Interdisciplinary assessment of sea-level rise and climate change impacts on the lower Nile delta, Egypt.

CLImate-induced changes on WAter and SECurity (CLIWASEC) was a cluster of three complementary EC-FP7 projects assessing climate-change impacts throughout the Mediterranean on: hydrological cycles (CLIMB - CLimate-Induced changes on the hydrology of Mediterranean Basins); water security (WASSERMed - Water Availability and Security in Southern EuRope and the Mediterranean) and human security connected with possible hydro-climatic conflicts (CLICO - CLImate change hydro-COnflicts and human security). The Nile delta case study was common between the projects. CLIWASEC created an integrated forum for modelling and monitoring to understand potential impacts across sectors. This paper summarises key results from an integrated assessment of potential challenges to water-related security issues, focusing on expected sea-level rise impacts by the middle of the century. We use this common focus to illustrate the added value of project clustering. CLIWASEC pursued multidisciplinary research by adopting a single research objective: sea-level rise related water security threats, resulting in a more holistic view of problems and potential solutions. In fragmenting research, policy-makers can fail to understand how multiple issues can materialize from one driver. By combining efforts, an integrated assessment of water security threats in the lower Nile is formulated, offering policy-makers a clearer picture of inter-related issues to society and environment. The main issues identified by each project (land subsidence, saline intrusion - CLIMB; water supply overexploitation, land loss - WASSERMed; employment and housing security - CLICO), are in fact related. Water overexploitation is exacerbating land subsidence and saline intrusion, impacting on employment and placing additional pressure on remaining agricultural land and the underdeveloped housing market. All these have wider implications for regional development. This richer understanding could be critical in making better policy decisions when attempting to mitigate climate and social change impacts. The CLIWASEC clustering offers an encouraging path for the new European Commission Horizon 2020 programme to follow.

Minério de ferro, geologia econômica e redes de experts entre Wisconsin e Minas Gerais, 1881-1914 / Iron ore, economic geology and networks of experts between Wisconsin and the state of Minas Gerais, 1881-1914

O presente artigo trata da “descoberta” do minério de ferro brasileiro a partir de duas perspectivas. A primeira analisa a crescente ênfase das geociências em sua aplicação prática e em sua globalidade desde a segunda metade do século XIX. Enquanto no Brasil a geologia econômica foi integrada passo a passo às instituições do Estado, no nível global ela viveu momento de triunfo com o 11 o Congresso Geológico Internacional, em 1910. A segunda trata de uma rede social específica com papel decisivo na corrida pelo minério de ferro brasileiro: experts transnacionais movimentandose entre as lógicas do mercado e as da academia. O artigo mostra a importância das negociações locais na incorporação do subsolo mineiro ao espaço global de mineração.

This article deals with the “discovery” of Brazilian iron ore from two perspectives. The first examines the increasing emphasis of the geosciences and their practical application and global reach since the second half of the nineteenth century. While in Brazil economic geology was integrated step by step into state institutions, at the global level it experienced its moment of triumph with the 11th International Geological Congress in 1910. The second deals with a specific social network with a decisive role in the race for Brazilian iron ore: with transnational experts juggling between the logic of the market and that of the academy. The article reveals the importance of local negotiations in the incorporation of the subsoil of Minas Gerais into the global space of mining.

[Iron ore, economic geology and networks of experts between Wisconsin and the state of Minas Gerais, 1881-1914]. / Minério de ferro, geologia econômica e redes de experts entre Wisconsin e Minas Gerais, 1881-1914.

This article deals with the "discovery" of Brazilian iron ore from two perspectives. The first examines the increasing emphasis of the geosciences and their practical application and global reach since the second half of the nineteenth century. While in Brazil economic geology was integrated step by step into state institutions, at the global level it experienced its moment of triumph with the 11th International Geological Congress in 1910. The second deals with a specific social network with a decisive role in the race for Brazilian iron ore: with transnational experts juggling between the logic of the market and that of the academy. The article reveals the importance of local negotiations in the incorporation of the subsoil of Minas Gerais into the global space of mining.