A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ANDEAN PÁRAMO

Impacts of future climate change on water resource availability of eastern Australia: A case study of the Manning River basin

Major Ground Water Development Issues in South Asia- An Overview -- Part I. Groundwater Development Problems in Arid and Semi-Arid & Hilly Areas -- Water Management in Arid and Semi- Arid Areas of India -- Frontiers of Hardrock Hydrogeology in India -- Characterisation of a Deep Saline Aquifer Using Oil Exploration Data in an Arid Region of Rajasthan, India -- Sustainable Management of Groundwater in Hard Rock Aquifers of South Andaman and Rutland Islands, India -- Part II. Ground Water Management in Alluvial and Coastal Areas -- Groundwater Management in Alluvial, Coastal and Hilly Areas -- Findings of Large Ground Water Development Potential in Deeper Aquifers in Karnafully – Feni Interfluves, Chittagong, Bangladesh—A New Scientific Initiative -- Sustainable Water Resource Management in the Indian Sundarbans Delta -- Part III. Conservation of Ground Water -- Conservation of Water: Artificial Recharge to Groundwater -- Interrelationship Between Surface and Groundwater: The Case of West Bengal -- Integrated Watershed Management and Ground Water Recharging – Initiatives of Centre for Ground Water Studies – A Public Private Partnership Endeavour -- Part IV. Advance Research in Ground Water -- Application of Modern Geophysical Techniques for Identification of Groundwater Potential Areas -- Role of Remote Sensing and GIS in Integrated Water Resources Management -- Modeling of Aquifer System: A Tool for Groundwater Management -- Application of Environmental Isotopes in Hydrological Investigation with Case Studies -- Part V. Contaminated Ground Water & its Mitigation -- Arsenic and Fluoride Contamination in Groundwater: Mitigation Strategies -- Community-based Defluoridation of Groundwater by Electrocoagulation Followed by Activated Alumina Adsorption -- Variation of arsenic accumulation in paddy plant with special reference to rice grain and its additional entry during post harvesting technology -- Human Health Hazards due to Arsenic and Fluoride Contamination in Drinking Water and Food Chain -- Arsenic Menace in West Bengal (India) and its Mitigation through Toolbox intervention – An experience to share -- Part VI. Climate Change and its Impact in Ground Water -- Impact of Climate Change on Groundwater System -- Part VII. Community Involvement & Participatory Management -- Participatory groundwater management in the flood plains of north Bihar: Preliminary results of arsenic distribution -- Spring Protection and Management: Examples from Recent Programmes from across India’s Mountainous Regions -- Part VIII. Ground Water Development Issues & Sustainable Solutions -- Ground Water Development Issues & Sustainable Solutions.

Identification of biodiversity priority conservation areas in China by integrating genetic, species and ecosystem diversity

Climate change has already altered global biodiversity, causing the migration of species and changes in habitat distribution. To implement a sustainable conservation strategy, it is necessary to understand the impacts of climate change on species. Lessingianthus is a South American genus that includes numerous endangered species, some of which grow in the Brazilian Cerrado, a Neotropical savanna considered a world's biodiversity hotspot. However, the impact of global climate change on these species has still not been estimated. We evaluate the effect of climate change on the habitat of 10 threatened Lessingianthus species and on their potential distribution, and assess the effectiveness of current protected areas (PAs) using ecological niche models. Based on the maximum entropy algorithm (Maxent), we first modeled the potential distribution of these species under current climatic conditions and then projected the distribution for two future scenarios of climate change (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) and two time periods (2050 and 2070). We predicted current habitat suitability and identified suitable bioclimatic variables for these species. Our findings suggest that the area comprising the south and southeast of Cerrado is irreplaceable and the most biotically stable region for these endangered species; therefore, it should be considered a conservation priority area.

Wetland dynamics in northern Brazil during the Holocene were studied by pollen analysis and AMS radiocarbon dating of three cores. Near the Amazon mouth region, covered mainly by primary Amazon coastal forest and herbaceous vegetation, the pollen record indicates the dominance of mangroves between 4800 and 1100 cal yr b.p. A contraction of the mangrove area and an expansion of herbaceous and fern vegetation occurred between 1100 and 750 cal yr b.p. The period between 750 and 200 cal yr b.p. is characterized by an expansion of mangrove and a decrease in herbaceous and fern vegetation. This trend continued until the present. On Atalaia Island, the sediment core indicates a period with poor pollen preservation between 830 and 630 cal yr b.p. Between 630 and 330 cal yr b.p., mangroves expanded. Later, up to 45 cal yr b.p., the mangrove area decreased and the herbaceous vegetation expanded. During the last hundred years, the relative sea-level rise most probably favored the mangrove expansion as far as the topographically highest sector on this island, while the herbaceous vegetation decreased. The pollen data from Agua Preta Lake indicate dry conditions, as reflected by the poor pollen preservation between 390 and 240 cal yr b.p. Between 240 and 60 cal yr b.p., restinga and Amazon coastal forest with palms dominated this region. For the last 120 years, the record indicates an expansion of the mangrove area. However, recent confinement of mangrove development to the topographically highest area, and the loss of mangrove areas on the lowest surfaces have led to a net loss of mangrove coverage during the last decades.

Global agreements like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Achi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs) aim to secure human well-being and to protect biodiversity, but little progress has been made in reaching these aims. The key role of biodiversity in securing human well-being is rarely considered a priority – instead short-term economic profits benefiting a few are prioritized. Particularly where local livelihoods rely on resources of protected areas for immediate survival, top-down enforced biodiversity conservation often increases social inequality, hunger and poverty and thus regularly fails. Identifying key knowledge gaps helps to adjust political priority setting and investment strategies to assess conservation threats and improve natural resource management. Since acting usually occurs at a local or regional scale, we focused on a priority conservation area in one of the world’s poorest countries — the dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar. We aimed to identify key knowledge gaps in this area which need to be filled to better protect biodiversity and simultaneously ensure well-being of the local poor. We consulted 51 predominantly Malagasy experts using questionnaires. These questionnaires listed 71 knowledge gaps we collated from the literature which the experts were asked to rank by importance. Experts were encouraged to list additional knowledge gaps. Averaging the scores of all experts, we identified the top 10 knowledge gaps. Two political knowledge gaps addressing the need to determine strategies which improve law enforcement and reduce corruption ranked highest, followed by an ecological one concerning appropriate restoration and a socio–economic one regarding economic benefits locals gain from biodiversity. The general knowledge gap perceived as most important addressed strategies for long-term funding. Only one additional knowledge gap was identified: the impact of climate change-driven human migration from southwestern to central western Madagascar on socio–economic problems and its impacts on natural resources We linked the identified top 10 knowledge gaps as well as the additional knowledge gap suggested by experts to the SDGs, ABTs and 2 °C target of the Paris Climate Agreement, and discussed why these gaps were considered a priority. This research highlights important ecological, socio–economic and political research priorities and provides guidelines for policy makers and funding organizations.

Impacts of climate change on the streamflow of a large river basin in the Australian tropics using optimally selected climate model outputs

Effective information regarding water yield response to climate change provides useful support for decision making in water resources management. By integrating a hydrology model into a systematic conservation model, we developed an approach for modeling impacts of climate change on the water cycles and constructing spatial priority conservation areas for water yield ecosystem services in Teshio watershed located in northernmost Japan. The climate changes were projected to have impacts in increasing surface runoff, lateral flow, groundwater discharge and water yield. Surface runoff especially decreased in April and May and increased in March and September with rising temperature. We then investigated the spatial hotspots of water yields in typical periods (February, April and October, annual average water yield) to determine spatially priority conservation areas for water resources in terms of their different protection targets. The results also indicated that the areas of spatial optimal protection for water yields across different periods dynamically changed from spatial and temporal standpoints. The optimal priority conservation areas were concentrated in the southwest, north and southeast of Teshio watershed through comprehensively taking into account water yields in typical periods. Our results indicated that combination of hydrology and systematic conservation models would improve sustainable management of water resources across the watershed.

Objective:Trabecular bone score (TBS) is a novel index for assessing bone microarchitecture quality. No bibliometric reviews to date have yet explored the literature of TBS. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a bibliometric review on the trends of research publications on TBS indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded and the Social Sciences Citation Index from 2008 to 2019.Materials and Methods:Using the Science Citation Index Expanded and the Social Sciences Citation Index, articles designated as original articles or review articles were searched using the keyword “trabecular bone score.” The retrieved articles were analyzed using Histcite 12.03.17 and VOSviewer v. 1.6.15 to identify top authors, journals, countries, and occurrence of keywords.Results:A total of 430 original and review articles on TBS published between 2008 and 2019 were identified. The number of articles increased steadily from 2008 to 2019, reaching 80 articles in 2019 alone. The United States of America, Switzerland, and France were the countries with the highest output of publications. The journal Osteoporosis International published the largest number of articles on TBS. Analysis of co-occurrence of author-supplied keywords revealed four clusters, with TBS, bone mineral density, and osteoporosis as the most prominent keywords.Conclusion:This bibliometric study on TBS published between 2008 and 2019 revealed the collaborative network of countries and the highly published journals and authors. Co-occurrence of keywords also revealed clusters of research hotspots, which could contribute to the understanding of the current state of TBS research and the identification of research gap.

The research in sustainable development goals (SDG) increases year by year since its approval in 2015. Typically, after a phase of exponential growth, the number of publications increases at lower rates, suggesting a consolidation process in which literature reviews become a relevant and high-evidence type of document. In this context, the aim of this study was to perform an unprecedented bibliometric analysis of literature reviews on SDG to assess the evolution and consolidation of the scientific research. Article reviews on SDG from 2015 to 2022 were retrieved from Web of Science core collection and a descriptive bibliometric analysis was performed by growth rate, research area, source, citation, and region. Mapping and cluster analysis using keyword co-occurrence, co-authorship, and bibliographic coupling were also applied. The result revealed that SDG is a fast-growing field, with a trend in the diversification of research areas. Most of the review documents were categorized in general aspects of sustainability. Technology (SDG 9) and economic growth (SDG 8) were spotted as hidden key research areas. This result is contrary to previous bibliometric studies on SDG, demonstrating the rapid evolution and change in the field. In addition, literature reviews on reduced inequalities (SDG 10), gender equality (SDG 5); oceans, seas, and marine environments (SDG 14); and peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16) were revealed as research gaps. Thus, the results demonstrated that the research on SDG cannot yet be considered a consolidated area of research, as it leaves many SDG unexplored. Future research has been proposed accordingly.

The Kabul River Basin (KRB) in Afghanistan is densely inhabited and heterogenic. The basin’s water resources are limited, and climate change is anticipated to worsen this problem. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of data to measure the impacts of climate change on the KRB’s current water resources. The objective of the current study is to introduce a methodology that couples remote sensing and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for simulating the impact of climate change on the existing water resources of the KRB. Most of the biophysical parameters required for the SWAT model were derived from remote sensing-based algorithms. The SUFI-2 technique was used for calibrating and validating the SWAT model with streamflow data. The stream-gauge stations for monitoring the streamflow are not only sparse, but the streamflow data are also scarce and limited. Therefore, we selected only the stations that are properly being monitored. During the calibration period, the coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) were 0.75–0.86 and 0.62–0.81, respectively. During the validation period (2011–2013), the NSE and R2 values were 0.52–0.73 and 0.65–0.86, respectively. The validated SWAT model was then used to evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on streamflow. Regional Climate Model (RegCM4-4) was used to extract the data for the climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) from the CORDEX domain. The results show that streamflow in most tributaries of the KRB would decrease by a maximum of 5% and 8.5% under the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. However, streamflow for the Nawabad tributary would increase by 2.4% and 3.3% under the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. To mitigate the impact of climate change on reduced/increased surface water availability, the SWAT model, when combined with remote sensing data, can be an effective tool to support the sustainable management and strategic planning of water resources. Furthermore, the methodological approach used in this study can be applied in any of the data-scarce regions around the world.

Within the context of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the design of effective and sustainable agricultural and water resources management policies presents multiple challenges. This paper presents a methodological framework that will be used to identify synergies and trade-offs between the CAP and the WFD in relation to their economic and water resources environmental effects, and to assess the cost-effectiveness of measures to control water pollution, in a representative case study catchment in Scotland. The approach is based on the combination of a biophysical simulation model (CropSyst) with a mathematical programming model (FSSIM-MP), so as to provide a better understanding and representation of the economic and agronomic/environmental processes that take place within the agricultural system. Keywords : Bio-economic Modelling, Water Framework Directive, Common Agricultural Policy 1. Introduction Agriculture is seen as the sector that creates the biggest challenge for the sustainable management of water resources. This challenge relates to the reduction of diffuse pollution from agricultural sources and to the regulation of agricultural water consumption. In the EU, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) reflects the increasing prominence given to tackling these problems. One of the most important milestones is the establishment of River Basin Management Plans by 2009. These will be providing detailed information on how the environmental objectives will be reached by 2015 according to the Programme of Measures (POM). In accordance with the approach emphasised by the WFD, the POM should provide the most cost-effective measures to reach the environmental requirements. The agricultural sector, one of the sectors that give rise to significant pressures in most water bodies, is expected to be clearly affected by the POM. Implementation of the WFD is taking place against a background of reform in the agricultural sector (Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)) and strong linkages can be identified between the two policies. These relate to the effects of the decoupling of payments, the imposition of cross compliance measures, and the potential new agri-environmental measures. Within this context, the design of effective and sustainable agricultural and water resources management policies presents multiple challenges. Against the background of the WFD and the CAP, there are two conflicting goals in relation to agriculture: minimise the impacts of the sector on the water environment while maximising its economic return. Therefore, an approach that considers both the socio-economic and environmental outcomes of agricultural production is needed. Nevertheless, the agricultural system is dominated by complex and interacting agronomic, environmental and production processes. Analysing and modelling such a system requires understanding of both natural and social sciences. This paper presents a methodological framework that uses a bio-economic modelling approach in order to provide a better understanding of the complexity of the agricultural system. CropSyst (Stockle

In semi-arid regions, the growing demand for water, particularly for irrigation, accelerates the overexploitation of water resources, often leading to severe scarcity that constrains sustainable economic development. This issue is particularly acute in the Merguellil watershed in central Tunisia, where the impacts of climate change exacerbate the challenges. This study employs the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system model to analyze current and future trends in surface and groundwater resources in the Merguellil watershed, assessing the combined effects of climate change and human activities on these resources. The primary objective is to identify critical thresholds, evaluate sustainable solutions and guide adaptive water management strategies. An essential element of the study is estimating the demand for irrigation water in the Kairouan plain using high-resolution Landsat 8 imagery to calculate crop evapotranspiration (ETC). Once the required input data from 2000 to 2020 are introduced in the WEAP model, the impact of different scenarios (Climatic and anthropogenic) for the actual and future water balance were evaluated until 2050. The simulation results under the RCP 4.5 climate scenario indicate a significant decline in aquifer levels across the basin; the Kairouan aquifers being particularly impacted. Additionally, scenarios involving the expansion of irrigated areas show a substantial increase in agricultural water requirements. To address these pressing challenges, this study explores multiple management strategies, including improving the efficiency and satisfaction levels of public irrigation systems, optimizing reservoir management during drought periods, and interconnecting existing water infrastructures. Notably, the findings highlight the importance of gradually increasing water transfers to the El Haouareb Dam to meet irrigation demands effectively. Finally, we conclude by emphasizing the importance of proactive and adaptive measures in order to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change and human activities on water resources in this area. This study highlights the need for integrated, resilient, and sustainable water management practices to ensure the long-term viability of water resources in this vulnerable region.

Sustainability in hydrology aims at maintaining a high likelihood of meeting future water demands without compromising hydrologic, environmental, or physical integrity. Therefore, understanding the local-scale impact of global climate change on hydrology and water balance is crucial. This study focuses on assessing the impact of climate change on water balance components (precipitation, surface runoff, groundwater flow, percolation, etc.) at the river basin scale in a humid tropical region. The Periyar river basin (PRB) in Kerala in India is considered as a case study and the SWAT hydrological model is adopted to obtain the water balance components. Three general circulation models are considered under two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP 245 and SSP 585) emission scenarios assess the impact of climate change until 2100. For the PRB, the results demonstrate a significant increase in streamflow (>65%) and runoff (>40%) in the mid (2041–2070) and far (2071–2100) future under both the SSP scenarios, indicating a potential vulnerability to future floods. Conversely, in the near future under SSP 585, a decrease in runoff (−15%) and nominal changes in streamflow (−5%) are observed. Spatially, the eastern sub-basins and the west coast of the Periyar river basin are projected to experience higher precipitation events, while the central region faces reduced precipitation and low flow rates. The findings emphasize the need for proactive and sustainable management of water resources, considering irrigation requirements, groundwater discharge, and flood control measures, to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and prevent water stress/surplus situations in specific sub-basins. This study enhances our understanding of climate change impacts on water balance and emphasizes the significance of sustainable water resource management for an effective response. By integrating scientific knowledge into policy and management decisions, we can strive towards a resilient water future within a changing climate.

Exploring the impact of human activities on habitat quality to support sustainable zoning management in transboundary basins: Evidence from the Lancang–Mekong River Basin