Field Of Water Management Research Articles

Examining water risk perception and evaluation in the corporate and financial sector: a mixed methods study in Ontario, Canada

As primary users of a socially, economically, and environmentally significant yet increasingly stressed resource like water, the corporate and financial sectors have an important role in sustainable water management. However, extant literature reveals a gap in the empirical assessment of water risk perception and its influence on water risk evaluation and decision-making in the corporate and financial sectors. Our explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the relationship between water risk perception and risk evaluation (risk ratings), addressing these gaps. We employed a cross-sectional survey (N = 25) followed by semi-structured interviews (N = 22), with a purposive expert sample of analysts, practitioners, and decision-makers in the corporate and financial sector in Ontario, Canada. Our study finds multi-dimensional risk perception factors, including knowledge, professional experience, perceived controllability, values, trust, location, and gender, that influence water risk ratings and vary with the type of risk. Moreover, the in-depth follow-up interviews reveal multiple drivers of different risk ratings, such as proximity bias, sector differences, trust in various institutions, as well as the influence of tacit knowledge, exposure, the role of regulations, media, and financial materiality. Our study empirically concludes that the water risk perception of analysts, practitioners, and decision-makers in the corporate and financial sectors is highly nuanced and impacts the evaluation of different water risks, and should be systematically integrated into risk assessment and decision-making frameworks. Our study advances knowledge in the fields of risk analysis and sustainable water management and contributes by empirically examining and explaining the complex and underexplored relationship between water risk perception factors and evaluation using novel interdisciplinary Risk Theory and mixed methods approaches. Finally, the study’s findings can help integrate sector and location-specific preferences and priorities with analytical data to design contextually-attuned decision support tools for sustainable water management strategies, policies, and practices.

REPEATABILITY CYCLES OF RIVER DISCHARGES: CAN WE IDENTIFY DISCHARGE PATTERNS? A CASE STUDY OF THE SOUTH MORAVA RIVER (SERBIA),

Water scarcity, unequal access to water resources, and the impact of climate change on water availability are among the major global environmental concerns. As dynamic and vulnerable water subjects, rivers are constantly exposed to the pressure of natural conditions variability (primarily climatic) and direct anthropogenic influences. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate river regime dynamics over longer periods to adapt the water management sector, and human demands to any observed variations in river discharge. Observing the periodicity or cyclicity of the occurrence of certain discharge values is an important topic of modern physical geography and hydrology research. Statistics and hydrologic modelling provide great opportunities for observing cyclicality and forecasting future trends. The aim of this paper is to indicate the importance of specific statistical methods of autocorrelation and spectral analysis to study the repeatability of mean annual and maximum discharges. The South Morava River in Serbia (HS: Mojsinje, Korvingrad, Grdelica) has been selected as a case study. The obtained results (period: 1924-2021) indicated the significant cyclicity of mean annual discharges, especially pronounced at the upstream hydrological station Grdelica (3.5-year cycle) and downstream hydrological station Mojsinje (19.5-year cycle). These cyclicities are mostly influenced by variations in the amount of precipitation received from the upper part of the river basin (R > 0.6). In contrast, no regular cycles of maximum annual discharge values were determined in the studied period. The obtained results can be important for future detailed geographic and hydrologic studies as well as for the development of strategies and plans in the field of water management, environmental protection, spatial planning, prevention of floods and droughts, etc.

The Race to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in U.S. Dairy Through Improved Soil Health

AbstractThis is the first article in a new series in Crops & Soils magazine that will look at soil health and greenhouse gas emissions on U.S. dairies associated with crop production. Articles will cover soil health practices, data‐based decision‐making, greenhouse gas measurement in soils, manure application and storage, and informing future carbon markets with science. This article will discuss the Dairy Soil and Water Regeneration project. Using a whole‐systems approach, project researchers are measuring how different management practices—from using cover crops to applying novel fertilizers, including manure‐based products—affect soil health, potentially reduce greenhouse emissions and impact water quality under varying climate and field water management systems. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Sustainability by reading this article and taking the quiz at https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning‐Center/Courses.

Assessing the feasibility of applying remote sensing technique in calculating water consumption

Abstract Remote sensing techniques are currently used in different fields including irrigation and water management fields. One of the important fields is the calculation of water consumption (WC). Remote sensing techniques can be used to estimate actual evapotranspiration and it can also be used to estimate crop coefficients based on spectral reflectance of vegetation indices (VIs), and from a relation with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is an indicator for the absorption and the reflection ratios by the green plant. The current study used remote sensing data to calculate WC for El-Bostan irrigation district. Crop coefficient values were calculated from NDVI and reference evapotranspiration values were calculated using CROPWAT program. The obtained results were verified by comparing them with field measurements. There was a strong linear correlation between the measured and calculated values with r2 of 0.90, while the root-mean-square error (RMSE) was 0.68. The results were also verified by comparing irrigation efficiencies obtained from remote sensing and from field measurements. The results were very close to each other. The study illustrated the importance and the reliability of using remote sensing techniques in calculating WC values, and which could improve water management and water use efficiency.

The Water Convention, a multilateral environmental agreement as community of practice

Abstract Multilateral Environmental Agreements are important international instruments for achieving sustainable development. Nevertheless, their implementation is often not easy and integration with scientific knowledge during implementation can be troublesome. The 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) has developed a way of implementing its’ program of work that can best be described as a Community of Practice that combines scientific developments with practical implications. This approach has attracted much attention from practitioners in the field of water management and has been highly successful in many practical applications of its principles. This paper will describe how the Water Convention operates and will argue why this can be termed a Community of Practice. Different examples will be presented to underscore how the Water Convention through this approach has been able to attain progress towards its goals.

Characteristics of spring maize sap flow and its environmental influencing factors in typical mollisol area.

Clarifying the variations of sap flow rate of spring maize in the typical mollisol area and its main control factors is of great significance to explore water consumption from transpiration and regulate field water management. In this study, we installed the wrapped sap flow sensors and TDR probes to continuously monitor the sap flow rate of spring maize during filling-maturity stage and soil water and heat conditions of topsoil. In combination with meteorological data collecting from a nearby automatic weather station, we analyzed the correlation between the sap flow rate of spring maize and environmental factors at different time scales. The results showed that the sap flow rate of spring maize in typical mollisol area had an obvious fluctuation of high diurnal and low nighttime. The instantaneous sap flow rate peaked at daytime, with a value of 139.9 g·h-1, but being weak at nighttime. The starting time, closing time, and peak values of spring maize sap flow were significantly inhibited in cloudy and rainy days, compared with that in sunny days. On hourly scale, the sap flow rate was significantly correlated to solar radiation, saturated vapor pressure deficit (VPD), relative humidity, air temperature, and wind speed. On daily scale, only solar radiation, VPD, and relative humidity were significantly correlated with sap flow rate, with the absolute values of correlation coefficient being all above 0.7. Due to high soil water content during the observation period, the sap flow rate was not significantly correlated with soil water content and soil temperature of 0-20 cm layer, with the absolute values of correlation coefficient being less than 0.1. Under the condition without water stress, solar radiation, VPD, and relative humidity were the top three influencing factors of sap flow rate in this region, on both hourly scale and daily scale.

Farmers’ perception and management of water scarcity in irrigated rice-based systems in dry climatic zones of West Africa

Water scarcity threatens irrigated agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Knowledge of farmers’ perceptions and drivers for decision-making in view of coping with water scarcity is so far lacking but needed to improve local technologies and frame policies fostering their adoption. Here, for the first time, we investigated farmers’ perception of water scarcity, key adaptation strategies, and the determinants of their adoption in irrigated rice schemes in dry climatic zones of West Africa. We surveyed 572 farming households and conducted expert interviews with key informants in four contrasting irrigated rice schemes in Burkina Faso between April 2018 and August 2019. Information was gathered on biophysical field characteristics, grain yields, agronomic and water management practices, farmers’ perception of water scarcity, their adaptive responses, and social-economic attributes of adopting households. Nearly 80% of the respondents reported having experienced water scarcity during the past 5 years. To cope with the adverse effect of water scarcity, farmers implemented seventeen different adaptation strategies that could be categorized into seven groups. Most popular among those were “water and soil conservation practices” (consisting mainly of field bunding and leveling), “no rice cultivation,” and “crop rotation.” Farmers in drier areas (Sudano-Sahelian zone) were less likely to adopt and implement several adaptation strategies to water scarcity compared to farmers in wetter areas (Sudanian zone). Belonging to farming associations increased the probability of implementing several strategies to alleviate water scarcity, while female-headed households tended to have a lower propensity to adopt and implement concomitantly several adaptation strategies in comparison with their male counterpart. The dissemination of scheme- and household-specific technology options could contribute to mitigating water scarcity in irrigated rice-based systems in the dry climatic zones of West Africa, thus contributing to rural livelihood and food security.

Difference in Response of Caragana intermedia Photosynthesis to Soil Water Content in Different Afforestation Years and Related Threshold Effects in Alpine Sandy Lands

This study was carried out to clarify the response of photosynthesis physiology of Caragana intermedia, an excellent tree species for wind protection and sand fixation, to soil water content (SWC) and to determine the relevant threshold ranges in the sandy lands of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In this study, based on the three-year forest experiment from 2017a to 2019a, C. intermedia in different afforestation years (2013a, 2011a, 2008a, 2006a, 2001a and 1986a) were selected for experimental analysis, the response process of leaf photosynthesis of C. intermedia to SWC changes was studied, and the physiological mechanism and growth suitability of C. intermedia to adapt to an alpine desert environment were clarified. The results showed that SWC played a critical role in the photosynthesis of C. intermedia in the sandy lands of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Afforestation years are negatively correlated with Pn, gs and Tr, but positively correlated with WUE; the longer the afforestation years, the higher demand for soil moisture. Regarding the relative roles of SWC and photosynthetic parameters, we demonstrated that this showed a significant square relationship (p < 0.001), while stomatal closure induced by the photosynthesis decline was important under dryness stress. The no-productivity and no-efficiency water (NPNEW) for the photosynthesis physiology of trees in different afforestation years were 3.31–3.64%; 3.33–4.06%; 3.08–3.63%; 3.36–3.85%; 1.45–4.02% and 3.39–5.50%, and the highest productivity with the highest availability of water (HPHAW) were 6.65–7.19%; 6.74–7.36%; 7.36–7.91%; 6.10–7.51%; 6.57–8.19% and 6.52–8.35%. Plantations in different afforestation years could survive safely in the sandy lands of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. However, the productivity of trees decreased with the increase length of afforestation years; thus, we should pay attention to their growth status and make timely management adjustments in the future. These results provide important information for theoretical support for the diagnosis of ecological adaptability and field water management of C. intermedia in the sandy lands of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and provide a reference for the adaptability evaluation and water–carbon cycle simulation of plantations in the sandy lands of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau against the background of global climate change.

Community-Based Approach for Agricultural Water Management of Summer Crops

Globalization, population change, and rural-to-urban movement are the main causes of the enormous issues faced by rural communities. Every growing nation, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), has a sizable proportion of rural farmers among its populace. This study was done in the Sulaimani Governorate, which was divided into six main districts namely; Garmian, Penjwin, Halabja, Chamchamal, Sharazur, and Raniya, and aimed to compare the groundwater level with summer crop water demand. The weighted Sum Method (WSM) and a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index map (NDVI) were used to analyze and illustrate the current water demand status for summer crops. The study employed a participatory research design, utilizing a purposive sampling method to select 60 representative farmers, 25 key decision-makers, representatives from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and experts in the field of water management. Data was collected through the use of focus group discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) to gather information from the selected participants. This study is innovative in its attempt to establish a correlation between the yield of summer crops and the availability of groundwater. As a conclusion for this study, the results suggest that the level of groundwater plays a significant role in determining the production of summer crops. Additionally, the sustainable development of various regions within the Sulaimani Governorate is influenced by a complex interplay of environmental, economic, and social factors. Future work will be focus on doing a detail research regarding time series for ground water level (GWL) vs. crop production vs. NDVI.

Study of the Palembang City Watershed Sub-Flood System's Management Priority Scale

A complete watershed management solution and logical outcome is a watershed approach that takes into account watershed capabilities, such as environmental services in the fields of water management and flood prevention. With integrated planning and environmentally responsible, policy-based drainage, floods can be overcome. For spectators and scholars, the topic of flooding has long been of interest as they try to understand its causes and effects. According to studies done by earlier researchers, the city of Palembang has recently been particularly vulnerable to floods, thus it is important to investigate the priority scale of flood control examined for all states in the Palembang city water catchment area. Surveys, field observations, measurements, and documentation are used as the main collecting tools, whilst study location maps are used for secondary data. The SWOT analysis method of scoring is used in the city of Palembang's priority analysis of flood management. According to the analysis's findings, the Bendung, Sekanak, and Buah watershed sub-systems have the greatest priority scales due to their extremely high priority values in comparison to the other watershed sub-systems. The Gandus watershed sub-system, the Gasing watershed sub-system, and the Aur watershed sub-system are the three least important watershed sub-systems that are not yet given priority.

Study on automatic water level detection process using ultrasonic sensor

Currently, we live in a world where all fields are developing very rapidly. In particular, the field of water management is developing day by day, and the water supply system is being intelligent automated. Nevertheless, mechanical means and human labor are used to monitor the water level in many water management facilities of our region. This situation causes many problems in the automatic management of the system. In this article, we will consider the process of automating the measurement and control of water level, that is, an automated system that helps to know when the water in the tank is full or empty. In the automation of this system, an ultrasonic sensor that meets the requirements of the time was used. The working principle of ultrasonic sensors is based on the movement of ultrasonic waves over time. The analysis of the results of this experiment showed that the water level measurement and control system did not make more than 1.5% error in different values of the water level. This situation showed that the developed system can be effectively used in all water level control facilities.

Toward a Research and Action Agenda on Water and Heritage? A First Attempt at Refining Terminologies, Concepts and Priorities

Over the last several years, a variety of academic and professional partners have started to explore the relationship between water and heritage. A key challenge for communication and collaborative action in this important and growing field is a lack of shared terminologies, concepts and priorities. As water managers around the world look for inspiration from the past, heritage professionals focus on the protection of water-related sites and practices, historians explore continuities and spatial planners anticipate future needs. As a result, the future-oriented field of water management, the preservation-focused interests of heritage, and the analytical or design-oriented fields struggle to intersect, as do professional practice and academic analysis. A closer investigation of the respective interests and thematic foci of each group involved in the water and heritage field is much needed. Such an investigation needs to start with a clarification of goals, terms and concepts of both water and heritage in order to clarify different research agendas and to facilitate collective action.

Seasonal forecasting of snow resources at Alpine sites

Abstract. Climate warming in mountain regions is resulting in glacier shrinking, seasonal snow cover reduction, and changes in the amount and seasonality of meltwater runoff, with consequences on water availability. Droughts are expected to become more severe in the future with economical and environmental losses both locally and downstream. Effective adaptation strategies involve multiple timescales, and seasonal forecasts can help in the optimization of the available snow and water resources with a lead time of several months. We developed a prototype to generate seasonal forecasts of snow depth and snow water equivalent with a starting date of 1 November and a lead time of 7 months, so up to 31 May of the following year. The prototype has been co-designed with end users in the field of water management, hydropower production and mountain ski tourism, meeting their needs in terms of indicators, time resolution of the forecasts and visualization of the forecast outputs. In this paper we present the modelling chain, based on the seasonal forecasts of the ECMWF and Météo-France seasonal prediction systems, made available through the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store. Seasonal forecasts of precipitation, near-surface air temperature, radiative fluxes, wind and relative humidity are bias-corrected and downscaled to three sites in the Western Italian Alps and finally used as input for the physically based multi-layer snow model SNOWPACK. Precipitation is bias-corrected with a quantile mapping method using ERA5 reanalysis as a reference and then downscaled with the RainFARM stochastic procedure in order to allow an estimate of uncertainties due to the downscaling method. The impacts of precipitation bias adjustment and downscaling on the forecast skill have been investigated. The skill of the prototype in predicting the deviation of monthly snow depth with respect to the normal conditions from November to May in each season of the hindcast period 1995–2015 is demonstrated using both deterministic and probabilistic metrics. Forecast skills are determined with respect to a simple forecasting method based on the climatology, and station measurements are used as reference data. The prototype shows good skills at predicting the tercile category, i.e. snow depth below and above normal, in the winter (lead times: 2–3–4 months) and spring (lead times: 5–6–7 months) ahead: snow depth is predicted with higher accuracy (Brier skill score) and higher discrimination (area under the relative operating characteristics (ROC) curve skill score) with respect to a simple forecasting method based on the climatology. Ensemble mean monthly snow depth forecasts are significantly correlated with observations not only at short lead times of 1 and 2 months (November and December) but also at lead times of 5 and 6 months (March and April) when employing the ECMWFS5 forcing. Moreover the prototype shows skill at predicting extremely dry seasons, i.e. seasons with snow depth below the 10th percentile, while skills at predicting snow depth above the 90th percentile are model-, station- and score-dependent. The bias correction of precipitation forecasts is essential in the case of large biases in the global seasonal forecast system (MFS6) to reconstruct a realistic snow depth climatology; however, no remarkable differences are found among the skill scores when the precipitation input is bias-corrected, downscaled, or bias-corrected and downscaled, compared to the case in which raw data are employed, suggesting that skill scores are weakly sensitive to the treatment of the precipitation input.

Effects of water deficit at different stages on growth and ear quality of waxy maize.

Extreme weather has occurred more frequently in recent decades, which results in more frequent drought disasters in the maize growing season. Severe drought often decreases remarkably plant growth and yield of maize, and even reduces significantly the quality of maize production, especially for waxy maize. To study the changes in plant growth, fresh ear yield, and fresh grain quality of waxy maize under water deficits occurring at different growth stages, and further strengthen the field water management of waxy maize, water deficit experiments were carried out under a rain shelter in 2019 and 2020. Water deficit treatments were imposed respectively at the V6-VT (DV6-VT), VT-R2 (DVT-R2), and R2-R3 (DR2-R3) stages of waxy maize, and treatment with non-water deficit in the whole growing season was taken as the control (CK). The lower limit of soil water content was 50% of field capacity for a water deficit period and 65% of field capacity for a non-water deficit period. In this study, water deficits imposed at V6-VT and VT-R2 stages decreased plant growth rate and leaf gas exchange parameters, accelerated leaf senescence, and limited ear growth of waxy maize, which resulted in 11.6% and 23.1% decreases in grains per ear, 19.4% and 7.3% declines in 100-grain weight, 20.3% and 14.2% losses in fresh ear yield in 2019 and 2020 growing seasons, respectively, while water deficit at R2-R3 stage had no significant effect on ear traits and fresh ear yield, but the fresh ear yield with husk of DR2-R3 decreased by 9.1% (P<0.05). The obvious water deficit imposed at the V6-VT and VT-R2 stages also lowered grain quality. Water deficits at the V6-VT and VT-R2 stages led to accelerated maturity, resulting in increased total protein, starch, and lysine content in grains at the R3 stage and decreased soluble sugar content. Principal component analysis revealed that when water deficits occurred in the waxy maize growing season, they firstly altered maize physiological processes, then affected ear characteristics and yield, and finally resulted in significant grain quality changes. In conclusion, a water deficit during V6-VT and VT-R2 not only reduced fresh ear yield but also adversely affected grain quality. However, water deficit during R2-R3 had little effect on total protein, starch, and soluble sugar content,but increased obviously lysine content. The above results suggested that avoiding serious water deficits at the V6-VT and VT-R2 stages of waxy maize while imposing a slight water deficit at the R2-R3 stage has not only little effects on fresh ear yield but also a remarkable improvement in grain quality.

Making Urban Water Management Tangible for the Public by Means of Digital Solutions

Digital solutions are increasingly deployed in water management to support decision-making and to realize the automatization of processes. These solutions have a high potential to foster the sustainability of water management and related fields and thus to contribute to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, more and more digital solutions aim to increase public awareness of specific urban water management aspects. To date, however, evidence is limited on the relevance and effectiveness of such digital solutions and on the effect of the governance settings on the potential of such solutions to raise awareness about the underlying water management issues. This paper aims to provide insights into the findings of two case studies, in Paris and Berlin, investigating the potential of digital solutions to make urban water management visible to the public and thus increase awareness about specific water management issues.

Removal of Cu (II) via chitosan-conjugated iodate porous adsorbent: Kinetics, thermodynamics, and exploration of real wastewater sample

Remediation of copper (II) pollutant in aquatic ecosystems is a long-standing concern in the field of water management and the subject of intensive research. In this study, chitosan conjugated iodate porous material (CS-CI) was successfully prepared by media (ammonia, acetic acid, and absolute ethanol) and was used in the treatment of Cu (II) in wastewater samples. Different methods were applied to characterize the CS-CI, including FTIR, SEM, XRD, and TGA. The result showed significant improvement in surface properties and stability when the chitosan was conjugated with the iodate. The adsorption of Cu (II) followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 95.2 mg/g. In a complex system (real wastewater), the CS-CI took advantage of the adsorptive properties of both chitosan (CS) and the iodate to significantly improved the remediation of Cu (II) in aqueous media. Therefore, the synthesized chitosan conjugated iodate porous material is promising as an alternative low-cost adsorbent for the treatment of copper (II) in wastewater.

Towards efficient water management in large-scale shale gas fields of China

Abstract China's shale gas industry is developing rapidly, but the associated challenges of water resources shortage and water pollution are becoming more and more prominent. Hydraulic fracturing, the core process of shale gas extraction, consumes a large amount of water and produces refractory wastewater, closely linking shale gas fields with water resources. In this context, this article is to (1) summarize the characteristics of water consumption and wastewater production in typical shale gas fields; (2) introduce the current status of water intake and internal reuse and treatment of shale gas wastewater (SGW); and (3) analyse the challenges of water management in shale gas field. In order to promote the sustainable development of the shale gas industry, it is necessary to establish an efficient water management system according to local conditions. Making use of municipal reclaimed water in fracturing, promoting external reuse of SGW, strengthening the monitoring and safety guarantee of water use, and formulating national or regional water management guidelines can improve the utilization efficiency of water resources in shale gas fields.

Farmers’ Willingness to Participate in Voluntary Field Water Management Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Projects Based on a Context–Attitude–Behavior Framework

The development of the greenhouse gas (GHGs) voluntary emission reduction market has created a new way for all agricultural GHGs emission reduction projects. Figuring out how to drive farmers to participate in the market is the key to the development of the agricultural voluntary emission reduction project mechanism. Current research on farmers’ participation in voluntary emission reduction projects has mostly been conducted from the perspective of the economic, social, and ecological benefits of the project and lacks research on analyzing farmers’ willingness to participate in combination with specific GHGs operational mechanisms. To find out how the operational mechanism of the field water management voluntary emission reduction (FWMVER) projects influences farmers’ willingness to participate in the project, this study constructed the attitude–context–behavior theoretical framework to consider the FWMVER operational mechanism. Based on the survey data of 789 rice farmers in GuangXi, China, the structural equation model (SEM) was adopted to analyze the impact of social networks, social trust, social norms, profit expectations, cost expectations, and satisfaction with the government in relation to the farmers’ willingness to participate in FWMVER projects. Results showed that social networks, social trust, social norms, profit expectations, cost expectations, and satisfaction with the government had significant impacts on the willingness of farmers to participate in FWMVER projects. Satisfaction with the government can effectively regulate the profit expectations and cost expectations for farmers to participate in the FWMVER projects. Policy implications were proposed based on analytical results to advise local governments to develop agricultural carbon finance, to improve public services in agricultural production, and to encourage establishing non-governmental organizations in rural areas involved in voluntary agricultural GHGs emission reduction projects.

Effect of Ni doping on the adsorption and visible light photocatalytic activity of ZnO hexagonal nanorods

Pristine and 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 wt% Ni doped ZnO nanorods are prepared by hydrothermal technique as an effective photocatalyst for the removal of Malachite Green (MG) dye from aqueous media. Kinetic modelling of photocatalytic degradation and adsorption properties of the catalysts are done by pseudo first order (PFO), pseudo second order (PSO), fractal like psuedo first order (FPFO), fractal like psuedo second order (FPSO), elovich, exponential and intra particle diffusion (IPD) models. In contrary to the general trend, adsorption efficiency of ZnO is decreased while photocatalytic property got enhanced with doping. As-prepared catalysts are well characterised using XRD, FESEM, XPS, EDS, BET, UV and PL. This study points out the effect of Ni doping on the adsorption and visible light photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanostrutures via detailed kinetic modelling and explanation through various characterisation techniques and show cases their practical application in the field of waste water management. Water quality analysis was done post to degradation studies and the purified water samples have pH in the permissible range of drinking water which shows the efficient removal of dye molecules from the solution.

Use of Water from Petroleum Production in Colombia for Soil Irrigation as a Sustainable Strategy Adapted from the Oman Desert

Production water represents a major sustainability challenge for oil and gas industries, which is why various strategies have emerged globally to encourage its reuse in proactive projects. One of the most recognized strategies has been developed in the Omani desert where artificial wetlands were designed to physically and biologically treat production water. The present study proposes to adapt this strategy to a Colombian context to further study the sustainability of production water reuse. The methodology of this study consists of three phases: evaluate in-field production water through the characterization of irrigation water, identify and prioritize the variables of said strategy, and propose an adequate soil irrigation strategy for a Colombian field. An expert matrix and multicriteria analysis are used to identify the level of interaction among the variables presented, according to the criteria of experts in the field of sustainable production water management. Water quality was ranked by the experts as the most important single variable. On a scale of 1–5, the variables with the highest level of interaction (2.8) are water quality and the type of treatment seedlings, and the variables with the lowest level of interaction (1.3) are additional water treatment systems and final water use. These results have led to the formation of a hierarchy of variables according to impact, which has been used to create a triple bottom line diagram and demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the Omani strategy in Colombia.