Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Unraveling the water and land nexus through inter- and transdisciplinary research: sustainable land management in a semi-arid watershed in Brazil’s Northeast

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Regional Environmental Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

For decades, large reservoirs have been built for hydropower plants in Brazil’s São Francisco River Basin. Rural development has been a simultaneous goal with a primary focus on irrigation. Irrigated agriculture, however, has suffered from poor soils, insufficient water management strategies, and a disregard for integrating grazing-based smallholdings outside of the irrigation schemes. Recurrent droughts are distressing all sectors. This synthesis assessed sustainable land management options by investigating the aquatic and terrestrial land use systems alongside their underlying ecosystem functions and services. Decisions about the allocation of scarce water proved to be both the major issue of land use discourses and driver of practices. The primarily hydroelectricity-focused water management practice cannot be maintained at the same level in the long run, as it has become ever more adverse towards competing water usages. The increasing use of the water and adjacent land also constitutes a major potential threat to water quality. Managed water level fluctuations should generally mimic natural patterns. Wind and solar power generation are suitable complements to agricultural land use. Cycling scarce nutrients between aquatic and terrestrial sectors is ambitious but promising, ultimately improving the generally poor soils in the area. Smart management of biodiversity can foster intensively-irrigated cropping, although the non-irrigated Caatinga ecosystem needs better management of its conflicting uses. Aims and responsibilities of multi-level planning and management require clarification and coordination between sectors, while practices of public participation should be revised in order to better support a comprehensive and transparent transition towards sustainability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers published by INNOVATE project members are marked with an asterisk (*), defining these as project results.

  • AGB Peixe Vivo, CBHSF (eds) (2011) Guardiões do Velho Chico. CBHSF–Comitê da Bacia Hidrográfica do São Francisco, 2001–2011. Companhia de Comunicação

  • Alcoforado de Moraes MMG, Ribeiro MR, Watkins DW, Viana JN, Figueiredo LN, Silva GS, Carneiro ACG (2016) Integrated economic models to support decisions on water pricing in biofuel production river basins: three case studies from Brazil. Biofuels Bioprod Biorefin 3:255–269. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1581 *

  • Araújo Filho JC, Gunkel G, Sobral MC, Kaupenjohann M, Lopes HL (2013) Soil attributes functionality and water eutrophication in the surrounding area of Itaparica Reservoir, Brazil. Rev Bras Eng Agric Ambient 17(9):1005–1013. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1415-43662013000900014 *

  • Assis JMO, Sobral MC, Souza WM (2012) Análise de detecção de variabilidades climáticas com base na precipitação nas bacias hidrográficas do Sertão de Pernambuco. Rev Bras Geogr Fis 3:630–645 *

  • Assis JMO, Souza WM, Sobral MC (2015) Análise climática da precipitação no Submédio da bacia do rio São Francisco a partir do índice de anomalia de chuva. Rev Bras Ciênc Ambie 36:115–127. https://doi.org/10.5327/Z2176-947820151011 *

  • Barbosa Neto MV, Araújo MSB, Araújo Filho JC (2015) Avaliação do uso da terra, degradação dos solos e análise multitemporal da cobertura vegetal no Semiárido Pernambucano. In: XXXV Congresso Brasileiro de Ciência do Solo: o solo e suas múltiplas funções, 2-7 August, 2015, Natal, pp 1–4 *

  • Batista AMV, Carvalho FFR, Marques CAT, Medeiros SJS, Almeida OC (2004) Avaliação do feno de Egeria densa na alimentação de carneiros. Rev Bras Zootecn 33(5):1309–1315. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-359820040005000024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beusch C, Kaupenjohann M (2015) Addition of biochar and clay increase the nutrient retention of a tropical arenosol. In: Tropentag 2015 (ed) Management of land use systems for enhanced food security: conflicts, controversies and resolutions. Tropentag, September 16-18, 2015 in Berlin, Germany *

  • Bosch OJH, King CA, Herbohn JL, Russell IW, Smith CS (2007) Getting the big picture in natural resource management—systems thinking as ‘method’ for scientists, policy makers and other stakeholders. Syst Res 24:217–232. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.818

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brasil (1997) Lei n° 9.433, de 8 de janeiro de 1997. [Water Act]. DOU de 9.1.1997 (Diário Oficial da União — Official Gazette of the Union), Brasília

  • Brasil (2012) Lei n° 12.651, de 25 de maio 2012. [Revised Forest Act]. DOU de 28.5.2012 (Diário Oficial da União — Official Gazette, Brasília

  • Brown KB (2011) Wind power in northeastern Brazil: local burdens, regional benefits and growing opposition. Clim Dev 3(4):344–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2011.628120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cernea MM (1991) Involuntary resettlement: social research, policy, and planning. In: Cernea MM (ed) Putting people first. Sociological variables in rural development, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York [etc.], pp 188–215

  • Cierjacks A, Pommeranz M, Schulz K, Almeida-Cortez JS (2016) Is crop yield related to weed species diversity and biomass in coconut and banana fields of northeastern Brazil? Agric Ecosyst Environ 220:175–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.01.006 *

  • Cirilo JA (2008) Políticas públicas de recursos hídricos para o semi-árido. Estud Av 22(63):61–82. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-40142008000200005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cosens B, Gunderson L, Allen C, Benson M (2014) Identifying legal, ecological and governance obstacles, and opportunities for adapting to climate change. Sustainability 6(4):2338–2356. https://doi.org/10.3390/su6042338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • da Costa von Gehlen, Reiber C, Valle Zárate A (2015) Farmers innovations in livestock production systems in Pernambuco, Brazil. In: Tropentag 2015 (ed) Management of land use systems for enhanced food security: conflicts, controversies and resolutions. Tropentag, September 16–18, 2015 in Berlin, Germany *

  • Fischer P, Venohr M (2017) Reducing the risks of P losses from soils. In: Siegmund-Schultze M (ed) Guidance Manual—A compilation of actor-relevant content extracted from scientific results of the INNOVATE project. Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, chapter 5.3, pp 97–101. https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-5732 *

  • Fischer P, Pöthig R, Gücker B, Venohr M (in press) Phosphorus saturation and superficial fertilizer application as key parameters to assess the risk of diffuse phosphorus losses from agricultural soils in Brazil. Sci Total Environ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.070

  • Fischer P, Pöthig R, Gücker B, Venohr M (submitted) The risk of P losses from agricultural soils in the São Francisco catchment, Brazil: degree of P saturation and superficial fertilizer application *

  • Förster J, Barkmann J, Fricke R, Hotes S, Kleyer M, Kobbe S, Kübler D, Rumbaur C, Siegmund-Schultze M, Seppelt R, Settele J, Spangenberg JH, Tekken V, Václavík T, Wittmer H (2015) Assessing ecosystem services for informing land-use decisions: a problem-oriented approach. Ecol Soc 20(3). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-07804-200331 *

  • Gottwald S (2015) The potential of a public participation GIS (PPGIS) based ecosystem services assessment—a case study in Petrolândia, Brazil. Master Thesis-Environmental Assessment and Planning Research Group, TU Berlin, Berlin Institute of Technology (Technische Universität Berlin) *

  • Gröner F, Höhne C, Kleiner W, Kloas W (2017) Chronic diclofenac exposure affects gill integrity and pituitary gene expression and displays estrogenic activity in nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Chemosphere 166:473–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.09.116 *

  • Gunkel G, Lima D, Selge F, Sobral MC, Calado SCS (2015) Aquatic ecosystem services of reservoirs in semi-arid areas: sustainability and reservoir management. In: Brebbia CA (ed) WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, pp 187–200 *

  • Gunkel G, Selge F, Keitel J, Lima D, Calado SCS, Sobral MC, Casé M, Matta E, Hinkelmann R, Casper P, Hupfer M (accepted with revisions) The aquatic ecosystem services of a tropical reservoir (Itaparica, São Francisco, Brazil): impacts, vulnerability, and reservoir management tools. Reg Environ Change *

  • Hagel H, Hoffmann C, Doluschitz R (2014) Mathematical programming models to increase land and water use efficiency in semi-arid NE-Brazil. Int J Food Syst Dyn 5(4):173–181 *

  • Hattermann FF, Koch H, Liersch S, Silva ALC, Azevedo JRG, Selge F, Nogueira da Silva GM, Matta E, Hinkelmann R, Fischer P, Venohr M (submitted) Climate and land use change impacts on the water-energy-food nexus in the semi-arid Northeast of Brazil—scenario analysis and adaptation options. Reg Environ Change *

  • Hirsch Hadorn G, Bradley D, Pohl C, Rist S, Wiesmann U (2006) Implications of transdisciplinarity for sustainability research. Ecol Econ 60(1):119–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.12.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IBGE–Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (2009) Censo agropecuário 2006 – Brasil, Grandes Regiões e Unidades da Federação. IBGE, Rio de Janeiro

    Google Scholar 

  • IBGE–Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (2017) Informações sobre os municípios brasileiros. https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/. Accessed 5 November 2017

  • Jahn T, Bergmann M, Keil F (2012) Transdisciplinarity: between mainstreaming and marginalization. Ecol Econ 79:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.04.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keitel J, Zak D, Hupfer M (2016) Water level fluctuations in a tropical reservoir: the impact of sediment drying, aquatic macrophyte dieback, and oxygen availability on phosphorus mobilization. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 23:6883–6894 *

  • Koch H, Biewald A, Liersch S, Azevedo JRG, Silva GS, Kölling K, Fischer P, Koch R, Hattermann FF (2015) Scenarios of climate and land-use change, water demand and water availability for the São Francisco river basin. Rev Bras Ciênc Ambie 36:96–114. https://doi.org/10.5327/Z2176-947820151007 *

  • Koch H, Silva ALC, Azevedo JRG, Souza WM, Köppel J, Souza Júnior CB, Barros AML, Hattermann FF (accepted with revisions) Integrated hydro- and wind power generation: a game changer towards environmental flow in the Sub-Middle and Lower São Francisco river basin? Reg Environ Change *

  • Lima D, Gunkel G (2015) Controlling the growth of Egeria densa in Itaparica reservoir, Brazil. Session 4 semi-arid systems 2. In: 17th IWA International Conference on Diffuse Pollution and Eutrophication, 13–18 September, 2015, Berlin, Germany, pp 1–7 *

  • Maneta MP, Torres MO, Wallender W, Vosti S, Kirby M, Bassoi LH, Rodrigues L (2009) Water demand and flows in the São Francisco River Basin (Brazil) with increased irrigation. Agr Water Manage 96(8):1191–1200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2009.03.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marques EAT, Lima Filho GQ, Oliveira CR, Casé M, Calado SCS, Sobral MC (accepted with revisions) Evaluating the treatment of pisciculture wastewater in Itacuruba, in the Brazilian semiarid region. Reg Environ Change *

  • Marr S (2016) Be prepared: impact of plant phenolic content and herbal biodiversity on ‘whitefly’ infestation level in Cocos nucifera L. in Pernambuco. Master thesis, Universität Hamburg *

  • Matta E (2018) Multi-dimensional flow and transport modeling of a surface water body in a semi-arid area: the case of the Icó-Mandantes Bay, Northeast Brazil. PhD Thesis, Technische Universität Berlin *

  • Matta E, Selge F, Gunkel G, Rossiter K, Jourieh A, Hinkelmann R (2016) Simulations of nutrient emissions from a net cage aquaculture system in a Brazilian bay. Water Sci Technol 73(10):2430–2435. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2016.092 *

  • Mertens J, Almeida-Cortez JS, Germer J, Sauerborn J (2015) Umbuzeiro (Spondias tuberosa): A systematic review. Rev Bras Ciênc Ambie 36:179–197. https://doi.org/10.5327/Z2176-947820151004 *

  • Mertens J, Germer J, Araújo Filho JC, Sauerborn J (2016) Effect of biochar, clay substrate and manure application on water availability and tree-seedling performance in a sandy soil. Arch Agron Soil Sci:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2016.1249473 *

  • Mutoko MC, Shisanya CA, Hein L (2014) Fostering technological transition to sustainable land management through stakeholder collaboration in the western highlands of Kenya. Land Use Policy 41:110–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.05.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nesheim I, Reidsma P, Bezlepkina I, Verburg R, Abdeladhim MA, Bursztyn M, Chen L, Cissé Y, Feng S, Gicheru P, König HJ, Novira N, Purushothaman S, Rodrigues-Filho S, Sghaier M (2014) Causal chains, policy trade-offs and sustainability: Analysing land (mis) use in seven countries in the South. Land Use Policy 37:60–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.04.024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira IS, Freire EMX (2015) Conhecimento ecológico local sobre anfíbios anuros por agricultores em sistemas agrícolas de região semiárida brasileira. Rev Bras Ciênc Ambie 36:198–211. https://doi.org/10.5327/Z2176-947820151013 *

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira D, Almeida-Cortez JS, Mertens J, Germer J, Cierjacks A (2014) How does the historical land use influence the population dynamics of Spondias tuberosa Ar Câm. in the Caatinga. In: Siegmund-Schultze M, Gottwald S, Melo G (eds) INNOVATE Status Conference 2014 – III Seminário Internacional Brasil-Alemanha. Uso sustentável de água e do solo de reservatórios em regiões semiáridas. Recife-PE, Brazil, 14-15 Oct 2014. Proceedings – Anais, pp 67–70 *

  • Pereira SB, Pruski FF, Silva DD, Ramos MM (2009) Evaporação líquida no lago de Sobradinho e impactos no escoamento devido à construção do reservatório. Rev Bras Eng Agric Ambient 13(3):346–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pflugmacher S, Kühn S, Lee S, Choi J, Baik S, Kwon K, Contardo-Jara V (2015) Green liver systems® for water purification. Using the phytoremediation potential of aquatic macrophytes for the removal of different cyanobacterial toxins from water. AJPS 06(09):1607–1618. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2015.69161 *

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pittock J, Orr S, Stevens L, Aheeyar M, Smith M (2015) Tackling trade-offs in the nexus of water, energy and food. Aquat Procedia 5:58–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqpro.2015.10.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pöthig R, Behrendt H, Opitz D, Furrer G (2010) A universal method to assess the potential of phosphorus loss from soil to aquatic ecosystems. Environ Sci Pollut Res 17:497–504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-009-0230-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasul G, Sharma B (2015) The nexus approach to water–energy–food security An option for adaptation to climate change. Clim Policy 16:1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2015.1029865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodorff V, Araújo G, Gomes ETA, Köppel J, Siegmund-Schultze M, Sobral MC (2013a) Driving forces and barriers for a sustainable management of the Itaparica reservoir region—basic milestones towards a constellation analysis. In: Gunkel G, Silva J, Sobral MC (eds) Sustainable management of water and land in semiarid areas. Federal University of Pernambuco, Editora Universitária, Recife, pp 254–268 *

  • Rodorff V, Siegmund-Schultze M, Gottwald S, Meckel U, Sobral MC (2013b) Effektivität von Staudamm-„Follow-up“-Programmen – 25 Jahre nach dem Bau des Itaparica-Reservoirs in Nordost-Brasilien. UVP-report 27 (4+5):216–223 *

  • Rodorff V, Steinmetz L, Mertens J, Siegmund-Schultze M, Köppel J (accepted with revisions) Applying Bayesian networks to evaluate small-scale farmers’ perceptions of native reforestation practices in Brazil’s Caatinga biome. Reg Environ Change *

  • Rodorff V, Siegmund-Schultze M, Guschal M, Hölzl S, Köppel J (submitted) What makes governance fair in the implementation of sustainable land management? The scenario of biological pest control in Brazil’s Northeast. Reg Environ Change *

  • Rossiter K, Benachour M, Matta E, Morais MM, Calado SCS, Gunkel G (2015) Diagnóstico da qualidade da água ao longo de um canal de concreto: Um estudo de caso do Canal do Sertão Alagoana–Brasil. Rev Bras Ciênc Ambie 36:145–154. https://doi.org/10.5327/Z2176-947820151010 *

  • Salazar MR, Lant TK, Fiore SM, Salas E (2012) Facilitating innovation in diverse science teams through integrative capacity. Small Gr Res 43(5):527–558. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496412453622

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulz K, Voigt K, Beusch C, Almeida-Cortez JS, Kowarik I, Walz A, Cierjacks A (2016) Grazing deteriorates the soil carbon stocks of Caatinga forest ecosystems in Brazil. For Ecol Manag 367:62–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.02.011 *

  • Schulz C, Koch R, Cierjacks A, Kleinschmit B (2017) Land change and loss of landscape diversity at the Caatinga phytogeographical domain—analysis of pattern-process relationships with MODIS land cover products (2001–2012). J Arid Environ 136:54–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.10.004 *

  • Selge F (2016) Aquatic ecosystem functions and oligotrophication potential of the Itaparica reservoir, São Francisco river, in the semi-arid Northeast Brazil. PhD Thesis, Berlin Institute of Technology (Technische Universität Berlin) *

  • Selge F, Matta E, Hinkelmann R, Gunkel G (2016) Nutrient load concept—reservoir vs. bay impacts: a case study from a semi-arid watershed. Water Sci Technol 74(7):1671–1679. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2016.342 *

  • Sena LA, Ferreira P, Braga AC (2016) Social acceptance of wind and solar power in the Brazilian electricity system. Environ Dev Sustain 18(5):1457–1476. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9772-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegmund-Schultze M (ed) (2017) Guidance manual—a compilation of actor-relevant content extracted from scientific results of the INNOVATE project. Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin. ISBN 978–3–7983-2893-8 (print), ISBN 978–3–7983-2894-5 (online), doi: https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-5732 *

  • Siegmund-Schultze M, Köppel J, Sobral MC (2015a) Balancing ecosystem services and societal demands in a highly managed watershed: setup and progress of a comprehensive research project. Rev Bras Ciênc Ambie 36:3–18. https://doi.org/10.5327/Z2176-947820151001 *

  • Siegmund-Schultze M, Rodorff V, Köppel J, Sobral MC (2015b) Paternalism or participatory governance? Efforts and obstacles in implementing the Brazilian water policy in a large watershed. Land Use Policy 48:120–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.05.024 *

  • Siegmund-Schultze M, Sobral MC, Köppel J (in preparation) Follow-up ahead: large dam lessons in managing the water and land nexus (editorial) *

  • Siew TF, Aenis T, Spangenberg JH, Nauditt A, Döll P, Frank SK, Ribbe L, Rodriguez-Labajos B, Rumbaur C, Settele J, Wang J (2016) Transdisciplinary research in support of land and water management in China and Southeast Asia. Evaluation of four research projects. Sustain Sci 11(5):813–829. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-016-0378-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silva JLA, Araújo MSB, Sampaio EVSB, Ludke JV, Costa Primo D (2017) Management of sludge from fish ponds at the edge of the Itaparica Reservoir: an alternative to improve agricultural production. Reg Environ Change (online first) doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1181-x *

  • Sousa SC, Oliveira VPV, Stock de Oliveira Souza K, Silva JMF, Alcântara FRC (2015) Using geostatistics to evaluate the spatial variability of the environmental degradation level in Itacuruba (Pernambuco, Brazil). Rev Bras Ciênc Ambie 36:79–95. https://doi.org/10.5327/Z2176-947820151004 *

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Souza da Silva GN, Alcoforado de Moraes MMG, Silva ACS (2014) Delimitação das áreas irrigadas no trecho do Submédio do rio São Francisco. In: XII Simpósio de Recursos Hidrícos do Nordeste. 4–7 November 2014, Natal-RN, Brazil *

  • Stock de Oliveira Souza K, Reiber C, Siegmund-Schultze M, Valle Zárate A (2014) Resource use and resilience of goat production systems in Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. In: Tropentag 2014 (ed) Bridging the gap between increasing knowledge and decreasing resources. Tropentag, September 17–19, Prague, Czech Republic *

  • Tavares FM, Schulz K, Pereira RCA, Cierjacks A, Almeida-Cortez JS (2016) Floristic survey of the Caatinga in areas with different grazing intensities, Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. J Env Anal Prog 01(01):43–51 *

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torres MO, Maneta MP, Howitt R, Vosti SA, Wallender WW, Bassoi LH, Rodrigues LN (2012) Economic impacts of regional water scarcity in the São Francisco River Basin, Brazil: an application of a linked hydro-economic model. Envir Dev Econ 17(02):227–248. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355770X11000362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venohr M, Fischer P (2017) Managing nutrient emissions from urban systems and agriculture. In: Siegmund-Schultze M (ed) Guidance Manual—A compilation of actor-relevant content extracted from scientific results of the INNOVATE project. Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, chapter 5.2, pp 95–96. https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-5732 *

  • Vilvert E, Contardo-Jara V, Esterhuizen-Londt M, Pflugmacher S (2017) The effect of oxytetracycline on physiological and enzymatic defense responses in aquatic plant species Egeria densa, Azolla caroliniana, and Taxiphyllum barbieri. Toxicol Environ Chem 99(01):104–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/02772248.2016.1165817 *

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wamsler C, Luederitz C, Brink E (2014) Local levers for change. Mainstreaming ecosystem-based adaptation into municipal planning to foster sustainability transitions. Glob Environ Change 29:189–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.09.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zarfl C, Lumsdon AE, Berlekamp J, Tydecks L, Tockner K (2015) A global boom in hydropower dam construction. Aquat Sci 77(1):161–170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-014-0377-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhen G, Lu X, Kobayashi T, Li Y-Y, Xu K, Zhao Y (2015) Mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion of waste activated sludge and Egeria densa: performance assessment and kinetic analysis. Appl Energ 148:78–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.03.038

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The INNOVATE project (Interplay among multiple uses of water reservoirs via innovative coupling of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems) was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, grant number 01LL0904A), the Brazilian Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações (MCTIC, formerly MCTI), respectively National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, grant number 490003/2012-5), and the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). We would like to thank Elena Matta, Günter Gunkel, Jonas Keitel, Florian Selge, Arne Cierjacks, and Débora Lima who commented on earlier drafts of the manuscript, and further colleagues of the INNOVATE project for inspiring discussions on sustainable land and water management in Brazil. We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers and journal editors for their valuable comments and to Jonah Landor-Yamagata and Eva Ulfeldt for editing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Assessment and Planning Research Group, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Straße des 17. Juni 145, 10623, Berlin, Germany

    Marianna Siegmund-Schultze & Johann Köppel

  2. Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Av. Acadêmico Hélio Ramos s/n Cidade Universitária, Recife, 50740-530, Brazil

    Maria do Carmo Sobral

Authors
  1. Marianna Siegmund-Schultze
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Johann Köppel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Maria do Carmo Sobral
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marianna Siegmund-Schultze.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Siegmund-Schultze, M., Köppel, J. & Sobral, M. Unraveling the water and land nexus through inter- and transdisciplinary research: sustainable land management in a semi-arid watershed in Brazil’s Northeast. Reg Environ Change 18, 2005–2017 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1302-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1302-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation