Possible contributions from Bioforsk in the Sino-Norwegian

environment and climate change research cooperation

s

Øistein VetheHead of Research – Soil and environment DivisionBioforsk - Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and

Environmental Research

BioforskNorwegian Institute for Agricultural and

Environmental Research

Key areas of research

• Multifunctional and sustainable agriculture, and rural development

• Plant science, plant protection and bio-technology

• Environmental protection and natural resources management

Organisation• Governmental institute• Total staff of about 500 • Annual turnover about

EUR 50 mill

Important fields of research activity linked to environmental protection issues

• Sustainable land use and agricultural practices - for long-term food security and protection of the environment

• Watershed management - Integrated land and water resources management to prevent the degradation of water resources and soils.

• Food safety and plant health – to provide consumers with safe products.

• Integrated Pest Management – to enhance food quality and reduce the environmental risks of pesticides.

• Wastes, wastewater and sanitation –recycling of valuable resources and preventing the degradation of waters and soil.

• Toxic substances and eco-system effects – characterisation and risk assessment for efficient management and subsequent remediation measures

• Climate changes – processes, impacts and adaptations

• Environmental Monitoring; strategies and system design, technology and solutions for a wide range for variables and indicators

Some contacts and cooperation in China

• Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES, i CAS)– Ecotoxicology, agrochemical pollution and toxic

compounds in soils• National Key Monitoring Station for pesticide

residues, Ministry of S&T Ministry, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS), Changchun, China– Pesticide residues and pollutions in surface water,

groundwater and agricultural lands caused by those compounds. Monitoring the movement of pollutants.

Some contacts and cooperation in China

• Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute (YSFRI), Qingdao– Seaweed culture and related problems

• Yellow River Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)– Water pollutions and eutrophication

• Chongqing Academy of Environmental Science– Non-point pollution from agricultural areas (BILAT)– Hydrology for N2O losses in subtropical forest in SW-

China (NORKLIMA)• Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute (LOFRI),

Dalian (from october 2009-)– Water pollution by toxic chemicals, seafood safety in

Chinese aquaculture, possible health problems as consequences of aquaculture pollution

Agriculture, land use and climate change- Food security and livelihoods- Strategies and adjusting practices- Challenges and problems – but also

opportunities

Our research focuses on• GHG measurements• C fluxes and sequestration• Impacts• Adaptations• Mitigations

Measurements- Fluxes CO2,methane

Ecosystem CO2and CH4 flux measurementsPossible link to ICOS

Agricultural Meteorological Service monitoring stations

Cooperation Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterNorwegian Institute for Air Research –NILU, Andøya Rocket Range..

ICOS- International Carbon Observation systems. (ESFRI candidate project)Document emissions from ecosystems.

International funding possible from 2013

European Science Foundation Network: 2008-2012: MOLTER: Natural molecular structures as drivers and tracers of terrestrial C fluxes

Molecular composition and turnover of soil organic matter.

Plant molecular structures as drivers for C stabilization in soils.

Fire transformations of plant and soil molecular structures

www.molter.no

Biochar – a sustainable C sequestration measure?

BiomassPyrolyse

Ca 50 % oil

Ca 50 %biochar

Can replacefossil CCan be storedin soil >1000 år

Naturaldegradation All

decomposed after 100 yr

High C-content- aromatic content

Man madeTermic degradation of biomass

under restricted O2 - (T <700oC).

Natural occurringA result of forest fires

Up to 9% C from biochar.Huge storage capasity-available input

Our international projects on waterSome important issues: • Integrated water resources

management, IWRM • Trans boundary waters, • Impacts of climate change and land use

Running waters and groundwater (and dependent ecosystems),

• Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive

Integrated land and water resources management

Water qualityWater quantity Land-Water interactions

• Cross sectorial and multi-disciplinary

• Dialogue and Integration between economic sectors and the environment sector

• EU Water Framework Directive

Some deliverables• Action programs• River Basin Management

plans• Guidelines• Policy support

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)

Strategy and methodology for improved IWRM - An integrated interdisciplinary assessment in four twinning river basins (STRIVER)

• Funded by EU FP6• One out of 8 ’twinning’ river

basin projects• Should contribute to EUWI,

MDG and the Johannesburg sustainability Summit declaration

• Coordinated jointly by NIVA and Bioforsk (Norway)

• 2006 - 2009

Some overall STRIVER reflections

• A ’small’ research-based project like STRIVER can act as ’independent’facilitator /’start enginge’ /meeting arena for cooperation around IWRM and science-stakeholder an policy interactions

• River basin managers need help with the public and stakeholder participation process

• Transboundary cooperation problems seems also to be a major obstacle for succesful IWRM

• Environmental data /natural science ‘fact and figures’ is a prerequisite but rarely used in the decision-making process unless it is connected to the economic and social situation

…more on www.striver.no

Some International project examples:

Climate change and effects in Asia (water bodies -> stakeholders)• ClimaRice: Climate change and Persistent

Droughts: Impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in rice-growing sub divisions in India http://agmet.tnau.ac.in/climarice

• ClimaWater – Climate Change Impacts on River Basins in Semi-arid Areas in India:Mitigation and Adaptation Measures to Address Current and Future Challenges http://web.iitd.ac.in/~akgosain/CLIMAWATER

• AquaClimate - Strengthening Adaptive Capacities to the Impacts of Climate Change in Resource-poor Small-scale Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Dependent Sector in the South and South East Asian Region http://www.enaca.org/modules/inlandprojects/index.php?content_id=10

Groundwater• The GENESIS Project (2009-2014) is Europe’s largest project

on groundwater research with partners from 17 countries. The project is closely linked to the challenges of implementing the EU Water Framework Directive, and looks at groundwater and dependent ecosystems, in particular the impacts of climate and land use changes. For more information, contact bjorn.klove@bioforsk.no or see www.genesis.no.

Toxic substances in soil, soil water and wastes - eco-system effects

• Sources • Transport in soil and

water • Bioavailability • Toxicity - ecotoxicology• Transformation• Remediation

Some deliverables • Characterisation and risk

assessment for efficient management and subsequent remediation measures

• Basis for development of soil quality criteria

Soil ecotoxicology

• Acute and chronic toxicity tests on three trophical levels (microorganisms, plants, invertebrates)

• Multi-generation tests with soil invertebrates: – Effects studies where several generations of an

organism are subsequently exposed to a chemical

• Effects of chemical mixtures on soil organisms– Bioassay directed fractionation for identification of

key contaminants in complex mixtures– Effects of mixtures in single species tests, multi-

species systems and field studies

Bioavailability – new approaches in exposure assessment in soils

Use of partition based passive samplers (e.g. SPME) to measure freely dissolved concentrationsAssessment of bioaccessibilityusing Cyclodextrin or TenaxAccumulation tests using soil invertebrates and plants (Investigation of toxicokinetics)

Soil/Soil/sedimentsediment PorewaterPorewater

Ingestion

Desorption

Sorption

Passiv

e upta

ke

Depura

tion

Egestion

Availability of chemicals to soil organisms is influenced by twoprocesses:•physical-chemical driven desorption process•physiologically driven uptake process

Fate of environmental contaminants from polluted sites

• Lysimeter studies to assess contaminant transport and degradation

• Field studies coupling advanced geochemical and geophysical techniques

• Modelling fate of persistent and non-persistent chemicals in the unsaturated and groundwater zone– by connecting hydrological and

geochemical models (e.g. SUTRA, Chomsol)

hhttp://www.bioforsk.no/soilcam

Environmental fate and ecotoxicity of manufactured nanoparticles

Nanotechnology is the fastest growing area of R&D

Nanoparticles (<100 nm) like nanotubes, fullerenes, metals, and oxides have numerous potential applications in medicine, construction, electronics, optics, energy, transport, packaging, leisure and household products, etc.

Toxicity has been demonstrated for some nanoparticles

Authorities demand risk assessments and background data for legislation

Bioforsk studies mobility, uptake and ecotoxicity of some key nanoparticles

Bioforsk coordinate or participate in both national and international research on fate and toxicity of nanoparticles

Waste resources and their potentials

Recycling and utilisation -Environmental impacts• Soil amendments and soil

improvements• Plant nutrition• Bio-energy• Climate effects of different

treatment and use• Risk assessments

Some deliverables• Guidelines on waste

treatment and utilisation

• Product development and commercialisation

• Technical design and potentials – biogas production processes

Recycling organic waste – Effects on soil quality, plant nutrient supply and environmental impact

Sustainable and environmentally safe use of organic wastes as fertilizers and soil amendments in agriculture and landscaping

.Key issues• P availability for plant growth; wastes as a P

source• Improve/increase the reuse of P by different

treatments• turnover of organic C and N in soil affected by

recycling of organic wastes • influence on soil erosion control, leaching and

loss of plant nutrients and pollutants to water bodies

• resource assessment, criteria for optimal use of organic waste products in agriculture and landscaping. Recycling of P in order to:

- Reduce the pressure on the earth´sP resources- Reduce P loads into surface waters

Integrating anaerobic digestion in agriculture - recycling of energy and nutrients

Optimize biogas production at farm level– Digestate from food waste as a fertilizer, – Nutrient balance when using digestates as fertilizer– Societal framework conditions for establishing local biogas

plants– Logistical, economical and juridical conditions enabling the

agriculture sector to handle food waste and digestate from othersectors.

– Climate effects of treatment and utilisation

Potential areas of future cooperation- summing up

• Hydrology, soil water and groundwater modelling, quantity and quality

• Integrated water resource management (IWRM)• Toxic pollutants and pesticides in soil – ecotoxicology• Soil C and climate change• Recycling and utilisation of nutrient and energy

resources in waste

Environment

Food Agriculture

Thank you for your attention!