Using lake sediments to assess the long-term impacts of anthropogenic activity in tropical river deltas

Walton, R. E. et al. (2023) Using lake sediments to assess the long-term impacts of anthropogenic activity in tropical river deltas. Anthropocene Review, (doi: 10.1177/20530196231204334) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

Tropical river deltas, and the social-ecological systems they sustain, are changing rapidly due to anthropogenic activity and climatic change. Baseline data to inform sustainable management options for resilient deltas is urgently needed and palaeolimnology (reconstructing past conditions from lake or wetland deposits) can provide crucial long-term perspectives needed to identify drivers and rates of change. We review how palaeolimnology can be a valuable tool for resource managers using three current issues facing tropical delta regions: hydrology and sediment supply, salinisation and nutrient pollution. The unique ability of palaeolimnological methods to untangle multiple stressors is also discussed. We demonstrate how palaeolimnology has been used to understand each of these issues, in other aquatic environments, to be incorporated into policy. Palaeolimnology is a key tool to understanding how anthropogenic influences interact with other environmental stressors, providing policymakers and resource managers with a ‘big picture’ view and possible holistic solutions that can be implemented.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors have produced this article with funding received from the UKRI GCRF Living Deltas Research Hub (www.livingdeltas.org) under Grant Reference NE/S008926/1.
• Keywords: palaeolimnology, resource management, river deltas, tropics, multiple stressors.
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ladd, Dr Cai
• Authors: Walton, R. E., Moorhouse, H. L., Robert, L. R., Salgado, J., Ladd, C. J.T., Do, N. T., Panizzo, V. N., Van, P. D. T., Downes, N. K., Trinh, D. A., McGowan, S., Taylor, S., and Henderson, A. C. G.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Journal Name: Anthropocene Review
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 2053-0196
• ISSN (Online): 2053-020X
• Published Online: 09 October 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Author(s)
• First Published: First published in Anthropocene Review 2023
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license