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Effective water management requires reliable data on streamflow, but that hinges on the coverage provided by stream gauges. This study shows how current gauge networks fail to provide adequate coverage and explores how modified networks could support dam operation, biodiversity conservation and climate monitoring.
The booming production of silicon solar panels, a core technology in the energy transition, calls for proper end-of-life management. Here the authors propose a salt-etching approach that enables efficient recycling of critical materials from end-of-life silicon solar panels, without the use of toxic reagents.
Rapid urbanization affects both local food and ecological systems in Africa. This study integrates the effects of land-use displacement and dietary shifts associated with urbanization in scenarios of future food demand to understand the impact of future urbanization on the African environment.
Paired electrosynthesis is an efficient green process that minimizes resource and energy consumption as well as waste generation. The authors demonstrate an electrolysis system that pairs CO2 reduction to CO at the cathode with allyl alcohol oxidation to acrolein at the anode.
Ion exchange membranes play an essential role in a range of technologies critical to sustainability. Here the authors show a membrane design that features a favourable combination of good stability, high ionic conductivity and processability with demonstrated application in flow batteries.
Nanofiltration membranes play a crucial role in water purification, but it remains challenging to combine high water permeance and solute removal selectivity due to their inherent pore heterogeneity. Here the authors introduce a cinnamate-mediated polymerization method to resolve such a challenge, enabling energetically efficient water purification.
Indigenous peoples’ lands (IPLs) are important reservoirs of biodiversity; however, the extent to which these lands are affected by the growing number of biological invasions worldwide is still unknown. This study evaluates whether IPLs harbour fewer alien species compared with other lands globally.
Cities are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, but the potential of urban rivers to such emissions is not well understood. A study now quantifies the greenhouse gas concentrations, fluxes and emissions from urban rivers globally.
This study presents a film design that can maximize radiative cooling, transmit photosynthetically efficient light and reflect remaining sunlight in favour of photosynthsis and plant growth.
Agroforestry practices represent important natural climate solutions, in addition to providing a variety of socioecological benefits. This study evaluates spatiotemporal agroforestry patterns in India by tracking the fate of large farmland trees over the past decade.
Buildings account for a large proportion of the global energy consumption. Here the electrochromic smart window realizes year-round energy savings by managing visible, near-infrared and mid-infrared light.
Battery recycling is essential to the sustainability of electric vehicles. Here the authors show processes that could regenerate spent cathode materials for a second life in lithium-ion and post-lithium-ion batteries.
Industrial and agricultural activities, such as mining, smelting and farming practices, have led to widespread arsenic pollution in Chinese soils and may threaten the viability of future rice production. Ambitious mitigation measures beyond those already undertaken by the Chinese government are needed to reverse these increasing impacts.
The rapid expansion of low-carbon technologies in Brazil has multiple socio-economic impacts on rural populations by further fuelling competition for land and intensifying large-scale land deals. This study traces how global ownership of, and investment in, wind and solar photovoltaic installations has evolved over time, driving substantial privatization of public and common lands.
Stricter regulations on ship-induced air pollution have triggered the installation of ship exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers), but these scrubbers pollute the seas. A study shows that the private economic benefits of installing scrubbers come at the expense of marine environmental damage and that the scrubber systems are paid off in only a few years.
Malaria remains a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the use of a long-acting endectocide formulation given to livestock as a measure to control mosquito vector populations that transmit the malaria-causing parasite in Burkina Faso.
Flood-risk management strategies are increasingly incorporating equity considerations, but measuring equity poses challenges. This study maps observed equity indicators to a taxonomy to help analysts develop robust evidence about equity when managing uneven exposure to environmental harms.
Assessing the resilience of groundwater resources can be challenging in data-sparse regions. Tritium observations and machine learning can be employed to fill gaps where traditional monitoring is insufficient and provide insight into aquifer vulnerability to pollution.
Recycling of printed circuit boards (PCBs) is currently restricted by the intrinsic materials design of conventional PCBs. This work presents a vitrimer-based PCB that shows great end-of-life recyclability.
This work shows a diagnosis technique that works for multiple cancers and features cost advantage, environmental compliance and user-friendly protocol.