Water and climate in megacities and the contribution of nuclear science and technology to ecosystems and their services

Abstract

The loss of the services provided by ecosystems affects the well-being of people and compromises development in its multiple dimensions. In megacities, the promotion of human well-being and the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and their services are urgent global challenges, especially as a function of the growing expansion of water scarcity and its tendency to worsen due to the effects of climate change. This article addresses the growing use and application of nuclear science and technology for the conservation, assessment, and restoration of ecosystems and their services. It focus on water security and climate change, and on how this contributes to the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tools based on nuclear science provide solutions for the development of "climate-smart" agricultural methods; the study of terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric systems; monitoring how climate change affects the environment and GHG routes, and their distribution and impact on ecosystems, among other aspects. Nuclear technologies are used for wastewater treatment, identification of pollution sources, studies on the quality and quantity of water resources, and adaptation to climate change. The demystification of nuclear science and technology and the increase in collaboration between the ecosystem services and nuclear areas, and society as a whole, are fundamental for facing the global challenges related to water and climate in large cities.