Environmental Protection Infrastructure Research Articles

Unveiling the Dynamics and Sustainability of the Nubian Aquifer System in El-Marashda, Egypt Through Geophysical, and Hydrogeochemical Investigations

AbstractThis research investigates the geophysical, hydrogeochemical, and geological characteristics of the Nubian Aquifer System in the El-Marashda area, located beneath the Eastern Sahara Desert in northeastern Africa. The primary objective is identifying the aquifer geometry, assessing groundwater quality, and evaluating environmental pollution levels. A Magnetotelluric survey was employed to examine the subsurface geological composition and electrical resistivity characteristics of the aquifer system. The study revealed a freshwater-saturated Nubian Sandstone layer at depths between 986 and 1009 m with resistivity values of 101 to 182 Ohm.m, indicating a substantial and potentially sustainable groundwater resource. Overlying limestone and Marly Limestone layers influence the aquifer’s permeability and storage capacity. The chemical analysis of water from three wells showed suitability for drinking and irrigation, with no sodium and magnesium levels hazards. The Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI) and Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI) indicated low to medium contamination, posing potential environmental health risks. Human health risk assessments using USEPA methodology found acceptable non-carcinogenic risks, with Hazard Quotients (HQs) for heavy metals below 1 and a negligible Hazard Index (HI). The comprehensive investigation underscores the potential for sustainable groundwater utilization in El-Marashda. It highlights the aquifer’s suitability for irrigation, with low contamination levels and minimal health risks. These findings provide a foundation for informed and sustainable water resource management, environmental protection, and resilient infrastructure development in the region. The methodologies and results align with global standards, demonstrating their applicability in globally diverse geological contexts. This research contributes valuable baseline data for future studies and monitoring efforts, whether at local or global sites, emphasizing the importance of continued investigation to ensure sustainable groundwater management.

Management models of innovative projects and program products in the field of water transport and environmental protection activities in the post-war period

The beginning of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine caused significant human, economic and political losses, as well as destruction of infrastructure. Nevertheless, in the future (during the post-war economic recovery) all the resulting losses must be compensated and restored. Thus, the formation of management models for the implementation of innovative projects, in particular programs for the recovery and development of Ukraine in its post-war conditions, remains relevant. The goal of the work was to build a model that would allow in the future to ensure the highest efficiency of management during the implementation of innovative projects in the post-war period, to describe the possibilities of its use in practice. The main methods used during the research were analysis, modeling and abstraction. Thus, within the framework of the study, a conceptual model of management for the implementation of innovative projects and programs in the post-war period was built. An analysis of the modern theoretical base of management of innovative projects was also performed, and the problem of substantiation of product parameters of innovative strategic development programs and projects was singled out. Network models were described, their features and possibilities of use to provide a clearer picture of the works of the environmental project, more effective management of resources in it. The work emphasizes that infrastructure projects are often divided into two phases: creation and operation; in addition, the importance of environmental protection infrastructure projects for efficient transportation of goods and passengers and their impact on the economy, ecology, and competitiveness of the transport system are described. This study allows for a more detailed understanding of the features of managing the phases of the implementation of infrastructure projects, especially in the conditions of the post-war period, and also brings new knowledge to management in terms of building large-scale investment programs. Obtaining maximum benefits from participation in innovative projects of freight transportation by water transport, taking into account the component of international mechanisms of balanced post-war development of Ukraine, which provides for high productivity, fair distribution of opportunities and results of profits from activities in logistics centers, hubs, ports in the paradigm of uncertainty of crises and post-war economic infrastructure restoration.

Composition-property relationships of BP-1 lunar regolith simulant geopolymers for in-situ resource utilization

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to construct environmental protection and critical infrastructure is required for long-term human habitation on the Moon and Mars. Analogous to terrestrial construction materials formed from aluminosilicates, i.e., geopolymers, construction materials formed from lunar aluminosilicate regolith are a promising method to create lunar landing pads and habitats. Building on a previous lateral study across multiple regolith simulants, the effects of composition on one specific regolith simulant, Black Point 1 (BP-1), are investigated with the goal of developing relationships between composition and properties. The effects of overall geopolymer composition, activating solution silica and sodium content, and activating solution water content on seven-day compressive strength, strain to fail, and secant modulus are investigated. Decreasing water content has a positive effect on compressive strength and secant modulus of geopolymers formed at ambient-earth conditions, reaching maximum compressive strength at 75 wt% BP-1. Above a compositional limit of Si/H2O = 0.6, differences in Si and Al coordination result in variations in compressive strength with the elemental composition of the geopolymer. At high solids in formulation, the observed trend in compressive strength is nonmonotonic with varying silicon and aluminum content, emphasizing the need for a mechanistic understanding of the relationship between composition and structure for optimization of geopolymer material properties. This study provides a robust set of data for a widely available lunar regolith simulant that can guide further development of processing strategies for lunar ISRU.

Discussion on Solutions for Managing Better Industrial Zones with a Case in the North of Vietnam And Recommendation for Environmental Problems

Objective: This paper purpose aims to present discussion on solutions for managing better industrial zones with a case in the north of VIETNAM and recommendation for environmental problems. Method: Authors has uses experiences combined with observations, historical combined with dialectical materialism methods, as well as inductive and synthesis methods. Results: after 30 years of Doi moi period, the nation need to apply and develop suitable Law such as Law 2020 (Environment) to govern environment damages and requires clusters to follow a roadmap. Also, this paper shows the conservation of nature need to be kept with the development of clusters and the pollution of environment. And for managing better industrial zones in the North of Vietnam, we refer to experiences from Taiwan and other provinces in Vietnam such as Experience in building and developing Taiwan's Industrial Parks. Conclusion: According to regulations for industrial clusters we can understand that: first, we need to prevent loss from environment damages; Treatment of wastewater based on Law provisions; and Ensure ratio of green tree based on Law, then, Industrial clusters must have environmental protection infrastructure as prescribed. Last but not least, Then the Law 2020 (Environment) encourage investment according to law, and we need to design 1 person in charge of environment issues in clusters, as well as protecting environment according to relevant law.

Military artificial intelligence applied to sustainable development projects: sound environmental scenarios

Artificial intelligence (AI) used in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) has a high application interest in project management. This article presents a result of military research on ISR applicable to monitoring and recognition of audio signals for environmental protection and critical infrastructure. Two databases with environmental sounds were built from open access platforms for training, validation, and testing. The identification characteristics for IA are extracted from the preprocessing of the sounds, obtaining the Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC). As a result, model performance for more realistic soundstages shows higher accuracy compared to training categories in identifying signal frequency and duration settings. It is concluded that the model is applicable to various environmental scenarios as a low-cost alternative technology to be applied in sustainable project management.

Особливості розвитку «зеленої» економіки КНР

The article is aimed at assessing the current state of development of the green economy of China and providing recommendations for the development of the economy of such kind. As a result of the study, the definition of the «green economy» was analyzed, information was collected on the origins and development of the conception of the green economy, which covers economic, environmental, and social factors. The place of the People’s Republic of China among the selected countries (Canada, the USA, Germany, Japan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine) according to certain indicators of the green economy, in particular: CO2 emissions, the use of renewable energy sources, research and development costs, air pollution called PM2.5, total greenhouse gas emissions were substantiated. The article also compares the indicators of the green economy in the PRC with the average for all countries of the world. Recommendations for further development of the green economy in the PRC are provided, in particular, it concerns: increasing the volume of construction of environmental protection infrastructure and improving the environmental protection system; increasing investment in education and focusing on human capital; strengthening financial support for the green economy; improvement of the mechanism of patenting inventions and transformation of scientific and technological achievements; combination of the economic and the green development; deepening reforms and opening up to improve the quality of foreign investment. Prospects for further research in this direction are the assessment of the green economy of the PRC in the regional context on the basis of entropy along with systematization of existing indicators, as well as the construction of an own system of indices to assess the level of development of the green economy. Based on the calculated results of the assessment, it would be advisable to provide appropriate policy recommendations for each region of China in order to further develop the green economy.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SYSTEM SUSTAINABLE LAND USE AS A KEY FACTOR OF EFFECTIVE LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES

The article examines the issue of the formation of a system of sustainable land use as a key factor in the effective management of land resources in the management system of agricultural enterprises of Ukraine. Four groups of interrelated measures have been identified to improve the system of sustainable land use, in particular, improving the state of land resources of agricultural enterprises (fighting against erosion, organic fertilizers, various types of land reclamation, etc.); limiting the influence of non-agricultural industries, reducing the withdrawal of land from agricultural turnover, compensation of losses from non-agricultural users, reduction of pollution of land resources; use of vacant land suitable for agricultural purposes; rationalization of the use of the land fund from the point of view of the final results of agricultural production. It is emphasized that the most important measure for the establishment of a system of sustainable land use, a mechanism for managing land resources in the management system of agrarian enterprises is the transition to the principles of adaptive landscape farming, which is a system of forming land relations that provide for the rationalization and harmonization of the interaction of the natural components of the landscape and the activities of agrarian enterprises in the conditions of modern agro-industrial production. It was established that the transformation of land relations in accordance with the principles of adaptive landscape organization of territories means, first of all, the optimal ratio of agricultural land. Adaptive landscape farming involves: agro-ecological land typification by resources and limiting factors of soil fertility, heat, moisture, development potential of degradation processes; functional-purpose land typification with optimization of the ratio of land and the structure of cultivated areas; formation of the environmental protection infrastructure of the agricultural landscape; clarifying the specialization of the economy and the scheme of placing crop rotations on the territory on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of natural and economic resources and the efficiency of their use.

The Unintended Consequences of Urban Community Infrastructure Investment for Consumption in China

Background: At a critical stage of the shift of economic growth, this work studied urban community infrastructure’s driving role in consumption, discusses the causes and action mechanisms of infrastructure in promoting residents’ consumption. Methods: Based on micro-household survey data, applying probit regression. Result: We found that community infrastructure, divided according to either its engineering or its service nature, has a great positive externality, significantly increasing the proportion of residents’ consumption, and that the driving force behind consumption in urban central areas, transportation, and environmental protection infrastructure is more obvious. Good urban community infrastructure facilitates residents’ production and promotes the efficient circulation of information, resources, and factors; improves residents’ subjective expectations; and brings more consumption opportunities so that community infrastructure significantly improves residents’ probability of consumption. Conclusion: In the context of economic transformation to a high-quality economy, we should pay attention to the key role of community infrastructure investment in structural transformation and choose urban central areas, capital-intensive industries, and transportation and environmental protection infrastructure as the investment focus so as to improve the consumption returns brought by infrastructure and achieve the transformation of the economy from an investment-driven one to an innovation-driven one.

Electoral competition and the party politics of public investments

When do political parties propose long-term investments? Electoral competitiveness should be a key variable explaining parties’ investment priorities: parties can be less responsive to voters’ short-term priorities and overcome time inconsistencies when they are more likely to win the next election. The article distinguishes the characteristics of three types of investments in education, environmental protection and technology and infrastructure, gathered from the Comparative Manifesto Project. It finds a linear positive relationship between parties’ probability of entering office and the proportion of manifestoes allocated to statements about technology and infrastructure. In contrast, statements about education are highest at high levels of electoral competitiveness, as parties propose more education to attract voters, while statements about the environment are affected by parties’ ideology on the left-right axis rather than by electoral competitiveness. Power-sharing institutions help parties to overcome time inconsistency problems, reducing the impact of electoral competition on investments.

An Integrated Assessment and Factor Analysis of Water Related Environmental Risk to Cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

With rapid development of the economy and urbanization, water-related environmental risk in urban areas has increased and hindered social-economic development and ecological protection. The assessment of water-related environmental risk is of vital importance to the sustainable development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). This study constructed a comprehensive assessment index system for water-related environmental risks from three perspectives: the hazards posed by risk sources, the effectiveness of the control mechanisms, and the vulnerability of the risk receptors. Employing the entropy method, the water-related environmental risks of cities in the YREB from 2000 to 2015 were comprehensively evaluated, and the obstacle degree model was used to analyze the associated influencing factors of the water-related environmental risk. The results showed that the overall level of water-related environmental risk of the YREB presented a significant spatial gradient characterized by “downstream risk > midstream risk > upstream risk”. The areas with higher risks were mainly distributed in the Yangtze River Delta in the downstream area, and Wuhan and Changsha in the midstream area, where their risk receptors were highly vulnerable, and efforts should be made to improve the resilience of these areas. In terms of temporal change, the average value of the comprehensive water-related environmental risk of the YREB dropped from 0.493 in 2005 to 0.392 in 2015, with a reduction rate ranging from about 16.55 to 25.76%. The number of cities with medium-high to high risk had gradually decreased, and the number of cities with medium, medium-low, and low risk continued to increase. The water-related environmental risk of the YREB as a whole is in the transition stage from high risk level to medium and low risk level. Specifically, the hazards posed by risk sources had increased continually, and especially increased significantly in the midstream of the YREB; the effectiveness of risk control mechanisms had increased throughout the region, with downstream cities mainly having a high level of effectiveness; the areas with high vulnerability of the risk receptors were mainly concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta and showed an upward trend. Overall, the main source of water-related environmental risks and differences among the upstream, midstream and downstream cities had shifted from the hazards posed by risk sources to the effectiveness of risk control mechanisms and the vulnerability of the risk receptor. The main factors affecting the water-related environmental risk in the order of average obstacle degree were per capita GDP (34.43%), the number of beds per thousand people (18.70%) and the industrial structure height (15.55%). Therefore, promoting the adjustment of industrial structure, improving economic efficiency, developing the regional social economy, and improving and perfecting the construction of environmental protection infrastructure are effective ways to realize the mitigation and resolution of water-related environmental risks.

The use of blue-green infrastructure as a multifunctional approach to watersheds with socio-environmental vulnerability

Abstract This article investigates how to make the implementation of blue-green infrastructure (BGI) more attractive to solve urban problems in densely occupied watersheds that lack flood control and environmental quality protection infrastructure. Considering the obstacles related to implementing multifunctional solutions in developing countries, measuring its co-benefits (in addition to flood control) may influence greater public and political acceptance. Thus, the paper uses a multifunctional design approach using the urban open space system and combining the blue-green and gray infrastructure. A hydrodynamic model was used to support flood mapping. This approach also increases the land value and the environmental quality of the urban spaces. Two quantitative aspects support this evaluation. The first one represents the land value increase as a positive effect, while the second one assesses the environmental quality of the urban space using the Environmental Quality Assessment Index (EQAI). The results obtained from the urban and environmental evaluation proved that blue and green corridors could promote multiple co-benefits for consolidated urban areas. The increased environmental quality and land value were only possible due to the combined use of BGI and gray infrastructure since BGI can add benefits that the gray infrastructure is not capable of providing.

Green Development Assessment of a Stainless-steel Industrial Park Based on Material Flow Analysis (MFA)

Based on the material flow analysis method, the green development index system of industrial park was constructed. By using the PSR model, 13 indexes were divided into pressure layer, state layer and response layer, the indexes were standardized, weight distribution and synthesis. The green development level of industrial park was divided into 5 grades combined with the pressure state response factors. The results show that the energy consumption per unit industrial output of a stainless-steel industrial park is 0.7116 tons of standard coal per million yuan, the water consumption per unit industrial output is 6.1466 cubic meters per million yuan, the wastewater discharge per unit industrial added value is 3.12 tons per million yuan, the reduction rate of carbon emissions per unit industrial added value is 19.53%, and the green development index is 0.65, which belongs to the third level of green development. The problems are reflected in particulate emission, resource recycling, energy efficiency, industrial structure, and park greening. In the future, the stainless-steel industrial park should focus on industrial restructuring and transformation, environmental protection infrastructure construction, new policy guidance, and ecological environment construction of the park.

Has environmental information disclosure eased the economic inhibition of air pollution?

To improve environmental quality, the Chinese government implemented a series of environmental policies, including the environmental information disclosure system, which is critical to promoting China’s ecological development, and PM2.5 monitoring data, which constitute the most important and valued index. Using data from 120 cities in which the environmental information disclosure policy was implemented in China from 2008 to 2016, this research empirically tested the impact of air pollution on economic development and the transmission mechanism of this effect using a two-stage least squares regression model (2SLS). Additionally, this study innovatively tested the impact of environmental information disclosure on air pollution and economic development. Our results indicate that air pollution can hinder economic development and that spending on scientific research and financing polluters are two crucial transmission mechanisms. Disclosure of environmental information effectively reduces concealment of and failure to report pollution, enabling the environmental reports published by the government to more accurately reflect the air quality. By increasing the government’s environmental protection expenditure, this disclosure system expands environmental protection employment and infrastructure construction. In this way, the negative externality of air pollution has been alleviated by the government’s enhanced environmental governance.

Environmental safety and the “green” economy in the context of the Baikalocentric model of territorial development

The results of ecological and socioeconomic scientific research within the central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory (CEZ of the BNT) are presented, the legislatively fixed function of which is the preservation of the unique ecological system of Lake Baikal. It administratively includes the territory of three districts of the Irkutsk region (Irkutskii, Olkhonskii and Slyudyanskii) and four in the Republic of Buryatia (Barguzinskii, Kabanskii, Severobaikalskii and Pribaikalskii). The research is based on the theoretical and methodological approaches of social geography; we applied the ideology of the “green” economy and the centrality of territorial development. For Lake Baikal as an object of the World Natural heritage (since 1996) on the basis of the adopted federal law “On the protection of Lake Baikal”, three federal target programs for the protection of the lake and socioeconomic development of the Baikal natural territory have been developed. Based on the data obtained during the targeted research of the federal and regional level on the territory of the CEZ of the BNT, a matrix is proposed for assessing the location of economic activity objects (e.g. industry of specialization - the recreational sphere). Geographical features of the CES of the BNT and its modern functional purpose predetermine the Baikal-centric vector of economic activity, primarily recreational, and the growing role of the emerging environmental protection infrastructure (GIS). We consider the GIS as part of the environmental infrastructure from the standpoint of the”green” economy as a practical implementation of the principles of sustainable development. Methods of expeditionary research and sociology (questioning, survey) were used.

Water Quality Evaluation and Analysis of Main Pollutants Along the Weihe River

Through the analysis of the water quality evaluation and the change of main pollutants along the course of 13 national control monitoring sections of Weihe river main stream ( Shaanxi section ), the theoretical basis is provided for the formulation of effective prevention and control measures. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) were determined by investigating and collecting water samples, and the trend curves of cod and NH3-N pollution were drawn. Results from 2006 to 2009, the main stream of Weihe river ( Shaanxi section ) 13 In addition to the water quality of the four sections from linjia village to changxingqiao, the water quality of the other nine sections exceeds the water quality function standard, and the water quality is worse than grade v, the pollution is very serious. Promote the Weihe river (Shaanxi section) industrial structure adjustment, strict sewage standards, strengthen the sewage treatment plant and urban environmental protection infrastructure construction and other five aspects of prevention and control measures.

Development of environmental protection infrastructure in a rural commune after Poland’s accession to the European Union – case study

Abstract The process of European integration required the harmonization of the Polish law with EU legislation and the physical implementation of the new regulations. One of the areas in which these activities were carried out was environmental protection. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the Europeanisation process on environmental investment, ecology policy and the practice of environmental protection in rural communes using the example of the Wysokie Mazowieckie rural commune. The study have shown that the impact of the EU integration process was significant. This influence can be most clearly observed in the following two areas: the growing importance of environmental protection in commune policy and the acquisition of external financial resources for pro-ecological investments. Thanks to this, it was possible to solve many important environmental problems in the commune, especially regarding water and wastewater management as well as waste management.

Energy Resources for Peace and Comfort in Underdeveloped Regions: Design of a Micro Biogas Plant for Small Farms

Sound politics and a robust economy are essential ingredients for peace in human society. Most of the advanced countries in the world have both, and they could have sustained a peaceful atmosphere even after the 2nd World War. With the first and second Industrial Revolution, advances in science and technology development have brought economic fruitfulness and social wealth. The underdeveloped countries also need all of these things, which the advanced nations have already enjoyed over the last 200 years. For a peaceful society, these countries need at minimumto achieve food security, as well asa dependable energy sourcein order to sustain day-to-day life. The stable supply of agricultural products should be accomplished first, and a recycling system between production and regeneration of all the bio-waste would be necessary and worthy for achieving agricultural independence. All the bio-waste can be converted to the biogas by way of the fermentation process. In many developing countries, small farming is conventional,so an effective recycling and environmental protection infrastructure is perceived as very demanding. Biogas, however, can be used as a fuel; and its residues, following fermentation process, can be produced as an organic fertilizer for optimum agricultural development. Biogas in rural areas can also be used for heating, cooking or light. This organic fertilizer can significantly reduce the production cost of vegetables and crop harvesting. For agricultural purposes, it is crucial that organic fertilizer be suitable to increase the fertility of soil. To establish social equalities, microeconomic businesses have been suggested and implemented so far. Herewith we can support further development of ideas, which comprise seven benefits: local energy (i.e. biogas from swine manure) fertilizer ready to use (residues from the biogas process), local reduction of pollution (conversion of animal manure into energy in the confinement of a small plant),reduction of health risks (safer handling of manure) and the micro business option to sell biogas in a backpack, as well asthe reduced need to collect firewood, and the possibility to increase the number of cattle and pigs by dealing with the problem of manure waste. Micro biogas plants made from scrap building materials can make this enterprise possible.

What to Do with Waste

This article analyzes the domestic legal and regulatory foundation for improving the situation in waste treatment. We identify a deficit in the operation of environmental protection infrastructure for waste treatment in urbanizing and rural areas of Siberia (with Irkutsk oblast as an example), and we propose scenarios for developing infrastructure for treating the waste produced.

Problems of the environmental protection infrastructure of Siberia: economical and geographical approach

Post-Soviet stage of development of the environmental protection infrastructure is marked, on the one hand, by theoretically limitless opportunities to improve comfortable live support from the perspective of market economic principles based on the ideas of sustainable (balanced, harmonious) development of a modern national economy. On the other hand, the analysis of reality represents the loss of all accumulated experience in this fi eld in the process of the adaptation to market economy, the unrealized hopes to “turn the market” to such a profi table business as waste management (European experience), the growth of negative processes, including environment deterioration, sometimes of almost catastrophic level (coastal pollution of Lake Baikal in the most visited places). The article represents the results of the economic and geographical study of environmental protection infrastructure from the point of view of the spatial organization, increasing role of government regulation and institutional environment in its further development

Analysis on Chinese Environmental Protection Talents Training

Currently, the demand for Chinese environmental protection talents has following features: The work field of environmental protection moves down, so the basic level of environmental protection talents are much needed. Also, the construction and management on urban environmental protection infrastructure is enhanced, so the facility operation and management personnel are much needed. And the structure of environmental protection industry becomes increasingly complicated, so the new type of interdisciplinary talents are much needed. In order to meet the demand for environmental protection talents, the countermeasures about talent training are shown as below: we shall timely adjust the overall arrangement of subject and major based on the demand for environmental protection industry, and the stakeholders shall have a comprehensive cooperation to establish a long-term mechanism for environmental protection talents training.