Solving Water Problems Research Articles

Numerical Models for Solving Water Problems of Irrigated Agriculture in South-East Kazakhstan

Numerical Models for Solving Water Problems of Irrigated Agriculture in South-East Kazakhstan

IMPORTANCE OF WATER RESOURCES IN THE MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS

Water is the lifeblood of all human and natural systems. Although most regions of the world have abundant water resources, availability of drinking water is inadequate in many parts of the world. Current and projected water shortages are nowhere as acute as in the arid countries of the Middle East. While battles have been fought over water allocation in many countries, the greatest potential for a conflict over water is perhaps in the Middle East, where water resources are limited and political tension is high. Water is just one of the issues that may widen the gulf between countries. Cooperation to solve water problems is possible, though difficult. Indeed, joint action on water has the potential to lead to even greater co-operation in the wider political arena. Mutually beneficial, “win – win” solutions are preferable to conflict or stalemate. Conversely, arrangements not arrived at to fairly allocate one of life’s most important necessities can only perpetuate conflict. The most pressing environmental problem in the Middle East concerns the ownership, management and useof scarce water resources. Water has frequently been the cause of regional conflicts. Much of the struggle between Israel and its Arab neighbours revolves around the water issues. Indeed, the history of relationship between Israel, Syria, and Jordan for the past 50 years can be viewed as a fight for water. A long-term settlement between Israel and its neighbours will depend as much on the fair allocation of water as of land. Nearby, Egypt fears an appropriation of the Niles waters, on which 60 million of its people are entirely dependent, by the upstream countries of Sudan and Ethiopia. Water problem is linked with other problems of the Middle East. The dispute between Iranand Iraq over Shatt-al-Arab, for example, has its origins in boundary conflicts that go back in history. Arguments between Turkey and Syria over water from the River Euphrates are often linked to Syrian support to the Marxist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that seeks independence for the Turkish Kurdistan region. Iraqi-Syrian water disagreements have both masked and resulted from military and political ambitions.

Study on Photochemical Properties of a Sr-SnS2/CaIn2S4 Heterostructure to Improve Cr(VI) Removal.

Compound semiconductor photocatalysis technology is considered to be a promising treatment for solving water problems efficiently. The point of designing high-efficiency catalysts is to optimize the band gap structure and facilitate the separation of charge carriers by establishing new electron migration pathways. Recently, 3D porous CaIn2S4 was found to have good photocatalytic ability. However, the quick recombination and agglomeration of carriers still limit its application. Herein, we prepared a heterostructure by introducing 2D Sr-doped SnS2 to 3D CaIn2S4 by a hydrothermal synthesis method. The optimal dosage of Sr-SnS2 is 3%, and the photocatalytic Cr(VI) removal efficiency of 3% Sr-SnS2/CaIn2S4 (SSCS-3) is 5.82 and 10.83 times those of pure CaIn2S4 and SnS2, respectively. According to the results of characterization tests and calculation verification, we inferred that the enhanced photocatalytic removal of Cr(VI) is due to the introduction of Sr-SnS2 that can promote the rapid transfer of photogenerated electrons to the surface of CaIn2S4, and the heterostructure formed between 2D Sr-SnS2 and 3D CaIn2S4 can also provide abundant reaction sites. The promotion of carrier separation is mainly due to the formation of a built-in electric field of the Sr-SnS2/CaIn2S4 heterostructure. This work provides new ideas and technologies for the treatment of Cr(VI) in wastewater.

Acquisition set to unite companies that focus on solving water problems worldwide

In the USA, Xylem Inc is set to acquire Evoqua Water Technologies in a move that has the potential to create a transformative platform to address the world's most critical water challenges.

Current and Future Challenges of Nanomaterials in Solar Energy Desalination Systems in Last Decade

Renewable energy plays key role in developing any nation. Freshwater is sometimes hard to get to in places that are far aside or poor. Because of this, it is important to have a cheap and effective desalination system that helps these communities grow and helps society as a whole. For example, the development of nanotechnology could help solve water problems by making it easier to get rid of viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants and lowering the cost of purification processes. Desalination is a process that uses a lot of energy and is responsible for most of the costs of running the plant. Also, a lot of the power comes from the greenhouse gas emissions and traditional fossil-fuel-fired power plants which pose a serious danger to ecosystem. In the last few years, many studies have been done on the use of nanotechnology in desalination, the treatment of brine, and the role of renewable energy in desalination. The main goal of this paper is to look at the most important new developments in desalination nanotechnology with respect to energy. Some conclusions and suggestions for future research are made based on the progress made and the problems that still need to be solved.

Rural drinking water governance politics in China: Governmentality schemes and negotiations from below

This paper examines the politics of rural water governance in China through a governmentality lens and village water intervention case. The China Rural Drinking Water Safety Project (RDWSP) was an attempt to control water, while also serving as a tool of power to impel the rural population towards national development goals. The authors analyzed official documents and conducted interviews in a village in Shandong Province to investigate the RDWSP's rationale and practices, as well as how water access and management were negotiated by rural water users. The paper argues that (1) confronted with a decline in local governance capacity and in an effort to rectify the mistakes of the supply-driven, technocratic paradigm, the RDWSP attempted to integrate social, environmental and economic concerns but did not achieve that goal; (2) the decline in local governance capacity and people's pragmatic everyday strategies contributed to an individualized approach to solving water problems, reflected in people's disengagement from the government project and local participation, an effect that may sustain people's marginalization and exclusion from good-quality water access and management. Using the Chinese water project as an example, the paper contributes to the debate on state-induced water control versus civil society “counter-conduct” formed by daily interactions. Furthermore, it enriches the study of politics in general by presenting the state as a site of contested institutionalization and ongoing negotiations, confronted by everyday narratives and encounters with marginalized citizens that go far beyond and are far more complex than overt resistance or covert weapons of the weak.

Spatial–Temporal Variations of Water Ecosystem Services Value and Its Influencing Factors: A Case in Typical Regions of the Central Loess Plateau

Water resources provide indispensable ecosystem services, which are related to human well-being and sustainable social development. Accurately measuring the water ecosystem services value (WESV), and then grasping its changing characteristics, is particularly important for solving water problems. In this study, the typical area of the central Loess Plateau location is taken as the research area. Based on remote sensing images and statistical data, the direct market method combined with the equivalent factor method was used to calculate the WESV including groundwater and surface water, which is of greatest originality. The temporal and spatial variation characteristics in 2010, 2015 and 2020 were analyzed. Then, four WESV driving factors including per capita GDP, population density, proportion of water areas, and water consumption were selected, and the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model was used to analyze the spatial distribution pattern and temporal variation of WESV’s response to the influencing factors. The results showed that WESV experienced a process of first decreasing and then increasing, which was mainly caused by Yulin. For the composition of WESV, the proportion of provisioning services value has increased, which caused the proportion of regulating services value to decrease. The correlations between four factors and WESV were different. The distribution pattern of the influences was spatially heterogeneous, which showed regular variations over time. These results indicate the necessity of WESV’s independent research and provide a realistic basis for ecological compensation in the Yellow River Basin.

Pipeline Rescue Robot using Raspberry Pi

Nowadays, a lot of work is being carried out by the government to build new flyovers, improve the underground pipeline system, development of smart city etc. for which a lot of holes are being dug. Some of them are very deep which could be a threat not only to the workers children but also to the children leaving in that neighborhood. Most of these works have not yet been completed and it is very risky for the children to play or move around it. Sometimes there are larger pipelines or boreholes dug and left uncovered and there are no precautionary measure taken around it. These boreholes or pipelines are not only dug the government but also by some of the individual houses or apartments to solve water problems. Children playing around it often fall down in it borehole which is left uncovered in most of the places and get trapped in there. It is very arduous and also dangerous to rescue the child trapped inside a borehole or pipeline and rescue operation must be carried out safely, such that it should not harm or injure the child during the rescue process. A small delay, might put the child’s life in danger. Currently, the rescue operation is carried out manually. Whenever there is a requirement to rescue a child, a man would tie himself, equipped with oxygen and with the help of his fellow colleagues go down into the borehole or pipeline. This procedure takes time and it also puts the life of the person who goes down for rescue operation to risk.It is also a time consuming process. If the depth of the pipeline is very deep, this kind of rescue process is very dangerous and time consuming. Since time is the key in this type of situation, it is necessary to come up with the alternate method of rescue, which is safe for the child and the rescue team. It should also not consume too much time unless there are no hinders. The main objective of this project is to design and construct a pipeline rescue robot (i.e. a robot designed to rescue a trapped child without any person manually entering inside the pipeline or borehole). This project is a human controlled and monitored robot that gives a clear view of the child that needs to be rescued safely and steps taken appropriately to achieve that. The project focuses in designing a “Robot to rescue a child stuck in a pipeline or borehole” which moves inside the pipeline according to the commands given by the user through PC. The robotic arm used in here can also be used for other application just by replacing the gripper. The robot is handled through PC by making use of Zigbee technology and a camera which provides a view in the PC. This robot uses LDR which gets activated in dark surroundings thus making LED glow. DC motor helps in upward and downward movement of the robotic arm accordingly to the depth of the pipeline. It is a low cost robot, which can be modified and used for various other applications.

Sustainability – A Way of Life in Shirpur, Maharashtra, India

Shirpur taluka of Nasik division in Maharashtra is in draught prone area. This area suffered from water shortage before 2018. The present study was conducted to comprehend the current sustainable development in this area and revealed a typical geographical condition of that region. Lateral and vertical percolation of water through the yellow silt layers in the aquifers was scarce prior to the completion of the projectAngioplasty of water in 2018. The soil had an effective porosity to the tune of 2.5 to 3%, yet the aquifers were hardly saturated. The dug wells and bore wells in Deccan Basalt hardly yielded water till December. Water was scarcely available after December for drinking and irrigation. Only Kharif crop was possible. Scarcity of water impacted surface water reserves. More burden was experienced on ground water level. Groundwater beingan important renewable resource requires to be refilled every year by rainfall and through water dripped during irrigation. The structure of rocks, geo-morphological, hydrogeological as also hydrometeorological conditions govern the pore water levels. Suitable measures were needed to augment groundwater resources to make existing groundwater structures sustainable.”Angioplasty of water” was implemented to solve water problems. Sustainable use of water was possible in draught prone areas after this project was completed. Industrial and agricultural development followed after this project. Composite Index of Development (CID) as also the levels of development in Shirpur improved considerably as compared to other areas in Dhule district.

Understanding Water Use Conflicts to Advance Collaborative Planning: Lessons Learned from Lake Diefenbaker, Canada

Conflicts around the multi-purpose water uses of Lake Diefenbaker (LD) in Saskatchewan, Canada need to be addressed to meet rapidly expanding water demands in the arid Canadian prairie region. This study explores these conflicts to advance collaborative planning as a means for improving the current water governance and management of this lake. Qualitative methodology that employed a wide participatory approach was used to collect focus group data from 92 individuals, who formed a community of water users. Results indicate that the community of water users is unified in wanting to maintain water quality and quantity, preserving the lake’s aesthetics, and reducing water source vulnerability. Results also show these users are faced with water resource conflicts resulting from lack of coherence of regulatory instruments in the current governance regime, and acceptable management procedures of both consumptive and contemporary water uses that are interlinked in seven areas of: irrigation, industrial, and recreational water uses; reservoir water level for flood control and hydroelectricity production; wastewater and lagoon management; fish farm operations; and regional water development projects. As a means of advancing collaborative planning, improvements in water allocation and regulatory instruments could be made to dissipate consumptive use conflicts and fill the under-regulation void that exists for contemporary water uses. Additionally, a comprehensive LD water use master plan, as a shared vision to improve participation in governance, could be developed to direct the water uses that have emerged over time. This study suggests that these three areas are practical starting conditions that would enable successful collaborative planning for the seven areas of water uses. Focusing on these three areas would ensure the current and future needs of the community of water users are met, while avoiding reactive ways of solving water problems in the LD region, especially as the water crisis in the Canadian Prairie region where LD is located is expected to intensify.

Biomimicry in agrotechnology: Future solution of water problem for the agriculture industry?

Agriculture main issues are the reduction in water availability and the loss in water quality. If the population is increasing, the demand for food will increase, but the amount of water available to produce food does not increase. It would be a huge problem for the future. This study explores the alternative method in biomimicry to provide sufficient water supply for agriculture by reviewing challenges in agriculture and identifying biomimicry approach on previous research. The designers can use these technologies to solve water problems in agriculture, for example, Watercone and Warka Water. Both of these designs are inexpensive and can extracts gallons of fresh water from the air and designed to be environmental friendly by not causing any pollution or harm to the ground they are built on. By studying nature people learn to respect it and understand the importance of conservation, in other words, the more people, especially for designer, are aware of the potential of biomimicry. Biomimicry expected to be a promising approach, effective in improving well-being and its environmental efficiency at both agriculture and technology. Based on this study at the agriculture in particular, it is possible to see biomimicry as a driver to change urban environment.

Russian initiative to unblock water conflicts in the Middle East

The paper is based on the materials of the Strategic Session on the problems of "Water Diplomacy", which was held in Moscow at the end of October 2021 by the НSE University (Russia) together with the Russian Ecological Society, Geneva Water Hub, International Association of Lake Regions and a number of other international and regional environmental organizations. The discussion focused on issues related to the implementation of the Russian initiative to form an international expert working group on water and environmental problems of the Middle East. The article tells about the projects of solving water problems in the Middle East in a collective format, about the reasons that complicate the implementation of these plans. An important place in the article is dedicated to the evaluation of the activities of the first joint environmental projects in the Middle East with the participation of representatives of Arab countries and Israel, the analysis of the most optimal ways to move towards the formation of a region-wide system of rational and safe water use in the Middle East. In this context, specific proposals are being considered, including the creation of a regional unified water center - the Middle East Water Council.

ANALISIS KUALITAS AIR SUNGAI KIKIM DI KECAMATAN KIKIM TIMUR KABUPATEN LAHAT

This study aims to determine the physical properties of Kikim River water in Kikim Timur Subdistrict, Lahat Regency and find out the right way to solve water problems as an effort to treat water from physical parameters that exceed the quality standards according to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number 492 / MENKES / PER / IV / 2018 concerning requirements for drinking water quality. The parameters tested in this study included temperature, total suspended solid (TSS) and degree of acidity (pH). Sampling was carried out at three points, namely Point 01 in Gunung Kembang Village or Kikim Hulu River, Point 02 in Bungamas Village or Kikim Tengah River, and Point 03 in Lubuk Tampang Village or Kikim Hilir River. The results of the test analysis of the Kikim Timur River water samples carried out at the Environmental Service Unit of the Environmental Service Laboratory (DLH) of Lahat Regency at points 01, 02 and 03 indicate that the parameters tested, namely temperature, (TSS) and pH values still meet the standards according to Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number 492 / MENKES / PER / IV / 2018.

The Potential of Serious Games to Solve Water Problems: Editorial to the Special Issue on Game-Based Approaches to Sustainable Water Governance

In this editorial, the authors (and guest editors) introduce the Special Issue titled Understanding Game-based Approaches for Improving Sustainable Water Governance: The Potential of Serious Games to Solve Water Problems. The authors take another look at the twelve contributions, starting from the subtitle question: what is the potential? The authors summarize the insights and give directions for future research.

Assessing the Anthropogenic Impact on the Water Resources of Russia

The results of studies that have been carried out at the Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences (USSR Academy of Sciences) and data obtained by other institutions are used to assess the impact of various types of economic activity on the water resources of Russia and its aftereffects. The impact includes an indirect, i.e., through the relief, soil, and biota (activities in the nonirrigated agriculture, forestry, and urbanized landscapes) and the direct component (hydroengineering construction, diversion of runoff, water withdrawal, and wastewater discharge). The impact of the complex of anthropogenic factors on the volume and quality of water resources is evaluated. The characteristics of water use in Russia and different parts of the world are compared. The main approaches to solve water problems are proposed.

Towards a Framework for Designing and Assessing Game-Based Approaches for Sustainable Water Governance

Most of the literature on serious games and gamification calls for a shift from evaluating practices to using theories to assess them. While the former is necessary to justify using game-based approaches, the latter enables understanding “why” game-based approaches are beneficial (or not). Based on earlier review papers and the papers in this special issue of Water entitled “Understanding game-based approaches for improving sustainable water governance: the potential of serious games to solve water problems”, we show that game-based approaches in a water governance context are relatively diverse. In particular, the expected aims, targeted audience, and spatial and temporal scales are factors that differentiate game-based approaches. These factors also strongly influence the design of game-based approaches and the research developed to assess them. We developed a framework to guide and reflect on the design and assessment of game-based approaches, and we suggest opportunities for future research. In particular, we highlight the lack of game-based approaches that can support “society-driven” sustainable water governance.

Dynamics of urban water supply management of two Himalayan towns in India

Abstract Many towns in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) are experiencing permanent water crises due to increasing population pressure, urbanization, and poor management of existing water sources. This paper focuses on two towns – Mussoorie and Devprayag in the western IHR – to understand various aspects of the growing water scarcity and urban water management. In the current scenario of a changing climate, natural springs, their main water resource, are drying up. Mussoorie experiences an acute shortage of water in summer, precisely when the town hosts numerous tourists. In Devprayag, religious tourism and in-migration from rural areas contribute to rising demand. The reduced discharge in nearby streams has widened the demand–supply gap. An integrated management of water sources is crucial to solving water problems in Mussoorie and Devprayag. In both towns, little effort has been made towards recharging existing water sources. Detailed planning of the water supply system while being mindful of the floating population, a proper sewage and storm water management system, and rainwater harvesting schemes, are absent. There is an urgent need to adopt a comprehensive approach to solving urban water issues, covering aspects of demand, supply and water resources management in these hill towns for adaptive water management.

In-Between Waters /Intercepting Wetness: Inventing Rain in the Mining Landscape of Shanxi Province, China

Under the background of imposing engineered structures, including reservoirs and inter-basin water transfer infrastructures, being applied to solve drought caused by coal mining in Shanxi Province of China and floods caused by mineral mining in Western Ghats of India, the author reviews the intrinsic reason of water problems and recommends a water management solution that is design on “rain before floods” and “fields of wetness before flows of water.” Most magnificent engineered infrastructures are designed upon an idea of separating water from its milieu, thus becoming contained flows in pipes, channels, and reservoirs to solve water problems. To compensate for the shortage of existing water infrastructures, the author suggests gathering a regional-level landscape capacity for building “wetness” of resilience when facing problems of “water” in extremities. This is a radical shift compared with a problem-solving approach, as engineering does, to one that is grounded in landscape and uncovers opportunities. The landscape research and design project introduced in this article aims to provide an alternative future for Shanxi Province, China, which seems arid and is challenged by monodevelopment mode. The research and design within the project are across four nested scales. A landscape infrastructure of intercepting wetness is taken as an underlying thread which initiates intertwined ecological, programmatic, temporal and material trajectories. On the other hand, the project demonstrates research, representation, design, and planning can actually inform one another, and the design remains open and adaptive to its changing environments.

Information Support Technology in Managing the Volga–Kama Cascade of Reservoirs

The paper presents the structure of information support technology and algorithms of the decision-making process in managing the Volga–Kama cascade of reservoirs, as well as the results of implementing into the operational practice of a technology for regulating reservoirs and the prospects of its use for solving water problems.

A half-baked solution: drivers of water crises in Mexico

Abstract. Mexico is considered a regional economic and political powerhouse because of the size of its economy, and a large population in constant growth. However, this same growth accompanied by management and governance failures are causing several water crises across the country. The paper aims at identifying and analyzing the drivers of water crises. Water authorities seem to focus solely on large infrastructural schemes to counter the looming water crises, but fail to structure a set of policies for the improvement of management and governance institutions. The paper concludes with the implications of a business-as-usual policy based on infrastructure for solving water problems, which include a non-compliance to the human right to water and sanitation, ecosystem collapses and water conflicts.