Biodiversité, Ingénierie écologique

eroding, Climat, Risk, Hydrology, _

Anthropogenic pressure, contaminants and water resource in the Andean Altiplano (Bolivia): towards resilience strategies Water resources in the Andean Altiplano are being degraded in both quantity and quality by anthropogenic pressure and global change. Based on multidisciplinary projects co-constructed between scientists from Bolivia (UMSA) and from the IRD, the LMI ALTIPLANO will strengthen and develop research actions to understand the links between “Humans, Environment and Resources”. The research will focus on the study of anthropogenic (mining, agriculture and urban) practices and their impacts on access and quality of water resources and associated elemental contaminant issues. The development of surveillance and alert systems (remote and in situ sensing, biomonitoring), and mitigation or remediation strategies geoengineering, regulation, etc.) in association with local communities (participative science) will allow the development of resilience strategies for the sustainable management of Andean socio-ecosystems. The LMI will facilitate the involvement and training of early career Bolivian scientists on complex nexus subjects (Water resources, Mines, Environment, and health and socio-environment), respecting the objectives of parity.

Mines

Since 2018, The International Joint Laboratory BIO_INCA has gathered the expertise of dozens of colombian, Ecuadorian and French researchers to promote the emergence of an operational research and capacity building platform, specialized in integrative studies, from genomes to ecosystem services, of the natural and cultivated ecosystems of the Tropical Andes (see BIO_INCA report 2018-2022). Building on extensive interdisciplinary collaborations that have emerged over the last years, our team proposes to conduct a second phase of the LMI (2023-2027) during which our diverse array of research expertises, capacity building and transfer activities will converge on three model systems: the paramos (high altitude andean grasslands), forests (in particular palm socioecosystems and Yasuní), and crops (in particular the management of diseases, pests and pollinators and valuation of agrobiodiversity). To develop a scientific project in line with sustainability stakes of paramount importance in the three institutions the LMI will particularly support : 1) Problemcentered research projects that find their source in a confrontation with real-world issues (rather than in the dynamics of the scientific disciplines it mobilizes), and that allows a global understanding of the major development challenges. 2) Activities favoring interdisciplinarity (and inclusion of local communities), which is justified because the major issues of our society call for a both environmental and social viewpoints. 3) Activities favoring a multistakeholder co-construction, involving research actors and a wide range of actors in order to bring out issues related to the needs of society. Overall, the vision of the LMI BIO_INCA is to have built after 5 years, a research-based plateform on integrative sustainability research in socio-ecosystems of the tropical Andes, which supports a science that is the expression of both the creative independance of researchers and their responsibility with regard to societal issues.

Biodiversité, Climate change, Sustainable food systems

Great Green Wall, Innovations rurales, Performances agroécologiques

The East African Rift presents complex environmental and human dynamics, especially in the western province of Rwanda where four systems interact: I) The Nyiragongo volcano, and its hazards, including surface lava flows towards the populated towns of Goma (DRC) and Gisenyi (Rwanda), the subsurface propagation of magma from the volcanic edifice to beneath Lake Kivu and the continuous emission of ash plumes from the crater lake, II) The Lake Kivu in the context of a potential so-called CO2-CH4-gas-driven limnic eruption and its CH4 reservoir exploitation, III) The volcanic soils (andisols) and the soil-borne diseases such as endemic podoconiosis, and IV) The communities depending on agriculture and fishing while facing health and environmental issues. These four systems and their interactions are poorly known. Studying these relationships in an integrated approach in order to fill the knowledge gap on the sustainability of Western Rwanda, thus targeting SDGs 3, 4, 11 and 1, is the ultimate goal. E-DOORS will use complementing approaches to pursue five objectives: 1) Assess the volcanic hazard through physical modelling of lateral magmatic intrusions, volcanic ash or gas transport and dispersion and related deposits constrained by climate models and remote sensing data, 2) Assess the likelihood of gas-driven plumes in Lake Kivu and predict their potential impacts under given climatic scenarios via physical modelling, 3) Identify links between volcanic activity, land use, soil properties and human health issues (such as Podoconiosis) through the mineralogical, chemical, soil biodiversity characterization of the andisols, and remote sensing, 4) Characterize the interconnections between health and environment in Western Rwanda through health/environment epidemiological studies, and 5) Integrate all these factors to produce a relationship diagram that promotes understanding of the interrelationships that underpin the dynamics of Western Rwanda. In doing so, E-DOORs will bring a framework to understand the synergies among the different systems of Western Rwanda and ultimately provide scientific advances and specific outcomes of service to the Rwandan governmental agencies responsible for the environment (Ministry of Environment), health (Ministry of Health) and emergency management (MINEMA). In practice, E-DOORs will embody and strengthen the research collaboration initiated in 2022 through the NYKSIHU project between the two institutes of the University of Rwanda (ICTP-EAIFR, CoEB) and IRD/ISTerre while linking with new local partners such as the School of Architecture and Built Environment (UR), Ruhengeri Institute of Applied Sciences (INES), Rwanda Meteo, the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA), the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), Mugonero Hospital and the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA). Moreover, E-DOORs will include international collaborations with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV, Italy), the University of Bari (Italy), the University of Antwerp, and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM, France). EDOORs will ultimately be a key component in the building of a sustainable international educational platform allowing student exchanges (Master and PhD), French academic contributions to the University of Rwanda curricula, reinforcement of postgraduate training, and joint organization of workshops and conferences.

Soil Science, Physical Volcanology

Justice socio-spatiale et environnementale, Foncier, évictions et dépossessions foncières

In North Africa, particularly in Tunisia, the growing population and shifting consumption patterns have led to excessive use of agricultural chemical inputs and environmental degradation on one hand, and to the increase of solid waste production, on the other hand. To address this, sustainable agricultural practices are crucial, especially given the looming threat of climate change, illustrated by long drought periods in the last two years. To mitigate the effects of climate change, several levers can be proposed. In this project, we propose to evaluate the use of biochar. Indeed, biochar, derived from organic waste carbonization, has emerged as a sustainable solution to improve soil quality, remediate soil pollution, and mitigate waste-associated emissions. Tunisia, being a significant producer of olive oil and dates, has ample agricultural and agro-industrial waste suitable for biochar production, offering a promising avenue for waste management and soil quality improvement. Soil degradation in Tunisia's arid and semi-arid regions presents a significant challenge, exacerbated by human activities and agricultural practices. Biochar holds promise in restoring soil fertility, enhancing water and nutrient retention, and mitigating nutrient leaching. However, to optimize biochar application, it is essential to understand its properties and how they interact with soil dynamics and contaminants. This includes studying its impact on soil microbiology, physical properties, and plant growth, especially in saline and sloping soils prevalent in Tunisia. The aim of this project is therefore to set up a multidisciplinary team of young researchers studying the evaluation of the possibilities of using biochar made from different types of local agricultural residues, to optimize various contaminants retention while improving agronomic and environmental qualities, taking into account the specific constraints of the southern Mediterranean in local agriculture practices and the management of agricultural residues within the framework of a circular economy. The project proposes six complementary tasks: (i) biochar production and physicochemical characterization, (ii) assessment of its impact on soil microbiology, (iii) evaluation of soil physical properties post-biochar application, (iv) examining its effect on local plant growth, (v) impact of biochar on some contaminants removal, (vi) assessing its agronomic performance in saline and sloping soils. Furthermore, capacity building through collective and specific training for researchers and students will be prioritized, ensuring knowledge dissemination and skill development in ecological engineering. Through rigorous research and knowledge sharing and through workshops and seminars organized by senior IRD researchers and several partners involved in the project, the project aims to foster sustainable agricultural practices and enhance soil quality in Tunisia.

Biochar, water use efficiency

Brazilian landscapes have undergone centuries of unwise use of biodiversity, water and other natural resources, causing severe environmental degradation and widespread social impacts across the country. Environmental degradation of most Brazilian landscapes has been aggravated by the ongoing expansion of agro-industry, livestock and mining with serious repercussions on the functioning of ecosystems. First, anthropogenic biodiversity loss due to the extinction of species and their ecological interactions threaten key ecosystem services, such as pollination, seed dispersal and nutrient cycling. Second soil degradation, including compaction, laterization, nutrient depletion and loss of organic matter imposes severe socioeconomic impacts on agriculture and inc and and reduction the availability and quality of water resources accentuated, for example, by the proliferation of hydroelectric dams, agricultural reservoirs, and the effects of deforestation on water security. Third, from a social standpoint, the anthropogenic degradation of landscapes and natural resources has a significant impact on indigenous peoples and small farmers whose ways of life are intimately linked to biologically diversified and functional ecosystems. This is particularly noticeable in the Nordeste region, which includes the most deprived semi-arid region of Brazil and highly threatened remains of the Atlantic Forest (the Pernambuco Endemism Center), where the development of the agricultural and energy sectors combined with climate change pose serious threats to biodiversity, water resources, and the wellbeing of populations. The impacts of climate changes and human activities on biodiversity, soils and water resources are numerous, complex, and distributed differently according to temporal and spatial scales. It remains very challenging to understand, assess and predict the interplay between eco-evolutionary and socioeconomic processes that shape the socio-ecological coviability of these territories, i.e., the multiple ways by which the functional and persistent interaction between humans and non-humans is viable (Barrière et al., 2019a). Understanding socio-ecological coviability from an interdisciplinary perspective and considering specific regulations and constraints is however crucial for the efficient governance of the territories with coviability strategies that effectively reconcile nature, societies, and economies.

Agroécologie, Artificial Intelligence