The formation of societies is based on the dynamics of spatial clustering, which optimizes economies of scale in the management of the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus. Energy and food are determinant measures of prosperity. Using the WEF nexus as an indicator, we evaluate the social impacts of the current (2022) conflict and in particular the economic sanctions on Russia. As Russia and Ukraine are major global suppliers of energy sources, food, and fertilizers, new threats arise by their limitations and the rally of prices. By analyzing related data, we show the dramatic effects on society, and we note that cities, which depend on a wider area for energy and food supplies, are extremely vulnerable. This problem was substantially worsened due to the large-scale urbanization in recent decades, which increased the distance from food sources. We conjecture that the Western elites’ decision to sanction Russia dramatically transformed the global WEF equilibrium, which could probably lead to the collapse of social cohesion.

The Songhua River is the largest river in northeastern China; the river’s water quality is one of the most important factors that influence regional ecological health and food safety in northeastern China and even the downstream of the Heilong River in Russia. In recent years, the Chinese government implemented several water resource protection policies to improve the river’s water quality. In order to evaluate the influence of the new policies on the water quality in the Songhua River, water quality data from 2006 to 2015 were collected monthly from the nine sites along the mainstream of the Songhua River. Results show that the water quality in the Songhua River could be divided into two groups during the last 10 years. Before 2010, water quality in the Songhua River was primarily influenced by regional human activities. Industries were the major pollutant sources in the upstream of the Songhua River. After several new policies were implemented by the local government in 2010, water quality in the Songhua River improved. As a result, the biodiversity of fish and ecological health in the Songhua River improved.

This paper focuses on the role of invasive, omnivorous/carnivorous amphipods in the food web of lakes and evaluates their significance as food items for fishes in two major lakes and reservoirs of the northwestern region of Russia: Lake Ladoga and Rybinsk Reservoir. Fish samples from both water bodies were collected, there age determined and their stomach content analysed to assess the role of the introduced amphipod in the diet. Fish species mainly analysed were: perch Perca fluviatilis, ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus, burbot Lota lota, roach Rutilus rutilus, vendace Coregonus albula and kilka Clupeonella cultriventris. Analysis of original and literature data showed that the energy flow from zoobenthos to fish was modified by the Baikalian amphipod Gmelinoides fasciatus, introduced in the 1960s-80s into many lakes and reservoirs of Russia. The invader established successfully in different aquatic systems, rapidly reaching high abundances. Examples from Lake Ladoga and the Rybinsk Reservoir confirmed that the species is an important food item for littoral benthivorous fishes (ruffe, perch, gobies, burbot), especially at early ontogenetic stages and also for several pelagic fish (vendace, kilka). Although these fish species are considered low food quality, they enrich the food supply for large predatory fish species. In Lake Ladoga, G. fasciatus influenced negatively the abundance and biomass of native benthic invertebrates (including Gammarus lacustris and Asellus aquaticus) which were previously important prey items for littoral fishes: in the beginning of introduction up to 24100 m⁻² and 33.5 g m⁻²; after introduction 6200-7800 m⁻² and 16.5 g m⁻², respectively. At the same time, the invader uses food sources (chironomids and oligochaetes) that would otherwise not be available to fishes. Therefore, the introduction of G. fasciatus into lakes and reservoirs of European part of Russia led to a greater share of the benthic productivity available to fishes, thereby allowing the intensive use of new ecosystem components and increasing the overall production in these systems.