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The Russian invasion of Ukraine illustrates the increasingly judicialized nature of international relations and geopolitics. By viewing aspects of the invasion as illegal – in particular through the identification of war crimes and crimes against humanity – the international response draws attention to the political geographies of international criminal investigation. Human rights groups, academics, journalists, and open-source forensic investigations have joined forces to collect, evaluate and analyze the violent nature of war crimes. While similar shifts in evidence gathering have been observed in the case of the Bosnia-Herzegovina war and the Assad regime's violence against Syrian citizens, the use of evidence-gathering technologies and evidence-securing institutions in the case of Ukraine is distinctive. In this scholarly intervention we seek to illustrate the intimate geopolitics of evidence gathering by zooming in on two different elements that shape evidential procedures in Ukraine: i) the blurring of civilian/military boundaries; and ii) the challenges of access. By evaluating what is new and what is similar to previous war sites, we suggest that these two areas reflect a geopolitics of evidence gathering, highlighting its global-local intimacies. Both these areas are well positioned to foster new research on the (geo)legal nature of war crimes in political geography and beyond.
The analysis of charcoal fragments in peat and lake sediments is the most widely used approach to reconstruct past biomass burning. With a few exceptions, this method typically relies on the quantification of the total charcoal content of the sediment. To enhance charcoal analyses for the reconstruction of past fire regimes and make the method more relevant to studies of both plant evolution and fire management, the extraction of more information from charcoal particles is critical. Here, I used a muffle oven to burn seven fuel types comprising 17 species from boreal Siberia (near Teguldet village), which are also commonly found in the Northern Hemisphere, and built on published schemes to develop morphometric and finer diagnostic classifications of the experimentally charred particles. I then combined these results with those from fossil charcoal from a peat core taken from the same location (Ulukh-Chayakh mire) in order to demonstrate the relevance of these experiments to the fossil charcoal records. Results show that graminoids, Sphagnum, and wood (trunk) lose the most mass at low burn temperatures (<300 ∘C), whereas heathland shrub leaves, brown moss, and ferns lose the most mass at high burn temperatures. This suggests that species with low mass retention in high-temperature fires are likely to be under-represented in the fossil charcoal record. The charcoal particle aspect ratio appeared to be the strongest indicator of the fuel type burnt. Graminoid charcoal particles are the most elongate (6.7–11.5), with a threshold above 6 that may be indicative of wetland graminoids; leaves are the shortest and bulkiest (2.1–3.5); and twigs and wood are intermediate (2.0–5.2). Further, the use of fine diagnostic features was more successful in separating wood, graminoids, and leaves, but it was difficult to further differentiate these fuel types due to overlapping features. High-aspect-ratio particles, dominated by graminoid and Sphagnum morphologies, may be robust indicators of low-temperature surface fires, whereas abundant wood and leaf morphologies as well as low-aspect-ratio particles are indicative of higher-temperature fires. However, the overlapping morphologies of leaves and wood from trees and shrubs make it hard to distinguish between high-intensity surface fires, combusting living shrubs and dead wood and leaves, and high-intensity crown fires that have burnt living trees. Distinct particle shape may also influence charcoal transportation, with elongated particles (graminoids) potentially having a more heterogeneous distribution and being deposited farther away from the origin of fire than the rounder, polygonal leaf particles. Despite these limitations, the combined use of charred-particle aspect ratios and fuel morphotypes can aid in the more robust interpretation of fuel source and fire-type changes. Lastly, I highlight the further investigations needed to refine the histories of past wildfires.
Drought is understood as both a lack of water (i.e., a deficit as compared to some requirement) and an anomaly in the condition of one or more components of the hydrological cycle. Most drought indices, however, only consider the anomaly aspect, i.e., how unusual the condition is. In this paper, we present two drought hazard indices that reflect both the deficit and anomaly aspects. The soil moisture deficit anomaly index, SMDAI, is based on the drought severity index, DSI, but is computed in a more straightforward way that does not require the definition of a mapping function. We propose a new indicator of drought hazard for water supply from rivers, the streamflow deficit anomaly index, QDAI, which takes into account the surface water demand of humans and freshwater biota. Both indices are computed and analyzed at the global scale, with a spatial resolution of roughly 50 km, for the period 1981-2010, using monthly time series of variables computed by the global water resources and the model WaterGAP2.2d. We found that the SMDAI and QDAI values are broadly similar to values of purely anomaly-based indices. However, the deficit anomaly indices provide more differentiated, spatial and temporal patterns that help to distinguish the degree of the actual drought hazard to vegetation health or the water supply. QDAI can be made relevant for stakeholders with different perceptions about the importance of ecosystem protection, by adapting the approach for computing the amount of water that is required to remain in the river for the well being of the river ecosystem. Both deficit anomaly indices are well suited for inclusion in local or global drought risk studies.
Anfang der 1990er Jahre haben die anglophonen Geographien damit begonnen, sich mit dem Verhältnis von Psychoanalyse und Stadt auseinanderzusetzen. Ausgehend hiervon kam es Anfang der 2000er Jahre zum Ausruf eines psychoanalytic turn und zur Etablierung von Subdisziplinen, wie den psychoanalytic geographies und der psychoanalytic planning theory, die in den letzten Jahren zu etablierten Bestandteilen der wissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzung mit Städten im anglophonen Raum geworden sind. Da ein solcher turn hierzulande ausgeblieben ist, stellt sich dieser Beitrag die Frage nach dem Potential einer psychoanalytischen Stadtforschung im deutschsprachigen Raum. Hierzu verfolgt der Autor die These, dass die Stadt bereits in ihrer Entstehung durch das Unbewusste heimgesucht wird. Das urbane Unbewusste kennzeichnet eine Art konstitutiven Störfaktor, der sich in die Topologie der Stadt einschreibt und die Stadt als Objekt (der Stadtforschung) in letzter Instanz unmöglich macht. Ausgehend von dieser Unmöglichkeit, geht der Beitrag den Fantasien rund um die sozialen, politischen und materiellen Verhältnisse einer Stadt nach. Fantasien spielen aus Sicht der psychoanalytischen Stadtforschung eine zentrale Rolle, um der Stadt eine illusorische Konsistenz zu verleihen und das urbane Unbewusste auf Distanz zu halten. Sie ermöglichen es, sich die Stadt vorzustellen, sie zu fühlen und über sie zu sprechen. Der Beitrag endet schließlich mit ein paar Worten zu den Herausforderungen einer künftigen Erschließung der Psychoanalyse für kritische Stadtforschung.
In order to encourage a shift from the car to the more sustainable transport mode of cycling, cycle streets have been implemented in cities all over the world in the last few years. In these shared streets, the entire carriageway is designated for cyclists, while motorized traffic is subordinated. However, evidence on the impact of cycle street interventions related to travel behavior change has been limited until now. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether cycle streets are an effective measure to facilitate bicycle use and discourage car use, thus contributing to the aim of promoting sustainable travel. For this purpose, we conducted a written household survey in the German city of Offenbach am Main involving participants affected by a cycle street intervention (n = 701). Based on two stage models of self-regulated behavioral change (SSBC), we identified the participants’ level of willingness to use a bicycle frequently and to reduce car use. By means of bivariate and multivariate statistical methods, we analyzed the influence of awareness, use, and perceptions of the cycle street on the willingness to change behavior towards more sustainable travel. The results show that the intervention has a positive impact on frequent bicycle use, while we observed only a limited effect on car use reduction. Traffic conflicts and car speeding within the cycle street adversely affect the acceptance of the intervention. The study’s findings provide new insights into the actual effects of a cycle street and its potential to encourage sustainable travel behavior.
Worldwide, academics and practitioners are developing ‘planning-oriented’ approaches to reduce the negative impacts of car traffic for more sustainable urban and transport development. One such example is the design of car-reduced neighborhoods, although these are controversial issues in the hegemonic ‘system’ of automobility. Despite the reduction of emissions and frequent recognition as ‘best practice examples’, ‘planning-critical’ research questions the underlying objectives and narratives of such sustainable developments. Our study contributes to this research perspective by improving the understanding of narratives that emerge along with car-reduced housing developments. For this purpose, we analyze two car-reduced neighborhoods in the City of Darmstadt (Germany) by conducting interviews with different actors involved in the planning and implementation processes. Our investigation reveals that the development of car-reduced neighborhoods (i) is consciously embedded in the context of sustainability, (ii) is characterized by power relations, (iii) follows normative indicators, and (iv) does not always correspond to lived realities. Altogether, the traced narratives of car-reduced neighborhoods are embedded in the overarching debate on sustainability, while at the same time revealing the dependence of society on the automobile. Thus, the hegemonic ‘system’ of automobility—although it is beginning to crack—continues to exist.
To quantify water flows between groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW) as well as the impact of Abstract. To quantify water flows between groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW) as well as the impact of capillary rise on evapotranspiration by global hydrological models (GHMs), it is necessary to replace the bucket-like linear GW reservoir model typical for hydrological models with a fully integrated gradient-based GW flow model. Linear reservoir models can only simulate GW discharge to SW bodies, provide no information on the location of the GW table and assume that there is no GW flow among grid cells. A gradient-based GW model simulates not only GW storage but also hydraulic head, which together with information on SW table elevation enables the quantification of water flows from GW to SW and vice versa. In addition, hydraulic heads are the basis for calculating lateral GW flow among grid cells and capillary rise.
G³M is a new global gradient-based GW model with a spatial resolution of 5' that will replace the current linear GW reservoir in the 0.5° WaterGAP Global Hydrology Model (WGHM). The newly developed model framework enables inmemory coupling to WGHM while keeping overall runtime relatively low, allowing sensitivity analyses and data assimilation. This paper presents the G³M concept and specific model design decisions together with results under steady-state naturalized conditions, i.e. neglecting GW abstractions. Cell-specific conductances of river beds, which govern GW-SW interaction, were determined based on the 30'' steady-state water table computed by Fan et al. (2013). Together with an appropriate choice for the effective elevation of the SW table within each grid cell, this enables a reasonable simulation of drainage from GW to SW such that, in contrast to the GW model of de Graaf et al. (2015, 2017), no additional drainage based on externally provided values for GW storage above the floodplain is required in G³M. Comparison of simulated hydraulic heads to observations around the world shows better agreement than de Graaf et al. (2015). In addition, G³M output is compared to the output of two established macro-scale models for the Central Valley, California, and the continental United States, respectively. As expected, depth to GW table is highest in mountainous and lowest in flat regions. A first analysis of losing and gaining rivers and lakes/wetlands indicates that GW discharge to rivers is by far the dominant flow, draining diffuse GW recharge, such that lateral flows only become a large fraction of total diffuse and focused recharge in case of losing rivers and some areas with very low GW recharge. G³M does not represent losing rivers in some dry regions. This study presents the first steps towards replacing the linear GW reservoir model in a GHM while improving on recent efforts, demonstrating the feasibility of the approach and the robustness of the newly developed framework.
In global hydrological models, groundwater (GW) is typically represented by a bucket-like linear groundwater reservoir. Reservoir models, however, (1) can only simulate GW discharge to surface water (SW) bodies but not recharge from SW to GW, (2) provide no information on the location of the GW table, and (3) assume that there is no GW flow among grid cells. This may lead, for example, to an underestimation of groundwater resources in semiarid areas where GW is often replenished by SW or to an underestimation of evapotranspiration where the GW table is close to the land surface. To overcome these limitations, it is necessary to replace the reservoir model in global hydrological models with a hydraulic head gradient-based GW flow model.
We present G3M, a new global gradient-based GW model with a spatial resolution of 5′ (arcminutes), which is to be integrated into the 0.5∘ WaterGAP Global Hydrology Model (WGHM). The newly developed model framework enables in-memory coupling to WGHM while keeping overall runtime relatively low, which allows sensitivity analyses, calibration, and data assimilation. This paper presents the G3M concept and model design decisions that are specific to the large grid size required for a global-scale model. Model results under steady-state naturalized conditions, i.e., neglecting GW abstractions, are shown. Simulated hydraulic heads show better agreement to observations around the world compared to the model output of de Graaf et al. (2015). Locations of simulated SW recharge to GW are found, as is expected, in dry and mountainous regions but areal extent of SW recharge may be underestimated. Globally, GW discharge to rivers is by far the dominant flow component such that lateral GW flows only become a large fraction of total diffuse and focused recharge in the case of losing rivers, some mountainous areas, and some areas with very low GW recharge. A strong sensitivity of simulated hydraulic heads to the spatial resolution of the model and the related choice of the water table elevation of surface water bodies was found. We suggest to investigate how global-scale groundwater modeling at 5′ spatial resolution can benefit from more highly resolved land surface elevation data.
Im Beitrag entwickeln wir einen kritischen Blick auf die Geographie der Wahlergebnisse der Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) bei den Bundestagswahlen 2017. Wir hinterfragen Erklärungsmuster, die in einem starren Stadt-Land-Gegensatz verhaftet bleiben und die komplexe Prozesshaftigkeit der Urbanisierung ignorieren. Dagegen gehen wir mit Henri Lefebvre und Theodor W. Adorno vom Urbanen und Ruralen als sozialen Verhältnissen aus, die sich im übergeordneten Prozess der Urbanisierung in dialektischer Weise scheiden sowie räumlich im Spannungsverhältnis von Zentrum und Peripherie materialisieren. Beispielhaft illustrieren wir diesen Prozess in der Diskussion von drei unterschiedlichen Orten, an denen die AfD bei den Bundestagswahlen besonders erfolgreich war: dem Landkreis Vorpommern-Greifswald als Fall einer umfassenden Peripherisierung, dem Quartier Pforzheim-Haidach als peripheres Zentrum und dem Stadtteil Mannheim-Schönau als zentrale Peripherie. Der Beitrag versucht damit eine räumliche Perspektive auf aktuelle Erfolge des Rechtspopulismus zu entwickeln wie auch Stadt-Land-Verhältnisse konzeptionell neu zu erfassen.
Nach einer Pressemitteilung des Statistischen Bundesamtes (2018) hatten von allen in Deutschland erfassten Lohn- und Einkommensteuerpflichtigen 19.000 Einkünfte von mindestens einer Million Euro. Dass Arbeit aber nicht die vorrangige Methode ist, um reich zu werden und zu bleiben, kann man daran erkennen, dass die Zahl der High-Net-Worth-Individuals (HNWI) mit mehr als einer Million Euro Vermögen jene der Einkommensmillionär_innen im Jahr 2017 um 1.345.600 in Deutschland überstieg. Auch die Entwicklung der HNWI ist in Deutschland günstiger als die der Einkommensmillionär_innen. Dem Statistischen Bundesamt zufolge nahm die Zahl der Einkommensmillionär_innen von 2013 bis 2018 "lediglich" um 1.600 zu (Statistisches Bundesamt 2018). Dem World Wealth Report 2018 von Capgemini zufolge konnten sich aber alleine von 2016 bis 2017 85.000 Personen mehr in Deutschland als HNWI bezeichnen (Capgemini 2018). Ganz offensichtlich ist Arbeit weniger erfolgversprechend, wenn man sich auf den Weg machen will, Millionär_in zu werden. Dies gilt nicht nur in Deutschland, sondern ist ein weit verbreitetes Phänomen. Es hat ganz einfach damit zu tun, dass Vermögen geringer besteuert wird als das Einkommen.