Overexploitation Of Water Resources Research Articles

Comparative Assessment of the Mountainous River Basin in Kyrgyz-Kazakh Region of Central Asia with River Basins in Australia, Canada and USA

Central Asia is among the most heavily affected regions worldwide by climate change and water shortages. Impacts include changes in precipitation patterns, more frequent temperature extremes and increased aridity causing a negative impact on agricultural production, food availability, and environmental security. To combat this threat, it is important to enhance information literacy among all water users. This can be done through awareness campaigns, blended learning by providing the proper Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs and utilizing all available facilities. This will address relevant issues, such as miscommunication, complexities of transboundary water sharing issues, overexploitation of water resources, and poor flood-drought mitigation techniques. Proper and user-friendly lifelong blended learning for scientific information dissemination focusing water issues can provide stronger support to increase awareness among water users and decision policy makers. Worldwide, especially in North America and Australia, information literacy campaigns have proven successful. This strategy can be replicated in the Mountainous Kyrgyz-Kazakh Chu-Talas transboundary river basin. The issues concerning the Mountainous Kyrgyz-Kazakh Chu-Talas transboundary river basin is elaborated and compared with Australian, Canadian, and US river basin management programs. The foresight analysis is presented, as to what would be a rationale to improve water resources more sustainably in Central Asia. Methodologies, programs, technologies, communities-based river basin committees, snow-water collection with agroforestry, and basin-based water market opportunities were analyzed to assess potential applications in Central Asia region.

Irrigation Detection Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Time Series on Fruit Tree Orchards

In arid and semi-arid regions, irrigation is crucial to mitigate water stress and yield loss. However, the overexploitation of water resources by the agricultural sector together with the climate change effects can lead to water scarcity. Effective regional water management depends on estimating irrigation demand using maps of irrigable areas or national and regional statistics of irrigated areas. These statistical data are not always of reliable quality because they generally do not reflect the updated spatial distribution of irrigated and rainfed fields. In this context, remote sensing provides reliable methods for gathering useful agricultural information from derived records. The combined use of optical and radar Earth Observation data enhances the probability of detecting irrigation events, which can improve the accuracy of irrigation mapping. Hence, we aimed to utilize Sentinel-1 (VV and VH) and Sentinel-2 (NDVI) data to classify irrigated fruit trees and rainfed ones in a study area located in the Castilla La-Mancha region in Spain. To obtain these time-series data from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2, which constitute the input data for the classification algorithms, a tool has been developed for automating the download from the Sentinel Hub. This tool downloads products organized by tiles for the region of interest and for the entire required time-series, ensuring the spatial repeatability of each pixel across all products and dates. The classification of irrigated plots was carried out by SVM Support Vector Machine. The employed methodology displayed promising results, with an overall accuracy of 88.4%, indicating the methodology’s ability to detect irrigation over orchards that were declared as non-irrigated. These results were evaluated by applying the change detection method of the σp0 backscattering coefficient at plot scale.

Complementary Approaches to Planning a Restored Coastal Wetland and Assessing the Role of Agriculture and Biodiversity: An Applied Case Study in Southern Italy

The European Parliament has recently passed the “Nature Recovery” law to restore degraded ecosystems and prevent natural disasters as part of its “Biodiversity Strategy 2030” and “Green Deal”. In this respect, wetlands can provide a wide range of ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation, hydrological land protection, provision of products, cultural and recreational benefits, and many others. However, they are still threatened by the expansion of agricultural land, overexploitation of water resources, water pollution, climate change, etc. Wetland conservation, however, is essential and requires coordinated action by managers, policymakers, stakeholders, and scientists. A systemic planning and design process is required to address these complex challenges. This research aims to outline an integrated, comprehensive, and well-structured planning framework for wetland systems that can be applied to different wetland types, in line with institutional wetland policy, governance, and management. The methodological approach developed in this study aims to integrate a longer-term strategy plan with a shorter-term action plan by combining the Yeomans scale of permanence and the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response model. This innovative approach was applied to a specific case study and may guide further wetland planning in the future. The Nominal Group Technique was used, a consensus method aimed at achieving a general agreement and convergence of opinion. An expert group of seven members with different technical backgrounds was engaged and expert consultation was found to be a simple and rapid technique for carrying out wetland planning. The expert judgements were sound, consistent, and did not overlap (i.e., were not redundant). “Pressures” and “Impacts” were identified by the experts and clustered according to corresponding “States” and “Drivers”. Expert scoring allowed the resulting “Responses” to be ranked in terms of their relevance and influence on the development of the wetland strategy and action plan, while a priority order for their implementation was assessed according to the Yeomans scale of permanence. Agriculture was the highest rated ‘Driver’; similarly, Biodiversity (habitats and species) was the ‘State’ with the highest score. Therefore, their combination (agriculture and biodiversity) should be considered as the strategic cornerstone of the whole planning framework. This means designing and implementing a system in which agriculture and nature (in our case a wetland) are allied ecological systems in mutual compensation, according to the way natural elements are embedded in the agricultural system. A collection of factsheets containing the full list of responses considered in the Wetlands Action Plan, with detailed operational actions, is provided in the Appendixes.

Removal of pollutants from water as a function of sustainable development

The realization of the concept of sustainable development is conditioned by the impact of human activities on natural resources, both renewable and nonrenewable. The basic areas that enable the concept of sustainable development are: food security, energy supply and environmental protection. Protection and use of water as the most important renewable resource is a problem present in all these areas. In the process of food and energy production, water is a raw material and means of work, and in environmental protection, the preservation of quality and protection of water from pollution, as well as water purification, is the most important problem. The constant increase in the number of inhabitants on planet Earth, as well as the accelerated development of society, industrial and technological, has led to the overexploitation of water resources, as well as increasing contamination of water. Decreasing the level of water quality reduces the possibility of its use, which has the immediate consequence of reducing its availability. Certain natural water selfpurification capacities can be reduced in extreme pollution or even completely eliminated. Such trends can lead, in the long term, to a significant reduction in water availability. Therefore, there is a constant need for simpler, more efficient and cheaper treatments for water purification. Conventional methods of water treatment of different origins are often accompanied by undesirable by-products, so modern research is aimed at finding environmentally friendly procedures. The ideal means for water treatment would be one that simultaneously disinfects, decomposes and oxidizes inorganic and organic pollutants, as well as removes colloidal or suspended material and heavy metals, without creating toxic side products. ferrate(VI) is recognized as one of the few such agents and is increasingly used in environmentally friendly water treatment processes. The use of ferrate(VI) as multifunctional chemical reagents has significant advantages in the simplicity and economic benefit of the water treatment procedure (use of one chemical, one dosing and mixing system and less production of sludge), as well as avoiding the formation of toxic by-products. The subject of this chapter is precisely the application of ferrate(VI) in the removal of pollutants from water of various origins in the function of sustainabledevelopment, through: reducing the use of chemicals, reducing the consumption of energy and water resources, environmentally friendly products, etc.

Effect of salinity on the fate of pesticides in irrigated systems: a first overview.

This review investigates the impact of salinity on the fate of the active compounds of pesticides in a cultivated environment. Due to the over-exploitation of water resources and intensification of agriculture, salinity outbreaks are being observed more often in cultivated fields under pesticide treatments. Nevertheless, there is a poor understanding of the incidence of varying water salt loads on the behavior of pesticides' active ingredients in soil and water bodies. The present review established that water salinity can affect the diffusion of pesticides' active ingredients through numerous processes. Firstly, by increasing the vapor pressure and decreasing the solubility of the compounds, which is known as the salting-out effect, salinity can change the colligative properties of water towards molecules and the modification of exchange capacity and sorption onto the chemicals. It has also been established that the osmotic stress induced by salinity could inhibit the biodegradation process by reducing the activity of sensitive microorganisms. Moreover, soil properties like dissolved organic matter, organic carbon, clay content, and soil texture control the fate and availability of chemicals in different processes of persistence in water and soil matrix. In the same line, salinity promotes the formation of different complexes, such as between humic acid and the studied active compounds. Furthermore, salinity can modify the water flux due to soil clogging because of the coagulation and dispersion of clay particle cycles, especially when the change in salinity ranges is severe.

Proposed recharge of island aquifer by deep wells with regenerated water in Gran Canaria (Spain)

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and, in particular, recharge by direct injection into the aquifer through wells or boreholes allows for a series of very interesting solutions to solve various technical and environmental problems related to management of the urban water cycle. These problems include the overexploitation of water resources, marine intrusion or contamination of groundwater by irrigation returns. The island of Gran Canaria presents several of these problems; thus, the feasibility of implementing a recharge system has been studied to provide a solution to some of them, using a resource of great potential such as reclaimed water. A detailed characterization of groundwater quality in the study area was carried out, complemented by a field campaign with water sampling from the surrounding catchments, in situ analysis and subsequent laboratory analysis. Specifically, an MBR treatment with disinfection is proposed, where the final conclusions indicate that this is a technically and economically viable project, innovative in its application on islands, a priori with an acceptable productive recharge capacity, possibly scalable after the experimental phase and extrapolable to other locations with similar conditions. In addition, it presents a set of important environmental benefits with respect to conservation of and improvement of the state of the groundwater bodies in the studied area, as well contributing to knowledge of and research into water management in volcanic lands and islands.

Spatial mapping of water spring potential using four data mining models

Abstract Population growth and overexploitation of water resources pose ongoing pressure on groundwater resources. This study compares the capability of four data mining methods, namely, boosted regression tree (BRT), random forest (RF), multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS), and support vector machine (SVM), for water spring potential mapping (WSPM) in Al Kark Governorate, east of the Dead Sea, Jordan. Overall, 200 spring locations and 13 predictor variables were considered for model building and validation. The four models were calibrated and trained on 70% of the spring locations (i.e., 140 locations) and their predictive accuracy was evaluated on the remaining 30% of the locations (i.e., 60 locations). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC) was employed as the performance measure for the evaluation of the accuracy of the constructed models. Results of model accuracy assessment based on the AUROCC revealed that the performance of the RF model (AUROCC = 0.748) was better than that of any other model (AUROCC SVM = 0.732, AUROCC MARS = 0.727, and AUROCC BRT = 0.689).

Past, Present and Future of the Aral Sea -A Review of its Fauna and Flora before and during the Regression Crisis.

We review the past, present and possible future of the Aral Sea system in context of the human caused regression crisis that resulted in the drying out of the larger part of this original brackish water sea. The results are put into the context of other threatened saline lakes and the general water crisis in the world due to overexploitation of water resources and climate change. We cover the geographic history and hydrology from the origin of the sea 17,000 years ago to the present. The original biota including animals, higher plants and algae are covered in full detail, and tracked through the regression crisis. We put special emphasis on fish and fisheries because of their economic importance for the surrounding populations. We also review the side effects of the regression in terms of human health and changes to the terrestrial environment and local climate. We explain the dramatic improvements to the fauna in the northern Small Aral Sea following the construction of dams to retain its waters and discuss future options to further improve this restored water basin. We contrast this with the progressing hypersalinization of the remnants of the southern Large Aral Sea, which faces conditions that will eventually render a "Dead Sea" condition hostile to all metazoan life. We end by highlighting the partial restoration of the Small Aral Sea as an example of how much restoration can be achieved for relatively little financial expense and in a short period, when good ideas, kind hearts and hard work operate together for the benefit of the environment and our human society.

Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Ground Subsidence in the Beijing Plain Area Using Long Time Series Interferometry

Due to the overexploitation of water resources, ground subsidence is becoming increasingly problematic in Beijing, China's political, economic, and cultural capital. This article aims to investigate the relationship between ground subsidence and changes in groundwater depth, and water supply from a long-term point of view. Multisource synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data using the interferometric SAR (InSAR) technique were adopted in this research, combined with a set of leveling and ground subsidence data in the Beijing Plain area from 2003 to 2020. The InSAR results demonstrate that ground subsidence in the plain area increased steadily from 2003 to 2015, expanding from sporadic to continuous laminar dispersion and producing five major subsidence centers. The South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) that was completed in 2008 and 2015 considerably reduced the demand for groundwater supply in the Beijing Plain area. Since then, the groundwater level depth has continued to increase. However, since 2016, the ground subsidence rate has dramatically slowed down. The obtained results showed that, thanks to the SNWDP, which resulted in a decline in groundwater exploitation and an increase in renewable water recycling, the ground subsidence in Beijing's plain area has been effectively managed.

CLIMATE CHANGE, MITIGATION OF FLOODS AND DROUGHTS: ONLINE INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

According to projections, in many regions of the world, heavy rains interspersed with long lasting dry periods are to be expected as a consequence of climate change, which requires adaptation strategies. In fact, dry soils have no time to soak heavy rains that fall quickly, the groundwater resources are not replenished and the aquifers are declining. At the same time, flood prone areas may suffer floods. Notoriously, this is already happening. In the meanwhile shrinking glaciers, and dam reservoirs that lose storage capacity as a consequence of sediment accumulation, further limit water availability downstream. In addition, coastal areas deprived of the sediments trapped in the reservoirs, undergo land losses; the Mississippi river delta has already lost 4,800 km², an area roughly the size of Delaware. The siltation of dam reservoirs can be mitigated; in this regard, several techniques are presented. The intensive exploitation of an aquifer, combined with a limited replenishment, may result in, e.g. land subsidence and seawater intrusion. Several techniques aimed at enhancing the recharge of aquifers, harvesting rainwater and saving water are presented in the article. Urban structures, such as rain gardens, bioswales, permeable asphalt and permeable pavements allow rainwater to infiltrate into the soil, thus recharging aquifers and mitigating overland runoff and floods. Several documents presented in the article deal with improving the liveability of cities, increasingly crowded and hot, thanks to a more efficient water management and planting trees. Our dietary choices, the clothes we wear and the food we waste have an influence on the overexploitation of water resources, sometimes in producing countries very far away from our country.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0261/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Evidence for Early Mesozoic diversification of Hypsimetopidae Nicholls, 1943 (Isopoda), with the description of a new genus from Andhra Pradesh and notes on threats to Indian cave environments

AbstractA new phreatoicidean isopod, Speonastes venkataramanigen., sp. nov. is described from Borra Cave in northeastern Andhra Pradesh, India. This new taxon has features seen in most phreatoicideans such as ventrally projecting pleonal pleurae, but also has features characteristic of the hypogean family Hypsimetopidae, such as an elongated pleotelson with a medially rotating uropod that has protopodal denticles or denticulate setae opposing the denticulate margin of the pleotelson, as well as the distal article of the antennula being minute and the penultimate article elongated and somewhat inflated. Robustness-tested phylogenetic analyses of character data from exemplars from nearly all phreatoicidean genera and four non-phreatoicidean outgroups finds that this species is the earliest derived member of Hypsimetopidae. These analyses have substantial implications for both relationships among Phreatoicidea, but within the family as well. The body form of the Phreatoicidea basal to the hypsimetopid clade resembles the form seen in fossils or by recent taxa such as CrenisopusWilson & Keable, 1999. Ancestors of Speonastesgen. nov. may have independently colonized India from those of the Nichollsia-Andhracoides clade. An early Mesozoic diversification of Hypsimetopidae and related taxa along continental rifts in eastern Gondwana between Antarctica, India, and Australia is one implication of the phylogeny. Although the caves of Andhra Pradesh and other Indian states have biologically unique and scientifically important taxa, India provides no protection for any cave. This exposes the fauna to negative impacts such as quarrying or illegal mining, over-exploitation of water resources, and damage from unconstrained tourist visitation.

Drought monitoring by downscaling GRACE-derived terrestrial water storage anomalies: A deep learning approach

The current study proposes a new method to downscale the monthly GRACE-derived Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly (TWSA) to 10 km spatial resolution over Iran using deep learning methods. First, the growing neural gas (GNG) method is utilized to cluster the TWSA data to find similar patterns. The Silhouette Chou Davies (SCD) validity measure, a combination of three robust cluster validity measures, is used to evaluate the performance of the GNG method. Then, the feasibility of deep learning Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM), shallow learning Feed Forward Neural Networks (FFNN), and Random Forest (RF) are examined in downscaling GRACE-derived TWSA using only remote sensing images. The results indicate that the deep learning method outperforms the RF and FFNN models by 7 % and 18 %, respectively. Then, the Ground Water Storage (GWS) data are isolated from TWSA, showing an agreement between the GRACE-derived GWS and ground-based measurements with R2 = 0.76. Additionally, the downscaled TWSA is used to generate annual drought frequency and change detection maps for the GWS from 2002 to 2016. Annual standardized precipitation index (SPI) drought frequency maps are also produced to gain deeper insight into the water resource scarcity of Iran. The results indicate that Iran has experienced water resource overexploitation since 2011 for agricultural activities, while meteorological drought is a trigger and intensifier for the water crisis in Iran. According to the results, Iran experienced exceptional drought in some regions, and the GWS has decreased all over the country. In addition, further analysis of Iran’s water resources is provided until 2022. The current study calls for integrated sustainable water resources management in Iran; otherwise, irreversible water and environmental problems with higher frequencies will be expected in the near future.

Global and regional models for identification of cooling technology in thermal power generation for water demand estimations in water-energy nexus studies

Water-energy nexus studies aim to connect the process of power generation with the corresponding water demand. The lack of information on the currently installed cooling systems at individual power plants is a challenge for the assessment of the water use on the power plant-level, which complicates decision-making in water management, especially in water-stressed regions. In this study, we investigate the spatial and temporal trends in cooling technology installations globally. Based on that, we propose a machine learning model for cooling technology identification on a regional and global level, which uses a combination of feature selection and classification algorithms. The global model demonstrates an average test set accuracy of 85.42%, which corresponds to only a minor underestimation of the actual global water footprint of 1.78% when the cooling technology and water footprint of individual power plant units is unknown. Apart from that, a special emphasis was placed on regions characterized by high and extremely high water stress, where mistakes in water policy planning and water management may lead to an unsustainable water use or even to an overexploitation of water resources. In these regions, the calculated test set accuracy was 80.83%, which is significantly larger than the average accuracy of a majority class model. The results and the method proposed in this study enable cooling system identification in individual power units using information available from other sources, such as the water stress score or seasonal freshwater availability in the region.

Hydrochemical and Isotopic Characteristics in the Surface Water of the Fenhe River Basin and Influence Factors

The Fenhe River Basin is the mother river of Shanxi Province. Due to the over-exploitation of water resources and the impact of social and economic development, the ecological environment has deteriorated. After a series of treatment and protection measures, the water quality has since been improved. Mathematical statistics, Piper diagrams, Gibbs model, hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, and other methods were used to analyze the characteristics and sources of hydrochemistry in the surface water of the Fenhe River basin, which revealed the evolution process of surface water quality of the Fenhe River basin. The results showed that the content of the main hydrochemical components in the main stream surface water of Fenhe River basin increased gradually along the runoff path. The hydrochemical types of surface water of Fenhe River basin were mainly HCO3·SO4·Cl-Ca·Na·Mg and SO4·HCO3·Cl-Ca·Na·Mg. There were great differences in hydrochemical components of tributaries and karst water in the basin. There were also great differences in hydrochemical components of tributaries in the basin. The hydrochemical types of surface water of karst water were mainly SO4·HCO3-Ca·Mg. The hydrochemical composition of surface water in Fenhe River basin was mainly affected by rock weathering and evaporation crystallization, whereas rainfall had little effect. Na+ and K+ mainly came from the dissolution of evaporated salt rocks with Na in the surrounding loess. Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3- mainly came from the dissolution of carbonate rocks. SO42- may have also come from the dissolution of sulfide minerals in the loess layer around Fenhe River in addition to the dissolution of gypsum. The values of δD and δ18O of Fenhe River surface water were gradually enriched from upstream to downstream. The characteristics of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes further showed that the surface water was mainly affected by evaporation. The results of this study can provide evidence for ecological restoration and protection and ecological civilization construction in the Fenhe River basin.

A Critical Appraisal of the Sustainability of Bangladesh’s Water Governance from Nexus Perspectives

Demographic change, coupled with industrialization, urbanization, and economic activities, has vastly increased the demand for water in Bangladesh in different sectors. This has resulted in the over-exploitation of water resources, leading to cross-sectoral competition among water, energy, food, and the environment. Since water is a crucial element for the national developmental activities, a vital necessity for its citizens’ life and livelihood, and a lifeline for its ecosystem and biodiversity, water governance remains a top priority for the government, the sustainability of which largely depends on the integrated nexus perspective with multi-sectoral priorities. Based on a comprehensive literature review and expert interviews, this paper critically analyzes Bangladesh’s water governance sustainability from a nexus perspective. The findings suggest that the nexus perspective is partially integrated into the regulatory and policy framework as well as the institutional mechanism of Bangladesh’s water governance. To increase the sustainability of the system, it is vital to integrate the nexus perspective into every aspect of the country’s water governance and harmonize the water policies with other sectors, bearing in mind their interdependency, in order to abate cross-sectoral conflict and align each sector through defining shared objectives based on the exploitation of their complementarities.

A political ecology of speculative urbanism: The role of financial and environmental speculation in Jakarta’s water crisis

Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, is increasingly characterized by luxury real estate developments and high-profile infrastructural projects made possible by economic liberalization and finance capital. Yet these developments have contributed to Jakarta’s struggles with chronic flooding, land subsidence, and water shortages. This paper contributes an empirical study of the spatial-temporal dynamics of speculative urbanism and the associated impacts on water resources and flood events in Jakarta. I use an urban political ecology approach to analyze mainland and offshore development. First, I show how financial speculation generates flood risk and the overexploitation of water resources, producing uneven socio-spatial distributions of risk. These transformations in Jakarta’s hydroscape in turn threaten to undermine the city’s viability as a site for speculative investment. I thus show how speculative urbanism can be threatened or disrupted by nonhuman agencies. Second, I illustrate a second form of speculation, which I refer to as environmental speculation. As Jakarta’s water crisis has cast doubt on the future of the city itself as a place of habitation, the state explored an ambitious and potentially lucrative coastal defense project, while private developers have engaged in land reclamation. The turn toward offshore development illustrates how environmental speculation creates new opportunities for capital accumulation. I advance two arguments: first, in order to capture the full costs of speculative urbanism, it is imperative that urban scholars attend to its ecological dimensions. Second, an urban political ecology approach advances our understandings of speculative urbanism by illuminating its contradictions and limits.

WASTEWATER RECLAIMING AND RECYCLING: ESSENCE AND DIRECTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Topicality. The topicality of the research results from the fact that according to the data of the United Nations (UN), 36% of the world's population lives in water-scarce regions, in particular Ukraine is ranked 125th among 179 countries on the indicator of total internal renewable water resources per capita, which states that Ukraine is poorly supplied with freshwater. In recent years, special attention of international communities have been paid to the wastewater reclaiming and recycling as a possible alternative to traditional water supply and solution of water scarcity problem. In the UN World Water Development Report 2017, it is noted the need to use wastewater as a resource since fresh water has become increasingly scarce. Aim and tasks. The purpose of the article is to determine the essence, features and directions for wastewater reclaiming and recycling implementation to ensure sustainable water resources management in Ukraine. Research results. The results indicate that climate change, rapid urbanization and population growth affect the state of water resources and the population's access to fresh water. In order to find ways to overcome the natural water shortage, it was proposed to use alternative sources of water supply, in particular, wastewater reclaiming and recycling. Based on the analysis of national and foreign regulatory legislation, the modern semantic content of the concepts of "wastewater reclaiming" and "wastewater recycling" has been clarified, and a scheme for introducing the wastewater reclaiming and recycling into the water cycle has been developed. Statistical data on providing the population of Ukraine with centralized water supply and drainage systems and the amount of volumes of untreated wastewater discharged into the environment have been analyzed. The analysis was carried out and the main areas of recycling of wastewater reclaiming components were determined. Conclusion. Considering the importance of ensuring sustainable water resources management, the authors of the article determined the place and role in the introduction of wastewater reclaiming and recycling. The study demonstrated that 97% of Ukraine's wastewater is not recycled, and more than a quarter of the discharged wastewater in the Odessa region is discharged without proper treatment, which has extremely detrimental consequences for the environment and human health. The stages of technological processes of centralized water supply and sanitation services are considered and the introduction of wastewater reclaiming into the water use cycle, in particular in the energy, manufacturing, agricultural sectors and for municipal and domestic needs, is proposed. It is argued that the introduction of wastewater reclaiming and recycling contributes to the development of a circular economy and provides certain socio-economic-environmental benefits, including reducing environmental impact, avoiding overexploitation of water resources and increasing water availability in arid regions of Ukraine.

Integrating a GIS-based approach and a SWAT model to identify potential suitable sites for rainwater harvesting in Rwanda

Abstract The increasing demand for water results in the overexploitation of water resources. This situation calls for more effective water management alternatives including rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems. Due to the lack of biophysical data and infrastructure, the identification of suitable sites for various RWH systems is a challenging issue. However, integrating geospatial analysis and modeling approaches has become a promising tool to identify suitable sites for RWH. Thus, this study aimed at identifying suitable sites for RWH in the Nyabugogo catchment located in Rwanda by integrating a geo-information-based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model. Moreover, the sediment yield was compared to the soil erosion evaluated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) owing to the lack of sediment concentration measured data. The results revealed that about 4.8 and 16.35% of the study area are classified as highly suitable and suitable areas for RWH, respectively. Around 6% of the study area (98.5 km2) was found to be suitable for farm ponds, whereas 1.6% (26.1 km2) suitable for check dams, and 25.9% (423 km2) suitable for bench terraces. Among 50 proposed sites for the RWH structures, 29 are located in the most suitable area for RWH. The results implicated that the surface runoff, sediment yield, and topography are essential factors in identifying the suitability of RWH areas. It is concluded that the integrated geospatial and MCDM techniques provide a useful and efficient method for planning RWH at a basin scale in the study area.

Impacts of Human Activities and Climate Change on Water Storage Changes in Shandong Province, China.

The over-exploitation of water resources causes water resource depletion, which threatens water security, human life, and social and economic development. Only by clarifying the spatial pattern, changing trends, and influencing factors of water storage can we promote the rational development of water resources and relieve the pressure on water resources. However, there is still a lack of research on these aspects. In this study, the water-scarce area in Shandong Province, China, was selected to quantify the spatial and temporal changes in the terrestrial water storage (TWS) and groundwater storage (GWS) over the past 30years. Nighttime light data were used to characterize the urbanization level (UL) and explore the effects of human activities (i.e., UL) and climate change (temperature and precipitation) on the TWS and GWS. The results show that 1) from 1990 to 2018, the overall TWS exhibited a significant decreasing trend (- 0.084cmyr-1). The change trend of the GWS was consistent with that of the TWS (- 0.516 m3yr-1). Spatially, there was significant spatial heterogeneity in the trend of the TWS and GWS. At the grid and prefectural scales, the TWS mainly exhibited a downward trend in the central and western regions, and an upward trend in the eastern region of Shandong Province. For the GWS, all cities exhibited a decreasing trend at the prefectural scale, whereas 92% of the regions exhibited a decreasing trend with less spatial heterogeneity at the grid scale. 2) Precipitation was the mean factor controlling the total amount of TWS and GWS in Shandong Province. Precipitation and temperature positively affected water storage, and the UL negatively affected it. At the prefectural scale, except for a few cities which were greatly influenced by the UL, the dominant factor of the TWS and GWS was precipitation in the other cities. At the grid scale, for the TWS, precipitation was the predominant factor in 51.82% of the entire region, followed by the UL (44.14%) and temperature (4.04%). For the GWS, precipitation was the predominant factor in 55.73% of the area, and the other 44.27% of the area was mainly influenced by the UL. Overall, precipitation and the UL were the key factors affecting the TWS and GWS. The results of this study provide a theoretical and decision-making basis for the optimal allocation and sustainable use of regional water resources.

Effect of Personal Characteristics of Respondents on their Perception towards Over-exploitation of Water Resources

The study was carried out in the purposively selected five districts of Haryana state due to intensive agricultural practices followed in these districts. Mainly rice-wheat cropping pattern was followed in selected districts along with sugarcane and maize. The objective of this study was to know the relationship of personal characteristics of respondents with perception towards the over-exploitation of water resources. The data were collected from 150 respondents comprising 15 respondents from randomly selected ten villages through a well-prepared interview schedule. Age, education, land holding, mass media exposure, and extension contact were significantly correlated with the perception of respondents. Age was negatively correlated while, education, land holding, mass media exposure, and extension contact were positively correlated with perception of respondents and the independent variables in the regression equation jointly explained the variation of 22.70 percent. There is a need to organize awareness campaign and trainings to develop the favorable perception towards over-exploitation of water resources.