Report on Agricultural Transpiration and its Impact on Regional Climate and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Evapotranspiration’s Climatic Influence

A meteorological analysis of the recent heat wave in the Chicago area reveals a significant contributing factor rooted in regional agricultural practices. The phenomenon, scientifically termed transpiration, involves the release of water vapor from plant leaves. This process, particularly from extensive corn cultivation, is measurably increasing atmospheric humidity and exacerbating extreme heat conditions. This report examines the intersection of this agricultural-climatic interaction with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The intensification of heat waves due to agricultural transpiration presents a direct challenge to climate adaptation strategies and urban resilience. The large-scale cultivation of corn in Illinois directly impacts the climate of nearby urban centers like Chicago, demonstrating a critical link between rural land use and urban sustainability.

• Increased Humidity: Transpiration from millions of acres of corn significantly raises local humidity levels.
• Elevated Dew Points: Meteorological forecasts indicate that dew points can be 5 to 10 degrees higher as a direct result of this process.
• Urban Impact: This added atmospheric moisture worsens the perceived and actual heat in densely populated areas, straining infrastructure and public health systems, which is a core concern of SDG 11.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger and SDG 15: Life on Land

While essential for global food supplies, the scale of monoculture agriculture has profound environmental consequences. The United States is the world’s leading corn producer, with Illinois being a primary contributor. This intensive land use is central to achieving SDG 2 but must be balanced with the ecological considerations of SDG 15.

1. The state of Illinois has approximately 11 million acres dedicated to corn cultivation.
2. This vast area of monoculture significantly alters the regional landscape and its interaction with the atmosphere.
3. The process of transpiration is vital for plant growth and, therefore, crop yield, but its cumulative effect demonstrates the environmental impact of large-scale farming as outlined in SDG 15.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The process of transpiration is a major component of the water cycle, involving a massive transfer of water from the ground to the atmosphere. Understanding this is crucial for sustainable water resource management under SDG 6.

• Water Release Volume: A single acre of corn can release between 3,000 and 4,000 gallons of water into the atmosphere per day during the peak growing season.
• Comparative Evapotranspiration Rates (mm/day):
  • Alfalfa: 6 to 8
  • Sugarcane: 5 to 7
  • Soybeans: 4 to 6
  • Corn: 3.5 to 5
• While other crops have higher transpiration rates, the sheer prevalence of corn makes it the dominant factor in the region’s humidity during the summer. This highlights the significant role of agricultural water use in the regional hydrological system. The increased humidity can subsequently lead to greater rainfall.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
   • Explanation: The article discusses large-scale corn production (“The U.S. leads the world in corn production, and Illinois grows more corn than any other state besides Iowa”). This food production system is shown to interact directly with and exacerbate an extreme weather event (“corn sweat is making the heat wave this summer even worse”), highlighting the need for agricultural practices that are resilient and adapted to climate change.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • Explanation: The article focuses on the impact of a natural hazard (“extreme heat is descending on Chicago”) on a major city. It explains how this hazard is intensified by regional agricultural practices, directly affecting the community’s well-being and resilience to disasters.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • Explanation: The central theme is a “heat wave,” a climate-related hazard. The article details how “corn sweat” (transpiration) increases humidity and worsens the heat wave’s effects (“Dew points could be about 5 to 10 degrees actually higher”). This demonstrates a specific challenge to resilience and adaptive capacity in the face of climate impacts.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicators for Target 2.4

   • Area of agricultural land: The article explicitly mentions the scale of corn cultivation: “Here in Illinois, we have about 11 million acres [of corn].” This can be used as an indicator to measure the extent of a specific agricultural system whose environmental interactions are being assessed.
   • Water release per unit of land: The article states, “one acre of corn can release 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water a day.” This is a quantifiable indicator of the agricultural system’s impact on the local water cycle and humidity.

2. Indicators for Target 11.5 & 13.1

   • Increase in dew point temperature: The article provides a specific metric for the impact on weather: “Dew points could be about 5 to 10 degrees actually higher, adding with that corn sweat.” This serves as a direct indicator of how agricultural practices are amplifying a climate-related hazard in a specific location.
   • Evapotranspiration rate: The article mentions the scientific measure for transpiration, providing specific data: “3.5 to 5mm/day for corn.” This is a technical indicator used to measure the intensity of water release from crops, which contributes to humidity and heat stress.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cbsnews.com