Abstract: This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of Editor. The authors have plagiarized part of a book Veins of Desert, by Semsar Yazdi, Ali Asghar; Labbaf Khaneiki, Majid published by UNESCO-ICQHS, 2010 pages 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 44, 156, 157 and 158. One of the conditions of submission of a paper for publication is that authors declare explicitly that their work is original and has not appeared in a publication elsewhere. Re-use of any data should be appropriately cited.

Abstract: Living in a harsh, desert climate, Omani rural communities have developed locally-appropriate knowledge to deal with water scarcity. Similar to the qanat, the aflaj taps into the natural water table and uses a gravity system to channel water through underground channels to villages. Traditional techniques of water management, such as the aflaj, represents a way of adapting to and coping with difficult climates which have persisted for millennia. However, knowledge systems have often ‘decayed’ with the onset of modernity. These management systems, which developed concurrently with early Omani date palm cultivation, have defined customary and hereditary water rights which are in decline. This article uses Ostrom’s Common Pool Resource (CPR) framework, which prioritises the collective management of shared resources to maximise the benefit for all involved and avoid diminishing benefits that are created by the pursuit of individual goals. Using this framework, this article’s evaluation of the literature found that traditional aflaj management systems have a great capacity to evolve and, therefore, the aflaj represents both a dying system, and a potential for climate adaptation. Historically, aflaj have been managed by ancient water users associations, which provide social controls and govern usage norms. The findings of this review are that the aflaj system’s ability to respond to pressures of modernity from competing institutions, including markets, and embedded social capital mechanisms will influence its capacity to mitigate uncertain hydrology and climate. This article suggests ways in which the management of the aflaj can adapt to a multiple institutional framework to ‘transform’ collective water management.

Abstract: Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden beispielhaft unterschiedliche Ansätze des Risikomanagements und das Verständnis von Nachhaltigkeit in der Wasserwirtschaft dargelegt. Die Darstellung richtet sich insbesondere an Leser aus anderen Fachdisziplinen, wie das Rechts- und Finanzwesen, den Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau oder auch die sozialen Berufe. Die Zusammenhänge werden überblicksartig mit einzelnen konkreten Beispielen dargestellt mit dem Fokus auf die grundsätzlichen Denk- und Vorgehensweisen.

Abstract: Today’s cities face the challenge of climate change adaptation worldwide. In this context, prevention of damage caused by flash floods plays an important role. This requires a cooperative pluvial flood risk management approach, which includes planning, technical, and administrative measures and involves preliminary flood risk analyses. This article outlines the main components of this risk management approach, which has proven its effectiveness in Europe. The recommendations formulated for this purpose are applicable or adaptable to regions with other constraints, such as China, for example.

Abstract: Paleohydrological data from the African tropics and subtropics, including lake, groundwater and speleothem records, are reviewed to show how environments and climates from both hemispheres are inter-related. Although orbitally induced changes in the monsoon strength account for a large part of long-term climatic changes in tropical Africa, the Late Pleistocene–Holocene hydrological fluctuations rather appear to have been a series of abrupt events that reflect complex interactions between orbital forcing, atmosphere, ocean and land surface conditions. During the Last Glacial Maximum (23–18ka BP), most records indicate that generally dry conditions have prevailed in both hemispheres, associated with lower tropical land- and sea-surface temperatures. This agrees with simulations using coupled ocean–atmosphere models, which predict cooling and reduced summer precipitation in tropical Africa; the global hydrological cycle was weaker than today when the extent of large polar ice-sheets and sea-ice was a prominent forcing factor of the Earth’s climate. Glacial-interglacial climatic changes started early: a first wetting/warming phase at ca. 17–16ka BP took place during a period of rapid temperature increase in Antarctica. Next, two drastic arid-humid transitions in equatorial and northern Africa occurred around 15–14.5ka BP and 11.5–11ka BP. Both are thought to match the major Greenland warming events, in concert with the switching of the oceanic thermohaline circulation to modern mode. However, part of the climatic signal after 15 ka BP also seems related to the Antarctica climate. During the Holocene, Africa has also experienced rapid hydrological fluctuations of dramatic magnitude compared to the climatic changes at high latitudes. In particular, major dry spells occurred around 8.4–8ka and 4.2–4ka BP in the northern monsoon domain. Comparison with other parts of the world indicates that these events have a worldwide distribution but different regional expressions. In the absence of large polar ice sheets, changes in the continental hydrological cycles in the tropics may have a significant impact on the global climate system. Climate information gathered here allows to identify geographical and methodological gaps, and raise some scientific questions that remain to be solved to better understand how the tropics respond to changes in major climate-forcing factors, and how they influence climate globally.