Exploration Of Natural Resources Research Articles

Seismic Tomography 2024

ABSTRACT Seismic tomography is the most abundant source of information about the internal structure of the Earth at scales ranging from a few meters to thousands of kilometers. It constrains the properties of active volcanoes, earthquake fault zones, deep reservoirs and storage sites, glaciers and ice sheets, or the entire globe. It contributes to outstanding societal problems related to natural hazards, resource exploration, underground storage, and many more. The recent advances in seismic tomography are being translated to nondestructive testing, medical ultrasound, and helioseismology. Nearly 50 yr after its first successful applications, this article offers a snapshot of modern seismic tomography. Focused on major challenges and particularly promising research directions, it is intended to guide both Earth science professionals and early-career scientists. The individual contributions by the coauthors provide diverse perspectives on topics that may at first seem disconnected but are closely tied together by a few coherent threads: multiparameter inversion for properties related to dynamic processes, data quality, and geographic coverage, uncertainty quantification that is useful for geologic interpretation, new formulations of tomographic inverse problems that address concrete geologic questions more directly, and the presentation and quantitative comparison of tomographic models. It remains to be seen which of these problems will be considered solved, solved to some extent, or practically unsolvable over the next decade.

Human security, sustainable livelihoods and development: the case of the Niger Delta region in Nigeria

This article critically examines the complex connections between human security and livelihoods in relation to development in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. This region is pervaded by a web of socio-economic and environmental issues that have severely impacted the lives of people and communities due to environmental degradation. For example, the exploration and exploitation of natural resources in this region has had extensive consequences on the livelihood activities of the people. Moreover, the Niger Delta has been affected by persistent social instabilities and a lack of access to some of the basic assets of security, including personal, health, economic and environmental security. While the concepts of livelihoods and environmental degradation are reasonably well understood in the context of the Niger Delta, the complex links between them in relation to human security remain unexplored. To examine how environmental degradation impacts livelihoods, this article explores the concept of human security, following a rights-based approach in line with the sustainable livelihood framework. Furthermore, it draws from semi-structured interviews conducted in the region on the lived experiences of community members, such as farmers and fishers, and their challenges in bridging generational crises in the context of environmental degradation. I argue that understanding the interconnectedness of security and livelihood issues in the context of such crises provides an innovative approach to considering both environmental and social factors in sustainable development, which is essential for the overall well-being of people in the region.

Dietary Variation Effect on Life History Traits and Energy Storage in Neotropical Species of Drosophila (Diptera; Drosophilidae).

The ability of an organism to respond to nutritional stress can be a plastic character under the action of natural selection, affecting several characteristics, including life history and energy storage. The genus Drosophila (Diptera; Drosophilidae) presents high variability regarding natural resource exploration. However, most works on this theme have studied the model species D. melanogaster Meigen, 1830 and little is known about Neotropical drosophilids. Here we evaluate the effects of three diets, with different carbohydrate-to-protein ratios, on life history (viability and development time) and metabolic pools (triglycerides, glycogen, and total soluble protein contents) of three Neotropical species of Drosophila: D. maculifrons Duda, 1927; D. ornatifrons Duda, 1927, both of the subgenus Drosophila Sturtevant, 1939, and D. willistoni Sturtevant, 1916 of the subgenus Sophophora Sturtevant, 1939. Our results showed that only D. willistoni was viable on all diets, D. maculifrons was not viable on the sugary diet, while D. ornatifrons was barely viable on this diet. The sugary diet increased the development time of D. willistoni and D. ornatifrons, and D. willistoni glycogen content. Thus, the viability of D. maculifrons and D. ornatifrons seems to depend on a certain amount of protein and/or a low concentration of carbohydrate in the diet. A more evident effect of the diets on triglyceride and protein pools was detected in D. ornatifrons, which could be related to the adult attraction to dung and carrion baited pitfall as food resource tested in nature. Our results demonstrated that the evolutionary history and differential adaptations to natural macronutrient resources are important to define the amplitude of response that a species can present when faced with dietary variation.

An ameliorated localization algorithm for compensating stratification effect based on improved underwater salp swarm optimization technique

SummaryThe underwater acoustic sensor network is a fundamental source for ocean exploration. The potential applications of underwater acoustic sensor network (UASN) include seismic imaging, disaster prevention, mine reconnaissance, pollution monitoring, exploration of natural resources, and military surveillance. To acquire accurate results, implementing all applications of underwater sensor networks requires an adequate network connection and communication technology. The precise placement of underwater sensor nodes needs to be identified in order to achieve effective communication. To accomplish the requirement, the paper presents an efficient localization algorithm to compensate the stratification effect based on an improved underwater salp swarm optimization technique (LAS‐IUSSOT). To compute the location of sensor nodes with high accuracy, the nodes are initially randomly deployed in three‐dimensional underwater acoustic sensor network (3D‐UASN). After that, the hybridization of centroid‐based localization and the ray theory technique is used, and then, the degree of coplanarity is analyzed among the underwater sensor nodes. Then, the computation of the location of unknown nodes is performed using improved underwater salp swarm optimization technique (IUSSOT) to obtain the optimized location and compensate the impact of the stratification. The comparison of the simulation results of the existing algorithm and the proposed algorithm is performed. The LAS‐IUSSOT achieves 40.46% and 28.00% accuracy in terms of localization of underwater sensor nodes for both the sparse and dense regions in 3D‐UASN. The LAS‐IUSSOT achieves 49.39% and 62.57% accuracy in terms of ranging of underwater sensor nodes for both the sparse and dense regions in 3D‐UASN. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing algorithm in terms of localization and ranging accuracy in both sparse and dense regions in 3D‐UASN, root mean square error (RMSE), normalized localization error (NLE), computation time, and convergence rate.

Extreme organic matter enrichment in the Ediacaran Doushantuo formation: New constraints from the NE Sichuan basin, China

The Yangtze Block is a highly prospective area for Ediacaran natural gas exploration in recent years, especially the Doushantuo Formation, a vital source rock for organic-rich hydrocarbon and a shale gas reservoir in the region. However, understanding of the Ediacaran organic-rich source rocks systematically has been limited due to the heterogeneous accumulation of organic matter and confusing paleoclimatological and paleoceanographic conditions. Such a scenario is not conducive to further exploration of the deep Ediacaran natural gas resources or understanding the evolution of early Earth. In this study, based on two new well drillings in the northeastern Sichuan Basin, the integrated sedimentological and geochemical investigations were focused on the Ediacaran middle−upper Doushantuo Formation (DST) fine-grained rocks interval. Results show this set of black organic-rich shales (total organic carbon up to 13.97%) deposited under episodic warming climate during an otherwise protracted cooling trend. These frequent climatic fluctuations intensified hydrological circulation, which together with the concurrent hydrothermal activity and the Neoproterozoic Oxidation Event, led to eutrophication of surface seawater. Under these circumstances, a substantial enhancement in primary productivity driven by algae blooming, subsequently resulted in consume excess dissolved oxygen in seawater during the degradation stage and anoxic-euxinic bottom water expansion. Consequently, the high paleoproductivity controlled the extreme organic matter enrichment during the Doushantuo time and formed the DST 4 organic-rich shales in the Chengkou and Nanhua subbasins. In contrast, although the DST 3 shales still deposited under a high productivity condition, the shallower sedimentary environments with anoxic-oxic bottom water conditions resulted in greater variation in total organic carbon contents.

Hierarchical Semantic-Guided Contextual Structure-Aware Network for Spectral Satellite Image Dehazing

Haze or cloud always shrouds satellite images, obscuring valuable geographic information for military surveillance, natural calamity surveillance and mineral resource exploration. Satellite image dehazing (SID) provides the possibility for better applications of satellite images. Most of the existing dehazing methods are tailored for natural images and are not very effective for satellite images with non-homogeneous haze since the semantic structure information and inconsistent attenuation are not fully considered. To tackle this problem, this study proposes a hierarchical semantic-guided contextual structure-aware network (SCSNet) for spectral satellite image dehazing. Specifically, a hybrid CNN–Transformer architecture integrated with a hierarchical semantic guidance (HSG) module is presented to learn semantic structure information by synergetically complementing local representation from non-local features. Furthermore, a cross-layer fusion (CLF) module is specially designed to replace the traditional skip connection during the feature decoding stage so as to reinforce the attention to the spatial regions and feature channels with more serious attenuation. The results on the SateHaze1k, RS-Haze, and RSID datasets demonstrated that the proposed SCSNet can achieve effective dehazing and outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods.

Comprehensive Facies Analysis and Depositional Environments of the Kikim Formation, Garba Mountain, South Palembang Subbasin, Indonesia

This study provides an exhaustive facies analysis of the Kikim Formation within the Garba Mountain area of the South Palembang Subbasin, emphasizing the stratigraphic significance and depositional environments during the Paleogene period. Utilizing field data collected from the Bumi Agung and Batu Belang measurement lines, this research categorizes various lithofacies using Miall’s (1978) classification scheme, identifying eight distinct lithofacies and four facies associations indicative of a predominantly fluvial depositional setting. The results depict a detailed sedimentological framework, showing that the Kikim Formation was characterized by a braided river system with significant gravel and sandstone deposits. This analysis not only sheds light on the geological history and processes shaping the South Sumatra Basin but also enhances the understanding of its potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. By detailing the lithological diversity and facies distribution, this paper contributes to the broader geological knowledge required for effective exploration and management of the region's natural resources.

Analysis and Multi-Objective Optimization of the Rate of Penetration and Mechanical Specific Energy: A Case Study Applied to a Carbonate Hard Rock Reservoir Based on a Drill Rate Test Using Play-Back Methodology

Until early 2006, in Brazil, the focus used to be on oil and gas exploration/exploitation of post-salt carbonates. This changed when the industry announced the existence of large fields in pre-salt layers across the South Atlantic Ocean from nearshore zones up to almost 350 [km] from the shore. With the discovery of pre-salt hydrocarbons reservoirs, new challenges appeared. One of the main challenges is the necessity to optimize the drilling processes due to their high operational costs. Drilling costs are considerably high, which leads the oil and gas industry to search for innovative and entrepreneurial methods. The coupling of the mechanical specific energy (MSE) and the rate of penetration (ROP) is a method that allows for the identification of ideal conditions to efficiently enhance the drilling process. In addition, the performance of the drilling process can be estimated through pre-operational tests, which consist in continuously testing the applied drilling mechanic parameters, such as the weight-on-bit (WOB) and drill string rotary speed (RPM), looking for optimum sets that would ultimately provide the most desirable ROP. Thus, the goal of this research was to analyze field data from pre-salt layer operations, using a multi-objective optimization based on the play-back methodology for pre-operational drilling tests, through the ideal combination of the highest ROP and the lowest MSE. The results showed that the new concept of pre-operational tests based on the MSE proved to be effective in the drilling process optimization. The combination of the highest ROP and the lowest MSE allows for a high-performance drilling process. For WOB intervals of 5 and 7 [klb], a good fit of the parameters was obtained. Through the parameters obtained from pre-operational tests, the eventual cost-saving and time-saving values could be estimated, respectively, ranging from USD 1,056,180 to 1,151,898 and 19.50 to 21.27 [h], respectively. In addition, the results of this research can be applied to the exploration of other natural resources, such as natural hydrogen and geothermal sources.

International Law Issues Concerning Marine Environment Protection in the Arctic

International Law Issues Concerning Marine Environment Protection in the Arctic

The Insights of Neo-Colonial Divorce between Niger and France through Defensive versus Offensive Diplomatic Mechanisms Perpetuated by Continuous Ambitions of Exploration, Expropriation and Exploitation of Natural Resources in Niger 2000-2023

The West African country called Niger is blessed with seven neighbouring countries which surrounded all its frontiers in spite of the fact that it is a landlocked country with no direct access to the sea. The rich natural resources like uranium attracted several Multinational Corporations (MNCs) to set up for the Exploration, Expropriation and Exploitation (3Es). Yet, the country remains one of the poorest and under developed for 63 years after independence but was crowned in the position of Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiatives (HIPC). Unfortunately for France as the main consumer of Niger’s resources through the use of pro-French leaders of the country, the 21st Century was not going to be the same as it recently happened in the previous four decades of the 20th Century. To that effect, a New Generation of West African Leaders (NGWAL) from Mali, Burkina-Faso and Mali individual decided to take the bull by the horns with main objective to overthrow Purported Pro- French Civilian Leaders (PPFCL) in order to end all the mechanisms and networks of neo-colonialism as impediments to National Development and Unity (NDU) which in turns fuelled periods of social unrest and political instabilities since the 1960s. Therefore, Niger was not left out in this neo-colonial dance of the third decade of the 21st Century as it happened in 2023 with strong sentimental feelings in favour of the suffering Nigeriens. The scrutinized of specialized sources of information enable us to use a historical approach with our findings that Niger is on good footing towards new structural developmental agenda without any single dictatorial prescriptions from the neo-colonial men of Western Europe.

Unveiling the Potential of Secang (Caesalpinia sappan L.) as a Novel Tanning Agent: A Promising Alternative for the Leather Industry

The exploration of vegetable tanning's natural resources is fascinating as an alternative to basic chromium sulfate for its natural abundance and considerable environmental impact. In this work, an attempt has been made to extract vegetable tannin from Caesalpinia sappan L. bark using water as a solvent with different levels of temperatures and incubation times. The highest yield efficiency was observed at 80 °C for 4 hours. The presence of tannin content and polyphenolic compounds were screened by the phytochemical analysis using Iron (III) chloride (FeCl3), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and ensured by the thin layer chromatography (TLC), and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The extracts were then determined by percentage of extract yield, phytochemical, tannin type, moisture, total solids, and tannin characteristics. The findings indicate that the extract of Secang contains 4.98±0.28% total moisture, 95.02 ± 0.28% total solids, and 72.12 ± 2.81% total soluble solids, 52.28 ± 1.79% tannins, and 19.84 ± 1.41% non-tannin. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed a clear functional group within Caesalpinia sappan L., as evidenced by the type of tannin that is condensed. The TLC assay exhibited a considerable intensity under UV lights. It included several shades of light blue and blue, which could indicate the presence of secondary metabolites and tannin. Compared to mimosa, as the commercial standard for tanning agents in the leather industry, Caesalpinia sappan L. presents promise as an eco-friendly substitute for basic chromium sulfate and a new alternative source of vegetable tannin for the leather industry.

High-Resolution Gravity Measurements on Board an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle: Data Reduction and Accuracy Assessment

Gravity on Earth is of great interest in geodesy, geophysics, and natural resource exploration. Ship-based gravimeters are a widely used instrument for the collection of surface gravity field data in marine regions. However, due to the considerable distance from the sea surface to the seafloor, the spatial resolution of surface gravity data collected from ships is often insufficient to image the detail of seafloor geological structures and to explore offshore natural minerals. Therefore, the development of a mobile underwater gravimetry system is necessary. The GraviMob gravimeter, developed for a moving underwater platform by Geo-Ocean (UMR 6538 CNRS-Ifremer-UBO-UBS), GeF (UR4630, Cnam) and MAPPEM Geophysics, has been tested over the last few years. In this study, we report on the high-resolution gravity measurements from the GraviMob system mounted on an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, which can measure at depths of up to several kilometres. The dedicated GraviMob underwater gravity measurements were conducted in the Mediterranean Sea in March 2016, with a total of 26 underwater measurement profiles. All these measurement profiles were processed and validated. In a first step, the GraviMob gravity measurements were corrected for temperature based on a linear relationship between temperature and gravity differences. Through repeated profiles, we acquired GraviMob gravity measurements with an estimated error varying from 0.8 to 2.6 mGal with standard deviation after applying the proposed temperature correction. In a second step, the shipborne gravity data were downward continued to the measurement depth to validate the GraviMob measurements. Comparisons between the corrected GraviMob gravity anomalies and downward continued surface shipborne gravity data revealed a standard deviation varying from 0.8 to 3.2 mGal and a mean bias value varying from −0.6 to 0.6 mGal. These results highlight the great potential of the GraviMob system in measuring underwater gravity.

Exact and heuristic solutions for the prize‐collecting geometric enclosure problem

AbstractIn the prize‐collecting geometric enclosure problem (PCGEP), a set of points in the plane is given, each with an associated benefit. The goal is to find a simple polygon with vertices in that maximizes the sum of the benefits of the points of enclosed by minus the perimeter of multiplied by a given nonnegative cost. The PCGEP is NP‐complete and has applications to land surveying for exploration or preservation of natural resources. In this paper, we develop the first heuristic, called PCGEP‐GR, for the PCGEP and revisit a previously proposed integer linear programming (ILP) model to solve it to optimality. We conducted a comprehensive experimental study of that heuristic and an exact algorithm based on the ILP model. We show that a new set of constraints, together with the previous set, is necessary to guarantee the correctness of the ILP model and introduce preprocessing strategies that allow us to prove optimality 40% faster on average. The proposed heuristic is able to reach the optimum in 32% of our benchmark instances and, for those with unknown optima, PCGEP‐GR was found better than or at least as good solutions as the ones obtained by the cplex ILP solver in 54% of the cases. Notwithstanding these positive results, the design of effective heuristics for the PCGEP proved to be very challenging, which also led us to obtain a result that provides the theoretical foundation for future advances in the study of this problem.

Gas equilibrium membrane inlet mass spectrometry (GE-MIMS) for water at high pressure

Abstract. Gas species are widely used as natural or artificial tracers to study fluid dynamics in environmental and geological systems. The recently developed gas equilibrium membrane inlet mass spectrometry (GE-MIMS) method is most useful for accurate and autonomous on-site quantification of dissolved gases in aquatic systems. GE-MIMS works by pumping water through a gas equilibrator module containing a gas headspace, which is separated from the water by a gas-permeable membrane. The partial pressures of the gas species in the headspace equilibrate with the gas concentrations in the water according to Henry's Law and are quantified with a mass spectrometer optimized for low gas consumption (miniRUEDI or similar). However, the fragile membrane structures of the commonly used equilibrator modules break down at water pressures ≳3 bar. These modules are therefore not suitable for use in deep geological systems or other environments with high water pressures. To this end, the SysMoG® MD membrane module (Solexperts AG, Switzerland; “SOMM”) was developed to withstand water pressures of up to 100 bar. Compared to the conventionally used GE-MIMS equilibrator modules, the mechanically robust construction of the SOMM module entails slow and potentially incomplete gas–water equilibration. We tested the gas equilibration efficiency of the SOMM and developed an adapted protocol that allows correct operation of the SOMM for GE-MIMS analysis at high water pressures. This adapted SOMM GE-MIMS technique exhibits a very low gas consumption from the SOMM to maintain the gas–water equilibrium according to Henry's Law and provides the same analytical accuracy and precision as the conventional GE-MIMS technique. The analytical potential of the adapted SOMM GE-MIMS technique was demonstrated in a high-pressure fluid migration experiment in an underground rock laboratory. The new technique overcomes the pressure limitations of conventional gas equilibrators and thereby opens new opportunities for efficient and autonomous on-site quantification of dissolved gases in high-pressure environments, such as in research and monitoring of underground storage of CO2 and waste deposits or in the exploration of natural resources.

Mineral resource volatility and green growth: The role of technological development, environmental policy stringency, and trade openness

While natural resources significantly contribute to global socio-economic development, the unresolved question of their volatility's role in decoupling economic growth and carbon emissions persists. Previous empirical studies have underscored both positive and negative impacts of natural resource exploration on economic growth and the environment. This study addresses the knowledge gap by employing a linear non-linear panel ARDL framework to investigate the correlation between natural re source volatility and sustainable development in the BRICS economies. Our key findings reveal that natural resource volatility adversely impacts green growth within the linear model in both the short and long run. Conversely, in the non-linear model, an increase in natural resource volatility negatively influences green growth, whereas a decrease encourages green growth, albeit only in the long run. Moreover, we found that technological development, stringent environmental policies, and trade openness are conducive to green growth. These results underscore the necessity for managing natural resource volatility to foster sustainable development, particularly in emerging BRICS economies.

A comparative study on the scintillation characteristics of Gd2SiO5:Ce and Lu1.2Gd0.8SiO5:Ce scintillators

In the present day, inorganic scintillators have been developed to detect high-energy photons such as x-rays and γ-rays. They have been applied in many works, such as astronomy, materials inspection, high energy physics, industrial application, and natural resources exploration. Especially in the medical field, they are used as radiation detectors in diagnostic equipment such as PET scanner, x-ray CT scanner, SPECT scanner, etc. This research studied the scintillation characteristics of Ce:GSO and Ce:LGSO single crystals. We found that at 662 keV gamma-ray energy, Ce:LGSO crystal has about 2.3 times more light yield than Ce:GSO crystal, but the energy resolution of both crystals is not different. For the degree of non-proportionality of both crystals, Ce:LGSO scintillator shows 0.08, which is better than the 0.19 obtained from Ce:GSO scintillator. This work also discusses the two scintillators’ peak-to-total ratio, loss parameter, and intrinsic light yield.

Blind Image Despeckling Using a Multiscale Attention-Guided Neural Network

Coherent imaging systems have been applied in the detection of target of interest, natural resource exploration, ailment diagnosis, etc. However, it is easy to generate speckle-degraded images due to the coherent interference of reflected echoes, restricting these practical applications. Speckle noise is a granular interference that affects the observed reflectivity. It is often modeled as multiplicative noise with a negative exponential distribution. This non-linear property makes despeckling of imaging data an intractable problem. To enhance despeckling performance, we propose to blindly remove speckle noise using an intelligent computing-enabled multi-scale attention-guided neural network (termed MSANN). In particular, we first introduce the logarithmic transformation to convert the multiplicative speckle noise model to an additive version. Our MSANN, essentially a feature pyramid network (FPN), is then exploited to restore degraded images in the logarithmic domain. To enhance the generalization ability of MSANN, a multi-scale feature enhancement attention module (FEAM) is incorporated into MSANN to extract multi-scale features for improving imaging quality. A multi-scale mixed loss function is further presented to increase network robustness during training. The final despeckled images are naturally equivalent to the exponential versions of the output of MSANN. Experimental results have shown that MSANN has the capacity of effectively removing speckle noise while preserving essential structures. It can achieve superior despeckling results in terms of visual quality and quantitative measures.

Legal Regime Governing the Seas and Oceans

The legal nature governing the platform and sub-platform is one of the important challenges of governments and international institutions. In 1982, the General Assembly of the United Nations drafted a comprehensive convention in this regard, which is now in force in all the member countries of this organization. The bed and sub-bed of the seas and oceans include two areas of the continental shelf and beyond the continental shelf, the former under the jurisdiction of the coastal government and the latter subject to an international regime. The outer limit of the continental shelf in open waters continues up to 350 miles, and the exploration and exploitation of natural resources, including mineral resources, inanimate resources, and stationary and living organisms, is the monopoly of the coastal governments. The resources beyond the continental shelf are considered the common heritage of mankind, and any exploration activity and exploitation of its resources is done with the permission and supervision of an institution called "International Deep-Sea Authority", whose members are elected by the member states of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Prospects of geothermal field development in Gandhar, Gujarat, India

Field development is an important part of natural resource utilization and exploration because it involves a systematic evaluation and optimization of a specific area. This study examines the geothermal field development in the Gandhar region of Gujarat, India. Gandhar for the past several decades has been a flourishing field for hydrocarbon extraction. However, as the world is dealing with environmental issues and the need to shift to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, geothermal energy has emerged as a feasible and ecologically sound option. This study aims to understand the potential of regions in and around Gandhar as a prospective geothermal field of the west coast continental margin of India. Three primary disciplines namely geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys are employed on the surface to assess the potential of Gandhar's geothermal resources. Geological assessments provide information about underlying geological formations, which might help to locate possible geothermal resources. The Deccan basement is a prominent source of magmatic heat, with a thermal gradient ranging from 1.29 to 1.87 W/K. This enhances Gandhar's geothermal potential by heating the underlying water in conjunction with radionuclides found in the Earth's core. The temperatures range from 60 to 80 °C according to Giggenbach triangle method. Gandhar's geothermal potential is further highlighted by the fact that its water is bicarbonate-rich, which connects it to possible subterranean aquifers. These results are verified by geophysical studies. Prospective geothermal reserves and four way closures can be found by as anomalies. Gravity survey reveal a doubly plunging antiform, with gravity high value of 5.4 and 5.3 mGa l respectively, which is corroborated by magnetic peaks of 58 and 56.2 nT Areas with higher conductivity are identified by resistivity studies, which also indicate possible fluid paths and geothermal reservoirs. The paper outlines a conceptual field development plan for the identified prospect. The basic infrastructure and the cost associated with it for field development is worked out. The cost of production/MWe of energy generation is also highlighted.

The Ethno-pharmaceuticals Fighting UTI-Resistant Bacteria: Synergistic Potential Exploration

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a pressing global health concern, exacerbated by the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Bioprospecting, involving the exploration of natural resources for therapeutic potential, offers a promising approach to tackling this challenge. Ethnopharmaceuticals, traditional medicinal practices and remedies from indigenous communities, present a valuable source for discovering novel bioactive compounds. This review comprehensively evaluates the bioprospecting of ethnopharmaceuticals and their synergistic potential against antibiotic-resistant UTIs. Drawing from existing literature, we analyze a diverse range of ethnopharmaceuticals, elucidating their mechanisms of action and experimental evidence supporting synergistic interactions. Ethno-pharmaceuticals encompass various plant-based extracts, traditional herbal remedies, and indigenous healing practices utilized across generations to manage infections. We examine the scientific evidence supporting their efficacy in treating UTIs, clarifying their bioactive components and modes of action. Integration of traditional knowledge with modern scientific methodologies is crucial to addressing contemporary health challenges. By harnessing the synergistic potential of ethno-pharmaceuticals, we can develop alternative therapies for UTIs, offering hope for improved treatment outcomes amidst antibiotic resistance.