Mediterranean land system dynamics and their underlying drivers: Stakeholder perception from multiple case studies

Esgalhado, Catarina; Guimarães, Maria Helena; Lardon, Sylvie; Debolini, Marta; Balzan, Mario V.; Gennai-Schott, Sabine; Rojo, Marian Simón; Mekki, Insaf; Bouchemal, Salah

doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104134

Cited by 19 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…In semiarid regions, often characterized by poor governance, such initiatives can be valuable for achieving policy objectives (i.e., food security and public health), and thus for uncovering the spatiotemporal distribution of social impacts arising from water scarcity, which is expected to increase significantly in Europe (Samaniego et al, 2018). Therefore, our approach may provide key information for improving water resource management protocols and advancing SDGs, fostering negotiations for conflict resolutions between water governance and environmental sustainability, involving institutions, stakeholders, policymakers, and local communities (Esgalhado et al, 2021; Jeffrey and Gearey, 2006; Veldkamp et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing of Inland Surface Waters: A Fusion of Sentinel-1&2 Data Applied to Small Seasonal Ponds in Semiarid Environments

Valerio,

Godinho,

Ferraz

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Inland freshwater resources in semiarid environments play a key role in maintaining ecological systems and supporting human development. Space-based remote sensing spatiotemporal data have emerged as a new paradigm for understanding ecohydrological processes and trends, particularly in water-stressed areas. However, comprehensive cataloging is still lacking, especially in semi-arid regions and for small-sized water bodies (i.e., ponds), which are often overlooked despite their ecological relevance. In this study, high-resolution optical and radar Sentinel data (Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2) were used to construct Sentinel-1&2-based local surface water (SLSW) models, to infer surface water occurrence and extent. To assess the reliability of this model, the results were compared with verification data, and separately with Landsat-based global water (LGSW) models. Three distinct semiarid regions were selected in SW Iberia, within a Mediterranean climate, each encompassing special protection areas for conservation and subjected to marked seasonality and bioclimatic changes. Surface water attributes were modeled using Random Forests for SLSW time series forecasting, which included the period from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. During this period, the completeness of the archived information was compared between SLSW and LGSW, considering both intra-annual and inter-annual variations. The predictive performance of these models was then compared for specific periods (dry and wet), and each was independently validated with verification data. The results showed that SLWM achieved satisfactory predictive performances in detecting surface water occurrence (μ≈72%), with far greater completeness and reconstructed seasonality patterns compared to LGSW. The relatedness between SLSW and LGSW was stronger during wet periods (R2=0.38) than dry periods (R2=0.05), and SLSW related much better with the verification data (R2=0.66) than when compared to LGSW (R2=0.24). The proposed SLSW approach may therefore provide advantages in the delineation of dynamic surface water characteristics (occurrence and extent) in very small-sized water bodies (i.e., <0.5 ha), allowing for uninterrupted surface water time series forecasting at high spatiotemporal detail, and over extensive areas. Given the water constraints in semiarid regions and water resources vulnerability to climate change, our results show high potential for supporting a variety of activities underlying rural development and biodiversity conservation. Additionally, the socio-ecological applications of this research may help identify surface water anomalies (e.g., drought events) and enhance sustainable water supply governance, a particular priority in climate change hotspots.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing of Inland Surface Waters: A Fusion of Sentinel-1&2 Data Applied to Small Seasonal Ponds in Semiarid Environments

Valerio,

Godinho,

Ferraz

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…In general, interviewees showed divergent feelings and positions between desired landscape trajectories and those actually experienced, both in more rural areas and new urbanized areas. This poses the pressing need for building participatory governance models that incorporate people's values for landscape planning [71,72].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, by fostering local markets and initiatives such as the Km0 (eating food locally produced) or 'Farm to fork' (EU strategy that promotes fairer, healthier and environmentally-friendly food systems) [73] and valuing local products, we can contribute to preserving extensive livestock systems [74]. In addition, the disruptions caused by COVID-19 in several market supplies at global and regional scales highlight the need of strengthening local markets [71]. However, behind market regulations, the reduction in meat consumption is a pressing need worldwide, due to its major, negative consequences for land and water use and environmental change [75].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Traditional Livestock Systems Fit into Contemporary Landscapes? Integrating Social Perceptions and Values on Landscape Change

2021

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European traditional cultural landscapes are increasingly modified by rural abandonment and urban growth processes. Acknowledged as of High Nature Value for providing multiple ecosystem services while contributing to human well-being, the future of these social-ecological systems is uncertain. Here we aim to (1) explore dominant land use and cover (LULC) changes linked to extensive livestock farming across an urban-rural gradient defined by a large city (Madrid) over the last three decades; (2) identify and classify the main driving forces shaping these landscape trajectories and; (3) acknowledge the main landscape values for promoting landscape stewardship under participatory governance frameworks. For doing so, we combine mapping analyses (CORINE Land cover) with stakeholder perceptions and positions. Our results show a dual process of progressive abandonment of agroecosystems linked to traditional livestock farming and an ever-increasing urban growth over the last three decades as the most important driving forces. The growing urban sprawl in areas close to Madrid begins to be perceived as problematic for interviewees. The decline of extensive livestock farming in detriment of tourism, particularly evident in rural areas far from Madrid, is perceived as a threat to the cultural heritage and traditions of rural people. This decline is also perceived as a worrying increase of wildfire risk. Stakeholders stressed the need of valuing extensive livestock farming to prevent rural-urban migration, dynamizing rural economies, conserving landscapes and traditions while producing food-quality products. Interviewees advocated for science-based, stakeholder-inclusive and participatory landscape planning and co-management, leading to more context-specific, regionalized policymaking.

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“…Hermon that has proved a great capacity for long-standing practices is required. Such approach can lay the foundations for effective conservation context while ensuring the welfare of the local people (Verschuuren et al, 2021), and it supports the use of biocultural contexts in conservation efforts across the Mediterranean region (Esgalhado et al, 2021;Plieninger et al, 2023).…”

Section: Biocultural Conservation Possibilities For Mt Hermonmentioning

confidence: 93%

A first assessment of community values, rules and knowledge of Mount Hermon, Lebanon: key perspectives towards biocultural conservation

Baydoun,

Hani,

Zein

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Mount Hermon, Lebanon, is a biodiversity hotspot of high cultural value making biocultural perspective highly relevant towards conservation context of this mountain territory. This study aims at identifying a community values, rules and knowledge (VRK) framework heuristic for decision-making. Semi-structured interviews with 126 local informants were conducted during 2022–2023. Findings illustrate that while instrumental values (e.g. water source through snow melt and rain, tourism and recreational activities, land and soil for crop production) were most frequently expressed by informants (63% of expressions), relational values (e.g. social identity, sense of place, spiritual way of life) representing preferences, principles, and virtues about human-nature relationships scored second but still high (41.72%) and subjective intrinsic values of nature (e.g. right to exist) as an end in itself followed last (7.65%). Co-occurrence of formal (indicated by 62.26% of the informants) and informal rules (indicated by 37.74% of the informants) with informants having prevalent local ecological knowledge in resource use were identified in a 70.27% of the informants. Grouping by PCA method demonstrates five strong correlations of enabling or conflicting interactions within the VRK framework that merit close consideration for a meaningful participatory conservation strategy of both biodiversity and cultural diversity in a key hotspot.

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Mediterranean land system dynamics and their underlying drivers: Stakeholder perception from multiple case studies

Cited by 19 publications

References 73 publications

Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing of Inland Surface Waters: A Fusion of Sentinel-1&2 Data Applied to Small Seasonal Ponds in Semiarid Environments

Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing of Inland Surface Waters: A Fusion of Sentinel-1&2 Data Applied to Small Seasonal Ponds in Semiarid Environments

Do Traditional Livestock Systems Fit into Contemporary Landscapes? Integrating Social Perceptions and Values on Landscape Change

A first assessment of community values, rules and knowledge of Mount Hermon, Lebanon: key perspectives towards biocultural conservation

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