Browsing by Autor "Ann van Griensven"

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Contributions of stakeholder perspectives and biophysical mapping to assess ecosystem services in the Upper White Nile basin
(Elsevier BV, 2024) Annika Schlemm; Mark Mulligan; Afnan Agramont; Benjamin Ssekamuli; Callist Tindimugaya; Godfrey Ogonda; Ann van Griensven
• Combined spatial mapping and stakeholder evaluations of ecosystem services in East Africa. • Identified spatial dominance of carbon-related services, with varied local relevance. • Highlighted the high value placed on local aquatic ecosystem services by stakeholders. • Emphasised the need to integrate spatial data and local values for effective conservation planning. The wellbeing and livelihoods of local communities are threatened by global changes that affect ecosystem services. This study addresses the gap in comprehensive ecosystem services assessment and uses the Co$tingNature mapping tool and stakeholder’s perceptions to examine the spatial distribution of ecosystem service magnitudes and perceived local value in the Upper White Nile basin in East Africa, an area facing significant resource pressures. The analysis reveals a heterogeneous distribution of ecosystem services, with a notable concentration of ecosystem service delivery in the western regions of the basin in Uganda. The Co$tingNature assessment emphasises the widespread spatial distribution of carbon storage and sequestration and agriculture related services, while stakeholders highly value more localised services such as water provision and artisanal fisheries. Using both methods proves crucial, as Co$tingNature offers cost-effective whole-area spatial assessments, whereas stakeholder perceptions provide insights into local concerns and values. This study underscores the importance of complementing global tools with local knowledge, as these tools may otherwise lack relevance in local policy spheres. By incorporating stakeholder perspectives into conservation planning, the study highlights the need to integrate aquatic and agriculture-related ecosystem services into local policies and conservation strategies in the Upper White Nile basin. Leveraging tools like Co$tingNature alongside stakeholder perspectives enhances our understanding of ecosystem dynamics and facilitates more effective environmental management strategies in the region. This combined approach offers a practical framework for ecosystem service assessments that can both contextualise and mobilise conservation efforts, bridging the gap between locally valued services and those with global significance.
Developing meaningful water-energy-food-environment (WEFE) nexus indicators with stakeholders: An Upper White Nile case study
(Elsevier BV, 2024) Annika Schlemm; Mark Mulligan; Ting Tang; Afnan Agramont; Jean Nepomuscene Namugize; Enos Malambala; Ann van Griensven
Exploring global remote sensing products for water quality assessment: Lake Nicaragua case study
(Elsevier BV, 2024) Analy Baltodano; Afnan Agramont; Katoria Lesaalon Lekarkar; Evangelos Spyrakos; I. Reusen; Ann van Griensven
This study explores the applicability of 13 globally-derived Chlorophyll-a (CHL) products from optical satellite remote sensing to support local water quality management in Lake Nicaragua. The temporal and spatial consistency between the products was analyzed, as well as their agreement with in-situ data collected from 2011 to 2016. The Climate Change Initiative (CCI) CHL product was identified as the most stable and reliable, suggesting its suitability for monitoring Lake Nicaragua. However, the correlation of this product with in-situ measurements was weak, attributed to the sparse and inconsistent nature of the available in-situ water quality data. The hotspots analysis identified critical areas around urban and agricultural zones with high CHL concentrations, providing valuable insights for targeted management interventions. This study emphasizes the need for improved global to local remote sensing strategies, including the selection of the appropriate algorithms for the region, continuous calibration and validation with in-situ data, and the development of a robust, publicly accessible local water quality database that includes both in-situ and remote sensing data, to support effective monitoring for local water management.
Exploring Trends and Variability of Water Quality over Lake Titicaca Using Global Remote Sensing Products
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2024) Vann Harvey Maligaya; Analy Baltodano; Afnan Agramont; Ann van Griensven
Understanding the current water quality dynamics is necessary to ensure that ecological and sociocultural services are provided to the population and the natural environment. Water quality monitoring of lakes is usually performed with in situ measurements; however, these are costly, time consuming, laborious, and can have limited spatial coverage. Nowadays, remote sensing offers an alternative source of data to be used in water quality monitoring; by applying appropriate algorithms to satellite imagery, it is possible to retrieve water quality parameters. The use of global remote sensing water quality products increased in the last decade, and there are a multitude of products available from various databases. However, in Latin America, studies on the inter-comparison of the applicability of these products for water quality monitoring is rather scarce. Therefore, in this study, global remote sensing products estimating various water quality parameters were explored on Lake Titicaca and compared with each other and sources of data. Two products, the Copernicus Global Land Service (CGLS) and the European Space Agency Lakes Climate Change Initiative (ESA-CCI), were evaluated through a comparison with in situ measurements and with each other for analysis of the spatiotemporal variability of lake surface water temperature (LSWT), turbidity, and chlorophyll-a. The results of this study showed that the two products had limited accuracy when compared to in situ data; however, remarkable performance was observed in terms of exhibiting spatiotemporal variability of the WQ parameters. The ESA-CCI LSWT product performed better than the CGLS product in estimating LSWT, while the two products were on par with each other in terms of demonstrating the spatiotemporal patterns of the WQ parameters. Overall, these two global remote sensing water quality products can be used to monitor Lake Titicaca, currently with limited accuracy, but they can be improved with precise pixel identification, accurate optical water type definition, and better algorithms for atmospheric correction and retrieval. This highlights the need for the improvement of global WQ products to fit local conditions and make the products more useful for decision-making at the appropriate scale.
Framing Water Policies: A Transdisciplinary Study of Collaborative Governance; the Katari River Basin (Bolivia)
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022) Afnan Agramont; Guadalupe Peres-Cajías; Leonardo Villafuerte Philippsborn; Nora Van Cauwenbergh; Marc Craps; Ann van Griensven
Collaborative water governance deals with diverse actors under participatory systems of decision making. This form of water governance involves stakeholders with fundamentally different values and premises about water resources, as well as different understandings of the problem and how to approach it. Thus, one of the major challenges of collaborative water governance relies on the diversity of frames carried by stakeholders involved and the shift from hierarchical decision-making to a more collaborative and participative process. The fragmentation of frames can represent an obstacle, impede mutual understanding, and negatively influence decision making and policy outcomes. Based on participative observation, interviews, and document analysis, we explored the drivers behind the framing process in the multi-actor platform of the Katari River Basin, located in Bolivia. The results highlight a participatory process design favoring the fragmentation of frames and a unidirectional decision-making process, where public authority, scientific–technical expertise, and the local community’s knowledge are insulated, and communication among actors is asymmetrical. At the same time, this research reveals the influence of the political context in the framing process.
Indigenous community-based approaches to environmental justice through citizen science
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2026) Afnan Agramont; Analy Baltodano; Mohammad Gharesifard; Leonardo Villafuerte Philippsborn; Liliana Lizarazo‐Rodríguez; Stuart Warner; Ann van Griensven
Integrating ecosystem services into the water-energy-food-environment (WEFE) nexus for informed conservation strategies and planning in the Upper White Nile basin
(Elsevier BV, 2025) Annika Schlemm; Mark Mulligan; Afnan Agramont; Charles Brown; Jean Nepomuscene Namugize; Ann van Griensven
Land Cover Change and Water Quality: How Remote Sensing Can Help Understand Driver–Impact Relations in the Lake Titicaca Basin
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022) Analy Baltodano; Afnan Agramont; I. Reusen; Ann van Griensven
The increase of human interventions and developments are modifying the land use/land cover (LULC) of the global landscape, thus severely affecting the water quality of rivers and lakes. Appropriate management and effective policy developments are required to deal with the problems of surface water contamination around the globe. However, spatiotemporal variations of water quality and its complex relation with land cover (LC) changes, challenge adequate water resources management. In this study, we explored the use of remote sensing to relate LC change in the Katari River Basin (KRB) located in the Bolivian Andes and water quality on the shores of Lake Titicaca, in order to support water management. An unsupervised classification of Landsat 7 satellite images and trajectory analysis was applied to understand the modifications of LC through time. In addition, water-quality indicators at the outlet of the basin were retrieved from remote-sensing images and its temporal behavior was analyzed. The results show that the expansion of urban areas is the predominant environmental driver in the KRB, which has great impact on the water quality of Lake Titicaca. We conclude that there is a strong link between the rapid growth of urban and industrial areas with the detriment of river and lake water quality. This case study shows how remote sensing can help understand driver–impact relations.