ANNUAL REPORT 2014 SARAS INSTITUTE
Ruta 10 km 86, Parada 21 al fondo Bella Vista, Maldonado - Uruguay Email: [email protected] Website: www.saras-insitute.org ANNUAL REPORT 3
Institute & Foundation
The SARAS² Institute is a The South American Institute meeting regularly to discuss guidelines joint initiative of Wageningen for Resilience and Sustainability and redefine the Institute’s main University (Netherlands), the Studies (SARAS2) is an emerging features, targets and goals. University of the Republic transdisciplinary institute designed (UdelaR, Uruguay), the Resilience to generate critical insights allowing The Institute’s academic life began Alliance, the Education and South America to build sustainable between 2008 and 2009 with various Culture Ministry of Uruguay futures. It seeks integration across scientific publications and several (Uruguay), and the Maldonado a broad range of knowledge research projects presented at Department(Uruguay). using innovative approaches and national and international level. integrating social and natural sciences, In connection with the approved mathematics and arts. projects, a five year programme of Through the advisory board the annual conferences on relevant topics Institute has strong linkages SARAS2 will be housed in a custom in Latin America was established. The with: the Beijer Institute of designed building currently being cycle of annual conferences started Ecological Economics (Sweden), constructed at the coast of Uruguay in 2010 with the topic Sustainable the Stockholm Resilience Center providing space and facilities for Future of Water Resources in Latin (Sweden), the University of workshops, courses and academic America. In 2009 SARAS2 was granted Wisconsin (USA), Arizona State residencies, thus serving as a hub for a substantial support from the University (USA), the University the emergence of novel cooperative University of the Republic (UdelaR). of Waterloo (Canada), the networks. We envision the kind and Thank to this contributions, Mariana Catholic University of Chile intense interaction at SARAS to shape Meerhoff joined the work team. There (CASEB, Chile), the Patagonic a new generation of broad visionary was also financial backing from the National Center CONICET thinkers and creators. Ministry of Education and Culture. (Argentina), the University of In 2011 additional support from Brasilia (Brazil), and the Doñana The idea of SARAS2 Institute was the Municipality of Maldonado was Biological Station-CSIC (Spain). conceived in 2005 between Marten approved. Scheffer and Néstor Mazzeo. In January 2006, a first document was In December 2012 SARAS2 was drafted and at the same time, Mayor established as a foundation in order of Maldonado Oscar De los Santos to resolve the legal and administrative was approached in order to explore format of management. At present, the possibility of establishing SARAS the Ministry of Education and Culture, Institute in that department. With the UdelaR and the Municipality of strong support of the Municipality, Maldonado provide the main financial a search for a suitable location support. started. Since the summer of 2007 the Advisory Board of SARAS2 began One of this year’s milestones was the
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beginning of the first phase of SARAS Rodríguez and Mariella Busnadiego. building at Bella Vista. Another more intangible but yet key structural input The Administrative Board of the has been the development of a new SARAS² Foundation involves: Néstor portrait of SARAS2 through the design Mazzeo (UdelaR representative), Omar of a new website. Defeo (UdelaR representative), Osvaldo Sala (Advisory Board representative), The advisory board is integrated by: Mariana Meerhoff(Advisory Board Marten Scheffer, Jordi Bascompte, representative), Ricardo Pereira Laurie Beth Clark, Steve Carpenter, (Maldonado representative), Virginia Omar Defeo, Carl Folke, Pablo Fernández (MEC representative) and Marquet, Osvaldo Sala, Ana Parma, Matías Arim (Scientific members Eduardo Viola, Frances Westley and representative). Mariana Meerhoff. Finally, the Fiscal Board of the SARAS² The Scientific Director is Néstor Foundation involves: Lujan Criado Mazzeo. The Executive Committee (UdelaR representative), Gustavo is integrated by: Marten Scheffer, Morales (Udelar representative) and Osvaldo Sala, Ana Dubra, Néstor Julio Riella (Maldonado government Mazzeo, Mariana Meerhoff, Paula representative). Bianchi, Cecilia Delgado, William
Scientific activities
For the last five years there has led a series of scientific conferences:
2010 Continental aquatic resources 2011 Artisanal fisheries 2012 Transitions in terrestrial ecosystems 2013 Education for uncertainty 2014 Imagining resilience: Art-science collaboration for sustainability ANNUAL REPORT 5
Networks SARAS2 can be considered a net of networks. The networks are organized about specific topics independently of the disciplinary background of the researchers.
National level the second and third components. collaboration with 60 professionals and practitioners of all Uruguayan SARAS2 has been working on a The network related to aquatic state institutions related to water project proposal in collaboration ecosystems studies also contributes quality and management. with the National Directorate on with the elaboration of a rehabilitation Land Organization (DINOT) and strategy for recovering ecosystems In December 2014, SARAS2 the Departmental Government of services from artificial lakes located coordinated a workshop entitled Maldonado. The work involves an in the Canelones Council, an initiative “Robust spatial design of a national economic study of the alternative promoted by the Departmental monitoring program, on aquatic scenarios that could be developed Government of Canelones. In March ecosystems in Uruguay”, with the at the Laguna del Sauce basin. 2014 the complete report will be collaboration of Dr. José Barquin This project will have three main published. (Cantabria University-Spain) and the components: (i) scenario analysis participation of representatives of the carried out in collaboration with In November 2014, SARAS2 co- main ministries and agencies related two ecological economists of the coordinated the workshop on to aquatic resources. Economics Institute of the University “Agriculture intensification and of the Republic about the alternative superficial water quality in Uruguay”, Nowadays, SARAS2’s researchers scenarios in Laguna del Sauce basin; together with the National Directorate together with the Ministry of (ii) synthesis of previous scientific of Environment (DINAMA) of the Agriculture from Uruguay, the and technical contributions directly Environment Ministry, the School of Stockholm Resilience Center and related to land planning; and (iii) a Sciences (UdelaR), and supported some academic institutions from governance analysis of the national- by the Directorate of Science and Argentina and USA are defining a local interactions and decision-making Technology (DICYT) of the Ministry cooperation program related to the processes underlying the future of Education, and Culture and the quantification and implementation restructuring of the use/regulations of National and Agency of Research and alternatives of the adaptation Laguna del Sauce’s basin. SARAS will Innovation (ANII). Four professors of and resilience capacity of cattle facilitate and coordinate the project, the University of Aarhus (Denmark) production farmers in the context of and will focus on the work related to worked during three days in close new scenarios of climatic variability.
Regional context In November 2014 the first national workshop on Vulnerability, adaptation and resilience of small cattle At the local and regional level, SARAS2 has been closely producers to current and future scenarios. This workshop engaged in the launching and implementation of the was co-coordinated by SARAS and the Center on Climate Regional Center for Climate Change and Decision-making Change and Decision-making (UNESCO-AVINA). The coordinated by UNESCO-AVINA and a regional network of national workshop sought to improve the connection universities and institutes. between policymakers, farmers and the research community. A book with the main result will be published during 2015.
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Regional context
In May, SARAS2 participated at the Sustainability in the Water – Energy - Food Nexus, Bonn, Germany http://wef-conference. gwsp.org/programme/programme.html
Related to this activity and the previous one described at the regional level, SARAS2 took part of two initiatives submitted to the 2014 Future Earth’s call.
In August 2014, the Vice president of the US National Academy of Sciences had an official visit to Uruguay aimed at exploring and strengthening the scientific collaboration between the two countries. 2 SARAS elaborated a proposal with some key areas in which collaboration with US partners could and should be sought. As a follow up of that meeting SARAS2 is now working with the Ministry of Education and Culture on the following research topics:
1. Early warning signals in complex systems 2. Managing complex social-ecological systems: the case of fisheries 3. Abrupt grass-woodland transitions: determinants and consequences for ecosystem services 4. Interaction of human impacts on freshwater ecosystems, with focus on climate change and land use 5. Futures of South America: scenario planning in climate-land use changes and sustainability
Training programs
Postgraduate courses PhD thesis
Second Course-Workshop Water-City Rafael Bernardi. 2012-2015. Grassland- interactions: arroyo Maldonado. 13-18 forest transitions in subtropical South March 2014, University Center of the America. Supervised by: Dr. Milena East Region (CURE), University of the Holmgren, Dr. Marten Scheffer and Dr. Republic (UdelaR) Matías Arim.
Socio-ecological systems: structure, Postdocs dynamics and governance. Coordinated by Isabel Bortagaray and Carolina Crisci. 2013-2015. Implications Néstor Mazzeo. First edition March of climatic variability on water quality of 2015. Laguna del Sauce. Supervised by: Dr. Rafael Terra & Dr. Néstor Mazzeo. ANNUAL REPORT 7
Outreach
The SARAS² Institute Understanding and management of multi- and the Sciences School (UdelaR). is frequently asked to dimensionality and uncertainty. It aimed at discussing about new participate in the study of June 2014, Office of Planning and Budget, factors and aspects that should be relevant issues related to Executive Tower, Montevideo. included and valued as research socio-ecological systems outputs and outcomes. It focused on management, which is Towards adaptative management of highly innovative initiatives on human particularly conspicuous in Laguna del Sauce. June 5th, 2014 – and animal health, environment, Uruguay (at local and national International Environment Day, University agrosciences and bio-informatics. levels). Some of the researches Center of the East Region (CURE), UdelaR, The National Agency on Research had been selected because Maldonado, Uruguay and Innovation (ANII) introduced they are representative of their program portfolio to support Institute’s main research Possible approaches for the management innovative businesses. topics. of socio-ecological systems. June 5th, 2014 – International Environment Day. Submission of the metropolitan Ateneo- Montevideo. region Punta del Este – San Carlos – Maldonado to the call for 100 Resilient Main opportunities for environmental Cities of the Rockefeller Foundation management. September, 2014, (http://www.100resilientcities.org/). University Center of the East Region The proposal was jointly prepared (CURE), UdelaR, Maldonado, Uruguay by SARAS and the Departmental Government of Maldonado. Co-coordination of a workshop on September 2014. Science as a driver of new businesses. September, 2014. Workshop co- SARAS2 Award for the Sustainability coordinated by IDEAR (Business Incubator and Resilience, National Fair of located in Maldonado), together with Science Clubs 2014, organized by the SARAS, CURE, BIOESPINN of the Pasteur National Directorate of Science and Institute of Montevideo, and the network Technology (DICYT) of the Ministry of of Support to Future Entrepreneurs Education and Culture. (RAFE) of the National Agency of Research and Innovation (ANII). With the support of Why are environmental problems so the Municipal Government of Maldonado. persistent? The role of the resilience School of Medicine CLAEH-Maldonado, and transformation process. ORT University, the National Agricultural December 5th. TEDx Punta del Este. Research Institute (INIA), the Uruguayan Association of Biotechnology (AUDEBIO)
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Publications 2009-2015
SCIENTIFIC PAPERS Governance and governability of coastal shellfisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean: 2009 multi-scale emerging models and effects of Early-warning signals for critical transitions. Nature globalization and climate change. Current Opinion in 416(3)53-59. Environmental Sustainability 4: 344-350. Marten Scheffer, Jordi Bascompte, William A. Brock, Victor Brovkin, Defeo O., Castilla J.C. Stephen R. Carpenter, Vasilis Dakos, Hermann Held, Egbert H. van Nes, Max Rietkerk & George Sugihara. 2013 Co-management in Latin American small-scale 2012 shellfisheries: assessment from long-term case Anticipating Critical Transitions. Science 338: 344:348. studies. Fish and Fisheries: DOI: 10.1111/faf.12101. Marten Scheffer, Stephen R. Carpenter,Timothy M. Lenton, Jordi Defeo O., Castrejón M., Pérez-Castañeda R., Castilla J.C., Gutiérrez Bascompte, William Brock, Vasilis Dakos, Johan van de Koppel, N.L., Essington T.E., Folke C. Ingrid A. van de Leemput, Simon A. Levin, Egbert H. van Nes, Mercedes Pascual & John Vandermeer. Impacts of climate variability on Latin American small-scale fisheries. Ecology and Society 18 (4): 30. Environmental warming in shallow lakes: a review Defeo O., Castrejón M., Ortega L., Kuhn A., Gutiérrez N.L., of potential changes in community structure Castilla J.C. as evidenced from space-for-time substitution approaches. Advances in Ecological Research 46: 259- 2014 349. A special feature of the Journal of Ecology has been Mariana Meerhoff, Franco Teixeira-de Mello, Carla Kruk, Cecilia published in November synthesizing the results of the Alonso, Iván González-Bergonzoni, Juan Pablo Pacheco, Gissell 2012 SARAS workshop: Grass–woodland transitions: Lacerot, Matías Arim, Meryem Beklioğlu, Sandra Brucet, Guillermo determinants and consequences for ecosystem Goyenola, Carlos Iglesias, Néstor Mazzeo, Sarian Kosten & Erik functioning and provisioning of services, edited by Jeppesen. Osvaldo E. Sala, and Fernando T. Maestre. Published online on October 24, 2014.This SARAS effort has been featured Biomanipulation as a restoration tool to combat in numerous outlets in Uruguay. For example, it showed up eutrophication: recent advances and future in the magazine Búsqueda http://www.busqueda.com.uy/ challenges. Advances in Ecological Research 47: 411- mailing/notas/1790/nota_ambiente/ and in the web site of 488. the Municipality of Maldonado http://www.maldonado.gub. Erik Jeppesen, Martin Søndergaard, Torben L. Lauridsen, Thomas uy/?n=16435. A. Davidson, Zhengwen Liu, Néstor Mazzeo, Carolina Trochine, Korhan Özkan, Henning S. Jensen, Dennis Trolle, Fernando Starling, Xavier Lazzaro, Liselotte S. Johansson, Rikke Bjerring, Lone Liboriussen, Søren E. Larsen, Frank Landkildehus, Sara Egemose, & Mariana Meerhoff. ANNUAL REPORT 9
The results of a SARAS study is highlighted at the The forgotten half of scientific thinking. Opinion. Programa de Divulugación Científica y Técnica of the Leloir PNAS. Vol.111 (17): 6119. April 29. Foundation on the “Pronostican “sabanización” de Marten Scheffer América del Sur” http://www.agenciacyta.org.ar/2014/12/ pronostican-“sabanizacion”-de-america-del-sur/ December 3rd
BOOKS & CHAPTERS Book chapter: “Variabilidad climática de importancia para el sector productivo”, in: Clima de cambios, nuevos 2010 desafíos de adaptación en Uruguay, Walter Oyhantcabal, Book: “Bases técnicas para el manejo integrado de Diego Sancho and Malvina Galván (eds.). Chapter 2: 43-99, Laguna del Sauce y cuenca asociada”. FAO. Carlos Acuña, Ricardo Alcorta, Marcelo Caffera, Carmela Carballo, Mario Bidegain, Carolina Crisci, Laura del Puerto, Hugo Inda, Juan Clemente, Carolina Crisci, Laura del Puerto, Felipe García- Néstor Mazzeo, Javier Taks & Rafael Terra. Rodríguez, Hugo Fort, Claudia Fosalba, Soledad García, Iván González-Bergozoni, Guillermo Goyenola, Jorge Hourcade, Carlos 2014 Iglesias, Higo Inda, Erik Jeppesen, Susana Kausas, Alejandra Kröger, Book: “Ambiente”. Serie Nuestro Tiempo, MEC. Juan José Lagomarsino, Diego Larrea, Eleonora Leicht, Néstor Mariana Meerhoff y Walter Oyhantcabal. Mazzeo Beyhaut, Nicolás Marchand, Soledad Marroni, Malvina Masdeu, Mariana Meerhoff, Gustavo Méndez, Juan Pablo Pacheco, Valeria Pérez Güida, Marten Scheffer, José Sciandro, Manfred Steffen, Adriana Rodríguez, Franco Teixeira de Mello, Mariana Vianna and Nicolás Vidal.
2013 Book chapter: “Capacidad de adaptación y transformación en un clima de cambios”, in Clima de Cambios: Nuevos Desafíos de Adaptación en Uruguay, Walter Oyhantcabal, Diego Sancho and Malvina Galván (eds.). Chapter 6: 273-284, FAO. Néstor Mazzeo, Hugo Inda, Javier Taks, Rafael Terra, Mario Bidegain and Carolina Crisci.
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Future projects
SARAS2 aims at contributing to develop a national program of monitoring and control of surface fresh waters and to strengthening water management governance, through a variety of projects and initiatives.
Rural landscape planning and Observatory Network); bringing in the ecosystem services conservation US experience in developing a national SARAS² is working together with monitoring program of ecological the Maldonado authorities, DINOT status; and strengthening local capaci- (National Division of Land Planning ties by training postgraduate level of Uruguay), Maldonado Council, human resources (through PhD and Economy Faculty (UdelaR) and Laguna MSc intensive courses). del Sauce Basin Committee about possible strategies of rural planning in Advanced proposal: Strategies to order to preserve relevant ecosystem mitigate agricultural effects on services (mainly drinking water fresh waters supply). The main idea is to develop Via cooperation with Aarhus Univer- an adaptive management approach, sity of Denmark. Involved institutions: probably the first example in rural land MVOTMA, MGAO, MEC. planning of Uruguay. This cooperation, facilitated by SARAS2 and UdelaR, aims at translating to Contribution to a Water Sustain- Uruguay some of the lessons learnt ability program in Uruguay: the during a very successful history of GLEON network recovery of the quality of surface Funding: US Embassy Science Fellows waters through a combination of Program. mitigation strategies and national This project supports the stay in policies applied in the last 30 years in Uruguay of a high rank staff of the EPA Denmark. A cooperation agreement (US Government) who will participate already exists between UdelaR and with SARAS2 in three main activi- Aarhus University regarding education ties: incorporation of Uruguay to the programs, and we aim at incorporating international research and monitoring management and policy exchange. network GLEON (Global Lake Ecological ANNUAL REPORT 11
Advanced proposal: National Building resilience capacity in monitoring program of aquatic vulnerable agroecosystems to ecosystems. current and future climatic varia- SARAS2, Cantabria University (Spain), bility (Sierra del Este and Basalto- UdelaR and network of Ministries of Uruguay). Ministry of Agriculture, Uruguay related to aquatic resource Cattle and Fisheries of Uruguay. management, are working for developing 2014. a national monitoring program of aquatic The main idea is to identify a set of key resources based on synthetic network drivers that condition the cattle vulner- paradigm and considering the decentrali- ability in some specific regions with high zation process of the country. vulnerability to dry periods (Sierras del Este and Basalto). The drivers involve Proposal: Water Sustainability in different types of (sub)systems: climate Uruguay: Scenarios thinking for the (frequency and drought intensity), social Santa Lucía watershed (land property, associativity, etc.) and Potentially involving MVOTMA, MGAP, economic (credit access, among others). Municipalities in the Santa Lucía water- More in detail, the project seeks: shed, and the Embassy of USA. • To define the set of indicators in the This proposal aims to contribute to the functioning of the overall system that development of a process designed allows to trace the temporal evolution to understand and resolve complex of the resilience capabilities both at social-ecological problems, namely the the regional and farm levels. maintenance of clean water and good • To design and monitoring system ecosystem health in a highly populated, with key patterns in terms of resilience strongly modified watershed in Uruguay. to establish in the short term. SARAS2 aims to facilitate this develop- • To asses the adaptation and transfor- ment by bringing in expertise and mation capacity of the cattle system in lessons from the successful Yahara river the specific region. Watershed 2070 scenarios project, an initiative of the University of Wisconsin- Madison led by Prof. Steve Carpenter (member of the Advisory Board of SARAS2).
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ANNEX
DIFUSSION SARAS activities and outputs are getting increasingly visibly..
Workshop on Agricultural intensification and water quality • Presidency of the Republic http://www.presidencia.gub.uy/comunicacion/comunicacionnoticias/academia- estado-unen-esfuerzos-promover-politica-publica-calidad-agua#.VHi1vuh-O60.facebook • La Red21: http://www.lr21.com.uy/comunidad/1204274-gobierno-busca-equilibrio-entre-temas-economicos- y-ambientales-en-calidad-de-agua • Sociedad Uruguay: http://www.sociedaduruguaya.org/2014/11/cientificos-de-dinamarca-y-uruguay- debaten-sobre-la-calidad-del-agua.html • La Diaria:http://ladiaria.com.uy/articulo/2014/11/aguas-turbulentas/ • Caras y Caretas: http://www.carasycaretas.com.uy/talleres-sobre-el-uso-del-agua/
Grass-woodland Transitions • Diario Ciencia, Tecnologia y Produccion. (Argentina): http://www.diariodeciencias.com.ar/no-le-dan-pelota- al-asunto-viejo-dicho-del-futbol-aplicable-a-una-noticia-del-instituto-leloir/ • Argenpress (Argentina): http://www.ecoticias.uy/noticia/uruguay-los-bosques-se-convertiran-en-pastizales- salpicados-por-arbustos_4220 • Econoticias: http://www.ecoticias.uy/noticia/uruguay-los-bosques-se-convertiran-en-pastizales-salpicados- por-arbustos_4220 • Iagua (España): http://www.iagua.es/noticias/dicyt/14/12/07/cambio-climatico-produce-sabanizacion- latinoamerica • Semanario Búsqueda http://www.busqueda.com.uy/mailing/notas/1790/nota_ambiente/ • Instituto Fundación Leloir: http://www.agenciacyta.org.ar/2014/12/pronostican-%E2%80%9Csabanizacion%E2%80%9D- de-america-del-sur/ • Sol Noticias: http://solnoticias.com/2014/11/14/instituto-saras-por-la-sustentabilidad/ • Maldonado Noticias: http://www.maldonadonoticias.com/beta/actualidad/730-nstituto-saras-presento- trabajo-con-sintesis-de-lo-realizado-desde-2012.html • Intendencia de Maldonado: http://www.maldonado.gub.uy/?n=16435
2014 SARAS Conferences • Departmental Government of Maldonado: http://www.maldonado.gub.uy/?n=16746 • FM Gente: http://www.fmgente.com.uy/noticias/cientficos-internacionales-renen-conferencia-saras-27976.html • UdelaR: http://www.ei.udelar.edu.uy/prensa/renderItem/itemId/36643/refererPageId/789 • Vida Silvestre: http://vidasilvestre.org.uy/actividades/invitacion-v-conferencias-saras-2014.html • Unesco/MEC http://www.comisionunesco.mec.gub.uy/innovaportal/v/62604/40/mecweb/v_ciclo_de_conferencias_ publicas_-_saras_2014?parentid=45800 Ruta 10 km 86, Parada 21 al fondo Bella Vista, Maldonado - Uruguay Email: [email protected] Website: www.saras-insitute.org Ruta 10 km 86, Parada 21 al fondo Bella Vista, Maldonado - Uruguay Email: [email protected] Website: www.saras-insitute.org