment activities within the European Union. A detailed examination of the EU Taxonomy Regulation allows useful conclusions to be drawn about the form, content and multi-dimensional nature of the criteria and conditions on the basis of which the degree of environmental sustainability of public policies which set environmentally sustainable standards and requirements, and economic activities and investment projects based on them, are laid down and determined. Particular emphasis is placed on capturing and sketching the contribution a uniform system for classifying environmental economic activities can make to meeting a set of critical environmental goals and priorities set at global and EU level, relating to climate change mitigation and adaptation, protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems, sustainable use of natural resources, and the circular economy. Drawing methodologically on the examination of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and its consistency and interlinkages with the primary objectives and principles of the EU Taxonomy Regulation, the article seeks to enrich the scholarly debate and explore the extent and the degree to which key environmentally sustainable criteria, standards and requirements, are reflected and integrated in the process of designing, formulating and assessing structural reforms and public investments to be embedded in the national recovery and resilience plans of the EU Member States.

This paper aims to provide a robust solution to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and inefficient use of resources in Pakistan, one of the most vulnerable countries to global warming. The key problems that are aimed to resolve are, firstly, the food insecurity in Pakistan due to the decrease of cultivable land against a sharp rise in population, secondly, water scarcity due to inefficient use of water resources, particularly, in the agricultural sector and, lastly, irregularities in the environmental conditions resulting in stunted yield in arable areas. To overcome this, the proposed solution is a Grow Box based on hydroponics-based farming; a portable controlled environment allowing soilless gardening by implementing the Aeroponics method. The design of the grow box is such that it would monitor the many parameters crucial for farming such as the water quality, humidity, and temperature by the implementation of WSN (Wireless Sensor Network) and IoT (Internet of things) to ensure maximum yield of best quality plants in the limits of the grow box. The final product monitors the environmental parameters of the inert grow box via a developed WSN. The integration of IoT to let connection to the internet, allows remote streaming, and the mechanical design of the grow box are also completed and showcased in the paper.

Today, due to global climate change, the demand for irrigation water is growing in every part of the world, so the rational use of available water resources requires the management of water resources through water-saving technologies. It is necessary to analyze data on the rational management and efficient use of limited water resources in the country, to continuously increase the efficiency of water resources in the field, to expand the use of water-saving irrigation technologies and their application in production, and to eliminate excess water loss.

Rational use of water resources is of current importance in the integrated use and regulation of flow. Therefore, a water management calculation is needed that will allow water resources to be distributed efficiently and unacceptably, without allowing them to be overused. The article discusses issues of assessing the water resources of the Aral-Syrdarya water basin. To analyze the hydrological characteristics of the basin under study, series of annual water runoff were reconstructed and chronological graphs of annual runoff were constructed. At calculating the parameters of the annual runoff, total and difference integral curves were constructed, the values of the annual runoff were determined using all sets of data from hydrological posts of the studied Syrdarya River basin. The main statistical parameters of the annual river runoff, random errors in the mathematical expectation and the coefficient of variation were assessed.
 For water management calculations, data from the report of the Aral-Syr Darya Basin Inspectorate on regulation of the use and protection of water resources for 2016, as well as the Scheme for the integrated use and protection of water resources in the river basin, were used. Syrdarya for 2018.
 Analysis of the water balance for the periods 2010-2018. takes into account that the incoming part of the water balance of the Aral-Syrdarya river basin was 81,690.69 million m3, the outgoing part was 82,446.35 million m3. Based on the data, a water balance was compiled and an analysis was made that the flow decreased by 755.66 million m3, which naturally affected the decrease in the level of the Aral Sea. Also, according to the water balance of the Shardara, Badamskoye, Bugunskoye and Kapshagai reservoirs, accumulation was positive. But in the Koshkurgan reservoir, accumulation was negative.

Wetlands are one of the world’s most important environmental assets but currently face complex challenges. Wetlands’ long-term sustainability require participation of the riparian communities in their management, yet this involvement in seeking solutions to wetland’s resources use remains a grave challenge. Yala Wetland, Kenya is a very important resource whose challenges revolve around land and water resource use for competing interests and from catchment degradation. Consequently, action research was conducted to assess level of and effectiveness of Yala Wetland Community Participation in Yala Strategic Environmental Assessment and Land Use Planning processes through Yala Project Advisory Committee Framework. The study targeted 410 local communities, thirty-four key informants, and 187 students from learning institutions. The study revealed that utilization of Yala resources has been partly informed by how the wetland communities perceive its formation. Further, they identified key environmental issues, their root causes and corresponding opportunities that Yala Land Use Plan needed to address. The analysis also showed existing gaps in integration of community information and scientific information, disconnect between decision making and requisite scientific and practical evidence; and absence of community sensitive governance structure. The study integrated local communities’ vast knowledge and planning information and formed Yala Swamp Management Committee with communities at the centre of conservation. Additionally, there is a secretariat led by a Community Facilitator to coordinate execution of the Conservation Area Management Plan 2019-2029. The final Yala Land Use Plan developed in participatory manner itemized three main land uses namely Conservation areas, Agricultural areas and settlement areas.   Keywords: Yala Wetland, Community Participation, Land Use Planning, Governance.

Economic development of the territories of small river basins, high anthropogenic load, and flow regulation is correlated with the number of ponds and reservoirs on the river or in its basin. In order to optimize use of natural resources and rational use of water resources in the basin of small rivers, regulation of economic activities on ponds and reservoirs is a relevant task. Since there are 3 reservoirs and more than 80 ponds in the Nichlava river basin, the problem of regulating their economic use is important and urgent from the point of view of revitalizing the water flow and ensuring balanced environmental management in the river basin. Purpose. To assess the geoecological condition of ponds and reservoirs in the Nichlava River basin, to justify optimization measures for the regulation of their economic use and exploitation. Methods. Expeditionary, generalization and systematization, statistical, evaluation, geoecological analysis, system-structural, geo-informational, descriptive, landscape-ecological Results.The peculiarities of the use of artificial water bodies (ponds and reservoirs) in the Nichlava River basin have been considered. Attention to the lack of complex use of resources of water bodies and coastal areas, their pollution and contamination has been drawn. The main sources of pollution and the risks associated with their activities have been indicated. The influence of communal enterprises of the city of Borshchiv on the ecological state of the Borshchiv reservoir during 2010-2020 has been analyzed. The results tend to decrease compared to previous years, although the level of pollution is still significant. The cut-off of part of the Tsyhanka river valley by the Mushkativ reservoir is the result of a malfunction of the locks. Plowing of the coastal areas and contamination of part of the catchment with poisonous chemicals from the fields is observed around the Kotiv reservoir. Ways to restore resources in the basins of small rivers and their effective use by local communities have been substantiated. Conclusions.The processes of economic activity on ponds and reservoirs are becoming more active. Interrelationships between human activity and the geoecological state of ponds and reservoirs in the Nichlava River basin have been revealed. Among the key recommendations substantiated in the work, first of all, there is keeping to the rules of the operation of ponds and reservoirs, defined by the current legislation; restoration of coastal protective strips and water protection zones around reservoirs; reducing of the amounts of dumping of contaminated and insufficiently cleared wastewater into surface water bodies of the Nichlava River basin.

The climate change in the agricultural sector acting on multiple weather variables at different times of the various crop cycles. In several cases by changing the mean level of variables (rainfall, temperature, etc..), in other cases by changing the distribution of events. This work provides an evaluation of the economic impact due to changes in multiple events, and to the associated uncertainty. For this reason, a classical two-stage stochastic programming model was extend into a three-stages model. The model is specified for an area of Sardinia, and examines the impact of climate change on rainfall and hence on the availability of water for agriculture, and on maximum temperatures and, therefore, on the requirements of some irrigated crops relevant to the agricultural economy of the area. The effect of climate change is obtained by comparing the results of scenarios that represent the climatic conditions in the current situation and in the future, obtained by projecting to 2015 the climate trends of the last fifty years. The results show that the agricultural sector of the area adapt itself with a low cost by use of land and cultural practices. This cost, however, is very high for some farms that suffer a significant reduction of the income. There is also an increase of the use of natural resources, in particularly groundwater. The economic impact of these changes is due primarily to the decreased of water availability in the future. The availability of water becomes the crucial factor to adapting to climate change, because the effects of temperature can be compensate by increased the use of water resources.

Life cycle assessment in support of sustainable transportation

In this paper I undertake a preliminary assessment for the tropics of the relation of economic development, meaning in general increases in economic activity as measured by e.g. GDP, and its normal biophysical corollaries of increased resource use and land use change. I also examine each in relation to the intellectual concepts that underlie and guide what is commonly called economic development. Because most of the development literature is derived from economics or other social sciences, and focuses almost entirely on lifting people’s standards of living as measured in monetary units, very little examines the per unit biophysical requirements of that development, including energy or other resource use requirements, land use change or other environmental consequences of development plans. In addition there seems to be insufficient connection between those who create economic development plans and those who undertake empirical biophysical assessments to determine whether the development plan has worked or can possibly work. The problem is deeper: there exists a series of models used in the development literature that have been used to encourage and guide development. These models have received very little scrutiny as to either their efficacy or their societal or environmental impacts until quite recently. When this has been done the models have been shown to fail miserably. It is time to develop a new model of development that synthesizes conventional economic, biophysical economic and social aspects, and that is based on the scientific method rather than on perceived wisdom. This model must also take into account population growth, issues of who wins and who looses from economic development, and the implications of the incipient peak in global oil production.

This paper aims to analyse economic, environmental and resource use efficiency in the European Union agriculture. Specifically, we focus on selected countries specific with rather similar output mix. Different frontier models are defined to analyse the underlying trends in efficiency across the European countries. The data come from the World Input-Output Database and cover the period of 1995– 2009. Frontier models assume weak disposability and consider such variables as labour, capital, energy, land, materials, water, gross value added, and carbon emission. Slovenia, Belgium, France, Austria and Poland appeared to be the most technically efficient countries. Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Romania also gained considerable competitiveness in terms of eco-efficiency and resource use efficiency thus appearing among most efficient countries under frontier models with undesirable outputs. Latvia, Czech Republic, Estonia, and Hungary emerged as the least efficient countries in terms of agricultural production under all specifications of the frontier models. JEL codes: C44, Q15.

Changing from linear to circular economy is now regularly mentioned as part of the solution to global warming, because resource extraction and processing cause half of the greenhouse gas emissions globally. Concrete is the most used human-made material by weight. In this study, three scenarios were modelled for a mid-sized Swedish city: a baseline scenario with business as usual, and two scenarios with increased circularity. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate their resource use and environmental impacts. The results show that the more circular scenarios correspond to lower resource use and reduced environmental impacts compared to the linear baseline scenario. Reductions for impact categories related to climate change (-35%), fossil fuel energy use (-27%), mineral and metal use (-51%), land use (-53%), and water use (-43%) were found in the most circular scenario, as well as for the other environmental impact categories (17%-39%) that were part of the analysis. Most of the impact reductions to climate change (80%-84%), can be attributed to the reduction in the use of Portland cement in concrete through supplementing it with other (by-)products. The avoidance of the landfilling of concrete waste contributed mostly to the reduction of the fossil energy (47%-54%), land (63%-88%), and water (46%-67%) use impact categories. Using recycled concrete aggregate, instead of natural aggregate as an ingredient in new concrete, contributed to much of the reduction achieved in the mineral and metal use impact category (67%-85%). Even though circular scenarios might increase the need for more transport and processing which can lead to higher impacts, the results from this study show them unlikely to negate the overall impact reduction achieved by the circular strategies. Although dependent on local variables, this study indicates that more circularity can be achieved in the concrete industry, even for materials that are dealt with in high volumes such as concrete, while simultaneously increasing sustainability in the form of reduced environmental impacts.