Food Security through LULUC into LULUCF

Post industrial LULUC momentum has destroyed fertile soils, irrigation water resources, and other requisites of floral and faunal food worldwide. Situation of environment has dramatically changed from its 20th century formal commencement hereinafter named ENV.20 to the 20st century version ENV.20. Differential between two version is apparently GHG emission while factually it is expelling of freshwater segment of the Hydrosphere equitably in each country whether rich or poor.  Tilt-chemicalized agriculture is not natural ecosystem but dominant controller of world food supplies and major cause of soil carbon/biodegradable GHG emissions. LULUC transformation to LULUCF is not easy task and also sounds eccentric to food security but it is the exclusive solution for dual purpose of CCM - CCA to humanity under dual threat of hunger-thirst once global warming exceeds 1.5 degree C and gets out of control above 2 degree centigrade. LULUCF attempt can automatically impose conservation/enhancement of freshwater and soils. 

Averting threat of food security under climate change is prime concern of humanity which has linked multiple hopes to 17SDG2030 UN Agenda of PA2015. SDG-2 of the international climate accord has specified fear of hunger even to those who never experienced it. SDG-1 calling for eradication of poverty is not new subject like SDG-2 but is integral part of ENV.21. Once-through socioeconomic development of the world has raised need for SDG-1 & 2 inclusion in Paris Agreement at a time when there is not abundant fertile soils and irrigation water left behind.

Climate change is already showing biting teeth in countries such as Pakistan where basic food commodities have never been that stressed as in second decade of the current century. Probably, the top ranking irrigation system of the country has fallen victim to various LULUC problems and national communities feeling severe hardships. The problem and solution is not localized or regional drought condition addressing but oriented to far greater food security pandemic projected against global temperature increment above 1.5 degree C. As such national and international population counts are vulnerable.  Dominant factors contributing to the problem are of course shortage of irrigation water and non availability of cultivable land.  

This proposal is dual edged in food security as; saving the concerned human lives from climate change so that they remain capable of food bite, and ensuring adequate healthy food to eaters. Fundamental concept of LULUC transformation to LULUCF is liberating fertile soils from land use change rigidity. LULUCF under UNFCCC regulation is GHG inventory control sector while TWREEC tends to borrow it for food security as well. Direct charge of LULUC may be multidimensional in constructed and open configurations under private, autonomous, or governmental jurisdictions. Exhausted mining sites can hardly be naturally re-fertilized easily, nor a built manmade structure de-rooted for forestation but induction of food security can capaciously be availed. Urban and dedicated locations of various institutions including academic have drastic LULUCF potentials in majority countries. Open category LULUC might not be intentional such as waterlogged stretches, wetlands, and mangrove ranges. Negotiating self and national sufficiency of food growth and responsible consumption in line with SDG-12 is part of the offered solution. Intermediate steps of LULUC and LULUCF extremes involves state of the art CCM-CCA engineering actions which are project location specific and significantly field tested TWREEC R&D ingredients to be furthered if this financial support is achieved.

As a climate change consequence food security threat is hard to be focused on specific populations turned its target. It is unification at global scale but with due variances. Traditional agricultural practice has remarkably strengthened food security but at huge cost of LULUC and water stress. For instance, a kg cane sugar retail sold in Pakistan around $0.5/kg has irrigation water footprint of 45,000 liters which at bottled water minimum price ten cents per liter of quality groundwater equates to $4,500/kg. Improving lives of such unaware populations is not handy but inevitable. Food security is just exposed edge of the CCM-CCA iceberg but yet command of the LULUC-LULUCF project which can hardly be amplified nationally without governmental involvement and internationally without SDG-17 of the Paris Agreement. At TWREEC pilot scale proposed project is tiny but its global scale-up practically illustrative.

Food for human being is output of feed to crops and livestock so this project solution serves either category with special emphasis on reduced wastes and enhanced recycling for cultivation and harvesting from source points previously ignored. Positive impacts on lives can be counted as healthy survival & civilization, conservation of natural resources, poverty alleviation, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Mode of food security proposed via this channel is unique in multiple directions and dimensions as highlighted below;

• Low cost food security.
• Wastewater resource efficiency.
• Recycling of municipal, agro-forestry and industrial bio-wastes.
• GHG emission control through REDD+ and LULUCF.

LULUC is rigidity which in itself is hard to overcome for LULUCF purposes,. Of course, LULUC has multiple vectors of constructed, exposed and planned environment. Constructed LULUC may undergo revisions for succession of more materially rewarding rigidity such as rural to urban, urban to industrial etc. Behavior change campaigns are internationally recognized as essential CCM-CCA actions however population alignment is challenge.

TWREEC is active in environmental problems and their solutions worldwide since the years 1990 when there were only rumers that $3 per barrel carbon tax on petroleum can save the world from global warming. It was never implemented because there were no CCM guidelines. After PA2015 it has been clarified that GHG emissions have constituted $550 trillion climate change threat and CCM engineering is not in a position to cater for a guaranteed solution. TWREEC R&D is basically for developing countries and so is this LULUC upgrading project which is not only natural CCM but CCA too in practical significance. Almost all 17 SDG goals of Paris Agreement UN agenda are centripetal to SDG-13 and SDG-2 ''Zero Hunger'' is ultimate aftermath if global warming continues unchecked. We believe competitors like trillion tree and alike should have LULUCF reference in their respective school of thought but the way TWREEC proposes the solution can be comprehended in and by any country having desire for sustainable survival and civilization through national reliance and resilience. Our pilot scale findings are decades long struggle based because we practically know what is hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere in common and under definite custody. 

Land and soil remediation, Water and wastewater engineering, SWM, EIA/ESIA, CCM engineering, and CCA.

LULUC soils can hardly be reclaimed without pollution cleanup. Ground and surface water require that exploitation, treatment and reuse measure which were barely exercised during the 20th century modernism. Universities seldom mentioned GHG emission as future challenge. Latest sanitary landfills are almost GHG emitting explosive factories. Pre-requisite EIA has rarely been respected for launching mega projects outcome of which is LULUC rigidity not allowing 21st century environmental actions. ESIA is so far only theoretical face makeup on EIA. Freshwater resources from climate change point of view are under wrong practices worldwide. For LULUC advancement to LULUCF applied know-how of water & wastewater engineering is misfit to sustainability. TWREEC recommends engineered RWH, abandonment of closed circuit wastewater system, slowdown of urbanization transition of rural settings, storage of glacier melting in ground aquifers rather than surface dams, and piped flow against opened irrigation. Switchover is difficult but realistic especially in developing countries.

CCM engineering despite proven technological features is industrially considered task beyond technology while food security perk association with natural CCM via LULUCF is daylight evident to TWREEC because we have done it and can scale up to any scale funding is made available. Unfortunately, TWREEC has exhausted whatever it had for super-tech R&D simply because our work was not understood in developmentally handicapped homeland.

In a single sentence TWREEC theory of change is replacing environmental SET discipline of the 20th century by mandatory requisite of the 21st century. ENV.20 has no past history of formal knowledge and kno-how and ENV.21 is vulnerable to future history. Salient description is provided below;

As a pretext to TWREEC logical framework it may be remarked that world situation is not too smooth for launching ENV.21 replacement to ENV.20 which has turned obsolete so quick to its newest SET entry. Next UN climate summit Cop26 scheduled 9-20 November 2020 has been delayed by a year due to pandemic. Covid19 seemingly is not environmental technicality but has affected socioeconomic and environmental systems of every country without a single exception. 20th century was originator of environmental SET which till 1980 was not well known for its global practicality of air, water and land pollution except to university professors and post-graduate students. Within a decade air pollution from its environmentally controlled form emerged as GHG emission but never paid attention in advanced countries. Developing countries being dependents on advanced counterparts as manpower or raw material suppliers and finished product importers did attempt non-GHG portion of environment for basic needs of water treatment for selective urban supply, wastewater sewerage, and solid waste management in duplication of advanced world practices but largely deficiently. GHG emission linkage to gaseous, liquid and solid wastes – GLSW when probed in detail led to 21st Paris Agreement 2015 which constituted 17SDG2030 UN Agenda Goals. 20th century heap of environmental problems were presumed to be confronted without time schedule binding and many poor countries presumed compatible national development as prerequisite for launching such initiatives.

Correlating GHG emission to each socioeconomic and environment plan of a nation is impractical while carbon footprint calculations have commenced alongside freshwater, LULUC foot print of each activity. Activities, outputs and outcomes of TOC formulated by TWREEC desk work, pilot and field studies correlate various LULUCF transformation functions ridden with specific challenges which researchers, project experts, governments, and society must jointly participate. LULUC -LULUCF is exclusively remnant mode of food security under hot climate worldwide.

Quantification of populations served currently, a year ahead, or in coming 5 years may not be looked upon on LULUC to LULUCF upgrading project because it is not a new exposed or glasshouse cultivation project. LULUC has multiple specifications within countries, across the region and internationally. Natural ecological environment - NEE, man-made environment -MME, and social system environment -SSE have different interactions with this unique project. LULUC is anthropogenic depredation from NEE under acts of MME and SSE performance of the past still going on aggressively by near and far future projects related to the following socioeconomic activities worldwide without notable exceptions;

• Infrastructure
• Mining and quarrying.
• Urbanization
• Industrial construction
• Services and utilities 
• Others

 These are all vital sectors of socioeconomic activity so LULUCF upgrading has to be re-negotiated with relevant authorities, entities, and pressure groups for securing future survival and civilization of dependent populations.

Expending the project nationally and internationally if adequate support is manageable.

Financial: TWREEC is not in strong financial position because it has never been aided by national and international institutions. All accomplishments are self-supported by the founder director.

Technical: Technologically whole world whether rich or poor has surrendered to climate change as evident from international progress on 17SDG2030 UN Agenda of PA2015. Technologies are available but not compatible with SCOW. TWREEC has sorted out functional SET for affordable deployment otherwise our expertise is more biased to industrial CCM (CCS & DAC) rather than natural CCM-CCA.

Legally there is no barrier because Pakistan is front line victim of climate change and governments doing what they understand or can within MRVs because Pakistan is party to PA2015.

Cultural barriers directly proportional to developmental status of a nation or region has strong influence on promotion or demotion of unique undertakings and this factor is proven reality.

Market barriers of climate change initiatives are differently expressed by developed and undeveloped languages. Socioeconomic struggle of the 20th century could not afford environment as a supplementary market affair while 21st century environmentalism is core of international existence of the socioeconomic systems.

These barriers are known and have to be confronted with for survival and civilization at earth duration of which at GHG timeline has been reduced from 20,000 years to a few decades with fears of food scarcity and future of man-made environment.  

As a part of 17SDG2030 PA2015 sponsorship in general SDG-17 in particular which is the only hope.

Amongst the international climate research and consulting organizations ’’Third World Resources, Energy and Environment Center-TWREEC’’ is perhaps the first one established by Rashid Ahmed – an international hydrocarbon-hydrological engineer of Pakistan during the year 1990 motivated by that time unrealized looming concern that two vital natural resources (HC and HYDRO) of the earth planet are at head on collision course. Others like; ‘’Green Cross International’’ established by ex-USSR President Gorbachev, ‘’Climate Reality’’, ‘’Water Keeper’’, and ‘’ICE911’’ established by ex. USA Vice President Al Gore, Senator R.F. Kennedy, and MIT-UC Berkeley lady engineer Dr. Leslie Field, respectively,  emerged years later. 

Around a score engaged on need basis.

A global preview indicates that too few international CCM-CCA organizations are well-positioned to deliver PA2015 challenges which in integrity handling have 17SDG2030 synergism. TWREEC is not as influential as it should have been within its origin country and so internationally but is persistently struggling for an unprcedented global cause. 

Climate change techno-scientific oddity is unprecedented but focused at saving the earth planet from socioeconomic extinction anyway at any cost. A number of CCM projects such as; acid spaying the stratosphere, cloud whitening, alkaline chemical filled artificial forests, DAC, covering the earth planet ice surface with reflective glass beads, installing space mirror stations etc. are active at differing stages in advanced countries. With certain exceptions, these CCM actions are for global warming effect reduction. On the contrary, TWREEC efforts on CCS/CCUS are focused at global warming root-cause reduction in international techno-economic competition.

            Founder Director: Mr. Rashid Ahmed, B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, UET – Lahore (1972), M.E. Environmental Engineering, AIT – Bangkok (1980), PAT – Canada, USA, and France. International employment and consulting: oil & gas, seawater desalination, environmental engineering projects – Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. Companies worked with/served for: OGDC – Pakistan, KOC – Kuwait, VEBA Oil – Germany/PETROCANADA – Libya, Exploration Consultants Ltd. – USA/RPS Energy – UK/PETROBANGLA – Bangladesh. Author of several national award winner world class engineering books in oil, gas, environment and SDG spheres, and is originator of several CCM-CCA projects from TWREEC – Pakistan platform.

Many nationally and internationally including EU Commission.

TWREEC is R&D organization on CCM-CCA affairs. Value provided to populations served is on 17SDG2030 scale of impacts while revenue generation is climate economic charged without direct charge to TWREEC financial position. ENV.21 products and services though targeted to individuals have national and international channels of event flow. Populations unlike ENV.20 market products do not have clarity of wants and needs but TWREEC buisness model considers food security through LULUC upgrading to LULULCF as a huge investment opportunity of national and international levels through availing spare provisions, modifying or re-mobilizing LULUC under reformed MME and SSE. PA2015 in-between the line messages reversal of world socioeconomic system to pre-industrial conditions but task schedule is too tight and NEE not in freedom from MME and SSE forced occupation.

Food system security through LULUCF has much elevated vitality than reformed agriculture. TWREEC proposal has availed this SOLVE topic for indirectly comprehending whole lot of non-fossil energy CCM and CCA edge. Why are we applying to Solve, may better be answered by reciting TWREEC brief history rather than referring back to 'barriers'.

Mission of other esteemed CCM-CCA organizations (Green Cross, Climate Reality, Waterkeeper, and ice911) mentioned in TWREEC profile corresponds to green economy transition, air pollution control, water resources protection, and prevention of continental/polar climate ice melt. European and American research organization quickly attained powerful world status of ‘Climate Campaigners’ as their updates sent to TWREEC regularly indicate. Paradoxically, TWREEC, comprehending the same full range CCM & CCA functions for developing countries and exceptional R&D for the entire world continues pondering about sustenance but somehow continuing its projects for 17SDG2030 UN Agenda of Paris Climate Accord 2015 through meager resources of the founder director. Biomass decomposition GHG controlling/organic de-carbonizing BCCMAP and hydrocarbon combustion/cold GHG emission abating/combating inorganic OGCCM, CO2pH-DAC, and JOGCDP are cost-effective TWREEC competitors to multi-trillion dollar uncertain geo-engineering, DAC, and SRM endeavors being launched or planned by world-renowned climate scientists or techno-engineering innovators. 

TWREEC is a Third World organization attempting Super World task. Such trillions of dollar undertaking cannot gain foothold in poor countries starving for each dollar needed to run ordinary socioeconomic BAO. In case TWREEC has access to adequate resources we have several half-left CCM-CCA projects achieved after day and night devotion to search sustainable solutions for socioeconomic development, multi-directional environmental, and climate change challenges.  

Any willing at mutually rewarding terms.