WaterWired

Publication: 'Locking Carbon in Wetlands - Enhancing Climate Action by Including Wetlands in NDCs'

Report from the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) and Wetlands International: Locking Carbon in Wetlands: Enhancing Climate Action by Including Wetlands in NDCs. It is authored by Nureen F. Anisha, Alex Mauroner, Gina Lovett, Arthur Neher, Marcel Servos, Tatiana Minayeva, Hans Schutten and Lucilla Minelli. Nureen Anisha, the lead author, is an Environmental Sciences PhD student here at Oregon State University.

Download Locking-Carbon-in-Wetlands_report-1-1

Download Locking_Carbon_in_Wetlands_Policy_Brief   

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From the website:

Capitalizing on wetlands’ potential to help us meet mitigation targets and strengthen NDCs

The way we collectively use, manage, and govern wetlands has a significant impact on national carbon budgets, the well-being and health of ecosystems, and the ability to communities to adapt to climate change. Locking Carbon in Wetlands: Enhancing Climate Action by Including Wetlands in NDCs is a report directed towards the policymakers and national climate planners with the aim to provide clear and concrete examples of how wetland conservation, restoration, and wise use can be integrated into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and used as an instrument to enhance climate ambition.

The ecosystem services provided by natural wetlands make up for 43.5% of the monetary value of all natural biomes. Yet despite their large potential to function as carbon sinks, wetlands are facing the most rapid decline of all ecosystems. This report advocates for nature-based solutions, such as wetland protection and restoration, as a means through which Parties can meet both climate mitigation and adaptation goals, while simultaneously providing significant disaster risk reduction (DRR), ecological, and societal co-benefits

AGWA, together with Wetlands International, has published the report with three goals in mind: 1) to illustrate the scientific rationale behind the use of wetlands as a climate mitigation tool; 2) to demonstrate the prevalence and function of wetlands across landscapes and geographies; and 3) to provide a set of clear policy recommendations that will enable Parties to the UNFCCC to conserve, restore and wisely use wetlands by incorporating them into their climate mitigation plans. The report and associated policy recommendations are designed to support countries in developing revised and enhanced NDCs that benefit economies, ecosystems, communities and biodiversity through climate-smart wetland management.

The report was made possible with support from the Sector Programme for Sustainable Water Policy of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

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"Never offend an enemy in a small way." - Gore Vidal

CRS InFocus Report: 'A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program' Updated: 26 August 2020

Elizabeth M. Webster crafted this timely CRS InFocus two-pager on: 'A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program' (Updated: 26 August 2020).

Download CRS_InFocus_Report_FEMA_IA Pgm_26August2020

Hard to think of a more important domestic agency at this time of year - the North Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Click on the graphics to enlarge them.

Here we go:

Introduction
This In Focus provides an overview of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Individual Assistance (IA) program, including brief descriptions of some types of IA and the factors considered when determining whether to authorize IA pursuant to a declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act; 42 U.S.C. §§5121 et seq.).

IA Programs
Federal assistance is intended to supplement—not supplant—the local, state, territorial, or Indian tribal government’s response and recovery efforts. For this reason, state, territorial, and Indian tribal governments do not automatically receive a presidential declaration of emergency or major disaster, nor do they automatically receive IA. Instead, generally, the governor or chief executive must request that the President declare an emergency or major disaster and that IA be authorized.

When authorized, the forms of IA that may be available to affected individuals and households include

•   Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) provides grant funding to local, state, territorial, and Indian tribal governments, and nongovernmental organizations following a major disaster, to assist individuals and communities through community-based outreach and the provision of psycho-educational services.

•   Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) may assist individuals ineligible for regular unemployment insurance who were previously employed or self- employed and rendered jobless, or whose employment was interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster.

•   Disaster Legal Services (DLS) may be provided for free to help low-income individuals secure benefits or make claims arising from a major disaster.

•   Disaster Case Management (DCM) partners case managers with disaster survivors to develop and implement disaster recovery plans that address their unmet needs following a major disaster.

•   Individuals and Households Program (IHP) provides financial and/or direct assistance, in the forms of Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance (ONA), to eligible individuals and households who have uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and serious needs resulting from an emergency or major disaster, which cannot be met through other means or forms of assistance.

Figure 1 depicts the general timing of IA program delivery (see report for extensive notes):

Cutting to the chase...

FEMA also considers other relevant information submitted by the governor or chief executive. Figure 2 depicts the declaration request process.

Stay safe!

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"You do have a plan for when Zoom goes down, correct?" - @ass_deans

Water, Volume 12, Issue 8 (August 2020) - Treatment & Reuse, Hydrology & Hydrogeology, Urban Water Management, Hydraulics & Hydrodynamics, Water Use and Scarcity, Management & Governance, Agriculture, Contamination and More!

Here are the featured papers for Water, Volume 12, Issue 8 (August 2020).

Just a few of the 243 articles are shown here. You can access all the papers - click here.

Enjoy!

Cover Story

Article: Determination of Actual Evapotranspiration and Crop Coefficients of California Date Palms Using the Residual of Energy Balance Approach

Aliasghar Montazar, Robert Krueger, Dennis Corwin, Alireza Pourreza, Cayle Little, Sonia Rios and Richard L. Snyder

Water 2020, 12(8), 2253; doi:10.3390/w12082253

Featured Papers

Review: Seven Good Reasons for Integrating Terrestrial and Marine Spatial Datasets in Changing Environments

Mariacristina Prampolini, Alessandra Savini, Federica Foglini and Mauro Soldati

Water 2020, 12(8), 2221; doi:10.3390/w12082221

Article: Probabilistic Prediction of Significant Wave Height Using Dynamic Bayesian Network and Information Flow

Ming Li and Kefeng Liu

Water 2020, 12(8), 2075; doi:10.3390/w12082075

Article: Photolytic Degradation of Tetracycline in the Presence of Ca(II) and/or Humic Acid

Si Li, Yiyan He, Fanguang Kong, Weiling Sun and Jiangyong Hu

Water 2020, 12(8), 2078; doi:10.3390/w12082078

Article: Understanding the Key Factors That Influence Efficient Water-Saving Practices among Tourists: A Mediterranean Case Study

Maria Torres-Bagur, Anna Ribas and Josep Vila-Subirós

Water 2020, 12(8), 2083; doi:10.3390/w12082083

Article: Potential Enhancement of the In-Situ Bioremediation of Contaminated Sites through the Isolation and Screening of Bacterial Strains in Natural Hydrocarbon Springs

Pietro Rizzo, Matilde Malerba, Antonio Bucci, Anna M. Sanangelantoni, Sara Remelli and Fulvio Celico

Water 2020, 12(8), 2090; doi:10.3390/w12082090

Article: Dune Systems’ Characterization and Evolution in the Andalusia Mediterranean Coast (Spain)

Rosa Molina, Giorgio Manno, Carlo Lo Re and Giorgio Anfuso

Water 2020, 12(8), 2094; doi:10.3390/w12082094

Article: Development of an Environmental Decision Support System for Enhanced Coagulation in Drinking Water Production

Jordi Suquet, Lluís Godo-Pla, Meritxell Valentí, Marta Verdaguer, Maria J. Martin, Manel Poch and Hèctor Monclús

Water 2020, 12(8), 2115; doi:10.3390/w12082115

Article: Precipitant Effects on Aggregates Structure of Asphaltene and Their Implications for Groundwater Remediation

Christian B. Hammond, Dengjun Wang and Lei Wu

Water 2020, 12(8), 2116; doi:10.3390/w12082116

Article: Removal of 17β-Estradiol by Activated Charcoal Supported Titanate Nanotubes (TNTs@AC) through Initial Adsorption and Subsequent Photo-Degradation: Intermediates, DFT calculation, and Mechanisms

Taobo Huang, Baozhu Pan, Haodong Ji and Wen Liu

Water 2020, 12(8), 2121; doi:10.3390/w12082121

Article: River Water Quality of the Selenga-Baikal Basin: Part I—Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Dissolved and Suspended Metals

Nikolay Kasimov, Galina Shinkareva, Mikhail Lychagin, Natalia Kosheleva, Sergey Chalov, Margarita Pashkina, Josefin Thorslund and Jerker Jarsjö

Water 2020, 12(8), 2137; doi:10.3390/w12082137

Article: The Relationship among Precipitation, Application of Salt in Winter Road Maintenance and the Quality of Waterways and Soil around Motorway

Vilma Jandová, Martina Bucková, Jitka Hegrová, Ivo Dostál, Jiří Huzlík, Karel Effenberger and Roman Ličbinský

Water 2020, 12(8), 2206; doi:10.3390/w12082206

Article: An Improved Immersed Boundary Method for Simulating Flow Hydrodynamics in Streams with Complex Terrains

Yalan Song, Yong G. Lai and Xiaofeng Liu

Water 2020, 12(8), 2226; doi:10.3390/w12082226

Article: Exergy Optimization of a Solar Collector in Flat Plate Shape Equipped with Elliptical Pipes Filled with Turbulent Nanofluid Flow: A Study for Thermal Management

Sara Rostami, Mohammad Sepehrirad, Amin Dezfulizadeh, Ahmed Kadhim Hussein, Aysan Shahsavar Goldanlou and Mostafa Safdari Shadloo

Water 2020, 12(8), 2294; doi:10.3390/w12082294

Article: Analysis of Barriers and Opportunities for Reclaimed Wastewater Use for Agriculture in Europe

Enrique Mesa-Pérez and Julio Berbel

Water 2020, 12(8), 2308; doi:10.3390/w12082308

General

Review: Separating the Impacts of Climate Change and Human Activities on Runoff: A Review of Method and Application

Feng Zeng, Ming-Guo Ma, Dong-Rui Di and Wei-Yu Shi

Water 2020, 12(8), 2201; doi:10.3390/w12082201

Article: Spatial Predictions of Debris Flow Susceptibility Mapping Using Convolutional Neural Networks in Jilin Province, China

Yang Chen, Shengwu Qin, Shuangshuang Qiao, Qiang Dou, Wenchao Che, Gang Su, Jingyu Yao and Uzodigwe Emmanuel Nnanwuba

Water 2020, 12(8), 2079; doi:10.3390/w12082079

Article: Sustainable Use of Groundwater Resources in the Transboundary Aquifers of the Five Central Asian Countries: Challenges and Perspectives

Yu Liu, Ping Wang, Hongwei Ruan, Tianye Wang, Jingjie Yu, Yanpei Cheng and Rashid Kulmatov

Water 2020, 12(8), 2101; doi:10.3390/w12082101

Article: Water Quality Index of Suceava River in Suceava City Metropolitan Area

Andrei-Emil Briciu, Adrian Graur and Dinu Iulian Oprea

Water 2020, 12(8), 2111; doi:10.3390/w12082111

Article: Spatio-Temporal Variation of Drought within the Vegetation Growing Season in North Hemisphere (1982–2015)

Zhaoqi Zeng, Yamei Li, Wenxiang Wu, Yang Zhou, Xiaoyue Wang, Han Huang and Zhaolei Li

Water 2020, 12(8), 2146; doi:10.3390/w12082146

Article: Stream Restoration for Legacy Sediments at Gramies Run, Maryland: Early Lessons from Implementation, Water Quality Monitoring, and Soil Health

Katie Mattern, Alyssa Lutgen, Nathan Sienkiewicz, Grant Jiang, Jinjun Kan, Marc Peipoch and Shreeram Inamdar

Water 2020, 12(8), 2164; doi:10.3390/w12082164

Article: Accuracy Analysis of IMERG Satellite Rainfall Data and Its Application in Long-term Runoff Simulation

Chongxun Mo, Mingshan Zhang, Yuli Ruan, Junkai Qin, Yafang Wang, Guikai Sun and Zhenxiang Xing

Water 2020, 12(8), 2177; doi:10.3390/w12082177

Article: Behavior of Water Mass Beneath the Tsushima Warm Current in the Japan Sea

Xiaorong Fang, Yutaka Isoda, Isao Kudo, Takafumi Aramaki, Keiri Imai and Naoto Ebuchi

Water 2020, 12(8), 2184; doi:10.3390/w12082184

Article: Site Fidelity, Habitat Use, and Movement Patterns of the Common Carp during Its Breeding Season in the Pearl River as Determined by Acoustic Telemetry

Yingqiu Zhang, Yuefei Li, Lili Zhang, Zhi Wu, Shuli Zhu, Jie Li and Xinhui Li

Water 2020, 12(8), 2233; doi:10.3390/w12082233

 

“If surface water can be compared with interest income, and non-renewable groundwater with capital, then much of the West was living mainly on interest income. California was milking interest and capital in about equal proportion. The plains states, however, were devouring capital as a gang of spendthrift heirs might squander a great capitalist's fortune.” – Marc Reisner, Cadillac Desert, p. 457 (1986)

CRS Report: 'Agriculture and Related Agencies - FY2021 Appropriations'

Written by Jim Monke - CRS report (21 July 2020) 'Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2021 Appropriations'.

Just four days ago I posted a CRS report on USDA climate change adaptation - click here.

Click on the graphics to enlarge them.

Download CRS_Report_USDA_Related_Agencies-FY2021App_21July2020

Here we go...from the report:

Summary
The Agriculture appropriations bill funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) except for the U.S. Forest Service. It also funds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and—in even-numbered fiscal years—the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Agriculture appropriations include both mandatory and discretionary spending. Discretionary amounts, though, are the primary focus during the bill’s development. The largest discretionary spending items are the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); agricultural research; rural development; FDA; foreign food assistance and trade; farm assistance loans and salaries; food safety inspection; animal and plant health programs; and technical assistance for conservation programs.

On July 9, 2020, the House Appropriations Committee reported a FY2021 Agriculture appropriations bill (H.R. 7610). The House-reported bill was added as Division B of a four-bill minibus appropriation (H.R. 7608) that is scheduled for consideration. The House-reported bill would provide $23.97 billion in discretionary appropriations for FY2021, an increase of $489 million (+2%) over the regular annual FY2020 appropriation. The primary changes in the House-reported bill compared to FY2020 include increases for rural broadband (+$615 million), foreign assistance (+$72 million), and the FDA (+$41 million). The bill would reduce domestic nutrition programs (-$183 million), rural development (-$17 million), the CFTC (-$11 million), and other programs in General Provisions (-$32 million).

The Senate has not yet marked up an FY2021 Agriculture appropriations bill.

The Trump Administration requests $19.9 billion for discretionary-funded accounts within the jurisdiction of Agriculture appropriations subcommittees. The request would be a reduction of $3.6 billion from FY2020 (-15%). The primary changes in the Administration’s request includes reductions to foreign food assistance (-$1.97 billion); domestic nutrition assistance (-$1.06 billion); and agricultural research, rural development, regulatory, and farm production and conservation agencies (-$530 million). The overall nondefense spending cap for FY2021 that Congress may use to develop the FY2021 appropriations is about 1% higher than in FY2020.

Separate from the regular FY2020 annual appropriation, Congress passed four supplemental appropriations acts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all designated as emergency spending. These acts provide $53 billion during FY2020 to programs in the jurisdiction of the Agriculture appropriations subcommittees. Of this, $36 billion are specified supplemental amounts, $3 billion is from an indefinite authorization, and $14 billion is reimbursement for past obligations that is comparable to the annual appropriation.

Lots of information. We'll see how this pans out!

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"Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusivity is being asked to dance." - @VernaMyers

CRS Report: 'Climate Change Adaptation - U.S. Department of Agriculture'

We often don't conflate the USDA and climate change adaptation but this CRS report (17 July 2020) by Genevieve K. Croft, Katie Hoover, Megan Stubbs, and Randy Schnepf should change that misguided thinking: Climate Change Adaptation - U.S. Department of Agriculture'.

Download CRS_Report_USDA_CC_Adaptation-17July2020

Here we go. Click on the graphics to enlarge them.

Introduction and Background
Congress has debated the significance of global climate change and what federal policies, if any, should be adopted to address risks and effects associated with climate change. Federal policies may focus on climate change mitigation—to prevent or slow the progress of climate change—oradaptation—to avoid the consequences or capture the benefits of climate change (see second text box). Policies focused on adaptation can reduce risks associated with climate change at federal agencies (including risks to infrastructure, operations, and mission delivery), including at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Such policies may affect costs to the department or the sectors it serves. Given that agriculture and forestry are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, adaptation policies are particularly important for these sectors.

While Congress has provided some direction to some departments as part of broader legislation— for example, requiring the Department of Defense to report on climate change impacts to its installations as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-91, §335)—it has not enacted legislation to require or coordinate climate change adaptation at federal agencies. The executive branch has also provided some direction, and such policies can change with a change in administration. A 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office report states that “beginning in 2017, the administration revoked policies that had identified addressing climate change as a priority and demonstrated top leadership support for executive branch action.”

USDA provides federal programs and services related to forestry, farming, ranching, rural development, food, and other areas through its agencies and staff offices. Climate change has the potential to affect its mission delivery. As such, many USDAagencies and offices conduct programs and activities that directly or indirectly address climate change adaptation with respect to their unique missions.

This report provides information on USDA efforts to identify and address potential vulnerabilities of U.S. agriculture, forestry, and food systems to projected climate change. It reviews certain adaptation activities conducted by the department and by individual USDA agencies. This report is not comprehensive of all relevant programs, and does not review USDA efforts related to climate change mitigation, or “intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs).” This report concludes with considerations for Congress, including how action or inaction may impact future federal operations as well as measures that Congress could take to mitigate potential impacts on federal operations.

Lots of information - read on!

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"Inviting people to laugh at you while you are laughing at yourself is a good thing to do. You may be the fool, but you are the fool in charge." - Carl Reiner