The compounding effects of multiple stressors on freshwater environments

The compounding effects of multiple stressors on freshwater environments

Water scarcity intensifies freshwater ecosystem degradation. A new study evaluates the compounding effects of several stressors on water-scarce ecosystems in order to construct better management strategies.

Original Paper:
Navarro-Ortega, Alícia, Vicenç Acuña, Alberto Bellin, Peter Burek, Giorgio Cassiani, Redouane Choukr-Allah, Sylvain Dolédec, et al., "Managing the Effects of Multiple Stressors on Aquatic Ecosystems under Water Scarcity. The GLOBAQUA Project," Science of The Total Environment 503–504, (January 2015): 3–9, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.081

Rivers and streams provide important ecosystem services that benefit humans. Many regions of Europe, however, are faced with water scarcity and other problems that threaten these freshwater environments. Scientists do not fully understand how water-stressed aquatic ecosystems respond to multiple pressures such as land use changes, pollution, over-extraction, and invasive species. A better grasp of complex freshwater issues is necessary in order to inform policymakers who are interested in reducing climate change.
 
GLOBAQUA, a project of the Seventh EU Framework Program, evaluates the combined effects of environmental burdens on water-scarce rivers and streams in Europe. Understanding these relationships will better inform influential climate change mitigation policies. GLOBAQUA engages experts from scientific agencies and water management programs throughout Europe. In a recent publication of Science of the Total Environment, the GLOBAQUA research team outlined the structure of their forthcoming five-year study.
 
The GLOBAQUA project will evaluate six different European river basins that are affected by water scarcity as well as other compounding factors. The researchers will pay close attention to the relationships between factors and evaluate ways in which they are affected by various climate change scenarios. A major goal of the study will be to examine the effects of multiple stressors on the biodiversity and health of freshwater ecosystems. Knowledge of these complex relationships will help policymakers gauge the potential disruption of ecosystem services and resulting costs to society.
 
For example, GLOBAQUA will study the Anglian River basin in the United Kingdom to understand how water scarcity aggravates drained wetlands that are susceptible to coastal flooding. The researchers will look at how the main economic driver, building and manufacturing, could be affected by continued water shortages as different climate change scenarios alters the risk of flooding in the region.
 
Concurrently, the GLOBAQUA team will analyze the Ebro River basin, in Spain, which struggles with water scarcity and pollution generated by agriculture and wastewater treatment plants.
 
GLOBAQUA brings together experts in water science, biology, economics, sociology, and policy to engage in a comprehensive interdisciplinary study. A deep examination at this large scale will allow policymakers to effectively manage the many challenges affecting freshwater ecosystems.

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