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Groundwater is the most ubiquitous source of liquid freshwater globally, yet its role in supporting diverse ecosystems is rarely acknowledged 1 , 2 . However, the location and extent of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are unknown in many geographies, and protection measures are lacking 1 , 3 . Here, we map GDEs at high-resolution (roughly 30 m) and find them present on more than one-third of global drylands analysed, including important global biodiversity hotspots 4 . GDEs are more extensive and contiguous in landscapes dominated by pastoralism with lower rates of groundwater depletion, suggesting that many GDEs are likely to have already been lost due to water and land use practices. Nevertheless, 53% of GDEs exist within regions showing declining groundwater trends, which highlights the urgent need to protect GDEs from the threat of groundwater depletion. However, we found that only 21% of GDEs exist on protected lands or in jurisdictions with sustainable groundwater management policies, invoking a call to action to protect these vital ecosystems. Furthermore, we examine the linkage of GDEs with cultural and socio-economic factors in the Greater Sahel region, where GDEs play an essential role in supporting biodiversity and rural livelihoods, to explore other means for protection of GDEs in politically unstable regions. Our GDE map provides critical information for prioritizing and developing policies and protection mechanisms across various local, regional or international scales to safeguard these important ecosystems and the societies dependent on them. Mapping of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, which support biodiversity and rural livelihoods, shows they occur on more than one-third of global drylands analysed, but lack protections to safeguard these critical ecosystems and the societies dependent upon them from groundwater depletion.

This article analyzes various aspects of the introduction and use of innovative technologies in Japanese industry, with an emphasis on green transformation and sustainable development. The authors consider the influence of Japan’s strong innovation base and technological potential on the development of green technologies, covering various sectors of the economy. The main focus is on government policies aimed at accelerating the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies, as well as the role of private capital in this process. We discuss the key factors contributing to the transformation of Japanese industry, including demographic changes, declining productivity and international competitiveness. The article emphasizes the importance of industrial agglomeration and cooperation in enhancing competitiveness. The study is of interest to researchers and practitioners working on sustainable development and industrial policy.

We studied and reconstructed a severe Central Asian dust storm of November 4, 2021, through high-resolution TROPOMI UVAI spaceborne observations, ground-based aerosol measurements, and Lagrangian particle modeling. The dust storm was caused by the front part of a cold polar anticyclone front from the Ural-Volga regions, which struck the central and eastern parts of Uzbekistan under favorable atmospheric conditions. Two plumes spread out, causing a thick haze to blanket the region. The most severe dust storm effects hit the capital of Uzbekistan (Tashkent) and the Fergana Valley, where the thick atmospheric dust layer dropped the visibility to 200 m. PM 10 concentrations reached 18,000 µg/m 3 (260-fold exceedance of the local long-term average). The PM 2.5 concentrations remained above 300 µg/m 3 for nearly ten days, indicating an extremely long-lasting event. The dust storm was caused by an extremely strong summer heatwave of 2021 in Kazakhstan with unprecedentedly high temperatures reaching 46.5 °C. The long-lasting drought dried up the soil down to 50 cm depth, triggering the soil cover denudation due to drying out vegetation and losing its moisture. This event was the worst since 1871 and considering the increasing aridity of Central Asia, the onset of potentially recurring severe dust storms is alarming.

The effects of climate change and soil salinization on dryland ecosystems are already widespread, and ensuring food security is a crucial challenge. In this article, we demonstrate changes in growth performance and seed quality of a new high-yielding quinoa genotype (Q5) exposed to sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium sulfate (Na 2 SO 4 ), and mixed salts (NaCl + Na 2 SO 4 ). Differential responses to salt stress in growth performance, seed yield, and seed quality were identified. High salinity (mixed Na 2 SO 4 + NaCl) reduces plant height by ∼30%, shoot and root dry weights by ∼29%, head panicle length and panicle weight by 36–43%, and seed yield by 37%, compared with control conditions. However, the 1,000 - seed weight changes insignificantly under salinity. High content of essential minerals, such as Fe, Zn, and Ca in quinoa Q5 seeds produced under salinity, gives the Q5 genotype a remarkable advantage for human consumption. Biomarkers detected in our studies show that the content of most essential amino acids is unchanged under salinity. The content of amino acids Pro, Gly, and Ile positively correlates with Na + concentration in soil and seeds, whereas the content of squalene and most fatty acids negatively correlates. Variation in squalene content under increasing salinity is most likely due to toxic effects of sodium and chlorine ions as a result of the decrease in membrane permeability for ion movement as a protective reaction to an increase in the sodium ion concentration. Low squalene accumulation might also occur to redirect the NADPH cofactor to enhance the biosynthesis of proline in response to salinity, as both syntheses (squalene and proline) require NADPH. This evidence can potentially be used by the food and pharmaceutical industries in the development of new food and health products.

Extreme weather events such as higher temperatures, droughts, and soil salinization are projected to increase as atmospheric CO2 concentrations rise and climate change progresses. These factors have a negative impact on global food security, the water supply, and ecosystem productivity. The focus of this review is on modern concepts, comparative studies, and our data on the mechanisms of adaptation of halophytes and glycophytes with different types of photosynthetic metabolism (C3, C4) to the individual and combined effects of climatic factors. The analysis revealed that C3 and C4 species and C4-NAD-ME and C4-NADP-ME species differ in terms of stability and photosynthetic plasticity. Under drought conditions, both individually and in combination with other factors, C4 halophytes demonstrate the advantages of efficient photosynthesis and salt tolerance. Halophytes with C4-NADP-ME are characterized by uniquely high levels of plasticity and variability in photosynthetic metabolism. This is reflected in their ability to mitigate the negative effects of elevated temperatures and drought through the use of elevated CO2 (eCO2). The mitigating effect of eCO2 on photosynthesis at elevated temperatures was not detected in halophytes, regardless of photosynthesis type. Halophytes possess an augmented capacity for heat tolerance. Integrating fundamental scientific knowledge with urgent practical needs will enable us to predict changes in ecosystems and create new, sustainable agricultural systems.

Quinoa is recognized as a crop of great value in terms of tolerance to abiotic stresses and there is growing interest to introduce it in marginal agricultural production systems worldwide. Also, quinoa is one of the most nutritious food crops currently known and the nutritive properties of the crop are seen as a mean to fight malnutrition globally. Various quinoa cultivars have been screened for tolerance to salinity, water-use efficiency and nutritional quality and the positive attributes found in them have created even wider global interest in its cultivation. This paper summarizes 15 years of studies on assessing the potential for introducing the crop in a few countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Central Asia regions and describes the key constraints for scaling-up the production under marginal growing conditions in the newly introduced countries.

In drylands, poor rains combined with high evaporation rates increase the risks of soil salinization in addition to drought stress. Here, we determined the values of the parameters in the Feddes root water uptake function for sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under drought and salinity stresses in a pot experiment using “Lebap-55”, which has been bred for the drylands of the Aral Sea Basin but is moderately sensitive to salinity stress. We measured the hourly values of the transpiration, soil moisture, and salinity in the upper and lower soil layers in pots, solar radiation, and root distribution. The values were quantified by two methods. The bulk method uses only daily pot weight data, and the average soil water content and salt concentration are back-calculated from the mass balance. The inverse method uses the monitored values of the soil water content and salinity as well as daily weight data and solar radiation. Both methods could successfully estimate all the parameter values for both stresses. The bulk method performed better under drought stress, even without the measured soil water content or root distribution. It also had satisfactory accuracy in estimating the values under salinity stress. Both methods performed better under drought stress than under salinity stress. The parameter values determined here could be used for irrigation scheduling and salinity management using numerical models for the studied crop.

Plant adaptation to salinity is a highly multifaceted process, harnessing various physiological mechanisms depending on the severity and duration of salt stress. This study focuses on the effects of 4- and 10-day treatments with low (100 mM NaCl) and moderate (200 mM NaCl) salinity on growth, CO 2 /H 2 O gas exchange, stomatal apparatus performance, the efficiency of photosystems I and II (PS I and II), content of key C 4 photosynthesis enzymes, and the accumulation of Na + , K + , and proline in shoots of the widespread forage C 4 halophyte Kochia prostrata . Our data show that 4 days of low salinity treatment resulted in a decrease in biomass, intensity of apparent photosynthesis, and cyclic electron transport around PS I. It was accompanied by an increase in transpiration and Rubisco and PEPC contents, while the Na + and proline contents were low in K. prostrata shoots. By the 10th day of salinity, Na + and proline have accumulated; PS I function has stabilized, while PS II efficiency has decreased due to the enhanced non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (NPQ). Thus, under low salinity conditions, Na + accumulated slowly and the imbalance between light and dark reactions of photosynthesis was observed. These processes might be induced by an early sodium signaling wave that affects cellular pH and ion homeostasis, ultimately disturbing photosynthetic electron transport. Another adaptive reaction more “typical” of salt-tolerant species was observed at 200 mM NaCl treatment. It proceeds in two stages. First, during the first 4 days, dry biomass and apparent photosynthesis decrease, whereas stomata sensitivity and dissipation energy during dark respiration increase. In parallel, an active Na + accumulation and a decreased K + /Na + ratio take place. Second, by the 10th day, a fully-fledged adaptive response was formed, when growth and apparent photosynthesis stabilized and stomata closed. Decreased dissipation energy, increased WUE, stabilization of Rubisco and PEPC contents, and decreased proline content testify to the completion of the adaptation and stabilization of the physiological state of plants. The obtained results allowed us to conclude that the formation of a full-fledged salt-tolerant response common for halophytes in K. prostrata occurs by the 10th day of moderate salinity.

Salinity and water scarcity are among the major environmental challenges requiring the use of non-conventional water sources and the adoption of salt-tolerant crops. We assessed the impact of irrigation with different concentrations of NaCl: 50 mM and 150 mM on the growth parameters and yield of triticale, soil salinity, distribution of active root density, and concentrations of Na+ and NO3− ions at harvest compared to freshwater under zero leaching conditions. Irrigation was applied on a daily basis based on weight measurements of micro-lysimeter pots. Growth parameters, including plant height, LAI, number of leaves, number of tillers, and soil salinity, were observed across the growing season. Spatial distributions of soil salinity, normalized root length density (NRLD), concentrations of Na+ and NO3− in soil profile were measured in two dimensions. The results indicate that irrigating with 150 mM of NaCl H2O significantly affected the crop growth, causing salts, particularly Na+, to reside in the topsoil, reducing NRLD with soil depth, crop water demand, and NO3− uptake. The application of 150 mM and 50 mM of NaCl H2O reduced crop water use by 4 and 2.6 times as well as grain yield by 97% and 42%, respectively, compared to freshwater. This shows that irrigation with concentration equal to or higher than 150 mM NaCl will result in very low production. To achieve higher yield and crop water productivity, irrigation with NaCl concentration of 50 mM or less is recommended to grow triticale in marginal regions with limited freshwater resources.

Future climate change and its impact on drought is critical for Uzbekistan, located in Central Asia, the world’s largest arid zone. This study examines the evolving intensity of climate change and drought events using multi-model ensembles (MMEs) derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 and 6 (CMIP5 and CMIP6) simulated under the Representative Concentration Pathway and Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (RCP and SSP) scenarios. The projections show different rates of increase in temperature and precipitation under the RCPs and SSPs. Projected temperature increases are expected to reach up to 2–2.5 °C under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP3-7.0, by mid-century. By 2080–2099, an increase is projected of 2–3 °C in monthly mean temperatures throughout the year (SSP1-2.6), and a more pronounced increase in summer up to 3–4 °C (SSP2-4.5) and 4–6 °C (SSP3-7.0), with a marked contrast in conditions between the mountainous and desert regions of Uzbekistan. Regional changes in precipitation over the study periods show relatively little variability, except for FD, where notable trends are found. Under SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5, the increase in precipitation is relatively modest, whereas the changes in SSP3-7.0 are more substantial, with some regions experiencing variations of up to 10–20 mm per period. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), calculated based on the projected temperature and precipitation, provides an estimate of future drought trends. Our results show increasing aridity under all scenarios by mid-century, with longer-term projections indicating stabilization around different SPEI values by 2100: RCP2.6 and SSP1-1.9 stabilize around −1.0; RCP4.5, RCP6.0, SSP2-4.5, and SSP3-7.0 stabilize around −1.5; while RCP8.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios project values of −2 or less by 2100. Notable differences in the SPEI index are found between lowland and foothill regions. In view of Uzbekistan’s heavy reliance on agriculture and irrigation, which are the sectors that are expected to be mostly affected by climate change, our study provides a scientific basis for informed policy decision-making. This includes various aspects such as planning and management water resources, as well as the broader socioeconomic development of the country.