GGS-AF 2023-IB: "Water-Wetland" | Presentation Summaries
Green Gold Sessions on Agri-Food 2023-I "Water-Soil▪Mountain-Forest▪Wetland" (Sustainable Water-Soil & Agro-Forestry Management Practices) Summary
IB：“Water-Wetland”
Speakers are from Germany, China, United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Spain:
❏ Dr. Thomas Schaefer, Living Lakes Network, Global Nature Fund (GNF)
An overview of challenges and solutions for lake-river and catchment management around the world
❏ Prof. Li Ping, Institute of Farmland Irrigation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-IFI)) / Water Environment Factor Risk Assessment Laboratory for Agricultural Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China | Dr. Zulin Zhang, Senior Research Scientist, James Hutton Institute (JHI), UK:
Research and Perspectives on Agricultural Resource Utilization of Reclaimed Water
❏ Mr. Han Su, Water Footprint Network (WFN) / University of Twente (UT), The Netherlands
Introduction over Water Footprint Data and Sustainable Agri-Food Management
❏ Prof. Fuxing Liu, Eco-Environmental Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS-EEPRI)
All-process ecological interception technology and application over farmland non-point source pollution
❏ Prof. Héctor Moreno Ramón, Technical University of Valencia (Universitat Politècnica de València UPV), Spain
Water-soil Interactions in coastal wetland soils in the rice farms and Albufera Lake, Valencia
❏ Mr. Xiaoyong Li, Enterpreneur representative of Jingjinji National Center of Technology Innovation (JNCTI) / GreenTech Hebei Company
Integral resource utilization of rural domestic & industrial sewage water, cases from Jingjinji (Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei) Region
Presentation video link: https://b23.tv/ydyeljQ
Dr. Thomas Schaefer from Global Nature Fund (GNF) introduced its biggest international network - the Living Lake Network, representing presently 113 important lakes and wetlands around the world, as well as a number of regional and national networks. He reviewed challenges and solutions for lake-river and catchment management around the world, the role of CSOs (Civil Society Organization) and citizen science (involvement incl. professionals and young people etc.). He made an open call on more lakes and wetlands to exchange and cooperate with the recently launched Living Lakes Biodiversity and Climate Project: Global Initiative for improved Management of Lakes and Wetlands, as well as a Sustainable Leadership Program for young people on lake and wetland management in cooperation with a university in Germany.
Q: What are your valuable experiences in working with the civil society and fostering lake and wetland management?
A: Water resource supply and environmental management of lakes, rivers and wetland are crucial for everyone in regions and cities. Therefore, we foster exchange over knowledge and experiences between different governments, and between governmental bodies and the civil society. This has always been very beneficial although there could be more or less impacts.
Q: How is your cooperation with China, or with Chinese regions and lakes?
A: We have some national networks, such as in Canada and Germany, where civil society organizations address common issues together through the national network, such as citizen science and participation in integrated watershed management. We know that different countries have different monitoring situations and governance mechanisms. However, these could always learn from each other. We had exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese network led by Poyang Lake and expect to reestablish contact and activities with China. We would be glad to reestablish exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese network again.
Presentation video link: https://b23.tv/bGEVeLu
Prof. Ping Li comes from the Institute of Farmland Irrigation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-IFI), as well as the Water Environment Factor Risk Assessment Laboratory for Agricultural Product Quality Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China. As an associated presentation with Dr. Zulin Zhang, James Hutton Institute, UK, he introduced reclaimed water utilization features, related policy development in China and in several other countries. With regional water imbalance, scarcity and climate change hazards, water saving and reclaimed water utilization have become a national strategy in China to balance water tensions from surface and ground water in different regions. He explained indicator changes from the long-term irrigation experiment with reclaimed water. He called on improving water evaluation indicator systems and policies, foster safe reclaimed water use through popular science media in China and abroad.
Q: As you stated, policy system over reclaimed water could be improved in various aspects. In the meantime, reclaimed water is already in use or tempted to be used in water-scarce regions. In these Chinese regions, e.g. Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Shaanxi, how do the consumers know if the reclaimed water is really safe for irrigation?
A: Thank you for the question. Regulated sewage water treatment in each Chinese city, district or county has to reach Class III quality before the water may be released in the open space. The related data are supported by public inquiry routes and frequent and regular monitoring. The public might not always know how to get and evaluate water safety data. To support safe utilization progress of reclaimed water for irrigation, we should publish more research results and science-based policy-practice solutions to inform the public, offer related capacity building programs to agri-food producers, entrepreneurs and policy makers etc.
Presentation video link: https://b23.tv/zPsUMCq
Mr. Han Su from the Water Footprint Network and University of Twente, The Netherlands, gave a comprehensive introduction of the Water Footprint, an internationally recognized water consumption measuring commodity production along the supply chain. The water footprint measures the amount of water used to produce each of the goods and services, which could be from agricultural products to consumer goods, or from car fuel to a multi-national company. The water footprint can even tell how water resource is being consumed in a river basin area or from an underground aquifer, by a particular country – or globally. To help us to understand the relation between global water crisis and water consumption data, with the example of tomato, he pointed out that, irrigation efficiency has risen globally in the agri-food sectors, although the total amount of global water use could still reduce considerably while global food production is rising. The Water Footprint Network is working on updating historical water footprint data over global and regional utilization situations.
Q: We look much forward to the update of water footprint data. How could we use water footprint on daily consumption level to influence consumers?
A: The major calculation method of the Water Footprint is based on macro scientific data to inform national and regional decision makers, as well as companies to pay attention to the constrains, considering the way of irrigation, cultivation, the change of climate and in-export of food etc. On the water footprint network website, we provide various tools for individuals, companies and countries to assessment their water footprint provide insights how to reduce them.
Presentation video link: https://b23.tv/ISNyOFy
Prof. Fuxing Liu and his team from the Eco-Environmental Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS-EEPRI), are specialized in the "All-process ecological interception technology and application over farmland non-point source pollution". The patented engineering installment deals with water-wetland pollution prevention and purification on existing farms in a catchment section, especially with limited spaces. Prof. Liu illustrated various application examples in mountain, plain and village situations. According to him, the average interception and purification efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) is 64.2%. Likeminded technologies are in growing demand in China to support spatial planning and management policy and technical measures for "Permanent Primary Agricultural Land" to improve water-soil conservation and eco-effective farm yield.
Q (speaker Prof. Ping Li): Could you explain a bit more about the relation between construction and management for the water pollution prevention installations in local and catchment scales?
A: This is an important question. We say that the implementation has 30% construction and 70% management. Although we have basic principles, such as nature-based and combining with crops where possible, solutions are different case-by-case. In this wetland purification example, we used floating rice and water bamboo shoot cultivation to get economic returns for farmers that take care of the system, with the prescription that no fertilizer could be used.
Q: How would you see the applicability of the solutions in other regions in China and abroad?
A: The all-process ecological interception technology is widely applicable for both water-rich and water-scarce regions, as it uses available space on farms, mostly not effecting existing irrigation and yields. I am in the Inner Mongolia right now, where water is in shortage on farms. We are exploring how to improve agri-food value and farmer livelihood through optimizing application and integrating measures.
Presentation video link: https://b23.tv/FGspSwQ
Prof. Héctor Moreno Ramón from the Technical University of Valencia (Universitat Politècnica de València UPV) is a key scientist specialized in water, wetland and soils around L'Albufera Natural Park to the south of the City of Valencia, part of the EU Natura 2000 Network of protected areas. The 21,120-ha area consists of the Albufera Lake is a designated Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, with a great variety of flora and fauna to thrive and can be observed year-round. The unique water system with marsh and rice fields is delicately balanced, using reclaimed water with phosphorus and nitrogen to flush through rice fields and constructed wetland "green filter". Besides, according to scientific monitoring, increasing saline condition through climate change is critical for the rice cultivation and farmers' livelihood, as well as the Albufera ecosystems.
Q: According to your research, what would be the most important action for the Albufera Lake region?
A: We have to inform the farmers and the society to proceed with various measures. The major effort is to protect the agricultural heritage with better regulated fresh water system , as well as a great variety of social-econmic activities, incl. rice farming, fishery, culinary culture, education and tourism etc.
Q: Could rice species adapted to saline conditions be considered to continue rice cultivation, livelihood and ecosystem, for example the salt-tolerant Pokkali Rice species from Kerala that we heard from the last session ("Soil-Mountain-Forestry" on 12th April)?
A: As you know, the Albufera Lake is a natural park and the traditional rice species for our cuisine heritage (paella) is not salt-resilient. We are also researching the possibility to use more salt-resilient rice species, whether that would be in harmony with local ecosystems and social-economic livability of the nature park.
Presentation video link: https://b23.tv/AEuYKKm
Mr. Li Xiaoyong is an environmental entrepreneur, a representative of China's Beijing Tianjin Hebei National Technology Innovation Center (JNCTI), and a manager of China's listed company Jinke Environment Hebei Company. He produces, researches, and operates modular membrane technology wastewater treatment equipment and resource utilization equipment. At the same time, his Blue Lotus Water team has a patented rural sewage treatment technology designed using algae technology and various site resource management projects, which has achieved economic returns for resource utilization for rural sewage treatment operators in multiple locations, such as aquaculture, (irrigation or industrial) water supply, and organic fertilizers. Since 2019, the Blue Lotus Water team has been collaborating with the Ecological Research Institute of the Beijing Tianjin Hebei National Technology Innovation Center (JNCTI) and ensuring the quality and safety of recycled water by configuring monitoring technology from research institutions.
At present, these new devices and business models are being promoted and applied nationwide.
Q: Regarding your technical solution for rural sewage water treatment, is the financing model applicable for more regions?
A: Rural sewage water treatment is still a serious barrier for the rural rehabilitation in China. Our technical and financial model is based on these gaps, that aim to make a difference. Although there is a starting investment for planning, design and engineering, the waste-water-to-resource financial returns are multi-facet and reliable, that make the sewage treatment creating values for local farmers and government.
More info:
Announcement & Intro: Green Gold Sessions on Agri-Food
GGS-AF 2023-IB：“Water-Wetland”
April 14th, 2023 CET 9:00-11:30 | BJ Time 15:00-17:30
Organizer: Natureherit DC & Knowledge@Terra Classrooms (K@T)
Co-Organizer: Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Information, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS-IASTI)
Offline Location: Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS), 2nd Floor, Library of Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology Information, Building 3, Wangyuan Road 1150, Shanghai, China
Publication and dissemination: Knowledge@Terra Classrooms @ EU Capacity4dev Platform, a.o. Capacity4Dev is the European Commission’s knowledge sharing platform for International Cooperation and Development.
Reading note：https://capacity4dev.europa.eu/groups/knowledge-terra-classrooms/info/s…