IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i6p3145-d766210.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Constructed Wetlands as Nature-Based Solutions in the Post-COVID Agri-Food Supply Chain: Challenges and Opportunities

Author

Listed:
  • Vasileios Takavakoglou

    (Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization “DEMETER”, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
    Laboratory of General and Agricultural Hydraulics and Land Reclamation, Department of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Eleanna Pana

    (Laboratory of General and Agricultural Hydraulics and Land Reclamation, Department of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Dimitris Skalkos

    (Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece)

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the interchangeable link between human and nature. The health and socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 are directly or indirectly linked to the natural environment and to the way that agri-food systems interact with nature. Although the pandemic continues to evolve and there are still many uncertainties, important issues about the future of the agri-food sector and the need for a sustainable and environmentally friendly reformation are beginning to arise in society. Nature-based Solutions (NbSs) encompass a broad range of practices that can be introduced in the agri-food supply chain and address multiple environmental challenges of the COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 era while providing economic and societal benefits. In this perspective, the design and establishment of multifunctional constructed wetlands as NbSs opens a portfolio of eco-innovative options throughout the agri-food supply chain, offering a realistic and promising way towards the green regeneration of the post-COVID-19 economy and the welfare of society. The aim of this work is to explore the potential role of constructed wetlands as Nature-based Solutions in the agri-food supply chain of the forthcoming post-COVID-19 era. More specifically, this work aims to reveal application opportunities of constructed wetlands in the different segments of the agri-food supply chain, identify linkages with societal challenges and EU policies, and discuss their potential limitations, future challenges, and perspectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Vasileios Takavakoglou & Eleanna Pana & Dimitris Skalkos, 2022. "Constructed Wetlands as Nature-Based Solutions in the Post-COVID Agri-Food Supply Chain: Challenges and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-14, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3145-:d:766210
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3145/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3145/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hoang, Anh Tuan & Sandro Nižetić, & Olcer, Aykut I. & Ong, Hwai Chyuan & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Chong, Cheng Tung & Thomas, Sabu & Bandh, Suhaib A. & Nguyen, Xuan Phuong, 2021. "Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the global energy system and the shift progress to renewable energy: Opportunities, challenges, and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    2. Raymond, Christopher M. & Frantzeskaki, Niki & Kabisch, Nadja & Berry, Pam & Breil, Margaretha & Nita, Mihai Razvan & Geneletti, Davide & Calfapietra, Carlo, 2017. "A framework for assessing and implementing the co-benefits of nature-based solutions in urban areas," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 15-24.
    3. Matthew N. Hayek & Helen Harwatt & William J. Ripple & Nathaniel D. Mueller, 2021. "The carbon opportunity cost of animal-sourced food production on land," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 21-24, January.
    4. Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2014. "From Toilets to Rivers: Experiences, New Opportunities, and Innovative Solutions," ADB Reports RPT146362-2, Asian Development Bank (ADB), revised 10 Jul 2014.
    5. Chengxiang Zhang & Li Wen & Yuyu Wang & Cunqi Liu & Yan Zhou & Guangchun Lei, 2020. "Can Constructed Wetlands be Wildlife Refuges? A Review of Their Potential Biodiversity Conservation Value," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-18, February.
    6. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultura UNESCO, 2018. "Nature-Based Solutions For Water," Working Papers id:12643, eSocialSciences.
    7. Line J. Gordon, 2020. "The Covid-19 pandemic stress the need to build resilient production ecosystems," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(3), pages 645-646, September.
    8. Paul Lehmann & Silke Beck & Mariana Madruga de Brito & Erik Gawel & Matthias Groß & Annegret Haase & Robert Lepenies & Danny Otto & Johannes Schiller & Sebastian Strunz & Daniela Thrän, 2021. "Environmental Sustainability Post-COVID-19: Scrutinizing Popular Hypotheses from a Social Science Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    9. Dong Liu & Xu Wu & Jie Chang & Baojing Gu & Yong Min & Ying Ge & Yan Shi & Hui Xue & Changhui Peng & Jianguo Wu, 2012. "Constructed wetlands as biofuel production systems," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(3), pages 190-194, March.
    10. Alexandros I. Stefanakis, 2019. "The Role of Constructed Wetlands as Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Urban Water Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-19, December.
    11. Carla Guerriero & Andy Haines & Marco Pagano, 2020. "Health and sustainability in post-pandemic economic policies," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(7), pages 494-496, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anacleto Rizzo & Giulio Conte & Fabio Masi, 2021. "Adjusted Unit Value Transfer as a Tool for Raising Awareness on Ecosystem Services Provided by Constructed Wetlands for Water Pollution Control: An Italian Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-15, February.
    2. Cécile Hérivaux & Philippe Le Coent, 2021. "Introducing Nature into Cities or Preserving Existing Peri-Urban Ecosystems? Analysis of Preferences in a Rapidly Urbanizing Catchment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-34, January.
    3. Lei Li & Ali Cheshmehzangi & Faith Ka Shun Chan & Christopher D. Ives, 2021. "Mapping the Research Landscape of Nature-Based Solutions in Urbanism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-41, April.
    4. Douglas J. Spieles, 2022. "Wetland Construction, Restoration, and Integration: A Comparative Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-21, April.
    5. Remme, Roy P. & Meacham, Megan & Pellowe, Kara E. & Andersson, Erik & Guerry, Anne D. & Janke, Benjamin & Liu, Lingling & Lonsdorf, Eric & Li, Meng & Mao, Yuanyuan & Nootenboom, Christopher & Wu, Tong, 2024. "Aligning nature-based solutions with ecosystem services in the urban century," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    6. Larisa Gorina & Marina Gordova & Irina Khristoforova & Lyudmila Sundeeva & Wadim Strielkowski, 2023. "Sustainable Education and Digitalization through the Prism of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Tandarić, Neven & Ives, Christopher D. & Watkins, Charles, 2022. "From city in the park to “greenery in plant pots”: The influence of socialist and post-socialist planning on opportunities for cultural ecosystem services," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    8. Floris C. Boogaard & Guri Venvik & Rui L. Pedroso de Lima & Ana C. Cassanti & Allard H. Roest & Antal Zuurman, 2020. "ClimateCafé: An Interdisciplinary Educational Tool for Sustainable Climate Adaptation and Lessons Learned," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Mahsa Mesgar & Diego Ramirez-Lovering & Mohamed El-Sioufi, 2021. "Tension, Conflict, and Negotiability of Land for Infrastructure Retrofit Practices in Informal Settlements," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-15, November.
    10. Nancy Andrea Ramírez-Agudelo & Roger Porcar Anento & Miriam Villares & Elisabet Roca, 2020. "Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management in Peri-Urban Areas: Barriers and Lessons Learned from Implementation Experiences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-36, November.
    11. Paul Fesenfeld, Lukas & Maier, Maiken & Brazzola, Nicoletta & Stolz, Niklas & Sun, Yixian & Kachi, Aya, 2023. "How information, social norms, and experience with novel meat substitutes can create positive political feedback and demand-side policy change," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    12. Bi-Huei Tsai & Yao-Min Huang, 2023. "Comparing the Substitution of Nuclear Energy or Renewable Energy for Fossil Fuels between the United States and Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-16, June.
    13. Mutlu, Asli & Roy, Debraj & Filatova, Tatiana, 2023. "Capitalized value of evolving flood risks discount and nature-based solution premiums on property prices," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    14. Silverio HERNANDEZ-MORENO, 2019. "International Experiences On The Implementation Of Public Policies For Urban Planning To Face Climate Change," Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 14(2), pages 72-88, May.
    15. Ha, Le Thanh, 2022. "Storm after the Gloomy days: Influences of COVID-19 pandemic on volatility of the energy market," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    16. Talukder, Byomkesh & Hipel, Keith W., 2020. "Diagnosis of sustainability of trans-boundary water governance in the Great Lakes basin," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    17. Li, Zhi & Fang, Gonghuan & Chen, Yaning & Duan, Weili & Mukanov, Yerbolat, 2020. "Agricultural water demands in Central Asia under 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C global warming," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    18. Panagopoulos, Argyris, 2020. "A comparative study on minimum and actual energy consumption for the treatment of desalination brine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    19. Umberto Pernice & Francesca Coccon & Fabienne Horneman & Caterina Dabalà & Silvia Torresan & Laura Puertolas, 2024. "Co-Developing Business Plans for Upscaled Coastal Nature-Based Solutions Restoration: An Application to the Venice Lagoon (Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-39, October.
    20. Robinson, Sarah & Petrick, Martin, 2024. "Land access and feeding strategies in post-Soviet livestock husbandry: Evidence from a rangeland system in Kazakhstan," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3145-:d:766210. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.