Empirical Analysis of Q&A Websites and a Sustainable Solution to Ensure Water-Security

Rising agricultural water scarcity in China is driven by expansion of irrigated cropland in water scarce regions

A revised approach to water footprinting to make transparent the impacts of consumption and production on global freshwater scarcity

Global water scarcity is becoming an increasingly critical issue; greywater reuse presents a promising solution to alleviate pressure on freshwater resources, particularly in arid and water-scarce regions. Greywater typically sourced from household activities such as laundry, bathing, and dishwashing, constitutes a significant portion of domestic wastewater. However, the reuse of greywater raises concerns about the potential risks posed by its complex composition. Despite the growing body of literature on greywater reuse, most studies only focus on specific contaminants, thus there is a limited understanding of the comprehensive profile of contaminants, health, and environmental effects associated with these pollutants. This review adds new knowledge through a holistic exploration of the composition and physico-chemical characteristics of greywater, with a focus on its organic and inorganic pollutants, heavy metals, EDCs, emerging microplastics, nanoparticles, and microbial agents such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. This review sheds light on the current state of knowledge regarding greywater pollutants and their associated risks while highlighting the importance of safe reuse. Additionally, this review highlights the removal of contaminants from greywater and the sustainable use of grey water for addressing water scarcity in affected regions.

Rooftop rainwater harvesting a solution to water scarcity: A review

Next-generation solutions for water sustainability in nuclear power plants: Innovations and challenges

Polycaprolactone-zinc oxide biocomposite membranes for wastewater treatment by ultrafiltration process: Synthesis, characterization and removal of inorganic pollutants

Olive mill wastewater (OMW), a by-product of olive oil production, poses significant environmental risks due to its acidity and high polyphenol content, particularly in water-scarce regions like Jordan. This study developed a cost-effective approach to reduce the phenolic content in OMW using modified granular-activated carbon (GAC). Commercial GAC, chosen for its high surface area and adsorption capacity, was modified via oxidative treatment with concentrated nitric acid and reductive treatment using 10 wt.% ammonia solution. The modified GAC samples were tested for phenolic compound (PC) adsorption from OMW under varying surfactant types, concentrations, and pH levels using a batch method. The optimized conditions revealed that reduced GAC at pH 9 achieved the highest removal efficiency, reducing the phenolic content by 88% after 48 h. Surfactants had no significant effect on the performance of reduced GAC. Desorption tests after 7 and 32 days indicated a minimal release of PCs, confirming strong binding to the GAC surface. These findings demonstrate the potential of reduced GAC as a sustainable and cost-efficient solution for treating OMW, addressing the critical challenges in water resource management and environmental pollution in regions like Jordan.

A study was conducted in Thondamuthur block, Coimbatore, during 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 to evaluate the impact of combining chemical fertilizers with farmyard manure (FYM) and biocompost on soil properties and blackgram yield. Three field experiments were carried out under varying soil organic carbon levels, with soil samples collected after 45 days and analyzed for biological properties. The combined application significantly enhanced soil health, improving bacterial, fungal, and actinomycetes populations, soil respiration, microbial quotient, microbial biomass carbon, and enzymatic activities, including urease, alkaline phosphatase, beta-glucosidase, and dehydrogenase. The STCR-IPNS-1.4 t ha− 1 resulted in the highest blackgram grain yields, ranging from 1314 to 1384 kg ha− 1 in experiment I and 1342–1368 kg ha− 1 in experiment II. During the year 2022–2023, the mean percent increase in grain yield due to STCR-IPNS-1.4 t ha− 1 (with FYM) was 48.2, 38.7, and 58.2 over blanket, blanket + FYM, and farmer’s practice, respectively. Similarly, during the year 2023–2024, the mean percent increase in grain yield due to STCR-IPNS-1.4 t ha− 1 (with biocompost) was 51.3, 43.8, and 63.8 over blanket, blanket + biocompost, and farmer’s practice. These findings highlight the potential of integrating organic and inorganic fertilizers to improve soil health and enhance crop yields in water-scarce regions. By boosting microbial activity and soil fertility, this approach offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution for addressing the challenges of soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate change in arid and semi-arid areas. This method can be adapted to similar regions globally, contributing to long-term agricultural sustainability and resilience.

Aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Green Initiative, this study presents an innovative approach to sustainable agriculture in hyper-arid regions by integrating advanced geophysical methods to monitor tree root water uptake (RWU). The research highlights the combined use of modeling through HYDRUS-1D and Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) for non-invasive root zone monitoring under controlled experimental conditions. The findings address critical challenges in agricultural water management in arid environments, where extreme temperatures and sandy soils significantly impact water dynamics and crop sustainability. RWU patterns of a citrus tree were simulated using HYDRUS-1D under varying soil and climatic conditions. The results revealed that the highest RWU rates occurred in the upper 30 cm of soil, predominantly during the morning. As temperatures increased, RWU activity shifted more profoundly into the soil profile. These insights are crucial for optimizing precision irrigation strategies in water-scarce regions. The model calibration utilized real-time soil moisture data collected through innovative 3D and 4D ERI methods—a seven-month experiment conducted in a controlled outdoor environment in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The experimental setup included a 2m x 2m x 2m wooden tank filled with sandy soil, in which a lemon tree was planted and monitored using ERI techniques. The 3D and 4D geoelectrical models captured temporal and spatial variations in root zone moisture content during irrigation events, providing unprecedented insights into subsurface water distribution and root activity dynamics.A key outcome of the research was the successful detection of root activity through resistivity anomalies, confirming the potential of ERI as a non-invasive tool for root zone monitoring. This novel approach to root zone monitoring offers significant advantages over traditional methods. Unlike invasive techniques, such as soil coring, ERI provides high-resolution data without disrupting the natural state of the root system. Additionally, the continuous monitoring capability of ERI enables dynamic observation of root water uptake patterns over time, supporting the development of more efficient irrigation and water management practices. Integrating geophysical methods with numerical modeling presents a scalable and sustainable solution for addressing water management challenges in agriculture. This research improves water use efficiency, reduces environmental impact, and enhances crop productivity in hyper-arid regions by providing actionable insights into root zone moisture dynamics. The findings have broad applications in precision agriculture and environmental management. They underscore the importance of adopting innovative, non-invasive technologies to optimize resource utilization and achieve sustainable development goals in water-scarce regions.

The contradiction between increased irrigation demand and water scarcity in arid regions has become more acute for crops as a result of global climate change. This highlights the urgent need to improve crop water use efficiency. In this study, four irrigation volumes were established for drip-irrigated maize under plastic mulch: 2145 m3 ha−1 (W1), 2685 m3 ha−1 (W2), 3360 m3 ha−1 (W3), and 4200 m3 ha−1 (W4). The effects of these volumes on soil moisture, maize growth, water consumption, crop coefficients, and yield were analyzed. The results showed that increasing the irrigation volume led to a 2.86% to 8.71% increase in soil moisture content, a 24.56% to 47.41% increase in water consumption, and a 3.43% to 35% increase in the crop coefficient. Maize plant height increased by 16.34% to 42.38%, ear height by 16.85% to 51.01%, ear length by 2.43% to 28.13%, and yield by 16.96% to 39.24%. Additionally, soil temperature was reduced by 1.67% to 5.67%, and the maize bald tip length decreased by 6.62% to 48%. The irrigation water use efficiency improved by 6.57% to 28.89%. A comprehensive evaluation using the TOPSIS method demonstrated that 3360 m3 ha−1 of irrigation water was an effective irrigation strategy for increasing maize yield under drip irrigation with plastic mulch in the southern border area. Compared to 4200 m3 ha−1, this strategy saved 840 m3 ha−1 of irrigation water, increased the irrigation water use efficiency by 23.96%, and resulted in only a 0.84% decrease in yield. The findings of this study provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing production benefits in the context of limited water resources.

The production of natural gas from shale formations has revived the natural gas industry in the world. Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations which are finegrained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas found typical at a depth being about 2,500 to 5,000 m below the earth’s surface as compared to the conventional crude oil at 1500 m. The shale gas exploration has a paradigm shift in the pattern of energy production and trade and it has become an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States over the past decade, and potential gas shales in Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It was estimated that there are 48 shale gas basins in 32 countries, containing almost 70 shale gas formations. The initial estimate of technically recoverable shale gas resources in the 32 countries examined is 5,760 trillion cubic feet. Natural gas is a cleaner alternative to the fossil fuels but shale as a natural gas while exploration has environmental hazards in the form of fresh water usage which will have an impact on the drinking water availability, irrigation difficulties besides effecting the fresh water aquatic habitat in many of the water scarce regions in the world besides seismic effects. In the process of drilling and hydraulic fracking of Shale, large amounts of wastewater is produced which contains dissolved chemicals and other toxic contaminants if it is not managed it can result in the contamination of surrounding areas, including sources of drinking water, and can negatively impact natural habitats and the water aquifers. For the reasons as stated Shale gas production has been blocked in many countries largely because of the environmental risks resulting in a significant issue of environmental justice besides the social concerns which resulted in legal restrictions. Uneven distributions of risks and social impacts to local communities must be balanced against the economic benefits to gas users and developers; and unequal decision-making powers must be negotiated between local and central governments, communities and fracking site developers. In the present scenario the fresh water scarcity will only get worse in many parts of the world which would ultimately lead to the long-term decline in the share of food and agricultural produce and thereby impact the international trade. This paper attempts to research on the following issues due to Shale gas exploration: The environmental hazards like climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, fresh water scarcity, natural calamities like earthquakes and the disruption of life in local communities in the exploration sites; Whether the economic growth is traded off with the environmental hazards; Impact on international energy trade; Internationally whether the current legislations are sound enough to tackle the shale gas exploration. Keywords: Shale, Natural gas, Exploration, Environment, Trade, Economy, Legislations

Seawater desalination for agriculture by integrated forward and reverse osmosis: Improved product water quality for potentially less energy

Seawater desalination is an affordable and viable solution to the growing freshwater scarcity problem in water scarce regions. The current study focuses on cost analysis of Vacuum Membrane Distillation (VMD) setup for removing salts from water. The membrane used in the flat sheet VMD module was Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with 250 mm × 200 mm dimensions and 165 µm thickness. The experiments were carried out with variations in parameters such as velocity, pressure, concentration, and temperature. For the cost analysis, the operational, maintenance, instrumentation, and capital cost of the lab model was considered and then upscaled. A range of experiments was performed for NaCl and KCl under variations of operating parameters. It was noted that, for the NaCl solution, the increase in temperature from 50 °C to 70 °C doubled the permeate flux. However, for the conditions tested, the concentration shift from 0.25 M to 0.75 M decreased the permeate flux by 1.4% because the increase in ion concentrations along the membrane lowers the vapor pressure, restricting the permeate flux. The results trend for the KCl solution was similar to the NaCl; at temperature T1, it was noted that increased concentration from 0.25 M to 0.75 M significantly reduces the permeate flow. The reduction in permeate flow was nonlinear for a given pressure 30 kPa and velocity 5.22 m/s, but linear for all other variables. It was also observed that with an increase in temperature from 60 °C to 70 °C, the permeate flux for concentration 0.25 M was 49% for all the combinations of pressure and velocity. In addition, permeate flow increased 53% from temperature 50 °C to 60 °C and 49% from temperature 60 °C to 70 °C for both the solutions at a concentration of 0.25 M. This shows that the temperature also had a profound impact on the permeate flux. The economic analysis and market survey shows that the cost of clean water at the lab level was high which can be significantly reduced using a large-scale setup providing 1,000,000 L/H of distilled water.

Access to clean water remains a critical challenge for coastal communities worldwide, exacerbated by seawater intrusion, population growth, and insufficient infrastructure. Indonesia, as an archipelagic nation with extensive coastlines, faces significant disparities in clean water access, particularly in rural and underserved regions. This research develops and evaluates SAWFIER (Salt Water Purifier), a solar-powered desalination system utilizing the Reverse Osmosis (RO) principle, designed to provide sustainable clean water solutions in coastal areas. Performance testing was conducted using seawater with an initial salinity of 10,000 ppm. Key parameters, including salinity, pH, and water volume, were monitored at 5-minute intervals over a 120-minute operational period. The results demonstrated a consistent reduction in salinity to 1.36 ppt at the end of the test, with optimal performance observed up to 95 minutes, maintaining salinity levels below 1 ppt. The system generated an average daily energy output of 820.25 Wh from two 100 Wp solar panels, exceeding its energy consumption of 520.2 Wh, resulting in a surplus of 300.05 Wh. These findings highlight SAWFIER’s potential as an energy-efficient, scalable, and eco-friendly solution for addressing clean water scarcity in coastal regions. Despite challenges such as membrane fouling during prolonged operations, the system demonstrates strong alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, emphasizing universal access to clean water and sanitation.

The escalating demand for freshwater in oil and gas (O&G) completion brines poses a significant challenge to global water security, especially in water-scarce regions. This paper presents the Carbon Light Brine Plant, a revolutionary approach that leverages Continuous Ion Exchange (CIE) technology to generate high-quality sodium chloride (NaCl) brine from previously unusable brackish water sources. Unlike conventional methods reliant on freshwater and mined salt, the Carbon Light Brine Plant selectively removes problematic ions (sulfate, calcium, magnesium) from brackish water while preserving the essential NaCl component. This innovative system offers a multitude of advantages: significantly reduced dependence on precious freshwater resources, sustainable NaCl brine production, a minimized environmental footprint through substantial reductions in carbon emissions, and potential economic benefits for O&G companies. We delve into the technical underpinnings of CIE technology and its efficacy in meeting stringent completion brine specifications. Furthermore, the paper quantifies the environmental benefits of the Carbon Light Brine Plant, including water conservation and carbon footprint reduction. This technology presents a replicable model for sustainable completion brine production, fostering regional water security and promoting responsible resource utilization within the O&G industry.