Project
Nutrient Export from Land to Sea (Global NEWS)
The Environmental Systems Analysis Group develops models estimating nutrient fluxes in the environment. The Global NEWS(Nutrient Export from WaterSheds) models are used to analyse the impact of human activities on the land on nutrient export by rivers to coastal waters. Global NEWS models are global models, including more than 6,000 watersheds. They model the export of multiple nutrients (N,P,C and Si) and nutrient forms in a spatially explicit way. The models have been developed by an international research group. Nutrient inputs have increased as a result of agriculture activities such as the use of fertilizers and manure, but also sewage inputs into rivers as well industrial activities increase nutrient inputs. The effects of increased nutrient inputs to the environment include eutrophication and algal blooms. Using these models, past and future trends in water pollution and potential eutrophication have been analysed in coastal waters of several world regions, such as Africa, South America, Europe and China.
The results from Global NEWS indicate that since 1970 nutrient exports by rivers have considerably increased. For the future, nutrient export is projected to increase in some world regions, such as Asia, mainly associated with increasing food production for the growing population there. For Europe, decreasing nutrient exports are projected, largely owing to environmental and agricultural policies causing reduced nutrient inputs into river basins. Future exports are calculated based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment scenarios
More information
http://www.agu.org/contents/sc/ViewCollection.do?collectionCode=NUTRIENT1&journalCode=GB