2021/02/26     Dresden, Germany

A truly integrated management of environmental resources calls for a study of not only the individual components of the Resource Nexus but also the interlinkages between them. From water resources to soil and energy, researchers at UNU-FLORES engage in a number of topics around environmental management. In further advancing the nexus mindset, we also consider the governance as well as the systems perspective. To get an idea of what our researchers have been busy with, here are our recent publications:

Climate Change Impact Assessment on the Hydrology of a Large River Basin in Ethiopia Using a Local-Scale Climate Modelling Approach
Science of The Total Environment
Solomon H. Gebrechorkos, Christian Bernhofer, Stephan Hülsmann

Adaptation measures at the local scale require high-quality climate information with higher resolution. Using Global Climate Models, this analysis develops a location-based climate projection, equivalent to future station data. Although no significant trend in precipitation is found, streamflow of the study area in Ethiopia during March–May and June–September is projected to increase throughout the 21^st century by an average of more than 1.1 and 24 per cent, respectively.

From Dichotomy to an Integrated Approach: Cities’ Benefits of Integrating Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Sustainability 
Jo-Ting Huang-Lachmann, Edeltraud Guenther

The climate policy of cities is ambiguous when it comes to mitigation efforts in the face of an increasing number of weather extremes. This manuscript analyses whether cities could integrate their actions in climate change mitigation and adaptation in their planning. The results indicate that these actions are interlinked and that there are benefits for an integrated climate change policy. A list of entry points for how cities overcome the dichotomy are also identified.

Optimising Nutrient Cycles to Improve Food Security in Smallholder Farming Families—A Case Study from Banana-Coffee-Based Farming in the Kagera Region, NW Tanzania
Sustainability
Anika Reetsch, Kai Schwärzel, Christina Dornack, Shadrack Stephene, Karl-Heinz Feger

This article aims to analyse and optimise nutrient flows and stocks in the homegardens of smallholder banana-coffee-based farming systems in the Kagera region of Northwest Tanzania. It uses data from a survey among 150 households and 22 trainers who work at a local farmer field school. The study assumes that the nutrient balance would turn positive if smallholder farmers were to integrate further improved sustainable land management training and optimised nutrient management.

Organizational Resilience: A Valuable Construct for Management Research?
International Journal of Management Reviews
Julia Hillmann, Edeltraud Guenther

Despite growing empirical research on resilience in the organisational and business context, its measurement remains unclear. This paper presents a systematic review that covers both conceptual and operational issues. It aims to point out areas for future researchers to address, including conceptual clarity and to develop a clearer, more parsimonious concept, suggesting a potential future measurement system.

Stakeholders and Socially Responsible Supply Chain Management: The Moderating Role of Internationalization
Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal
Matthias Damert, Lisa Koep, Edeltraud Guenther, Jonathan Morris

This study examines how the implementation of socially responsible supply chain management practices are influenced by a company’s level of internationalisation and by the pressure from stakeholders located in the company’s country of origin. Companies that are more internationalised tend to adopt a greater number of these practices.

Survey of 150 Smallholder Farm Households in Banana-Coffee-Based Farming Systems Containing Data on Farm Households, Agricultural Production and Use of Farm Waste
Pangaea
Anika Reetsch, Kai Schwärzel, Gerald Kapp, Christina Dornack, Juma Masisi, Leinalida Alichard, Harriet Robert, Godson Byamungu, Shadrack Stephene, Karl-Heinz Feger

This data set describes a survey among 150 smallholder farming households from the districts of Karagwe and Kyerwa, Tanzania between September and November 2017. The survey seeks to identify current uses of farm waste and relate them to agricultural production. All farms were affected by the degradation of vegetation and soil resources and reported a decline in productivity of their soils since they started farming, while none of them applied mineral fertiliser.

What Effects Does Material Flow Cost Accounting Have for Companies?: Evidence from a Case Studies Analysis
Journal of Industrial Ecology
Matthias Walz, Edeltraud Guenther

This article analyses 73 case studies on the use of Material Flow Cost Accounting in companies, determining the effects and drawbacks experienced by these companies when implementing and applying the concept. Whilst most of the case studies describe positive effects, the limited availability of data calls for a cautious consideration of the effects identified. Nonetheless, this research may be helpful in deciding whether to use the concept in practice.

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