River Management Research Articles

Windowed anisotropic local inverse distance-weighted (WALID) interpolation method for riverbed mapping

AbstractDigital elevation models (DEMs) are pivotal in river engineering and management, making their accuracy paramount. This paper introduces a novel interpolation method that addresses the challenges of data point distributions, anisotropic river topography, and meandering rivers. The windowed anisotropic local inverse distance-weighted (WALID) method is tested and compared with conventional methods through a case study. Elevation data are generated from multi-beam echosounder data to mimic conventional cross-sectional measurements, while ground truth data provides qualitative comparisons. Root-mean-square error and volumetric differences are used as criteria for validation and comparison. Sensitivity analysis of the method’s free parameters demonstrated its robustness. Notably, the proposed algorithm exhibited superior volumetric accuracy compared to other methods when considering literature recommendations for optimal transect spacing.

Research on the evaluation index system for happy rivers and lakes: a case study of Xinchang County in Zhejiang Province, China

The “Happy Rivers and Lakes” initiative is an important measure to systematically address the complex water issues in China. It further highlights the effectiveness of constructing happy rivers and lakes based on river health assessments. This approach aims to identify typical practices and the effectiveness of river and lake management and protection at the local level, guiding for river and lake management and conservation work in the new era. This study focuses on county-level administrative units and develops a research framework for the evaluation index system of happy rivers and lakes. A total of 11 primary indicators and 22 secondary indicators are selected from aspects such as river and lake safety, water resources, water environment, biodiversity, and social services. The evaluation and analysis are conducted around the Chengtan River, Huangze River, and Xinchang River, as well as two large reservoirs in Xinchang County. The results show that the comprehensive evaluation score of happy rivers and lakes in Xinchang County is 92.66, categorizing it as a model of happy rivers and lakes. The evaluation results aim to provide references and guidance for similar regions inside and outside Zhejiang Province in their research and practical applications related to happy rivers and lakes.

Exploring the Mekong River and the Development of Eco-Cultural Tourism in Northeastern Thailand

Aims: This article aims to explore and promote tourism in the Northeastern region of Thailand, specifically focusing on the vibrant culture surrounding the Mekong River. The goal is to stimulate the local economy and enhance the quality of life for the communities in this area. Additionally, the article seeks to establish a sustainable tourism model that preserves the uniqueness of local culture for future generations. Method: This article employs a qualitative approach using a descriptive research design. It incorporates in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis to collect information about the experiences and knowledge of communities living along the Mekong River. A purposive sampling technique was used to select relevant locations and participants aligning with the research objectives. Results: The research findings indicate that the Mekong River significantly impacts the social, cultural, and economic aspects of local communities in Northeastern Thailand. The river offers promising opportunities for tourism development. Key tourist attractions—such as traditional festivals, the sale of local products, and the communities along the river—have been identified as avenues to enhance the area's economy and culture while aligning with sustainable development goals (SDGs). Conclusion: The article concludes that the growth of ecotourism and cultural tourism in the Mekong River region can generate income and foster pride in local culture. Preserving the community's unique characteristics and cultural heritage is vital. Furthermore, the article emphasizes the importance of planning for sustainable tourism to ensure that both communities and the environment fully benefit in the future. Research Implications: The findings highlight the significance of developing sustainable tourism in the Mekong River region. They stress the need for strategies that promote equitable economic growth and active community participation. Additionally, the paper advocates for effective water resource management and cross-border collaboration to support tourism development that generates income while preserving the area's cultural and environmental diversity. Originality/Value: This research is unique and valuable because it examines the relationship between local culture and ecotourism development in the Mekong River region. It provides insights into how the river influences community identity and livelihoods. Additionally, it offers strategies for sustainable tourism development that aim to generate economic benefits while preserving local cultural heritage.

Shamanism with a drum among the Khanty of the Surgut Ob River region in the beginning of the 21st century

The area of this research is confined to the Surgut Ob River region and includes the western and central areas of residence of the Eastern Khanty. The purpose of this work is to summarize and analyse information about the current state of shamanism with a tambourine among the Surgut Khanty. The main sources for the study were the author's field materials collected in 2002–2017 in the regions along the rivers of Lyamin, Pim, Tromyegan, Agan, Bolshoy and Maly Yugan. The uniqueness of the situation among the Surgut Khanty lies in the fact that the tradi-tional rituals, which received a second wind in the 1990s in the wake of the actualization of ethnicity, in fact, were not interrupted. Among the traditional rites of the region, shamanism with a tambourine is one of the little-studied aspects of their spiritual culture. The article characterizes the current state of shamanic rituals with a tambourine, indicates the area of distribution of these practices, considers examples of making a tambourine and the formation of a sha-manic gift, makes a description of the formal side and indicates the presently recorded occasions for the ritual. The differences between shamanism with a tambourine among the Khanty of the right bank and the left bank of the Ob River are revealed, and some aspects of shamanism are compared with those of the neighbouring ethnic groups.

Technology of manufacturing copper and bronze tools of the Petrovka Culture of the Southern Trans-Urals and Middle Tobol region

The article presents the results of metallographic analysis of the Petrovka Culture tools from the southern Trans-Urals and Middle Tobol River region of the 19th–18th centuries BC (47 items). A certain correlation has been determined between the functional purpose of an item, the type of raw material, and the tool manufacturing scheme. The tools were mainly made of copper contaminated with impurities, obtained from oxide-carbonate ores with the addition of chalcocite-covellite minerals. A butted axe, sickles, knives with handles, tanged chisels, hooks, and some awls were made of copper, both by casting in a mold with subsequent finishing and by forming forging. Copper tools obtained by casting often had casting defects — shrinkage cracks and warping of the metal. In most cases, the tools were finished either in the regime of incomplete hot forging at 300–500°C, or hot forging at 600–800°C and pre-melting temperatures of 900–1000°C. During the Petrovka period, tin and tin-arsenic bronze started being used for manufacturing adzes, chisels, handled knives, the majority of awls, needles, spear-heads, and arrows. More progressive types of alloys in terms of fluidity, filling mold without defects in the form of low-alloy tin and tin-arsenic bronzes (Sn up to 7%, As up to 4%) came from related tribes of the Petrovka Culture of Saryarka, possibly from the Petropavlovsk Ishim region. The resulting castings were of high quality with smooth surface without metal warping defects. Subsequent finishing was carried out by selecting optimal heat treatment regimes mainly at 600–800°C or 900–1000°C, as well as using incomplete hot forging at 300–500°C. The hardness of the tools finished by forging with heating significantly exceeded the microhardness of the processed copper by 1.5–2 times.

Heavy metal phytoremediation potential of Cosmos bipinnatus for use in chromium-contaminated regions of Dravyavati River, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

Due to their toxicity and permanence, heavy metals pose a significant threat as pollutants. Metals leach into soil from human activities including mining, manufacturing, and farming. Phytoremediation involves removing contaminants from soils using herbaceous plants and trees; it is a cost-effective, non-invasive, and aesthetically pleasing technique. The current research investigated the phytoremediation capacity of Cosmos bipinnatus in soil that had been polluted with chromium (Cr) along the Dravyavati River in Jaipur. The plant uptake of heavy metals was studied for 20, 40, 60, and 80 days of growth in pot and field experiments using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) to analyze residual heavy metal concentrations in the plant's shoots and roots. Chromium exhibited variation in total absorption by plants depending on the type of treatment. Using the translocation factor, it was observed that after 80 days in Nala soil 80% + wheat husk 20% (H2), the plant's capacity to absorb Cr was equivalent and considerably higher. Nola soil 80% + wheat husk 20%; H2, and Nala soil 70% + wheat husk 30%; H3 were among the treatments with TFs more than 1; however, the BCF values were all lower than 1. Additionally, root uptake was greater than shoot uptake. Thus, at H3 and H2 treatments, C. bipinnatus was determined to be an efficient phytoextractor for Cr, but at other concentrations, it acted as an excluder.

Identification of 10,000-year-old rice beer at Shangshan in the Lower Yangzi River valley of China

The origins of rice domestication and the beginnings of alcoholic fermentation in China are intriguing research topics, with the Shangshan culture in the Lower Yangzi River region being a focal point of archaeological investigations. This study employs a multiproxy approach (phytolith, starch, and fungi) to analyze microfossil remains associated with pottery vessels from the earliest phase of the Shangshan site (ca. 10,000 to 9,000 cal. BP). The results indicate that rice was consumed as a dietary staple and used for brewing fermented beverages with a qu starter containing Monascus mold and yeast as fermentation agents. The fermentation ingredients included rice, supplemented with other cereals (Job's tears, Panicoideae, and Triticeae), acorn, and lily. This rice-fungi-based multiplant brewing method marked the earliest-known alcoholic fermentation technique in East Asia. The emergence of this fermentation technology is attributable to the early development of rice domestication and the arrival of the wet-warm Holocene climate, which was favorable for fungal growth. These alcoholic beverages likely played a pivotal role in ceremonial feasting, highlighting their ritual function as a driving factor that may have stimulated the intensive utilization and widespread cultivation of rice in Neolithic China.

A CNN-Based Framework for Automatic Extraction of High-Resolution River Bankfull Width

River width is a crucial parameter that correlates and reflects the hydrological, geomorphological, and ecological characteristics of the channel. However, the width data with high spatial resolution is limited owing to the difficulties in extracting channel width under complex and variable riverine surroundings. To address this issue, we aimed to develop an automatic framework specifically for delineating river channels and measuring the bankfull widths at small spatial intervals along the channel. The DeepLabV3+ Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model was employed to accurately delineate channel boundaries and a Voronoi Diagram approach was complemented as the river width algorithm (RWA) to calculate river bankfull widths. The CNN model was trained by images across four river types and performed well with all the evaluating metrics (mIoU, Accuracy, F1-score, and Recall) higher than 0.97, referring to the accuracy over 97% in prediction. The RWA outperformed other existing river width calculation methods by showing lower errors. The application of the framework in the Lillooet River, Canada, presented the capacity of this methodology to obtain detailed distributions of hydraulic and hydrological parameters, including flow resistance, flow energy, and sediment transport capacity, based on high-resolution channel widths. Our work highlights the significant potential of the newly developed framework in acquiring high-resolution channel width information and characterizing fluvial dynamics based on these widths along river channels, which contributes to facilitating cost-effective integrated river management.

Does Removing Large Wood From Streams Reduce Large‐Magnitude Flood Risk? A Case Study From North Carolina, USA

ABSTRACTLarge wood (LW) removal from streams is one of the most common river channel management activities and is often undertaken with little analysis of the impacts. A primary objective of LW removal is often flood risk reduction, but reports of actual flood reduction benefits have varied widely and were often anecdotal in nature. The objective of this study was to quantify the flood reduction impacts of removing LW from the stream channel. Uncalibrated two‐dimensional hydraulic models were used to simulate the impact of various levels of wood accumulation at three study sites and one‐dimensional modeling was used to conduct a sensitivity analysis of channel slope, floodplain width, and channel blockage across a range of flood‐frequency return periods. The existing accumulation resulted in very little change in upstream water surface elevations (WSE). Theoretical LW blockages were added to the model and resulted in a maximum of 0.3 m rise in upstream WSE for the most severe channel blockage scenario of 75%. Sensitivity analysis showed that the impact of LW blockage is greatest for steeper streams with narrower floodplains, although backwater conditions propagated only short distances upstream compared to streams with lower slopes. Overall, we recommend moving away from blanket removal of LW and toward limited strategic removal that will result in the desired outcomes. A strategic approach will require a comprehensive evaluation of proposed LW removal projects, including documenting flooding concerns, the channel and floodplain morphology, and adjacent infrastructure. The results of this study will help quantify the potential flood reduction of LW removal and provide guidance for when the removal of LW from rivers may or may not provide flood reduction benefits.

Effects of Different Rice Varieties and Water Management Practices on Greenhouse Gas (CH4 and N2O) Emissions in the Ratoon Rice System in the Upper Yangtze River Region, China

Ratoon rice can improve rice yield by increasing the multiple cropping index in China. However, the greenhouse gas (CH4 and N2O) emission characteristics from ratoon rice fields and the cultivation methods to reduce CH4 and N2O emissions are rarely reported. This study first conducted the analysis of genotype differences in greenhouse gas emission fluxes using five strong ratoon ability rice varieties in 2020. Second, water management methods, including alternating the wet–dry irrigation (AWD) pattern and conventional flooding irrigation (CF) during the main season, were carried out in 2021. CH4 and N2O emission flux, agronomic traits, and rice yield during both main and ratoon seasons were investigated. The results showed that the CH4 emission flux during the main and ratoon seasons was 157.05–470.73 kg·ha–1 and 31.03–84.38 kg·ha–1, respectively, and the total N2O emission flux was 0.13–0.94 kg·ha–1 in the ratoon rice system over the two seasons (RRSTS). Compared with the main season, the CH4 emission flux during the ratoon season was significantly reduced, thus decreasing the greenhouse gas global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI) in the ratoon rice system. Cliangyouhuazhan (CLYHZ) showed a high yield, and the lowest GWP and GHGI values among the five rice varieties in RRSTS. Compared with CF, the AWD pattern reduced the CH4 emission flux during the main and ratoon seasons by 67.4–95.3 kg·ha–1 and 1.7–5.1 kg·ha–1, respectively, but increased the N2O emission flux by 0.1–0.6 kg·ha–1 during the RRSTS. Further, compared with CF, the AWD pattern had a declined GWP by 14.3–19.4% and GHGI by 30.3–34.3% during the RRSTS, which was attributed to the significant reduction in GWP and GHGI during the main season. The AWD pattern significantly increased rice yield by 21.9–22.9% during the RRSTS, especially for YX203. Correlation analysis showed that CH4, GWP, and GHGI exhibited significant negative correlations with spikelet number per m2 and the harvest index during the main and ratoon seasons. Collectively, selecting the high-yield, low-emission variety CLYHZ could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ratoon rice while maintaining a high yield. The AWD pattern could reduce total CH4 emission during the main season, reducing the GWP and GHGI while increasing the ratoon rice system yield. It could be concluded that a variety of CLYHZ and AWD patterns are worthy of promotion and application to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in the ratoon rice area in the upper reaches of Yangtze River, China.

The effects of secondary currents in tight bends on large wood transport in rivers: Lesson learned from Versilia flood in 1996

AbstractThe presence and dynamics of large wood (LW) in river systems, particularly for streams flowing through forested areas, play a significant role in shaping river morphology and influencing flood events. This paper focuses on the numerical reproduction of observed LW trajectories during a flood event in the Versilia River in 1996 in Italy. The study reach, located near Pietrasanta in Tuscany, includes a tight river bend named S. Bartolomeo. During the event, more than two thousand cubic meters of transported wood were observed at this location. In addition, due to the collapse of the outer levee, six million cubic meters of water exited the river corridor, causing the flooding of Pietrasanta. The 2D Lagrangian model Iber‐Wood was used for the numerical simulation of this event. In particular, two versions of the model were used: the original one (IB‐NSC) and the enhanced version (IB‐SC) which simulates the effects of secondary currents on LW dynamics. The results validated the applicability of the enhanced version to simulate real‐world conditions and showed that the IB‐SC model improves the agreement between observed and simulated LW trajectories by more than 20% compared to the IB‐NSC model. Examining the influence of the breach on the LW trajectories, it appears that the presence of LW during the overtopping flow intensified and accelerated the erosion process, resulting in a rapid breach formation. This study therefore highlights the importance of including secondary current effects on LW transport for the development of flood risk assessments and river management strategies, particularly in channelized rivers with tight bends or meanders.

International schools in an era of rising nationalism: a tug-of-war between cosmopolitan and national forces

ABSTRACT A rise of nationalism worldwide presents complex challenges for international schools, which have long been regarded as archetypes of cosmopolitanism in education. In this article, we apply the concept of cosmopolitan nationalism to investigate how interplays between cosmopolitanism and nationalism manifest in practice at international schools. We conducted a multi-site case study of five international high schools in the Pearl Delta River region in Southern China, covering cases in Guangdong Province (Guangzhou and Shenzhen), Hong Kong (two schools), and Macao. Through field observations, website analyses, and interviews (n = 105) with principals, teachers, parents, and students, we provide descriptive snapshots of each case. Three major findings demonstrated a ‘tug-of-war’ between cosmopolitan and national forces: (1) diversity in how cosmopolitan education is interpreted and implemented, (2) a growing influence of nationalism on educational objectives and practices, and (3) counterbalancing resistance to nationalistic elements grounded in cosmopolitan values. These points are discussed in light of a newly adapted schematic depiction of cosmopolitan nationalism at the school-level. To conclude, we reflect on how a balance of rootedness linked to national belonging, pride, and traditions along with cosmopolitan learning environments that promote openness to the world may represent the future of international schooling.

Phosphorus transport in a hotter and drier climate: in-channel release of legacy phosphorus during summer low-flow conditions

Abstract. “Legacy phosphorus” is the historical accumulation of phosphorus (P) in soils and sediments due to past human inputs. River networks represent a potential sink and/or source of legacy P, with many in-channel processes potentially governing the storage and mobilization of P over time. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential contribution of the in-channel release of legacy P to bioavailable P transport in streams during summer low-flow conditions across a land use gradient in Minnesota, USA. We addressed this objective through the synthesis of (1) water quality and streamflow (Q) data collected for 143 gauged watersheds across the state of Minnesota between 2007–2021 (22 750 total samples); (2) water quality data from 33 additional ditch, stream, and river sites in Minnesota sampled under low-flow conditions in the summer of 2014; and (3) water quality data collected from tile drainage outlets for 10 monitored farm fields between 2011–2021. We used geospatial data and a random forest modeling approach to identify possible drivers of bioavailable P concentrations during summer low flows for gauged watersheds. During low flows in late summer, between one-third to one-half of the gauged watersheds we studied exhibited soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations that were above previously identified thresholds for eutrophication of 0.02–0.04 mg L−1. For many of these watersheds, stream SRP concentrations in late summer were above those observed in tile drainage outlets. Elevated SRP concentrations during late-summer low flows weakened concentration–discharge relationships that would otherwise appear to indicate more strongly mobilizing SRP–Q responses across other seasons and flow conditions. While wastewater discharge likely contributed to elevated P concentrations for watersheds with high densities of treatment plants, many watersheds did not have substantial wastewater impacts. The most important variables for predicting bioavailable P concentrations during late-summer low-flow conditions in a random forest model were land use in riparian areas (particularly crop cover); soil characteristics including soil erodibility, soil permeability, and soil clay content; agricultural intensity (reflected via higher pesticide use, higher phosphorus uptake by crops, and higher fertilizer application rates); watershed precipitation; and stream temperature. These findings suggest that, for stream and river sites heavily impacted by past and current P inputs associated with agriculture and urbanization, biogeochemical processes mediated by climate and geology can result in the release of legacy P from in-channel stores during late-summer low-flow conditions. As summers become hotter and, at times, drier – which are predicted changes in this region – conditions for the release of legacy P stored in stream and river channels will likely become more prolonged and/or more acute, increasing eutrophication risk.

Factors Diversifying the Characteristics of Fluvial Sediments Accumulated in Mountain Stream Channels—A Case Study from the Polish Carpathians

This paper presents the diversification of fluvial sediments caused by the occurrence of coarse woody debris (CWD), boulder steps (BSs), and mixed structures (MSs), understood as a combination of CWD and BSs in a stream channel in a small forested catchment in the Polish Carpathians. This research is crucial for understanding the role of this kind of threshold present in a stream channel in shaping fluvial sediment characteristics in small forested mountain catchments. Our hypothesis is that the threshold type in a stream channel determines fluvial sediment diversification. This was verified in field research, including identification of the channel’s morphodynamic structure and the morphometric characteristics of CWD, BSs, and MSs as well as the collection of fluvial sediments upstream and downstream of them. In order to preserve research objectivity, tests were performed during comparable flow conditions in the summer (EX1) and autumn (EX2) periods. The statistical analysis showed that the type of threshold significantly affects the processing, size, and shape diversification of mineral material. This diversity is particularly noticeable in fluvial sediments within CWD and MSs, which retain material of more diverse sizes and shapes.

A New Method for Analyzing Storm Event Discharge‐Concentration Hysteresis: The Upper Yangtze River as an Example

AbstractThe analysis of hydrological and sediment dynamics during flood events offers a new perspective on material transport within basins and the management of rivers. The literature has highlighted the hysteretic nature of material transport at the event scale, which arises from temporal differences in the transport of materials (flow and sediment). Current hysteresis research methods fall short in effectively assessing the complex events. This study leverages suspended‐sediment and discharge data from the upper Yangtze River to show proof‐of‐concept for hysteresis studies using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm, a time series analysis tool. To evaluate the efficacy of the method, extensive assessments were undertaken using a combination of synthetic data and basin data with over 700 flood events. The proposed index effectively captures and quantifies hysteresis relationships associated with flood events, making it a versatile tool for hysteresis studies. We also similarly tested the robustness of the method and the application to complex events, and the results were satisfactory. Furthermore, we explored the hysteretic features of flood events in the studied basin. The results revealed that a proportion ranging from 50% to 60% flood events exhibit sediment peak leading pattern, indicating that in the upper Yangtze River, sediment peaks tend to occur in a leading pattern. The operation of reservoirs profoundly impacts the dynamics of sediment transport, resulting in an increased proportion (from 27% to 54%) of sediment peaks lagging behind discharge peaks. These study findings can be used to improve hysteresis study methods and contribute to the understanding of hydrological and sediment transport characteristics.

Early Neolithic plant exploitation in north-western China: archaeobotanical evidence from Beiliu

China was a centre for early plant domestication, millets in the north and rice in the south, with both crops then spreading widely. The Laoguantai Culture (c. 8000–7000 BP) of the middle Yellow River region encompasses a crucial stage in the transition from hunting and gathering to farming, yet its subsistence basis is poorly understood. The authors present archaeobotanical data from the site of Beiliu indicating that farmers exploited a variety of wild and cultivated plants. The predominance of broomcorn millet accords with other Neolithic cultures in northern China but the presence of rice—some of the earliest directly dated examples—opens questions about the integration of rice cultivation into local subsistence strategies.

Rubber additives and relevant oxidation products in groundwater in a central China region: Levels, influencing factors and exposure

This study investigated the presence of rubber additives and relevant oxidation products (RAROPs) in groundwater in central China's aboveground river region. Seven RAROPs were detected, and their levels in shallow groundwater showed a mild decreasing trend from the area near the Yellow River (Avg: 8.49 ng·L-1) to the area on the far bank of the Yellow River (Avg: 5.01 ng·L-1). In contrast, deep groundwater's RAROPs contents showed a dramatic decrease to only 0.26 ng·L-1. The dominant contaminant was found to be N-(1, 3-dimethylbutyl) -N′-phenyl -p-phenylenediamine (6PPD). The vicinity of the garages and car parks was often characterized as contamination hotspots. Correlation analyses further indicated that aquaculture was likely to be a potential pathway for shallow groundwater contaminant inputs. The amount of RAROPs intake by humans through groundwater is nearly 30 times different due to the imbalanced development between urban and rural areas. Children were the most vulnerable to RAROPs. Therefore, human activities (transportation, waste tire storage, water resource allocation and utilization patterns, diversion of Yellow River water to aquaculture ponds) may exacerbate RAROPs pollution in groundwater by leaching contaminants through the surface soil. These results are important for developing appropriate utilization and protection strategies for groundwater resources in developing countries.

MORPHODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A SANDY BED MEANDERING CHANNEL AT DIFFERENT DISCHARGES

Transportation of sediment is a critical issue in riverine environments, particularly in meandering channels where flow dynamics are complex. However, information regarding erosion and deposition processes in meandering channels is still limited. Therefore, an experimental investigation on the influence of discharge variation on the morphodynamics of a meandering channel has been carried out. The experimental investigation was conducted at the Hydraulic and Hydrology Laboratory, UTM Johor Bahru. The study investigates the flow profiles and the morphological changes of inbank flow conditions represented by shallow and deep flow depths. The findings revealed that Manning’s n in a deep flow depth was 60.12% higher than a shallow flow depth. Moreover, velocity at the channel bend was increased by 8.3% to 14.6% compared to the crossover along the channel. This indicates that the geometrical planform plays a crucial part on the variability of velocity in the channel. Therefore, the outcomes of this study could provide more effective river management strategies to resolve erosion and deposition issues in river engineering studies.

Empowering Communities Through Resilient River Management

This paper focuses on empowering the society with various rescue strategies in the event of a natural disaster namely floods. This paper deals with applying the state of the art technologies such as machine learning in order to combat floods. The key aspects of a flood management system and the existing systems were then identified. The proposed system was then developed. Statistical, hydrological and Machine learning algorithms such as Random forest, support vector machines, Naïve Bayes, decision tree algorithms were further applied on the data parameters captured. to predict the overflow probability in different regions of the state. A comparison was then undertaken to determine the most suited algorithm to perform better river management. The paper then concluded highlighting the need for applying machine learning techniques for flood management.

A functional study of ground stone knives and sickles in the Lower Yangtze River Region during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age

Ground stone knives and sickles were important implements in the lower Yangtze River region during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, playing a pivotal role in understanding the technological behaviour and economic activities of prehistoric humans. In this study, twelve knives and seven sickles of the Liangzhu culture (ca. 3300BC-2300BC) and four knives of the Maqiao culture (ca. 1900BC-1200BC) were analysed, through an integrated approach that combined use-wear analysis, Py-GC/MS analysis, and replicative experimentation. The results show that three knives and one sickle of the Liangzhu culture and two knives of the Maqiao culture had been used for harvesting gramineous plants, probably rice. The knives of the Liangzhu culture were used with handles, exhibiting two different hafting techniques, one of which potentially involved the use of animal glue as binding agents. The half-moon-shaped knives of the Maqiao culture were used handheld with two working motions: upward picking and downward pinching. Besides harvesting tools, one hafted knife of Liangzhu culture used for scraping wood or bamboo was also identified. Notably, for the first time, evidence of polishing stone knives with gramineous plants has been found in both the Liangzhu and Maqiao cultures, which potentially signifies a special symbolic or ritual significance beyond their physical functions.