title: Reservoir Life Expectancy in Relation to Climate and Land-Use Changes: Case Study of the Mangla Reservoir in Pakistan

authors: Sarwar, Saleem

abstract: The dams and reservoirs are one of the largest sources to store surface water. The escalating water crisis in the new millennium has made it very important to preserve available water and in turn to preserve the storage capacity of dams and reservoirs. Dams and reservoirs lose their capacity due to sedimentation. Climate change and land-use changes have the potential to generate more sediment load hence accelerating this depleting process. An example is the Mangla Dam in Pakistan - the second largest dam in the country. Agriculture in the Punjab province, with almost 65% of the country’s population, is dependent on this dam. Due to sedimentation, the Mangla Reservoir has already lost 20% of its original storage capacity and an accelerated capacity loss is expected due to climate and land-use changes in the future.

The dams and reservoirs are one of the largest sources to store surface water. The escalating water crisis in the new millennium has made it very important to preserve available water and in turn to preserve the storage capacity of dams and reservoirs. Dams and reservoirs lose their capacity due to sedimentation. Climate change and land-use changes have the potential to generate more sediment load hence accelerating this depleting process. An example is the Mangla Dam in Pakistan - the second largest dam in the country. Agriculture in the Punjab province, with almost 65% of the country’s population, is dependent on this dam. Due to sedimentation, the Mangla Reservoir has already lost 20% of its original storage capacity and an accelerated capacity loss is expected due to climate and land-use changes in the future time will have compound effects on reservoir life. In addition to mean climate factors, climate change will have a more profound impact on climate variability, which will likely lead to a more intensified and frequent extreme rainfall events than is currently experienced. Rainfall is the main driving factor of river sediment load, especially extreme rainfall events, which can cause exceptionally high sediment load compared to normal rainfall events. Therefore impacts of climate change was investigated by transient climate change scenarios from 1980 to 2098 constructed through bias correction of General Circulation Models (GCM) daily simulation outputs for the observed weather stations in the catchment. Land-use change scenarios were generated for two broad conditions based on socio-economic data and physical factors influencing the land-use: (i) pro-agriculture scenario and (ii) pro-industrialization scenario.

The impact of climate and land-use changes on the reservoir life was then investigated by using various combinations of climate change scenarios and land-use change scenarios. The results show that both climate and land-use changes can have significant impacts on the Mangla basin sediment transported by the river to the dam reservoir; climate change has a large impact on the annual sediment load, monthly variation in the sediment load, and in turn the reservoir life. The superimposed effects of land-use on climate change can exacerbate or reduce such impacts. Land-use change has the potential to effectively reduce climate change impacts. Therefore various land-use management measures were further evaluated based on economic analysis as adaptation options to mitigate the climate change impacts.

text: Reservoir Life Expectancy in Relation to Climate and Land-Use Changes: Case Study of the Mangla Reservoir in Pakistan The dams and reservoirs are one of the largest sources to store surface water. The escalating water crisis in the new millennium has made it very important to preserve available water and in turn to preserve the storage capacity of dams and reservoirs. Dams and reservoirs lose their capacity due to sedimentation. Climate change and land-use changes have the potential to generate more sediment load hence accelerating this depleting process. An example is the Mangla Dam in Pakistan - the second largest dam in the country. Agriculture in the Punjab province, with almost 65% of the country’s population, is dependent on this dam. Due to sedimentation, the Mangla Reservoir has already lost 20% of its original storage capacity and an accelerated capacity loss is expected due to climate and land-use changes in the future.

The dams and reservoirs are one of the largest sources to store surface water. The escalating water crisis in the new millennium has made it very important to preserve available water and in turn to preserve the storage capacity of dams and reservoirs. Dams and reservoirs lose their capacity due to sedimentation. Climate change and land-use changes have the potential to generate more sediment load hence accelerating this depleting process. An example is the Mangla Dam in Pakistan - the second largest dam in the country. Agriculture in the Punjab province, with almost 65% of the country’s population, is dependent on this dam. Due to sedimentation, the Mangla Reservoir has already lost 20% of its original storage capacity and an accelerated capacity loss is expected due to climate and land-use changes in the future time will have compound effects on reservoir life. In addition to mean climate factors, climate change will have a more profound impact on climate variability, which will likely lead to a more intensified and frequent extreme rainfall events than is currently experienced. Rainfall is the main driving factor of river sediment load, especially extreme rainfall events, which can cause exceptionally high sediment load compared to normal rainfall events. Therefore impacts of climate change was investigated by transient climate change scenarios from 1980 to 2098 constructed through bias correction of General Circulation Models (GCM) daily simulation outputs for the observed weather stations in the catchment. Land-use change scenarios were generated for two broad conditions based on socio-economic data and physical factors influencing the land-use: (i) pro-agriculture scenario and (ii) pro-industrialization scenario.

The impact of climate and land-use changes on the reservoir life was then investigated by using various combinations of climate change scenarios and land-use change scenarios. The results show that both climate and land-use changes can have significant impacts on the Mangla basin sediment transported by the river to the dam reservoir; climate change has a large impact on the annual sediment load, monthly variation in the sediment load, and in turn the reservoir life. The superimposed effects of land-use on climate change can exacerbate or reduce such impacts. Land-use change has the potential to effectively reduce climate change impacts. Therefore various land-use management measures were further evaluated based on economic analysis as adaptation options to mitigate the climate change impacts.

year: 2013

title: Incorporating culture into English as a medium of instruction (EMI) teaching:  An exploration of EMI teachers in Chinese higher education

authors: Zhou, Xi

abstract: The increasing internationalisation of higher education in China has led to the widespread adoption of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) across various disciplines. However, the integration of cultural elements into EMI teaching remains underexplored, particularly in the Chinese context. This study investigates the perceptions and practices of EMI instructors in Chinese higher education regarding the incorporation of culture into their teaching. The research aims to address the following questions: (1) In EMI programmes in Chinese higher education, what are the EMI instructors’ understandings of culture? (2) What do they think of the roles of culture in EMI? and (3) To what extent and in what ways are their understandings reflected in their teaching practices?

The study uses a qualitative research design, involving online questionnaires completed by 56 EMI instructors from various disciplines, and in-depth data collection (semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated recall interviews) conducted with a subset of 10 instructors. Findings show that teachers view culture as being multifaceted, comprising material (language, artefacts) and nonmaterial (social norms, values, high culture) aspects. They also support different integration strategies: some favour embedding culture through interactive tasks like role-plays and cultural debates in a bid to foster intercultural communicative competence, while others endorse content-based integration on the basis of a lack of time and curriculum pressure. Their practice also mirrors such perceptions to some extent, as competency-oriented instructors actively engage with cultural narratives and guest speakers; however, time pressure demands superficiality, and instructors skirt culture with indirect exposure through textbooks.

The study also suggests some of the difficulties that teachers of EMI face, such as coping with various cultural expectations, linguistic differences, and the necessity of providing a broad curriculum content while incorporating culture in their teaching. Despite these difficulties, teachers apply a number of strategies to incorporate cultural elements, such as role-plays, discussions of cultural festivals, and invitations to cultural experts to provide information. Such activities are aimed at developing intercultural communicative competence and providing students with proper preparation for international interactions.

The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on EMI and cultural integration with practical recommendations for improving EMI practice in China and beyond. The study emphasises the critical need for a variety of professional development activities—beyond usual workshops—to give EMI instructors the capacity to incorporate elements of culture organically into instruction. This research effectively makes the case for an EMI model of change on the basis that by overcoming barriers in the shape of poor training, curricular constraints, and lack of university support, EMI programmes can actually equip students for competitiveness in the new globalising world—not just linguistic competence but also intercultural communicative competence.

text: Incorporating culture into English as a medium of instruction (EMI) teaching:  An exploration of EMI teachers in Chinese higher education The increasing internationalisation of higher education in China has led to the widespread adoption of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) across various disciplines. However, the integration of cultural elements into EMI teaching remains underexplored, particularly in the Chinese context. This study investigates the perceptions and practices of EMI instructors in Chinese higher education regarding the incorporation of culture into their teaching. The research aims to address the following questions: (1) In EMI programmes in Chinese higher education, what are the EMI instructors’ understandings of culture? (2) What do they think of the roles of culture in EMI? and (3) To what extent and in what ways are their understandings reflected in their teaching practices?

The study uses a qualitative research design, involving online questionnaires completed by 56 EMI instructors from various disciplines, and in-depth data collection (semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated recall interviews) conducted with a subset of 10 instructors. Findings show that teachers view culture as being multifaceted, comprising material (language, artefacts) and nonmaterial (social norms, values, high culture) aspects. They also support different integration strategies: some favour embedding culture through interactive tasks like role-plays and cultural debates in a bid to foster intercultural communicative competence, while others endorse content-based integration on the basis of a lack of time and curriculum pressure. Their practice also mirrors such perceptions to some extent, as competency-oriented instructors actively engage with cultural narratives and guest speakers; however, time pressure demands superficiality, and instructors skirt culture with indirect exposure through textbooks.

The study also suggests some of the difficulties that teachers of EMI face, such as coping with various cultural expectations, linguistic differences, and the necessity of providing a broad curriculum content while incorporating culture in their teaching. Despite these difficulties, teachers apply a number of strategies to incorporate cultural elements, such as role-plays, discussions of cultural festivals, and invitations to cultural experts to provide information. Such activities are aimed at developing intercultural communicative competence and providing students with proper preparation for international interactions.

The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on EMI and cultural integration with practical recommendations for improving EMI practice in China and beyond. The study emphasises the critical need for a variety of professional development activities—beyond usual workshops—to give EMI instructors the capacity to incorporate elements of culture organically into instruction. This research effectively makes the case for an EMI model of change on the basis that by overcoming barriers in the shape of poor training, curricular constraints, and lack of university support, EMI programmes can actually equip students for competitiveness in the new globalising world—not just linguistic competence but also intercultural communicative competence.

year: 2025

title: Flora + Fauna

authors: Apiata, Hāwea

abstract: Visual poetry featured in 'To feel the earth as one's skin: An anthology of Indigenous visual poetry' published by Poem Atlas, London, UK. This poem depicts a koru or an unfurling native fern formed from the words ngāi tipu, referring to plant life (flora), and a tuna or native eel formed from the words ngāi kīrehe, referring to animal life (fauna). Hand-stenciled lettering. Black ink on paper.

text: Flora + Fauna Visual poetry featured in 'To feel the earth as one's skin: An anthology of Indigenous visual poetry' published by Poem Atlas, London, UK. This poem depicts a koru or an unfurling native fern formed from the words ngāi tipu, referring to plant life (flora), and a tuna or native eel formed from the words ngāi kīrehe, referring to animal life (fauna). Hand-stenciled lettering. Black ink on paper.

year: 2024-08-24