Typical River Basin Research Articles

Establishment of the Performance Evaluation Model of Integrated Water Resources Management and Empirical Study

Based on the socioeconomic development goals of water resources management in a typical river basin of China, this paper puts forward a performance evaluation index model of integrated water resources management (IWRM), classifies the model into four evaluation dimensions by the hierarchical structure of AHP, such as environment sustainability, social fairness, economy benefit and organization energy efficiency, and further divides the four evaluation dimensions into 18 evaluation indices. Besides, this paper establishes a theoretical evaluation system of IWRM performance in different basins on the basis of binary comparison, entropy weighting and linear superposition, and effectively reveals the change trend of IWRM performance in different basins. The results show that the key to IWRM lies in sustainable development of water resources environment, the utilization ratio of water resources and the corresponding economic benefits, and that the rational utilization of water resources is conducive to rapid economic development. From 2003 to 2014, the IWRM performance index in the five basins increased gradually, and the growth rate of the performance indices increased first and then decreased. The change trend of IWRM performance in the five basins is basically the same with that of the performance index.

A Study on the Streamflow Change and its Relationship with Climate Change and Ecological Restoration Measures in a Sediment Concentrated Region in the Loess Plateau, China

To better understand the driving forces of changes in streamflow (Q), this study analyzed the changes in the hydro-meteorological series by the Mann-Kendall, Pettitt’s test and the flow duration curve (FDC) in the Wuding River Basin (WRB), which is a typical river basin in the Loess Plateau. The response of Q variability to climate change and human activities were also quantified by the elasticity method and decomposition method based on the Budyko framework. The results showed that Q exhibited an obvious downward trend at the rate of 0.44 mm/y with a changing point occurred in 1980. Compared with 1961–1980, the greatest reduction in monthly Q during 1981–2007 was found in April (41 %) and the low flows have more distinct decrease than high flows. The precipitation (P), potential evapotranspiration (E 0 ) and catchment characteristics parameter n elasticity of Q are 2.40, −1.40 and −2.51, respectively, indicating that Q variability is most sensitive to human activities. The contribution of climate change and human activities to changes in Q from the two methods are 35 and 65 %, respectively. The ecological restoration (ER) measures, including channel measures and slope measures, were found to be the dominant factors responsible for the decreased Q. Furthermore, changes in Q in 1970–1990 could be mainly ascribed to channel measures while slope measures have played more important roles after 1999 when the Grain-for-Green (GFG) project was implemented. This study could provide scientific basis for how to mitigate effectively and efficiently changes in water resources and guide measures to be implemented in the region under the future climate change.

Application of hydrological models in a snowmelt region of Aksu River Basin

This study simulated and predicted the runoff of the Aksu River Basin, a typical river basin supplied by snowmelt in an arid mountain region, with a limited data set and few hydrological and meteorological stations. Two hydrological models, the snowmelt-runoff model (SRM) and the Danish NedbØr-AfstrØmnings rainfall-runoff model (NAM), were used to simulate daily discharge processes in the Aksu River Basin. This study used the snow-covered area from MODIS remote sensing data as the SRM input. With the help of ArcGIS software, this study successfully derived the digital drainage network and elevation zones of the basin from digital elevation data. The simulation results showed that the SRM based on MODIS data was more accurate than NAM. This demonstrates that the application of remote sensing data to hydrological snowmelt models is a feasible and effective approach to runoff simulation and prediction in arid unguaged basins where snowmelt is a major runoff factor.

World droughts and their time evolution: Agricultural, meteorological, and hydrological aspects

Parameters of 450 strongest “agricultural” droughts in the world from 1980 to 2008, as well as time variations of those parameters, are considered (based on data from a droughts archive of the University of Louvain, Belgium). To study the meteorological aspects of droughts, variations of Palmer drought index, evaluated based on meteorological data for the entire land territory over period from 1901 to 2000, were also analyzed. Those values, averaged over largest and typical river basins of the world, are compared with data on river runoff variations from the author’s database and analyzed with the use of methods proposed by the author. The hydrological aspects of droughts and low-water periods were analyzed based on the author’s archive on minimal river runoff, including about 2000 many-year series.

Optimal Water Resources Allocation under the Constraint of Land Use in the Heihe River Basin of China

In recent years, water scarcity and irrational utilization have become the pivotal issues for the sustainable development of river basins in China. This paper attempts to propose a new perspective for the optimization of water resources allocation in a typical river basin. In order to conduct an accurate and feasible program for water resources allocation in the water-deficient river basin, a multi-objective and multi-constraint programming model was developed by embedding land use effect as a constraint on water allocation, which was currently solely decided by water resources demand in different water use sectors. The program includes two layers, namely water allocation among different counties located in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin and among domestic, industrial, agricultural and ecological uses within one county. Empirical analysis shows that the structural change of land use has an important influence and restriction on the water resources allocation in the river basin. The least cultivated areas that ensure food security and the constraint of construction land quota have great impact on agricultural and industrial water allocation. Moreover, the quantitative change of ecological land greatly affects ecological water allocation. The results demonstrate that the optimal program calculated from land use embedded model can well predicate the actual situation of water allocation in the future. To ensure regional sustainable development, it is vital that reasonable water-saving measures in each water use sector and ecological protection policies be taken.

Configuration of water resources for a typical river basin in an arid region of China based on the ecological water requirements (EWRs) of desert riparian vegetation

Desert riparian vegetation is a natural cover promoting the stability and development of inland river ecosystems in arid regions. Calculating the ecological water requirements (EWRs) of desert riparian vegetation is an important step in achieving reasonable water utilization. Therefore, this study examined the Tarim River, located in an extremely arid region of China, and collected relevant data on hydrology, weather and vegetation using remote sensing. Subsequently, we analyzed the spatial distribution of the desert riparian vegetation in four sections of the Tarim River and calculated the EWR of the desert riparian vegetation using the phreatic evaporation model; additionally, we determined the required runoffs at five hydrologic stations based on the water balance principle. Ultimately, the necessary protection ranges and goals for desert riparian vegetation were established according to the water resource variations in the Tarim River. Our research showed that the total area of desert riparian vegetation along the Tarim River is 16,285.3km2; this distribution area gradually decreased as the distance from the river increased, and areas varied in the different river sections. The EWRs of desert riparian vegetation from Sections 1 to 5 are 5.698×108, 7.585×108, 4.900×108, 4.101×108m3 and 1.078×108m3, respectively. Therefore, the total EWR of the study region is 23.362×108m3. In terms of the transpiration law of the “unimodal type”, the peak value of EWR of natural vegetation occurs in July, and the decreasing trend appears in the other months. Based on the water balance principle, the required runoffs in Alar, Xinquman, Yingbaza, Wusiman and Qiala were determined to be 47.105×108, 35.174×108, 22.734×108, 15.775×108 and 7.707×108m3, respectively. According to the water resource frequency and the EWR of the desert riparian vegetation along the Tarim River, we divided the region into three protection ranges: key protection (8.9–11.8km from the river), basic protection (15.8–21.8km from the river) and influence protection (43.0km from the river). This research not only provides a reasonable calculation method for EWR on the scale of a river basin but also supports the healthy development of the desert riparian vegetation ecosystem and helps to achieve the optimal water allocation for this river.

Analysis of agricultural intensification in a basin with remote sensing data

The last few decades have been marked by important changes in the Brazilian agriculture, especially with respect to crop-management practices. This study aimed to analyze the dynamics of cropping systems in a typical agricultural river basin in the state of Mato Grosso. Landsat satellite images and time series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer vegetation index profiles were analyzed from 2000 to 2010. First, we assessed the horizontal expansion that occurred in the agricultural areas. Subsequently, using the product MOD13Q1, some metrics were established to identify the vertical intensification of soil use (single- or double-cropping systems). Results showed stagnation in the expansion of new deforested areas for agriculture in the 2003/2004 growing season, with simultaneous vertical intensification of agriculture. The adoption of the double-cropping system (e.g., soybean/corn and soybean/cotton) expanded by 266% during the studied period and reached 56% of the croplands in the 2009/2010 growing season.

Drought Forecasting Using Indices and Artificial Neural Networks for Upper Tana River Basin, Kenya-A Review Concept

Due to increased impact of drought on water availability at different scales there is need to understand droughts especially in upper Tana River basin which is a critical and largest water system in Kenya. There is need to correlate trends of drought as influenced by the climate variability of the present times. Drought frequency, duration and intensity in the basin have been increasing. The influencing hydro-meteorological parameters and their interaction are necessary in developing measures for mitigating impacts of droughts. It is important to have a timely review of drought definitions and fundamental concepts of droughts, classification of droughts, types of drought indices, historical droughts and artificial neural networks with special focus of Kenyan a basin. Out of the review, this paper draws conclusions where gaps for more focused research especially for a typical river basin in Kenya exist. By developing effective drought forecasting tool for on-set detection and drought classification and drought forecasting, information on decision making on matters of drought preparedness and mitigation programmes will be available for proper water resources management.

Changes in the ecosystem service values of typical river basins in arid regions of Northwest China

ABSTRACTThis study compared the 1994 and 2005 ecosystem service values of the Tarim, Manas, Shiyang and Heihe River Basins, which are four typical examples of river basins in the arid region of Northwest China. The ecosystem areas and service values were obtained from their consumer price indices, and constant prices were calculated on the basis of data from the Land Use Classification Map of 1994, TM images, CBERS images of 2005 and research results from ‘the equivalent factor table of China's ecosystem service value’. The results indicated that between 1994 and 2005 in these four river basins, the land areas supporting the environment and society (i.e. forest, grassland and wetland ecosystem) generally declined, whereas areas of farmland significantly increased. The changes in these areas in smaller basins were larger and occurred more rapidly. The ecosystem service value of the Tarim River Basin was the largest and local residents would rather pay more money for its ecosystem services, which means that the ecosystem service value there had a higher scarcity. The increase in the ecosystem service value of the Heihe River Basin was the largest. The ecosystem service value of the Heihe River Basin had more important and direct influences on the population's productivity and lives than did the Tarim River Basin. In addition, the farmland area in the Tarim River Basin increased more than the other river basins; however, the people's willingness to pay for farmland ecosystem services in this basin was the lowest. Willingness to pay was not linked to resource richness, and the concepts of economic development, water utilization and soil protection need to be strengthened. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Scale dependency of biocapacity and the fallacy of unsustainable development

Area-based information obtained from remote sensing and aerial photography is often used in studies on ecological footprint and sustainability, especially in calculating biocapacity. Given the importance of the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP; i.e. the scale dependency of area-based information), a comprehensive understanding of how the changes of biocapacity across scales (i.e. the resolution of data) is pivotal for regional sustainable development. Here, we present case studies on the effect of spatial scales on the biocapacity estimated for two typical river basin and watershed in Northwest China. The analysis demonstrated that the area sizes of major land covers and subsequently biocapacity showed strong signals of scale dependency, with minor land covers in the region shrinking while major land covers expanding when using large-grain (low resolution) data. The relationship between land cover sizes and their change ratio across scales was shown to follow a logarithm function. The biocapacity estimated at 10 × 10 km resolution is 10% lower than the one estimated at 1 × 1 km resolution, casting doubts on many regional and global studies which often rely on coarse scale datasets. Our results not only suggest that fine-scale biocapacity estimates can be extrapolated from coarse-scale ones according to the specific scale-dependent patterns of land covers, but also serve as a reminder that conclusions of regional and global un-sustainability derived from low-resolution datasets could be a fallacy due to the MAUP.

Optimal Operation of Underground Reservoir in Tailan River Basin

Tailan river basin is a typical drought river basin in northwest China where construction of underground reservoirs is approved as an effective way to solve the problem of water resource shortage in the river basin. In order to ensure water supply efficiency of the underground reservoirs of the basin, it is necessary to research their recharge and supply patterns and to optimally operate them. This paper has, therefore, investigated different recharge locations and recharge ways through numerical simulation of underground flow in an underground reservoir area of the basin to explore a typical scheduling plan for optimal operation of the reservoir. The results show that it is better to recharge the reservoir using the flood season recharge approach at the centre of the reservoir area to ensure its continuous operation. Following from this recharge process, the use of a three-well pumping scheme is regarded as the best choice for optimal water supply from the reservoir. Also, the study indicates that for the same recharge amount, if the recharge time is closer to the pumping peak, then there is the more obvious effect of underground level recovery; the recovery is much better if the recharge time is more concentrated.

Sustaining Mediterranean Irrigated Agriculture under a Changing Climate

Irrigated agriculture is crucial for food security and rural development in the Mediterranean region, but it will be significantly affected by climate change. Evaluating the present and future agroclimatic conditions and predicting the impacts on irrigation requirements for the dominant crops in the region may help to develop more appropriate adaptation strategies. This paper describes the expected changes in climate and assesses the irrigation requirement for key crops grown across the region, using a case study in a typical river basin in Spain. Milder but wetter winters and more extreme hot, dry summers are anticipated. Evapotranspiration, crop water requirements and irrigation needs for major crops are expected to increase by as much as 30% by the 2080s.

Hydrologic and Economic Implications of Climate Change for Typical River Basins of the Agricultural Midwestern United States

The Midwest is the largest agricultural area of the United States. Historically, the climate there has been suitable for unirrigated farming. However, the specter of climate change has created concerns about the future of Midwestern agriculture, regional fresh water resources and the relationship between the two. Implications of climate change for the agricultural Midwest are revealed in a recent study on two typical agricultural Midwestern watersheds, the Mackinaw River Basin and the upper Sangamon River Basin of central Illinois. Generally in this study a future climate with more frequent droughts is envisioned based on the outcome of one of the major general circulation models, the Canadian Climate Centre model. The climate change impacts on agricultural productivity, low flow frequencies of streams, and the profitability of irrigation, which could be triggered by the climate change, are evaluated. This study shows that the changes in climatic factors of temperature and precipitation tend to reduce cro...

A general model for estimating actual evaporation from non-saturated surfaces

Based on energy balance equation and mass transfer equation, a general model to estimate actual evaporation from non-saturated surfaces was derived. Making use of two concepts, “relative evaporation” and “relative drying power”, a relationship was established to account for the departure from saturated conditions. Using this model, the actual evaporation (evapotranspiration) can be calculated without the need of potential evaporation estimation. Furthermore, the model requires only a few meteorological parameters that are readily and routinely obtainable at standard weather stations. Based on nearly 30 years data of 432 meteorological stations and 512 hydrological stations in China, in combined with GIS, nine typical river basins were selected. Using the data of the selected river basins, the model was tested. The results show that the actual evaporation rate can be estimated with an error of less than 10% in most areas of China, except few years in the Yellow River Basin.

Data requirements for seasonal discharge programs: An application of a regionalized sensitivity analysis

The design of seasonal water quality management programs that allow different waste discharge rates during different periods of the year may require reliable long‐term records of stream conditions. A modified regionalized sensitivity analysis (RSA) is applied for assessing the effect of unreliable stream records on the design of such programs. This approach is demonstrated for a seasonal waste discharge program that controls biochemical oxygen demand in a typical river basin. Here the uncertain input parameters include flow and temperature data at different times in the year and at different locations in the stream. An RSA is conducted for waste management scenarios that have different season length combinations and dissolved oxygen goals. Results indicate that the design of a seasonal waste discharge program for this case study is generally more sensitive to uncertainty in summer flow and temperature data than to uncertainty in winter data. Downstream flow data are shown to be more important than upstream data in low‐flow periods, while upstream flows are also important in high‐flow periods. In addition, the degree to which uncertain stream conditions affect the management model outcome depends on the water quality goals of the governing agency and the length of the seasons examined.

Influence of local factors on the distribution of snow resources in northern Tien Shan

Methods of quantitative evaluation of the influence of local factors such as slope exposure (aspect and gradient) and types of vegetation on the distribution of snow cover found in the northern Tien Shan are described. This investigation is based on regular measurements of snow depth and density at different altitudes and exposures, and with different vegetation types. A strong statistical relationship was obtained between snow cover on the one hand and slope exposure and vegetation types on the other. Local factors have a stronger influence on the distribution of snow cover than elevation. These methods were used for the estimation of the distribution of snow cover in a typical river basin. The results obtained differ significantly from the results of evaluations made by traditional methods.

Influence of local factors on the distribution of snow resources in northern Tien Shan

Methods of quantitative evaluation of the influence of local factors such as slope exposure (aspect and gradient) and types of vegetation on the distribution of snow cover found in the northern Tien Shan are described. This investigation is based on regular measurements of snow depth and density at different altitudes and exposures, and with different vegetation types. A strong statistical relationship was obtained between snow cover on the one hand and slope exposure and vegetation types on the other. Local factors have a stronger influence on the distribution of snow cover than elevation. These methods were used for the estimation of the distribution of snow cover in a typical river basin. The results obtained differ significantly from the results of evaluations made by traditional methods.

Cost efficiency of transferable discharge permit markets for control of multiple pollutants

Transferable discharge permit (TDP) programs for managing multiple pollutants may be complicated by interdependent treatment costs. Under such systems pollutants may be managed as several individual commodities or grouped together and managed as a single commodity. This paper presents an approach for evaluating the cost efficiency of TDP programs in which permits for several pollutants are traded as individual commodities. Two market scenarios, representing simultaneous and sequential TDP markets, are developed to provide high and low benchmarks for cost efficiency, respectively. The scenarios demonstrate the control of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), phosphorus, and nitrogen discharges in a typical river basin. A method for estimating feasible transfer payments under the market scenarios is also described and demonstrated for markets for BOD and phosphorus permits. The costs of these scenarios are compared with each other and with that of a uniform treatment approach. These comparisons suggest that a TDP program that manages several pollutants on an individual basis is a cost effective management strategy for conventional municipal pollutants and that any interdependencies that exist among these pollutants in terms of waste treatment costs do not limit the effectiveness of this simple program.