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

TY - JOUR

T1 - Using lake sediments to assess the long-term impacts of anthropogenic activity in tropical river deltas

AU - Walton, Richard E

AU - Moorhouse, Heather L

AU - Roberts, Lucy R

AU - Salgado, Jorge

AU - Ladd, Cai JT

AU - Do, Nga Thu

AU - Panizzo, Virginia N

AU - Van, Pham Dang Tri

AU - Downes, Nigel K

AU - Trinh, Duc Anh

AU - McGowan, Suzanne

AU - Taylor, Sarah

AU - Henderson, Andrew CG

N1 - Data archiving: no data

PY - 2023/10/9

Y1 - 2023/10/9

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

U2 - 10.1177/20530196231204334

DO - 10.1177/20530196231204334

M3 - Article

SN - 2053-0196

JO - Anthropocene Review

JF - Anthropocene Review

ER -