Water Use System Research Articles

A Holistic Irrigation Advisory Policy Scheme by the Hellenic Agricultural Organization: An Example of a Successful Implementation in Crete, Greece

The aim of this communication article is to present a successful irrigation advisory scheme on the island of Crete (Greece) provided by the Hellenic Agricultural Organization (ELGO DIMITRA), which is well adapted to the different needs of farmers and water management agencies. The motivation to create this advisory scheme stems from the need to save water resources while ensuring optimal production in a region like Crete where droughts seem to occur more and more frequently in recent years. This scheme/approach has three different levels of implementation (components) depending on the spatial level and end-users’ needs. The first level concerns the weekly irrigation bulletins in the main agricultural areas of the island with the aim of informing farmers and local water managers about crop irrigation needs. The second level concerns an innovative digital web-based platform for the precise determination of the irrigation needs of Crete’s crops at a parcel level as well as optimal adaptation strategies in the context of climate change. In this platform, important features such as real-time meteorological information, spatial data on the cultivation type of parcels, validated algorithms for calculating crop irrigation needs, an accurate soil texture map derived from satellite images, and appropriate agronomic practices to conserve water based on cultivation and the geomorphology of a farm are considered. The third level of the proposed management approach includes an open-source Internet of Things (IoT) intelligent irrigation system for optimal individual parcel irrigation scheduling. This IoT system includes soil moisture and atmospheric sensors installed on the field, as well as the corresponding laboratory soil hydraulic characterization service. This third-level advisory approach provides farmers with specialized information on the automated irrigation system and optimization of irrigation water use. All the above irrigation advisory approaches have been implemented and evaluated by end-users with a very high degree of satisfaction in terms of effectiveness and usability.

Construction and application of urban water resources spatial equilibrium model: A case study of Ulanqab City

ABSTRACT Evaluating the water resources spatial equilibrium (WRSE) is the foundation for scientifically planning the construction of an optimized water resource allocation system and achieving the high-standard development of the China Water Network Project. To elucidate the characteristics of WRSE variation in Ulanqab City, this study explored a novel WRSE assessment model based on connection number and the subtraction set pair potential method. The results indicate that: (1) there exists a mismatch between the distribution of water resources in Ulanqab City and its socio-economic development. In 2020, the Gini coefficients of water resources total quantity concerning resident population, gross domestic product (GDP), industrial output value, and irrigated land area were 0.48, 0.48, 0.51, and 0.28, respectively. (2) From 2011 to 2020, the overall WRSE level in Ulanqab City showed an increasing trend year by year. Among them, the WRSE levels in six counties improved, while Jining District consistently remained at a low equilibrium state due to the prominent contradiction between water supply and demand. (3) In the future, Ulanqab City can further enhance the WRSE level by promoting the reuse of recycled water, intensifying groundwater pollution control, and implementing a quota management system for agricultural water use.

Integration of the agricultural sector and water use system of Kyrgyzstan in the context of global integration programs

The peculiarities of agricultural development and water use system in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asian countries are revealed. The main features of the land-saving type of development of the industry, characterized by low labor productivity, predominant production in the household sector, and small size of land are defined. The current system of water use, utilization and management of water resources was assessed. In the context of OBOR global integration programs, the directions of development of the agrarian belt, integration of the agrarian sector and water use system are substantiated. The main aspects of this integration are considered, including agricultural policy and support, introduction of innovative technologies for efficient water use in the agricultural sector and ensuring sustainable development of agriculture and water use system.

AutoDrip, automated irrigation system for efficient water use in agricultural cultivation, using Renewable Energy in the Sierra Region

In the state of Queretaro, the application of technology in the agricultural sector has become increasingly widespread in recent years, allowing local farmers to improve productivity, reduce costs, and increase efficiency in their crops. Among the most common technologies implemented in the agricultural sector in Queretaro are the use of automated irrigation systems, sensors to monitor soil moisture and ambient temperature, drones for crop analysis, and the implementation of agricultural production management software. The objective of our project is to improve water use efficiency in agricultural cultivation, reducing waste and using renewable energy to increase sustainability and minimize environmental impact through IoT technologies. This will contribute to the development of farmers in the Sierra Gorda with vegetable plots of one hectare or more, who are investing in technological innovation with the use of clean energy, and hoping that the Agricultural Secretariat of the State of Queretaro and the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development will support the project to implement strategies that address the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Energy saving potential diagnosis for Moroccan university campuses

<abstract> <p>Public buildings are energy-intensive users, especially when energy management is lacking. More than ever, the use of energy efficiency strategies and renewable energy sources (RES) in buildings are a national priority for Morocco in order to improve energy self-sufficiency, replace fossil fuel use and lower energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. Relating to the exemplarity of the Moroccan government in terms of energy efficiency and sustainable development, the study support that aim and presents results of a deep energy performance analysis of more than 20 university campuses across Morocco, which has concluded that around 80% of the energy consumed in the university campuses is designated for lightning and hot water for sanitary use. Later, this study examined the potential for energy saving and the environmental benefits of implementing actions to reduce energy demand from the grid, considering the use of on-site solar energy. Thereafter, the study aimed to analyze the impact of RES integration in public university campuses, namely the photovoltaic (ESM1) for electricity output and solar thermal system for hot water use (ESM2), to assess the techno-economic-environmental performance on building energy consumption reduction. Hence, the paper reported a detailed energetic-economic and environmental (3E) analysis simulation for campuses by integration of the two Energy Saving Measurements (ESM). The results showed that the integration of ESM1 system can reduce the annual energy demand by 22% and the energy bill by 34%, whereas the integration of ESM2 achieved 67% in energy saving. According to the analysis of the results, the integration of ESM1 is expected to save 6044 MWh of electrical energy annually on the 30222 MWh for all campuses and 2559 MWh for ESM2 which is equivalent to 284 m<sup>3</sup>/yr of diesel. With the reduced energy consumption, it is possible to cut down fossil fuels for electricity production and offset greenhouse gas emissions by 672 tons of carbon dioxide annually. Besides, the evaluation of results showed that the energy performance indicator was reduced from 530 kWh/bed /yr to 248 kWh/bed/yr, which represents 56% of energy saving.</p> </abstract>

ISSUE OF TRANSFORMATION OF WATER USE IN UKRAINE

Modernization of the management system of water use of Ukraine depends on an adequate analysis of the real situation, calibration of the influence of factors and risks, and especially a multi-faceted, comprehensive understanding of the interrelationships and interdependence of various components of the economy, ecology, law, economic activity, administration, which are united tangentially to the water sphere. 
 Only such an approach is capable of forming a vision of the necessary components of an effective water use policy and preparation of viable action algorithms. 
 In Ukraine, the processes of implementation of international and European standards in the field of ecology, monitoring procedures are ongoing, an agreed national model of water use is being formed, taking into account both ecological and economic principles; constructions of optimal management in the water sphere are being developed. The above aspects focus on achieving a balance between water needs and water conservation and protection.
 Key words: water policy, water use sectors, vulnerability, modernization.

Optimal design of industrial cooling water systems considering economic performance and water savings

As large water-using systems in chemical industries, cooling water systems (CWSs) consume a large amount of water and power. Up to now, most research on the cooling water system mainly focuses on energy-saving aspects by using the series-parallel structure of the cooler network. In this work, to consider the water-saving aspects of the cooling water system, air coolers and closed cooling towers are applied. Considering the best implementation of air coolers and closed cooling towers, the trade-offs between energy consumption, water consumption, and capital cost should be considered. In this work, a multiperiod optimization of the cooling water system in a chemical plant is carried out. To achieve the above-mentioned trade-off, heat duty distribution between air cooling and water cooling is optimized. Meanwhile, a comparison of cooling performance between the open cooling system and closed cooling system is involved. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model and solved by GAMS (The General Algebraic Modelling System) software to obtain the best cooling water system configuration. In a case study, the new method is used to guide the energy saving and water saving of the cooling water system in a refinery, which can reduce the total cost by at least 4%.

ТHEORETICAL FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC ESTIMATES OF WATER USE

Theoretical bases of modern water use, water resource potential, rational use, protection and reproduction of water resources of the region are considered. Changes in the ecological and economic system of water use in the Volyn region in market conditions are analyzed.
 Anthropogenically altered natural areas, progressive pollution of human habitat, caused a deterioration in quality of life, negatively affected the demographic characteristics of the inhabitants of the planet. Water, as an important natural resource, is used in all aspects of human life and in the spheres of the national economy, has become an important factor determining the development of society as a whole.
 The water management complex and especially its development must meet the socio-economic and environmental requirements of both society and the environment. The socio-economic aspect of these requirements is aimed at implementing measures and improving the territorial and sectoral structure and technologies of water use. Providing quality water to maintain the health of the population is the main goal of water use. International cooperation in the field of use and protection of water resources; taking into account environmental constraints and requirements in social and economic decisions should contribute to the stable development of regions. The Chernobyl catastrophe contaminated a large part of the territory of Volyn Polissya with radionuclides, which reduced the possibility of agricultural use of lands in the northern and north-western regions. Today it is becoming more and more important. acquires the need to develop the active use of environmental and economic tools to improve the process of water use. A number of proposals for solving an effective ecological and economic system of water use are presented
 A distinction is made between losses caused to fixed assets that lead to deterioration or reduction in the amount of resources such as soil, water, fish, wildlife, buildings and structures, and losses resulting from reduced output or profits from reduced productivity of these resources. The first type of loss is simultaneous, the second - current (deduction from production). To determine the value of the simultaneous damage to natural resources, it is necessary to use their economic evaluation: land and water, forests, mineral deposits. Current losses (reduction of output, reduction of its quality or reduction of profits) can be determined by direct calculation.
 Of particular importance are environmental losses of a social nature, which can only be partially measured by economic indicators: the cost of treatment, payment for sick leaves, loss of products due to illness and reduced productivity. Deterioration of health and reduced life expectancy are, of course, unacceptable and cannot be offset by any economic indicators. Damage to landscapes that worsen recreation conditions cannot be measured economically either.
 Economical rational use of natural resources largely depends on the comprehensive restructuring of the entire system of production and consumption. Organize control over the level of environmental pollution; correct determination of the costs necessary to overcome the harmful effects of irrational water use. In order to reduce the negative effects of radioactive contamination, to implement a set of organizational agrochemical, agrotechnical and technological measures.
 Given the great importance of water resources in the development of the national economy, not only Volyn region, but the state as a whole, the problem of balanced, scientifically sound, environmentally safe water use and dynamic development of the water complex of Ukraine is extremely important.
 Key words: water bodies, water use, urbanization, pollution, purification, water supply.

Revealing Virtual Water Transfers and Imbalanced Economic Benefits Hidden in China’s Interprovincial Trade

Interprovincial trade has expanded China’s virtual water consumption and economic development. This study uses an environmental–economic inequality index to calculate the virtual water and economic benefit transfer imbalances in interprovincial trade and applies a structural path analysis (SPA) model to find the imbalances on the key virtual water supply chain paths between provinces. The findings are fourfold. (1) The developed provinces, such as Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Shandong, had more virtual water on the consumption side from 2002 to 2017 and had the most value added on the consumption and production sides. (2) The developing provinces in northwest and central China suffered from net virtual water outflows and negative value-added gains in bilateral trade with developed provinces. (3) The developed provinces, such as Beijing, acquired more virtual water from other provinces in 0–5 production tiers, but only a small part of the value added was transferred out. (4) All of the four top ranking virtual water supply chain paths of Beijing came from other provinces, accounting for 28.22% of the total virtual water flowing to Beijing, but their value added only accounted for 1.44%. It is suggested that provinces adopt differentiated water-use systems to reduce virtual water transfer imbalances and provide subsidies to the nodes to compensate the economic benefits on key virtual water supply chain paths.

Synthesis of large-scale total water network with multiple water resources under seasonal flow rate constraints

In recent decades, numerous studies have been conducted on freshwater conservation by improving industrial water networks. However, most previous industrial water networks utilize freshwater supplies without defining the freshwater origin; besides, they also ignore the practical issue of seasonal utility flow rate fluctuations. In practice, industrial freshwater supply can be obtained from many raw water resources, including municipal water, groundwater, surface water, municipally treated wastewater, and seawater. Each type of raw water resource with different properties can use a specific pre-treatment technology with fixed removal and production ratios to produce freshwater. These pre-treatment technologies directly impact the total annual cost (TAC) of the industrial water network. This paper proposes a superstructure-based mathematical model for the optimum synthesis of an integrated total water network, including multiple water resources, along with water pre-treatment technologies. A superstructure-based mathematical model is framed, considering relative equations of water reuse/recycling connections, including the pre-treatment system, utility system, water-using system, and wastewater treatment system. A large-scale coastal oil refinery is selected to implement the proposed approach. Different scenarios of individual and multiple water resources under seasonal utility flow rate constraints are developed to check the applicability of the proposed model. A significant reduction in freshwater demand in all seasons is achieved. The TAC for the individual water resource is reduced by 4.5% and 2.8% using the groundwater and surface water compared to the preliminary design. For multi-resourced water networks, the TAC increased due to the higher investment cost of the treatment system for municipal treatment water and seawater.

ADAPTAÇÃO ÀS MUDANÇAS CLIMÁTICAS PELA VALORAÇÃO DA ÁGUA COMO ELEMENTO ECONÔMICO E AMBIENTAL ESSENCIAL

This paper studies climate change and its relationship with water, demonstrating the importance of a charging system for water use as a way to harmonize and adapt the environmental issue with the operation of the economic system, analyzed from a systemic and autopoietic prism. Initially, climate change and its effects on the planet are studied in order to understand the relationship between law and economy based on Luhmann's autopoietic and systemic prism. Finally, payment for the use of water is evaluated as a way to adapt to climate change. The method used to develop this article is systemic analytical based on the study of bibliographic data on the proposed theme. The conclusion is that society must be the promoter of effective actions to combat climate change.

Использование динамического норматива для оценки экологического аспекта функционирования региональной системы потребительского водопользования

The article proposes using the dynamic standard for assessing the functioning of the regional system of consumer water use. It includes the indicators that characterize the main parameters of this system and are recorded by the currently used system of the state statistics. The dynamic standard was tested on the corresponding data of Khanty-Mansi autonomous region for the period from 2013 to 2020. It has been found out that the greatest impact on the performance of the regional system of consumer water is induced by the lack of its basic production assets. The results of the study are generally consistent with the estimates of the decoupling effect present in the economy obtained on the basis of calculations of its modified decoupling coefficient, as well as with the estimates of the ecological state of the region published annually by the regional specialized service.

Principles of creating a system of sustainable water use in Ukraine

This research focuses on the problem of water supply, and its solution requires scientific and practical approaches in environmental, engineering, economic and other fields. Practical recommendations to create an integrated water use system in Ukraine are based on the delimitation of its target subsystems. Special attention is paid to an integrated approach to water resources management, identification of key issues, clear conceptual modeling, strategy development, and production of ‘useful’ scientific information. It is important to study the role of coordinating government bodies in the field of water space monitoring. In particular, this mechanism involves the development of national program for monitoring the aquatic environment, the formation of budgets of all bodies and institutions; search for additional sources of funding and organizational methods. An important tool for improving the state of water resources is the implementation of international environmental standards and conventions. These strategic decisions are entrusted to the Ministries of Environment and other governing bodies. The use of software products generate significant amounts of data accumulated in various information banks. The main direction of the study is the concentration of information data in one key database. It will provide clear assess to the data aquatic environment and make analytical studies.

Hydrological significance of Himalayan surface water and its management considering anthropogenic and climate change aspects

Water plays a key role in maintaining different ecosystem services. The anthropogenic and climate change impacts studies on Himalayan water resources has been trending in recent years. The Indian Himalayan region cover several states like Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh (Union territory), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the hilly regions of Assam and West Bengal. Water resources in this region are the life support for humankind and rich biodiversity. Researchers has reported that the warming in the Himalayas is more than the global average, thereby climate change can affect significantly in the mountainous water resources so as the snow and glacial melt is the main lifeline of the perennial rivers’ flow. Almost every year, the heavy monsoon rainfall brings floods on the upstream highlands and then the downstream plains causing enormous human suffering, loss of property, loss of life, agricultural crops damage as well as increased economic losses. The main challenges being associated to the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events like monsoon rainfall which leads to flash floods, landslides and debris flow; and then the drought during dry season also, has had huge impacts on regional water security. Human actions like economic development and population growth have also brought changes in land cover/use to Himalayan watersheds recently. As a result of farming, grazing, tree planting, urbanization, etc., the changes in land cover have altered the water balance and transformed the water-flow paths in the global hydrological cycle. In contrast to freshwater ecosystems, demand is high, but their supply is limited, also depend on the specific flow pattern of rivers. Although, with interference of various infrastructure development upstream results in changes in flow pattern downstream causing non-availability of water to support aquatic life and communities that depend on for livelihoods. Initiation of monitoring and observation system for water resources and use of appropriate hydrological model are preferable to better understand the hydrological processes of the Himalayas.

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.

Improved Superstructural Optimisation of an Industrial Water System with Multiple Water Resources

Most of the previous industrial water network models use freshwater as a vital water supply source without defining the origin of freshwater. However, in practice, the freshwater can be obtained from many water resources (e.g., municipal water, groundwater, surface water, municipally treated water, and seawater), after necessary Pre-treatment. Also, the effluents from the desalted water station, power station, and cooling water station can be used in other water using processes by satisfying the contaminant limits. Nevertheless, the existing water system design model does not apply directly to the design of effective industrial water systems. In order to overcome the above limitation, this paper proposed an innovative property based mathematical superstructure model for the industrial water network, consisting of water pre-treatment, water utility, water-using, and wastewater treatment systems. The proposed mathematical model provides appropriate water resource selection to acquire freshwater for the industrial water network and integrates all possible functional designs for water treatment, reuse, and recycling. The design model comprises the related equations, flow rate, and property constraints between the different water sources and sinks. The proposed model is framed as a nonlinear programming (NLP) algorithm and resolved using commercial software GAMS. The proposed model is validated by a case study of the simplified water system of the Chinese industrial chemical complex. Results show a substantial reduction of 8.39 % and 21.75 % in the total annualised cost and freshwater demand.

Integrating water use systems and soil and water conservation measures into a hydrological model of an Iranian Wadi system

Water resources are precious in arid and semi-arid areas such as the Wadis of Iran. To sustainably manage these limited water resources, the residents of the Iranian Wadis have been traditionally using several water use systems (WUSs) which affect natural hydrological processes. In this study, WUSs and soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) were integrated in a hydrological model of the Halilrood Basin in Iran. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to simulate the hydrological processes between 1993 and 2009 at daily time scale. To assess the importance of WUSs and SWCMs, we compared a model setup without WUSs and SWCMs (Default model) with a model setup with WUSs and SWCMs (WUS-SWCM model). When compared to the observed daily stream flow, the number of acceptable calibration runs as defined by the performance thresholds (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE)≥0.68, −25%≤percent bias (PBIAS)≤25% and ratio of standard deviation (RSR)≤0.56) is 177 for the Default model and 1945 for the WUS-SWCM model. Also, the average Kling-Gupta efficiency (KGE) of acceptable calibration runs for the WUS-SWCM model is higher in both calibration and validation periods. When WUSs and SWCMs are implemented, surface runoff (between 30% and 99%) and water yield (between 0 and 18%) decreased in all sub-basins. Moreover, SWCMs lead to a higher contribution of groundwater flow to the channel and compensate for the extracted water by WUSs from the shallow aquifer. In summary, implementing WUSs and SWCMs in the SWAT model enhances model plausibility significantly.

Water and fertilizer efficiency in a polyculture cropping system under three production systems

Abstract Approximately 40% of the water used in intensive agriculture is discarded as ‘drainage,’ which contains high amounts of ions that pollute the environment. This work aimed at investigating polyculture (tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce) under three production systems, namely, open (OPS), soil (SPS), and closed (CPS), in which the drainage water from the first crop was used to feed the second crop, and the water from the second crop was used to feed the third crop. The water and fertilizer efficiencies and some physical–chemical properties of the plants and soil were measured. The results showed no significant difference in the yield for polycultures between the CPS and OPS systems. The most efficient system for water use was the CPS, with 54.85 kg m−3, with a water savings of 55.69% compared to the OPS. The efficiency of fertilizers, such as N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, was statistically higher in the CPS, providing more kilograms of fruit per kilogram of nutrients. The reuse of drainage water in a polyculture not only increased the efficiency of the water and fertilizers but also increased the yields produced per cubic meter of water used, thereby minimizing environmental contamination.

Assessment of the Agricultural Water Use in Jericho Governorate Using Sefficiency

Addressing water use efficiency in the Middle East is challenging due to the geopolitical complexity, climatic conditions and a variety of managerial issues. Groundwater is the dominant water resource for Palestinians, while aquifers are shared with their neighbours. We assessed in this study the efficiency of the agricultural water use in Jericho, which we defined as the Water Use System (WUS), and its impact on the main source, the Eastern Aquifer Basin (EAB), using the Sustainable Efficiency (Sefficiency) method. The assessment considered the objectives’ difference between the farmers in the region and the water managers. As Sefficiency requires, the analysis also considered in addition to the quantities of the different water path types within our WUS, their quality and beneficial weights. The results highlighted efficiency improvement potentials, a substantial number of unreported abstractions and an impact of the use of chemical substances on the main source. In addition, through hypothesizing four scenarios, we demonstrated that: 1. Improving the quality of returns has a great positive impact. 2. Increasing water abstractions is not beneficial if it is not linked to an increase in yield production. 3. Precipitation rates can influence water use efficiency. 4. More careful treatment of the unwanted plants and a selection of high socio-economic value crops would enhance Sefficiency.

Water Supply-and-Demand Analysis Considering the Actual Water-Use System in the East Basin of Han River

Korea has assessed its water supply-and-demand system to change, develop, and allocate water resources. This study confirmed the current problems in water supply-and-demand analysis and the need for improvement suggested by previous studies. By considering these problems and the proposed improvement, we developed a water supply-and-demand analysis system that takes the actual water-use system into account and quantifies the resulting water shortage in each administrative district. The spatial-unit analysis was subdivided into standard hydrologic watershed units in the East Sea region of the Han River, where water management was relatively weak, and the distortion was minimized by directly reflecting the basic unit of water demand for each type using the MODSIM model. In addition, the regional sources for water supply, such as water facilities and groundwater use, were directly reflected in the model. As a result, we discovered the possibility of water shortage in administrative district units that was not identified by the existing analysis system. In particular, the water-shortage problem that occurred in Gangneung-si and Sokcho-si was indirectly expressed by our method. Improved specific and realistic water-resource planning can possibly be realized by using the method developed in this study rather than the existing method. Keywords: Water Supply and Demand System, Water Shortage, Water Resources Planning, MODSIM