Examination of interdependencies between water and greenhouse gas mitigation pathways on country level

  • Rising levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing water stress have been in the focus of the scientific debate for some time. As a result of mounting concern about the adverse consequences of these evolutions, some countries have already begun to discuss and implement sets of mitigation options. So far, pathways to address water scarcity or rising GHG emissions have been developed independently from each other, and the assessment of interdependencies between water and greenhouse gases has only been conducted for specific technologies, or with regards to the overall impact of climate change on water resources. This work aims to close this gap in research and assesses, at the example of China and South Africa, the interdependencies of pathways to mitigate water stress and unsustainable levels of GHG emissions that were developed independently from each other in earlier research. An integration of all mitigation options in one model then allowed to determine the benefits ofRising levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing water stress have been in the focus of the scientific debate for some time. As a result of mounting concern about the adverse consequences of these evolutions, some countries have already begun to discuss and implement sets of mitigation options. So far, pathways to address water scarcity or rising GHG emissions have been developed independently from each other, and the assessment of interdependencies between water and greenhouse gases has only been conducted for specific technologies, or with regards to the overall impact of climate change on water resources. This work aims to close this gap in research and assesses, at the example of China and South Africa, the interdependencies of pathways to mitigate water stress and unsustainable levels of GHG emissions that were developed independently from each other in earlier research. An integration of all mitigation options in one model then allowed to determine the benefits of an integrated approach to water availability and GHG emission reduction. The results show that water-GHG interdependencies are for the most part positive in both countries, i.e., the implementation of the proposed set of measures to mitigate either water scarcity or high GHG emission levels generates overall savings of the other resource. It is furthermore shown that the majority of the investigated interlinkages are related to the nexus between water and energy, whose magnitude is again determined by the water intensity of that power generation mix that is replaced by or avoided primarily through the promotion of energy efficiency and alternative power sources. The optimization of all mitigation measures by means of a linear programing approach shows that an integrated approach allows to better meet mitigation targets, in particular with regards to local water availability, and reduces cost by up to 23% compared to independent considerations. Based on the study of China and South Africa, the hypothesis is brought forward that such interdependencies are also observable in other geographies that are similarly water stressed and dependent on thermal power generation, while countries with little such generation capacities will experience less or different interdependencies. A study of Egypt supports this hypothesis, but also shows that an expansive agricultural sector might provide opportunities for positive water-GHG interlinkages there.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author:Bastian Schröter
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:384-opus4-20453
Frontdoor URLhttps://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/2045
Advisor:Armin Reller
Type:Doctoral Thesis
Language:English
Publishing Institution:Universität Augsburg
Granting Institution:Universität Augsburg, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät
Date of final exam:2012/07/06
Release Date:2013/03/28
Tag:climate change; greenhouse gas emissions; water scarcity; sustainable country pathways; water-energy nexus
GND-Keyword:Wassermangel; Anthropogene Klimaänderung; Treibhausgas; Umweltschutzkosten; Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse; Umweltökonomie
Institutes:Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät / Institut für Physik
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät / Institut für Materials Resource Management
Dewey Decimal Classification:3 Sozialwissenschaften / 33 Wirtschaft / 330 Wirtschaft
5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 53 Physik / 530 Physik
6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 62 Ingenieurwissenschaften / 620 Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten
Licence (German):Deutsches Urheberrecht mit Print on Demand