Rainwater Conservation Research Articles

Showing and doing: Art & Science collaborations for Environmental sustainability

Art is becoming a new component in engineering and design collaborations to create nature- based solutions for site issues such as pollution control, stormwater runoff and habitat loss. In the last two decades there is a move to combine art with ecology to create a powerful tool for making change in ecological systems, particularly in urban nature. These works are inspired by nature and collaborate effectively with the natural process occurring on the site. Other outcomes of the projects are to increase ecological services on the site, and to involve and educate the human members of communities who live or work near the sites. The human users of the site can see and interact with the site issues while these very issues are being actively solved. Other species can reap the ecological benefits of expanded habitat and rainwater conservation. These projects have the added benefit of giving a visual explanation for the processes at work on the site. Artful Nature Based Solutions bring a new depth of understanding to the site issues because they regard the site through a combined focus of art and science. The essential aspect is the collaboration between artists and scientists. Having both the artist's and scientist's perspectives adds enrichment of ideas and vantage points to the solution. Science and engineering gains from the addition of a visual component as well as an expansion of the concept that art can bring to the issue. Though the projects do not always have quantitative data to back up their ecological effectiveness, the breadth of their communication and sense of making change in a troubled world are of great importance. The paper presents several exemplary cases of the collaboration realized through my work, which addressed stormwater runoff infiltration and water pollution, with implications for NBS.

Flash drought in Odisha- prediction, impact assessment, coping strategies: Current status and future strategies

A detailed review was done on the past studies conducted by the researchers on climate change and variability, particularly for the Indian conditions having a typical monsoon climate. The short-term droughts (flash droughts) occurring due to the prolonged dry spells, heat waves, soil moisture deficits, which are caused due to the climate variability were also investigated. Accurate prediction techniques used for flash drought (FD), assessment of its impact on agriculture and farmers’ income as well as appropriate coping strategies recommended by different researchers to minimize the losses in crop yield and farmers’ income were analyzed. The total loss in crop yield was found to increase with increase in land size; however, per acre loss was higher for smaller holdings. It was observed that the resource crunch small and marginal farmers particularly belonging to SC/ST were worst sufferers due to their inability to adopt appropriate coping strategies such as: crop insurance, short duration climate resilient cultivars, low-interest loans from financial institutions etc. It was inferred that the FD needs special attention particularly for the state of Odisha, where a majority of the population are engaged in agriculture and its allied activities. Agriculture accounts for around 30 per cent of the net state domestic product (NSDP). Investigations of the past studies revealed that the western Odisha regions are most vulnerable to climate change and variability and to the FD caused by the climate variability. The small and marginal tribal farmers of western Odisha whose sole source of income is from agriculture, with low affordability, are worst affected. To cope with these natural calamities, they need to adopt coping strategies namely, going for a variety of sources of income, cultivation of short-duration climate resilient varieties, in-situ rainwater conservation and use for life-saving irrigation, crop insurance, and low interest loans as well as low-cost post-harvest techniques for the perishable crop produce etc.

Constraints and Suggestions Expressed by the Beneficiaries of Krishi Bhagya Scheme in North Eastern Karnataka Region, India

Krishi Bhagya Scheme lunched by Government of Karnataka with the aim of securing the farmer’s income by taking up on-farm rainwater conservation practices exclusively for the dry-land farmers who rely on the annual rainfall for their farming. It also encourages the farmers to adopt modern technologies for efficient use of. In this study, an attempt has been made to document the constraints faced by the Krishi Bhagya Schme beneficiaries and seek their suggestions to overcome them in Kalaburagi and Ballari districts of North-Eastern Karnataka region during the year 2019-20. Totally 180 respondents were considered for the study and personal interview method was adopted for collection of data. The data was analysed using frequency and percentage analysis. The results revealed that, The results indicated that 90.00 per cent of the beneficiaries stated that the lengthy time required for completing procedure (Rank I), 85.00 per cent of the beneficiaries stated complexity and delay in sanctioning of subsidy and it was ranked second and Absence of fence and roof covers (62.22%) are the major constraints expressed by the Krishi Bhagya scheme beneficiaries. Increase percentage of subsidy (94.44%) and Timely release the subsidy amount (87.78 %) are the major suggestions expressed by the beneficiaries for effective implementation of Krishi Bhagya scheme

Straw mulch decreased nitrogen fertilizer requirements via regulating soil moisture and temperature to improve physiology, nitrogen, and water use efficiency of wheat

AbstractThe infrequent rainfall caused drought‐prone conditions, particularly in semiarid regions of China, where most of the precipitation occurs in summer season. Thus, the summer rainwater conservation is very important for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) production. Therefore, a 2‐year field experiment was conducted on straw mulch along with nitrogen (N) fertilizer to improve physiology, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), wheat yield, and water use efficiency (WUE). Maize (Zea mays) was a rotated crop after wheat, and therefore, maize straw mulch (S1, 0 kg ha−1; S2, 4500 kg ha−1; S3, 9000 kg ha−1) was in the main plots, and N fertilizer (N1, 0 kg ha−1; N2, 192 kg ha−1 [80%]; N3, 240 kg ha−1 [100%]) was in the subplots. The interaction of S3N3 and S3N2 produced 59.2% and 43.8% higher net photosynthesis and enhanced its characteristics at booting stage compared with that of S1N1. Higher Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) values (49.1% and 41.0%) and leaf area (85.6% and 61.0%) were measured with S3N3 and S3N2 treatments at booting stage compared with S1N1. Both S3N2 and S3N3 had increased wheat N‐uptake (91% and 103%, respectively) compared to S1N1. While S3N3 and S3N2 enhanced soil moisture conservation, NUE (19.7% and 22.8%) and WUE (47.2% and 47.2%) improved the growth yield of wheat compared to S1N1. Higher wheat grain yield (7604 kg ha−1) was obtained from interaction of S3N2. Therefore, interaction of S3N2 is a viable approach for improving the winter wheat crop performance in terms of NUE, WUE, and wheat yield for semiarid areas in China.

Analisa Kesesuaian Lubang Resapan Biopori Sebagai Pengendali Aliran Permukaan Dari Lahan Non Gedung

Indonesia has the potential for high rainfall with an average of 2000-3000 mm/year. However, the potential for rain often causes many problems, such as; runoff, inundation, erosion and flooding. Biopore infiltration holes are one of the rainwater conservation technologies that have been widely applied to reduce surface runoff and increase groundwater reserves. This study aims to analyze the suitability of biopore infiltration holes in controlling runoff from open land (non-building) in the State Polytechnic of Sriwijaya, Soil seepage ability was measured using a double ring infiltrometer and obtained a value of 0.869 m/day. Model of the biopore infiltration hole used is cylindrical, 10 cm in diameter and 0.5 - 1 m deep. Simulations were carried out per area using daily rainfall data for 12 years (2007-2018). The simulation results show that the biopore infiltration hole has a water absorption capacity of 0.00298 m3/day. The ratio of the average requirement for biopore holes for open land (non-building) is 1 biopore hole per 1 m2 land area.

Precedent of traditional water conservation: A case study of Ara and Keram villages, Ranchi, Jharkhand

Life on Earth is due to water. 71% of the earth is covered by water but 97% of water is stored in oceans as salt water, only 3% of water is fresh of which 2.4% is stored in the form of glaciers. 0.6% of fresh water is available for drinking and other purposes. Rainwater is the major source of freshwater, hence its conservation is extremely important. Today machines, concrete, artificial structure and technologies are being used for rainwater conservation. In the era of artificial intelligence, a few villages in the Ranchi district are conserving millions of litres of rainwater every year by traditional methods and using it for agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, etc. People of two villages Ara and Keram have done extraordinary work by making thousands of Trench cum Bund (T.C.B.), Loose Bolder Structure (L.B.S.) and Dobha to conserve rainwater. Taking cognizance of this excellent performance of these villages, the Prime Minister of India has appreciated his program ‘Mann Ki Baat’. This paper is an attempt to present the traditional methods of rainwater conservation in these villages. In this research paper, mainly methods and benefits of water conservation including community participation and the motivation to do this work have been highlighted.

Performance evaluation of sand dams as a rural rainwater conservation and domestic water supply technology in East-African drylands, a case-study from South-Eastern Kenya

Performance evaluation of sand dams as a rural rainwater conservation and domestic water supply technology in East-African drylands, a case-study from South-Eastern Kenya

Morphometric Analysis of Chilenahalli Micro-watershed in the North-eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques

The structure and landform of watershed and their associated stream networks are described mainly by their morphometric parameters and Watershed analysis based on morphometric parameters is very important for watershed planning, since it gives an idea about the basin characteristics regarding slope, topography, soil condition, runoff characteristics, surface water potential and quantify the linear, areal and relief aspects of watershed. Geographic information system and remote sensing techniques were employed for the identification of morphological features, drainage pattern and its planning in basin area. The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM) 30m resolution was used to digitize study watershed and generate drainage pattern and analysis done using GIS software and excel spreadsheet. The study reveals that Chilenahalli micro-watershed designated as 4thstream order and drainage indicate dendritic pattern with mature geomorphic stage and stream order verifies the Horton’s law of stream number. The Mean Bifurcation Ratio was found to be 4.46, which indicates low rainfall, shallow weathering and low dissection of the valley and it shows low to medium relief aspect during investigation of the basin. This can be visualised using DEM, relief ratio, ruggedness number, and slope maps of the study area. The drainage density was found to be 2.13 km/km2which indicate a low class Dd value, thereby indicating a poorly drained watershed with low response to hydrological parameters. The texture ratio of the micro-watershed is 3.52, which indicated coarse texture of drainage basin and the values of Form Factor, Circulatory ratio and Elongation ratio may imply an oval shape of the basin with a slightly elongated main stream and the length of overland flow values in this study is 0.23 km which shows moderate infiltration and percolation characteristics of soil. The study which also helps in planning erosion control strategy, prioritization of watershed and management practices for soil and rainwater conservation. The research study helps to formulate the selection and adoption of crop management practices by preparing soil map of the watershed in future.

Cassava-maize intercropping systems in southern Nigeria: Radiation use efficiency, soil moisture dynamics, and yields of component crops.

Efficient utilization of incident solar radiation and rainwater conservation in rain-fed smallholder cropping systems require the development and adoption of cropping systems with high resource use efficiency. Due to the popularity of cassava-maize intercropping and the food security and economic importance of both crops in Nigeria, we investigated options to improve interception of photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), radiation use efficiency (RUE), soil moisture retention, and yields of cassava and maize in cassava-maize intercropping systems in 8 on-farm researcher-managed multi-location trials between 2017 and 2019 in different agro-ecologies of southern Nigeria. Treatments were a combination of (1) maize planting density (low density at 20,000 maize plants ha-1 versus high density at 40,000 maize plants ha-1, intercropped with 12,500 cassava plants ha-1); (2) fertilizer application and management targeting either the maize crop (90 kg N, 20 kg P and 37 kg K ha-1) or the cassava crop (75 kg N, 20 kg P and 90 kg K ha-1), compared with control without fertilizer application. Cassava and maize development parameters were highest in the maize fertilizer regime, resulting in the highest IPAR at high maize density. The combined intercrop biomass yield was highest at high maize density in the maize fertilizer regime. Without fertilizer application, RUE was highest at low maize density. However, the application of the maize fertilizer regime at high maize density resulted in the highest RUE, soil moisture content, and maize grain yield. Cassava storage root yield was higher in the cassava fertilizer regime than in the maize fertilizer regime. We conclude that improved IPAR, RUE, soil moisture retention, and grain yield on nutrient-limited soils of southern Nigeria, or in similar environments, can be achieved by intercropping 40,000 maize plants ha-1 with 12,500 cassava plants ha-1 and managing the system with the maize fertilizer regime. However, for higher cassava storage root yield, the system should be managed with the cassava fertilizer regime.

Soil Hydraulic and Strength Parameters as influenced by various Mechanized Rainwater Conservation Practices in Rainfed Groundnut Crop

In India, rain fed agriculture constitutes to 60% of the net cultivated area and accounts for nearly 44% of the National food basket. 54.6% of the total workforce is engaged in agricultural and allied sector activities (Census, 2011) and accounts for 17.8% of the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA) for the year 2019-20. Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) is a low-cost, easy-to-use, environmentally friendly way to recover a large part of this lost water. In India, the rainfed agriculture constitutes 60% of the total net sown area and Andhra Pradesh constitutes nearly 57% net sown area under rainfed agriculture. Groundnut (Arachis hypogea) occupies nearly 28.3% of the cultivated area under oil seed crops in India and the area under groundnut in the Country is 5.40 Mha with a total production of 6.57 Million Tonnes (MT) and with the productivity of 910 kg ha-1. The area of groundnut crop in Andhra Pradesh is 7.47 Lakh ha whereas Ananthapuramu District occupied 6.71 Lakh ha. The study was carried out under different surface and subsurface rainwater conservation practices with the objective to study the soil hydraulic and strength parameters viz., soil moisture content in frequent intervals at 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm depth and bulk density, particle density and porosity at 20 cm depth. From the study, it was observed that, highest soil moisture content was observed in subsoiling at 1 m distance + broad bed and furrow system treatment at three different soil sampling depths of 10 cm, 20 cm and 30 cm as 25.40%, 31.20% and 27.50%, respectively at 40 Days After Sowing (DAS) and 29.74%, 34.71% and 22.38%, respectively at 80 Days After Sowing (DAS). The lowest bulk density and highest soil porosity were observed as 1.52 g cm-3 and 32.7% in subsoiling at 1 m distance + broad bed and furrow treatment than other practices.

TEOLOGI LINGKUNGAN; Studi Fenomenologi Gerakan Environmentalisme Komunitas Air Kita Mojoagung

In modern era, environmental issues placed with religion are being seriously discussed by academics and some elements of society who are concerned about the problem of ecological crisis, as a result of threat life. The environmentalism movement is to instill consciousness in their reactions to nature. This consciousness of being environmentally friendly is carried out by the Air Kita Mojoagung Community which focuses on the movement of utilizing rainwater. This research aims to describe the religious motivational experience Air Kita Community through the rainwater conservation movement. The study was conducted using a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach that is oriented to data from in-depth interviews, field observations, documentation and literature studies. Classified data presented descriptively analysis. Results the research indicate that although it is seen in the meaning of water capitalization, the factor of religious doctrine is strong in motivating environmental movement. This can be seen in the approach used namely rainwater sholawat festival with the strengthening of the Javanese art tradition of wayang beber and the Javanese Islamic art of gambus misri 9 stars, nadah udan in the realm of praxis which means that rainwater is a blessing and a gift, God’s presence that should not be wasted.

Using AI-MCDM Model to Boost Sustainable Energy System Development: A Case Study on Solar Energy and Rainwater Collection in Guangdong Province

Rural areas in southern China receive ample rainfall annually as well as over 1600 h of annual sunshine. Despite a generally severe urban–rural development imbalance, these rural areas feature well-developed basic infrastructure and diverse economic activities. Rural revitalization policies in these areas have emphasized the development of cultural and ecological tourism, which has spurred economic development and given rise to a trend of villa construction. Residential buildings sit on large areas where natural resources are abundant. These advantages are conducive to the development and use of sustainable resources. This study proposes an incentive policy encouraging rural residents to renovate their buildings to include rainwater conservation and solar power generation. The Delphi method, an analytic hierarchy process, and fuzzy logic theory were combined to establish an AI-MCDM model, with applications of artificial intelligence and multiple-criteria decision making. Using Conghua District, Guangdong Province as an example, the study suggested that the model is beneficial to increasing the willingness of rural residents to reconstruct and renovate their residences, promoting the development of a low-carbon ecological region, Wenquan Township. We conducted the Delphi process twice to assess and validate incentives for installing natural resource conservation structures in agricultural areas. Nine criteria were identified, which can be divided into three main dimensions of participation situation, generating capacity, and storage facilities. The proposed AI-MCDM model developed using the Delphi–Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process Model has high objectivity and can support rural areas in developing low-carbon, sustainable characteristics. The findings can serve as a reference for governments formulating incentives to encourage the installation of rainwater conservation and solar energy generation structures by rural households.

Sustainable Management of Springs for Water Security in Parts of the Sikkim Himalaya Region – An Overview

Springs plays a significant role in the water security of hilly people living in the Sikkim Himalayan region. Springs in the hilly regions of Sikkim contributes a maximum in the water safety, especially in the rural households. A detailed understanding about spring geology and management issues are of pre-requisite in the perspective of Sikkim for their maintenance, monitoring and management. The principal task is retaining the original unpolluted conditions of the springs and their sustainability. Geologically, the varieties of gravity springs are predominant along with Depression Spring and Fracture Spring. Structurally vulnerable plains, especially joints, fractures, and small-scale faults are true avenues for the flow path of spring water. Springs in Himalaya regions are originating from the unconfined aquifers. The yield potential of the springs are adversely affected by the factors like climatic aberration resulting in the form of variations in the rainfall intensities and tectonic activities. Chemical quality of spring water is very much within the acceptable limit of the prescribed standard, whilst away from the main city area. Springshed development and management through rainwater conservation is of essential to provide sustainable water security to the population in Sikkim.

ANALISIS KEBUTUHAN U-DITCH DAN BUIS BETON SEBAGAI SARANA DRAINASE GANG

Given the conditions in the hamlet Nandan Sariharjo Ngaglik Sleman: 1) alley drainage and rainwater conservation substandard, 2) maintenance of channels drainage alley by the people who have not been up. Purpose of applying science and technology for communities in Nandan's Hamlet: 1) the smooth flow of rainwater in the lower reaches of the drainage so as not to occur puddle in an alley, 2) smoothness of rainwater infiltration in the alley by using infiltration wells. Activity Field of physical infrastructure includes 1) installation of drainage passage, downstream in RT 02, 2) installation of alley infiltration wells for water conservation in RT 01. Methods of Implementation Activities: 1) extension: the installation and maintenance procedures drainage and infiltration wells alley, 2) mentoring: planning, implementation, and supervision of the installation of drainage and infiltration wells alley. With outputs: 1) channel u drainage ditch covered alley 30 x 40 x 120 cm of concrete K-350 along a slope of 20,4 m channel = 0,02 = 1/50, velocity = 1,52 m/s, and discharge: 0,2 m/det3, 2) well impregnating alley of concrete pipe K-300, O 80 cm depth of 4 m by five pieces with moderate soil permeability (loam/silt, 2,0 to 6,5 cm/hour) can absorb wide field rainfed 503 m2.

Minimizing the Impacts of Desertification in an Arid Region: A Case Study of the West Desert of Iraq

Currently, desertification is a major problem in the western desert of Iraq. The harsh nature, remoteness, and size of the desert make it difficult and expensive to monitor and mitigate desertification. Therefore, this study proposed a comprehensive and cost-effective method, via the integration of geographic information systems (GISs) and remote sensing (RS) techniques to estimate the potential risk of desertification, to identify the most vulnerable areas and determine the most appropriate sites for rainwater conservation. Two indices, namely, the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Degradation Index (LDI), were used for a cadastral assessment of land degradation. The findings of the combined rainwater harvesting appropriateness map, and the maps of NDVI and LDI changes found that 65% of highly suitable land for rainwater harvesting lies in the large change and 35% lies in the small change of NDVI, and 85% of highly suitable land lies in areas with a moderate change and 12% lies in strong change of LDI. The adoption of the weighted linear combination (WLC) and Boolean methods within the GIS environment, and the analysis of NDVI with LDI changes can allow hydrologists, decision-makers, and planners to quickly determine and minimize the risk of desertification and to prioritize the determination of suitable sites for rainwater harvesting.

ANALISIS KEBUTUHAN U-DITCH DAN BUIS BETON SEBAGAI SARANA DRAINASE GANG

Given the conditions in the hamlet Nandan Sariharjo Ngaglik Sleman: 1) alley drainage and rainwater conservation substandard, 2) maintenance of channels drainage alley by the people who have not been up. Purpose of applying science and technology for communities in Nandan's Hamlet: 1) the smooth flow of rainwater in the lower reaches of the drainage so as not to occur puddle in an alley, 2) smoothness of rainwater infiltration in the alley by using infiltration wells. Activity Field of physical infrastructure includes. 1) installation of drainage passage, downstream in RT 02, 2) installation of alley infiltration wells for water conservation in RT 01. Methods of Implementation Activities: 1) extension: the installation and maintenance procedures drainage and infiltration wells alley, 2) mentoring: planning, implementation, and supervision of the installation of drainage and infiltration wells alley. With outputs: 1) channel u drainage ditch covered alley 30 x 40 x 120 cm of concrete K-350 along a slope of 20,4 m channel = 0,02 = 1/50, velocity = 1,52 m/s, and discharge: 0,2 m/det3, 2) well impregnating alley of concrete pipe K-300, Ø 80 cm depth of 4 m by five pieces with moderate soil permeability (loam/silt, 2,0 to 6,5 cm/hour) can absorb wide field rainfed 503 m2.

Institutional dynamics and water resource management: the case of traditional water bodies in West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT In recent years, the adverse effects of growing water scarcity on the lives and livelihoods of poor people have become a major policy concern in India. This paper reviews the effectiveness of macro-level policies for rainwater conservation and critically examines micro-level local community institutions for the sustainable management of traditional water bodies. Using Ostrom’s design principles and qualitative data from three different multipurpose tanks, the study finds that management decisions at the local level have benefited few influential members of local communities and deprived a large number of poor households from resource uses, making the local institutions ineffective.

Standardization of sub-soiling schedule and spacing for effective rainwater conservation and enhancing production potential of rainfed soybean

Standardization of sub-soiling schedule and spacing for effective rainwater conservation and enhancing production potential of rainfed soybean

Planning rainwater conservation measures using geospatial and multi-criteria decision making tools.

The assessment of rainwater-harvesting demand (RWHD) map and the identification of appropriate priority-based locations for rainwater-harvesting (RWH) and groundwater recharge structures are very crucial for the water managers, particularly in irrigation commands. This study addresses this challenge by using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and geospatial techniques to present a novel and robust approach for generating RWHD map and identifying sites/zones for distinct RWH and groundwater recharge on a priority basis. Primary thematic layers such as existing irrigation water supply, irrigation demand, and groundwater potential were considered in this study for delineating RWHD zones. Further, sites suitable for RWH and groundwater recharge were identified using soil, slope, drainage network, and lineament thematic layers of the study area and they were prioritized. Four zones of rainwater demand were identified for the prioritization of RWH and groundwater structures: (a) "low" rainwater-harvesting demand zone (covering 3% of the total study area), (b) "moderate" rainwater-harvesting demand zone (40%), (c) "high" rainwater-harvesting demand zone (42%), and (d) "very high" rainwater-harvesting demand zone (15%). Moreover, 46 sites for check dams and 145 suitable sites for percolation tanks were identified, together with 253ha area for groundwater recharge based on the priority of rainwater-harvesting demand. Integration of geospatial and MCDM techniques in conjunction with suitable thematic layers provides a helpful and realistic tool for large-scale planning and management of rainwater conservation measures.

Locating Site Selection for Rainwater Harvesting Structure using Remote Sensing and GIS

Rainfall is a key source to diminish the problem of water scarcity in the arid and semi-arid regions. Rainwater harvesting is considered an imperious tool for rainwater conservation. Locating the appropriate location for rainwater harvesting structure plays an important role to increase water availability and improve water resources planning. The main goal of this paper is to recognize the proper location for a rainwater harvesting structure using a suitability model generated with ModelBuilder in ArcGIS. Six thematic layers i.e. soil structure, slope, drainage density, vegetation cover, distance to the roads, and runoff depth, are considered to find the proper site for rainwater harvesting structure. The result shows that 12% represents the suitable zone of the total study area, 42% represents the medium suitable area, and 46% represents not suitable areas to implement rainwater harvesting structure. The application of this scheme should maintain any policy adoption for site selection for rainwater harvesting.