Yusuke Kuwayama

Water Resoures and Unconventional Fossil Fuel Development: Linking Physical Impacts to Social Costs

The production of crude oil and natural gas from unconventional reservoirs has become a growth sector within the North American energy industry, and current projections indicate that the production of some of these unconventional fossil fuels will continue accelerating in the foreseeable future. This shift in the energy industry has been accompanied by rising concerns over potential impacts on water resources because producing these fuels is thought to require more water per unit of energy produced than conventional sources and may lead to greater degradation of water quality. In this paper, we address these emerging environmental issues by (a) providing a comprehensive overview of the existing literature on the water quantity and quality implications of producing the main unconventional fossil fuels in North America and (b) characterizing the differences in social costs that arise from the extraction and production of these fuels versus those from conventional fossil fuel production.

Analytical hydrologic models and the design of policy instruments for groundwater-quality management

This paper explores how analytical hydrologic models can inform the effective design and choice of policy instruments to manage groundwater quality by coupling a social-planner’s problem of optimal groundwater-quality management with analytical solutions from the hydrology literature. A theoretical analysis is performed in order to characterize the properties of an optimal emissions policy. The model is then applied in a numerical analysis of groundwater contamination by chloride from highway deicers, demonstrating the relevance of the theoretical results to practical management settings. This analytical approach can help determine which policy instruments are likely to be effective in controlling groundwater pollution, especially if costly numerical groundwater models are not available for the aquifer in question. Unlike previous economic studies of groundwater contamination, this approach defines optimal emissions policies as a function of geophysical parameters employed by hydrologists such as distance between source and sink, groundwater velocity, and aquifer dispersivity. The theoretical section of this paper also demonstrates that the relationship between geophysical parameters and optimal emissions levels may be ambiguous.RésuméCet article examine comment des modèles hydrologiques analytiques peuvent influencer la conception et le choix efficace d’instruments de gestion destinés à gérer la qualité des eaux souterraines en couplant un problème d’optimisation économique de la qualité des eaux souterraines avec des solutions analytiques tirées de la littérature hydrologique. Une analyse théorique est réalisée afin de caractériser les propriétés d’une politique d’épandages optimaux. Le modèle est ensuite appliqué à une analyse numérique de la contamination des eaux souterraines par le chlorure issu des sels de déneigement autoroutier, démontrant la pertinence des résultats théoriques pour une mise en œuvre pratique. Cette approche analytique peut aider à déterminer quels d’instruments de gestion sont vraisemblablement efficaces pour contrôler la pollution des eaux souterraines, particulièrement si des modèles numériques hydrogéologiques coûteux ne sont pas disponibles pour l’aquifère en question. A la différence des études économiques antérieures de contamination des eaux souterraines, cette approche définit des politiques d’épandage optimales en fonction des paramètres géophysiques utilisés par les hydrogéologues tels la distance entre la source et la perte, la vitesse d’écoulement souterrain et la dispersivité de l’aquifère. La partie théorique de cet article démontre aussi que la relation entre les paramètres géophysiques et les niveaux optima d’épandage peut être équivoque.ResumenEste trabajo explora como los modelos hidrológicos analíticos pueden informar acerca del diseño efectivo y la elección de instrumentos políticos para manejar la calidad del agua subterránea acoplando el problema social de un planificador de un manejo óptimo de la calidad del agua subterránea con soluciones analíticas de la literatura hidrológica. Se llevó a cabo un análisis teórico para caracterizar las propiedades de una óptima política emisiones. El modelo es luego aplicado a un análisis numérico de contaminación de agua subterránea por cloruro de descongelantes de carreteras, demostrando la relevancia de los resultados teóricos para las cuestiones prácticas del manejo. Este enfoque analítico puede ayudar a determinar que instrumentos políticos son más probablemente efectivos para controlar la contaminación del agua subterránea, especialmente para el acuífero en cuestión por si no se disponen los costosos modelos numéricos de agua subterránea. A diferencia de estudios económicos previos de contaminación de agua subterránea, este enfoque define las políticas óptimas de emisiones en función de parámetros geofísicos empleados por hidrólogos, tales como la distancia entre una fuente y un sumidero, velocidad del agua subterránea y dispersividad del acuífero. La sección teórica de este trabajo también demuestra que la relación entre parámetros y niveles óptimos de emisiones pueden ser ambiguos.摘要这篇文章探讨了解析水文模型是如何通过将社会规划者的优化地下水质量管理的难题与水文学文献中的解析解相结合,用有效的设计和政策手段的选择来管理地下水水质的。为刻画一个优化的排放政策的属性的特征,需进行理论性的分析。随后,此模型就可运用于由高速公路除冰装置造成的地下水氯污染的数值分析,这证实了从理论结果到实践中管理装置的相关性。这种分析方法可以帮助确定哪一种政策手段在控制地下水污染方面可能更有效,特别是当成本高昂的地下水数值模型对问题含水层不适用的时候。与之前地下水污染的经济学研究不同,这种方法将优化的排放政策定义为水文学家所使用的地球物理参数的函数之一,例如源汇项之间的距离、地下水的流速和含水层的分散性等。这篇文章的理论部分也证明了地球物理参数和优化的排放水平之间的关系可能是不明确的。ResumoEste artigo explora a forma como os modelos hidrológicos analíticos podem informar sobre o plano eficaz e a escolha de instrumentos de política para gerir a qualidade das águas subterrâneas, associando um problema de planeamento social da gestão ótima da qualidade das águas subterrâneas, com soluções analíticas da literatura em hidrologia. É realizada uma análise teórica, a fim de caraterizar as propriedades de uma política de emissões otimizada. O modelo é então aplicado numa análise numérica de contaminação das águas subterrâneas por cloreto usado em produtos descongeladores de autoestradas, demonstrando a relevância dos resultados teóricos para configurações de gestão práticas. Esta abordagem analítica pode ajudar a determinar quais os instrumentos de política suscetíveis de serem eficazes no controlo da poluição das águas subterrâneas, especialmente se não estão disponíveis modelos numéricos de águas subterrâneas dispendiosos para o aquífero em questão. Ao contrário de estudos económicos anteriores sobre contaminação das águas subterrâneas, esta abordagem define políticas ótimas de emissões em função de parâmetros geofísicos empregados por hidrólogos, tais como a distância entre a fonte e o sumidouro, a velocidade das águas subterrâneas, e a dispersividade do aquífero. A parte teórica deste trabalho demonstra também que a relação entre os parâmetros geofísicos e os níveis ótimos de emissões pode ser ambígua.

Socio-environmental consideration of phosphorus flows in the urban sanitation chain of contrasting cities

Understanding how cities can transform organic waste into a valuable resource is critical to urban sustainability. The capture and recycling of phosphorus (P), and other essential nutrients, from human excreta is particularly important as an alternative organic fertilizer source for agriculture. However, the complex set of socio-environmental factors influencing urban human excreta management is not yet sufficiently integrated into sustainable P research. Here, we synthesize information about the pathways P can take through urban sanitation systems along with barriers and facilitators to P recycling across cities. We examine five case study cities by using a sanitation chains approach: Accra, Ghana; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Beijing, China; Baltimore, USA; and London, England. Our cross-city comparison shows that London and Baltimore recycle a larger percentage of P from human excreta back to agricultural lands than other cities, and that there is a large diversity in socio-environmental factors that affect the patterns of recycling observed across cities. Our research highlights conditions that may be “necessary but not sufficient” for P recycling, including access to capital resources. Path dependencies of large sanitation infrastructure investments in the Global North contrast with rapidly urbanizing cities in the Global South, which present opportunities for alternative sanitation development pathways. Understanding such city-specific social and environmental barriers to P recycling options could help address multiple interacting societal objectives related to sanitation and provide options for satisfying global agricultural nutrient demand.

The Value of Remotely Sensed Information: The Case of a GRACE-Enhanced Drought Severity Index

A decision framework is developed for quantifying the economic value of information (VOI) from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission for drought monitoring, with a focus on the potential contributions of groundwater storage and soil moisture measurements from the GRACE Data Assimilation (GRACE-DA) System. The study consists of: (a) the development of a conceptual framework to evaluate the socioeconomic value of GRACE-DA as a contributing source of information to drought monitoring; (b) structured listening sessions to understand the needs of stakeholders who are affected by drought monitoring; (c) econometric analysis based on the conceptual framework that characterizes the contribution of GRACE-DA to the US Drought Monitor (USDM) in capturing the effects of drought on the agricultural sector; and (d) a demonstration of how the improved characterization of drought conditions may influence decisions made in a real-world drought disaster assistance program. Results show that GRACE-DA has the potential to lower the uncertainty associated with our understanding of drought, and that this improved understanding has the potential to change policy decisions that lead to tangible societal benefits.

Pits versus Tanks: Risks and Mitigation Options for On-Site Storage of Wastewater from Shale Gas and Tight Oil Development

In this paper, we summarize findings from a research effort aimed at understanding the sources of risk associated with on-site shale gas and tight oil wastewater storage in the United States, the gaps that exist in knowledge regarding these risks, policy and technology options for addressing the risks, and the relative merits of those options. Specifically, we (a) identify the potential risks to human and ecological health associated with on-site storage of shale gas and tight oil wastewater via a literature survey and analysis of data on wastewater spills, (b) provide a detailed description of government regulations or industry actions that may mitigate these risks to human and ecological health, and (c) provide a list of recommendations specific to wastewater storage that may help generate progress toward concrete action to make shale gas and tight oil development more sustainable and more acceptable to a skeptical public, while keeping costs down.

Estimating the Impact of Drought on Agriculture Using the U.S. Drought Monitor

Abstract We estimate the impacts of drought, as defined by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), on crop yields and farm income in the United States during the 2001‐2013 time period. Our empirical strategy relies on panel data models with fixed effects that exploit spatial and temporal variability in drought conditions and agricultural outcomes at the county level. We find negative and statistically significant effects of drought on crop yields equal to reductions in the range of 0.1% to 1.2% for corn and soybean yields for each additional week of drought in dryland counties, and 0.1% to 0.5% in irrigated counties. Region‐specific results vary, with some regions experiencing no yield impacts from drought, while yield reductions as high as 8.0% are observed in dryland counties in the Midwest for every additional week of drought in the highest USDM severity category. Despite this impact on crop yields, we find that additional weeks of drought have little to no effect on measures of farm income. While precipitation and temperature explain most of the variability in crop yields, we find that the USDM captures additional negative impacts of drought on yields.

Spatial-Dynamic Complexities of Climate Challenge for Rural Areas: Integrating Resource and Regional Economic Insights

&NA; Research questions in resource economics increasingly have incorporated both the fields traditional dynamic considerations and the spatial concerns that often are the focus of regional economics. Spatial heterogeneity in costs, benefits, or connectivity often interact with intertemporal change in contexts such as fisheries management, water allocation, invasive species control, and land use change, making spatially‐ or temporally‐uniform polices less likely to be efficient. In this article, we examine how climate change is likely to enhance the need to incorporate spatial‐dynamic approaches to address natural resource challenges. We focus our discussion on rural areas, which are typically highly dependent on natural resources and particularly vulnerable to climate change. Following a brief review of existing spatial‐dynamic models in natural resource economics and the insights derived from them, we describe how climate change can bring new spatial or temporal aspects to resource management problems, or exacerbate existing resource challenges that are best characterized as spatial‐dynamic processes. We conclude with three case studies that highlight how integrating resource and regional economics through spatial‐dynamic modeling may improve the analysis of climate change impacts in rural areas, considering the effects on rangeland management, groundwater policy, and land use management in floodplains and coastal areas.