The Nile Basin Countries are facing two major long-term and large-scale threats that can lead to the total collapse of the water resources in the whole Nile system, i.e. from the very sources at its origin “up-stream” to its final fate at the deltas “down-stream”.  These major threats are related to climate change “global warming” and environmental degradation because of waste and pollution (from energy, industry, agriculture and household). To deal with these major threats, i.e. mitigation and solutions, the Nile Basin countries need to develop and implement sustainable management strategies/policies. In this context, achieving sustainable socio-economic developments in the Nile Basin region, which indeed applies also to the other parts of the MENA region, requires coupling public awareness, education, science and technology programs to society, population and markets needs.

The so-called renewable energy sources/resources differ considerably and in many aspects from non-renewable ones. In “susutain-earth.com” we examined one type of electricity generation TPP “Thermal Power Plants” through using fossil-fuel “coal”. The “life-cycle”, in this case the transformation of fossil energy to electricity, was given including the production of waste and pollution as unwanted bi-products with environmentally damaging effects. We demonstrated, also, the so-called WE-nexus, i.e. how the production of (energy) electricity is dependent on water. Here we illustrate the “life-cycle” for production of electricity from wind.

The construction, installation and operation of wind turbines are simple in relations to the more complicated “TPP units”. With appropriate storage solutions, i.e. to compensate for variable power production “weather conditions”, they provide cost-effective and environment friendly solutions, as is the case for solar planels, i.e. with “zero” pollution and no need for water in operation.

Many of us have seen many power stations and industries are built near water bodies, this is because they need the water in their production or need to get rid of their waste, or both. Here we can see how Water and Energy are connected to each other, both with positive or negative impacts. Here is an example of positive and negative impacts given only in a qualitative and descriptive way.

Understanding “Water-Energy Nexus” is a key issue in Applied Sustainability in terms of how transformation of energy, i.e. from fossil form to electricity, not only needs and consumes water but also creates environmental pollution. The emitted atmospheric pollutants and rest products, in this case, e.g. carbon dioxide (100%), sulphur oxide 8%, nitrogen oxide (data on extraction yield is not given), heavy metals such as Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, ….. (information and data on removal are not given) and water vapor. These pollutants and rest products have negative impacts on the environment in terms of degradation in air, water and ecological qualities, e.g. acid rain that cause acidification of aquatic systems with negative impacts on lakes, rivers and marine coasts.

The life cycle of thermal power plants starts with coal mining, coal transport, coal pulverizing and coal burning (combustion of coal to produce heat and produce water vapor to run the turbines and generate electricity). As mineral coal has different levels of impurities and pollutants, such S, N, heavy metals and probably small amounts of radio-active elements, all these substances will turn to bi-production. The bi-products are not likely to be completely removed and some amounts will be released to the environment as is evident in many areas in China by the naked eye. The negative impacts of such pollution on air and water quality are very well documents in literature, however some countries have improved their production technologies and have strict protection rules what regards air, water and ecological qualities. Nevertheless, emissions of “green house” gases, causing “global warming”, is still a major global problem. The scape of water vapor from fossil-fuel based-power and industrial plants around the world introduces disturbances in natural water cycles and adds new uncertainties in modeling the water cycles. Water vapor is also a “green house”. At the same time, the emerging negative threats from “WE-nexus” on achieving socio-economic developments need further improvements and actions what regards WE-management policies.

The accelerating consumption of WE-resources “Water and Energy Resources” in the MENA region has huge negative long-term and large-scale impacts on achieving sustainable socio-economic developments in the whole region. The same threats are emerging in the Nile Basin region. Effective large-scale and long-term solutions are urgently required for developing and implementing WE-saving technologies in all society sectors and on all levels.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130418161903

An important question for achieving sustainable socio-economic developments in any nation is: what is the limiting factor, is it water or energy? Currently, lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent to jumbo jet crashing every four hours, this is equivalent to 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related problems. Almost 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, mainly in the developing countries; the problem will still worsen as 70 percent of industrial waste is dumped untreated into waterways. The so-called emerging economies are, also, facing an accelerating threat from mismanagement of water resources that on the long run will be the most limiting factor for achieving sustainable socio-economic development.

China isn’t an exception, with its 22% of the world’s population, an access to only 5 percent of global water resources and an estimated 300 million people that lack access to safe drinking water. According to the Ministry of Water Resources in China, if China continues to consume and pollute at today’s rate, water demand will exceed supply in less than two decades. The past decades of rapid development, massive construction of infrastructure and huge industrial developments resulted in huge pollutant’s spill untreated into waterways. An estimated 50% of groundwater in cities, 77% of 26 key monitored lakes and reservoirs and 43% of 7 major river basins are considered unfit for human contact. Meanwhile, 19% of monitored rivers and basins, 35% of lakes are reservoirs are considered unfit even for agricultural or industrial use. These effects are related to China’s huge needs for energy and the associated “energy-water” nexus, e.g. 96% of China’s electric power requires water to generate, and 47% of electricity is consumed by water scarce provinces. Agriculture is by far the largest consumer of water at 62%, and the largest polluter, with pesticides and fertilizers responsible for about half the contamination of waterways. Soils are, also, facing great degradation, the average level of organic matter in soil is now 1-5% for northeastern China’s arable land, compared with 8-10% in the 1950s. A report published in 2007 by the World Bank and the Chinese government estimated the combined health and non-health cost of outdoor air and water pollution at approximately $100 billion a year, or about 5.8% of China’s GDP. Water pollution, meanwhile, worsens China’s severe water scarcity problems, with the overall cost of water shortages estimated at 1% of GDP.

Climate change has, also, negative effects in form of growing desertification and prolonged droughts in agricultural regions nationwide with impacts on drinking water and livestock as well as water levels in some of the countries major hydropower producing regions.

http://chinawaterrisk.org/resources/analysis-reviews/china-water-portrait-past-future/

The environmental importance is gaining greater and greater attention for policy makers around the world. Many countries are struggling to provide drinking water with good quality for their population. However, the quality of drinking water is very much related to the environmental conditions. The most important indicator for clean environment is availability of clean drinking water for everyone, this is also very much related to availability of clean natural waters and thereby clean environments.

Many countries in Europe can offer everyone the best drinking water quality in the world; in this context tap water in Europe can very well compete with the quality of bottled water.

http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/location/top-10-countries-with-the-best-tap-water/

Global warming whether is a natural climate change process or artificial man-made climate impacts have enormous impacts on our choices to select secure and safe solutions of human energy needs. Also, pollution and waste products from energy production and use, including accidents and disasters, makes it difficult to keep land in tact for agricultural and for suitable household uses. Modern threats from climate, waste and pollution dedicate new realities for humans in terms of limiting the diversity for appropriate, safe and secure life on earth. The   road for achieving sustainable socio-economic developments becomes more difficult once we overload it with more “time-bombs”.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/05/fukushima-japan-rebuilding-communities-with-solar-commits-to-a-100-percent-renewable-energy-by-2040?cmpid=SolarNL-Tuesday-May20-2014

Toxic compounds, hazardous chemicals and aggressive gases are not only produced in laboratories with restrict protection laws and well planned ventilation systems. They are, unfortunately, allowed to be produced and emitted as well as to keep circulating in our living environments and in the atmosphere around us. Though most of our concern is focused on “green-house” gases and the “green-house” effect, air pollution and air quality are among important environmental issues because of their severe impacts on health.

Many capital cities around the world suffer from “smog”. “Smog” has different origin and composition. Heavy industries using oil, metals and natural gas in their production can be potential sources for smog formation. Domestic fireplaces with coal and wood can contribute to major parts of the smog formation in some cities; this can be also the case with high volume of road traffic, rubbish incineration and dust from the surrounding deserts. In some mega cities the number of cars has increased to tens of millions in the last 30 years. However, fossil fuels, in particular coal, powered plants can still be major sources causing the biggest problem. Apart from man-made pollution, natural processes, e.g. sandstorms in hot arid and semi-arid regions/deserts can contribute to smog forming. In combination with intense ultra-violet rays industrial and automobile emissions can be transformed into, as transported as, ozone.

But, according to the most recent figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), the megacity doesn’t even rank among the top 10 cities for smog. Most of the worst afflicted are smaller cities across the developing world.

Poor air quality causes a number of illnesses for city residents, like chronic respiratory problems and lung cancer. According to a study by the Max-Planck Institute in Mainz, some 15,000 people die every year in Dhaka due to air pollution. Researchers found the world’s highest concentration of sulfur dioxide there. Smog can contain high levels of toxic chemicals, e.g. hydrocarbons, heavy metals, fine particulates, S-/N-/C- compounds, ozone, …. and other hazardous compounds.

The Chinese capital, Beijing, isn’t the only big city suffering from smog. From Asia to the Middle East to the Americas, here’s a look at the 10 worst cities for bad air. Beijing, China; Ahwaz, Iran; Ulan Bator, Mongolia, Lahore, Pakistan, New Delhi, India; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Cairo, Egypt; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Moscow, Russia; Mexico City, Mexico

http://www.dw.de/top-10-worst-cities-for-smog/g-17469135

Worldwide water governance has been challenged on several levels from local up to international though the existing forces are beyond human control, e.g. growing human population, increasing diversity in economic activities, enhanced competition on water resources, threats of climate disruption on water balance and availability. Sustainable management of natural resources is facing challenges in particular policy-making, the  implementation of laws, interpretation of international treaties and conventions. Examples are the trans-boundary water issues and disputes between upstream-downstream countries due to divergence in utilization of water resources for power generation, industry, agriculture and household uses. Water scarcity and security are typical issues in the MENA region and have caused disputes in the Nile Basin and Israel-Palestine area. This is, also, the case in other parts of the world, e.g. between India and Pakistan.

Other challenges are: affordable access to safe drinking water as a human right, e.g. sanitation and health issues in Sub-Saharan Africa; the needs for ways to measure access to improved water and unimproved water; the push to privatize water resources to drive efficiency and water trade; drought management and impacts of climate change. In global perspective water as a human right is not totally agreed upon, e.g. by the US and others international donors and what concerns affordability there are still more efforts to be done.

A panel discussion on contemporary challenges is given here on the sustainable use of the world’s freshwater resources, and the effectiveness of international law, e.g. international human right law, international environmental law and others, to meet existing challenges.

Among the most important indicators for life on earth are air and water qualities with poor qualities of air and water it becomes difficult, even impossible, to sustain life in any form. In some places in the world abuse of the natural resources, e.g. blind exploitation, production and use, have caused serious degradation and enormous damage, of natural environments. Exploitation, production and consumption are associated with environmental, ecological and human costs in form of “environmental, ecological and health degradation” and if such costs are not accounted for we will have negative sustainability balance. With gradual pile-up of such environmental, ecological and health debt, as is the case in the given examples, there would be no places on earth for suitable and sustainable life.          

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/the-15-most-toxic-places-to-live/earths-orbit

The following are currently considered to be the top five most sustainable cities in the world:  VANCOUVER, CANADA; SAN FRANCISCO, U.S.; OSLO, NORWAY; CURITIBA, BRAZIL; and COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

When it comes to implementing sustainable initiatives these cities are leading the globe in how that achieved and/or can achieve sustainable cities through using renewable energy and by cutting back on emissions. Among common sustainability characteristics of these cities (http://archive.rec.org/REC/Programs/SustainableCities/Characteristics.html) are:

leadership in using and developing renewables; green transport and traffic with low emissions; strict and green buildings with improved energy efficiency and ongoing LEED-certified green building projects); high marks for air quality and clean environment; waste management with efficient and high recycling rates; reserve high percent of land to green spaces, ongoing projects for efficient electric car traffic (Vancouver and San Francisco); protected forest, parks waterways, and agriculture land (e.g. Oslo, Curitiba); intelligent lighting adjusting intensity depending on traffic conditions and weather (Oslo); bio-methane from waste to power mass transit and heating; projects for cutting carbon emissions by 50 percent in coming decades with goals to be the world’s first carbon neutral capital by 2025 (Copenhagen); heating system powered by high percent renewable energy, mainly from biomass from residual waste with plans to reach 100 percent renewable sources for heating in most the cold regions in the world (Oslo); innovative program that allows people to exchange trash for transit tokens or fresh produce (Curitiba); projects to get 50 percent of the population on two wheels by 2015 by closing down some major roads to cars and developing an additional 43 miles of bike lanes and requiring all new developments to incorporate some level of vegetation into building designs (Copenhagen).

http://www.ecomagination.com/top-five-most-sustainable-cities-in-the-world

Security and safety of citizens are essential features of safe societies and although it seems like the world is becoming more crueler with increasing instabilities, The Global Peace Index indicates here the 20 most peaceful countries in the world. The Global Peace Index issued by IEP (Institute for Economics and Peace) since 2007 gives data of nations’ and regions’ peacefulness as based on external and internal measures.

Among the essential features of the countries given here are that they prefer to focus on economic matters, building strong economies and creating a stable investment climate, trusted platforms for wealth management services and estate planning, instead of involving themselves in various armed conflicts. Many of these countries show great standards of living, have high levels of human development and place peace at the forefront of their priorities, e.g. they concentrate on being great neighbors, through establishing social, peaceful, economic, cordial political relations with other countries. Many of these countries work with the United Nations and its supporting agencies on a great variety of efforts, e.g. peacekeeping missions, and participate in various global, unilateral and multilateral organizations to promote international cooperation. They enjoy especially low rates of homicide, violent crime, criminality, organized internal conflicts, violent protests, internal and external wars fought, also, staying out of the main conflicts in the world. Sweden, for example, has a low level of robberies (only 9,000 a year) compared to the United States (about 350,000 a year)! Besides, Sweden has not been to war and has not participated in any combats for the whole 2 centuries. Many of these countries also enjoy political stabilities, neutrality in regional, international and global political issues while maintaining strong diplomatic relations with various countries around the world. Education in some of these countries is at the heart of literally everything, e,g. Finland’s education system is ranked fifth best in the world.

Many of these countries have unique culture diversity, fantastic travel destination, beautiful town halls, majestic castles, captivating and breathtaking natural beauty, alpine glaciers, golden plains and impressive mountains, spectacular coastline, sandy beaches and legendary hospitality, rugged landscape, wonderful fauna, awesome beaches and fantastic geothermal and volcanic activity. Many of them have vibrant, clean and safe cities with millennial heritage, spectacular scenery and friendly people.

http://travel.amerikanki.com/most-peaceful-countries-in-the-world/20/

International databases on disasters such as OFDA/CRED (www.emdat.be) give quantitative information and historical overviews about the important features of extreme weather events, e.g. frequency, magnitude and level of destruction/damage, in different/specific regions around the world. This historical information is valuable sources for assessing climate and weather impacts and natural calamities. Spatio-temporal, i.e. space-time, distributions of weather disasters can be of values for understanding how dangerous is dangerous what regards disasters and what we can expect in the future. Also, the possibility to compare the compiled data with existing climate change theories. Indeed, assessing such data on spatio-temporal bases can be valuable tools for model testing, validation and improvement, i.e. through uncovering weaknesses and strengths in climate models.

http://pabarcar.blogspot.se/2014/01/a-history-of-destructive-typhoons-in.html?m=1

Svante Arrhenius was the first to claim global warming to be due to “green house” gas emissions in 1896. A Swedish scientist who suggested the effects of fossil fuel on enhanced global warming. This finding was a by-product of research on the possible impacts of carbon dioxide on the great Ice Ages by Arrhenius and Chamberlin. The topic was forgotten for a very long time and it was thought than human influences were insignificant compared to the natural warming of the earth’s atmosphere by solar activity and ocean circulation. The oceans were thought to cancel out the atmospheric pollution by being carbon sinks and that water vapor was seen as a much more influential greenhouse gas.

Since 1940’s research on carbon dioxide started to expand with developments in infrared spectroscopy and impacts of atmospheric carbon dioxide and water vapor on the absorption of heat. In the 1950’s and 1960’s it became clear that the ocean could never be a complete sink of carbon dioxide and the atmospheric lifetime of carbon dioxide was estimated to be about 10 years. Quantitative data that the oceans absorb nearly a third of man-made carbon dioxide was made possible by carbon-14. This radio-isotope can trace the time-space dynamics of atmospheric carbon dioxide, i.e. both natural and artificial.

In 1950’s and early 1960’s Charles Keeling used the most modern technologies to produce concentration curves for atmospheric carbon dioxide in Antarctica and Mauna Loa. The curves showed a downward trend of global annual temperature from the 1940’s to the 1970’s and it was first feared that a new ice age might be near. In the 1980’s, the global annual mean temperature curve started to rise and began to increase so steeply in late 1980’s, an upcoming new ice age was strongly questioned and the global warming theory began to win terrain fast. In 1988 it was finally acknowledged that climate was warmer than any period since 1880 and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was founded. In 1990’s scientists started to question the greenhouse effect theory, because of major uncertainties in the data sets and model outcomes. So far not many measures have been taken to remove all the uncertainties in climate change. It is a global problem that is hard to be solved by single countries. While accepting the existing uncertainties for the time being we can’t prevent major climate and weather disasters to take place. How shall we mitigate the increasing frequency and magnitude of climate and weather disasters whether they are natural or artificial? Though the situation can be similar to earth quakes, where we know they do take place but we do not know with certainty when, where and what to do to safe/protect our lives. Climate and weather disasters have much more devastating and irreversible impacts and threats on all life forms on the earth and can take place on much more larger scales.

http://www.lenntech.com/greenhouse-effect/global-warming-history.htm

Buildings and roads are left destroyed after the fatal typhoon Haiyan swept through the Philippines. The death toll is expected to rise to 10,000 and the United Nations says around 600,000 people are left without homes. One woman recalls how she let go of her daughter as they were trying to escape.

http://Sustain-earth.com will come with data showing the increasing risks for further acceleration of climate change “global warming?” threats and calamities in the future. Climate change or most probably what is known as “global warming” is changing its face from academic knowledge and political debates to vital realities and disastrous threats.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/nov/11/typhoon-haiyan-phillippines-declares-state-of-calamity-video

Climate change, whether it is of natural or man-made origin, is demostrating its enormous power in creating gigamtic disasters around the globe. Yet 2014 is bringing unending news about abnormal weather conditions of threats never known before in modern history.

The Typhoon Halyan (The Guardian 8th of May 2014), the largest and most violent Typhoon in recorded history, turned Philippines upside down in a state of chaos where more than 16 000 000 (sixteen millions) people across the country had been affected. The social welfare department provided, so far, shelter support to more than half a million of households, still 200 000 people need to be resettled and more that 52 000 families are living in tents in danger zones.

Just about two weeks ago, i.e. the last days of April 2014, a huge Tornado swept over the southern and central parts of the United States with at least 19 people dead and huge economic damages in Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi of living areas, infrastructures, houses, trailers, motor homes, …… Watch the outcome of an accelerating threats of climate change that are taking place on wider scales and stronger levels. http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/apr/28/tornado-sweeps-across-southern-and-central-united-states-in-pictures?index=14

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/08/typhoon-haiyan-survivors-tacloban-philippines

Humans have always worried about weather not only on for days and short-terms but also distant future and over longer periods (climate) especially for food security, living and for creation of settlements.  Future Tellers, Horoscope or Science are different forms of predicting the unpredictable depending on cultural, social and economic conditions. For science “what you can’t measure doesn’t exist”, even though there are uncertainties in “weather/climate” sciences as such knowledge rely on models. First we develop models through existing knowledge, we keeting improving knwledge through research. Then in parallel models are developed, tested and improved untill they can reproduce the reality and if so the models become reliable and acceptable. What regards climate and weather we seek answers on when, where, how and to which extent the climate/weather would/can be, also assessing the expected disasters, damage, losses and costs. Such knowledge/data are helpful what regards management and actions.

The best journal in science “Nature, Climate Change” has published data from the most accurate model yet developed showing that annual floods in Europe will increase four fold and the associated annual costs will be 23.5 bn Euros by the middle of the century. About 2/3 of these changes are due to human development and not by climate change. It is clear now that instead of assessing individual flood risks, maximum water discharges over large numbers of river basins or parts of catchments can give much better predictions what regards large-scale and long-term predictions.

Coordinated data on weather disasters and the associated impacts on population are becoming increasingly important, as the collective damage can be enormous. Abnormal weather conditions started to be more frequent probably becuase of global warming. Just during the first part of May 2014 a series of abnormal weather conditions took place in many parts in Africa and the MENA regions, below are some examples. These abnormal events of weather conditions are very rare to take place in these regions on times scales of at least several decades. These abnormal weather conditions that hit many countries in the same time-period can be an indication of large-scale phenomena/effects, but what???

6 May 2014, Burundi. Flooding kills 50 after torrential rains and storms that triggered mudslides, landslides and swept away homes, cut off roads and power, injured people, destroyed schools, houses, goods and public infrastructures. Houses in the poorer parts are often made of mud bricks and can’t resist against water and mudslides and landslides.

2 May 2014, Afghanistan. Landslide kills at least 350 because of heavy torrential rains (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj6Z_0Ty0BI&feature=youtu.be)

8 May 2014, Saudi Arabia. Flooding in Makkah (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1vxRwFRjIE)

5 May 2014, Nigeria. 50 houses in Abuja were affected by flood (http://www.talkofnaija.com/local/flood-hits-over-50-houses-in-abuja-two-days-before-african-davos)

7 May 2014, Egypt. Massive sandstorm cloud rolls over Aswan governorate; heavy rain and flooding in the Red Sea governorate; 8 May 2014 heavy rain over 15 May bridge, Cairo (http://english.ahram.org.eg/UI/Front/MultimediaInner.aspx?NewsContentID=100838&newsportalname=Multimedia)

May 09 2014, Egypt. Flooding because of rainstorms caused panic for tourists (http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/middle-east/israel-and-the-middle-east/israeli-tourists-stranded-in-egypt-by-floods-can-cross-the-border-5221)