Protection Of Water Resources Research Articles

Fluorescence characteristics of dissolved organic matter in relation to land use in the wetland waters of Poyang Lake, China

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a fundamental role in regulating carbon cycling and mediating various biogeochemical processes in wetland ecosystems. In this paper, DOM absorption and fluorescence spectra, and other data from thirty representative sites of wetland waters in Poyang Lake were collected in 2021. The composition, spatial distribution, and source characteristics of DOM were analyzed by 3D fluorescence spectroscopy technique combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The findings showed that: (1) Two humic-like constituents (C1, C2) and a tryptophan constituent (C3) were recognized in the PARAFAC model. (2) The fluorescent DOM (FDOM) constituents in the Poyang Lake wetlands showed spatial differences. The fluorescence intensity of C1 and C2 were higher in the south and north sections, and lower in the east and west sections. The fluorescent intensity of C3 in the northern wetland waters was higher than other areas. (3) DOM in the Poyang Lake wetlands was predominantly influenced by inputs from terrestrial sources. Land use type analysis showed that marshland and cultivated land have a great impact on DOM in Poyang Lake. Spatial differences of fluorescent components reveal the impacts of human-induced land use variations. The results enhance our understanding of the significant role of land use in biogeochemical processes, particularly in the export of DOM to aquatic environments. Furthermore, they provide guidance for the management and protection of water resources in the Poyang Lake wetland.

Remote Sensing Techniques with the Use of Deep Learning in the Determining Dynamics of the Illegal Occupation of Rivers and Lakes: A Case Study in the Jinshui River Basin, Wuhan, China

The “Four Illegal Activities”, which involve occupation, extraction, and construction along shorelines, have become significant challenges in river and lake management in recent years. Due to the diverse and scattered nature of monitoring targets, coupled with the large volumes of data involved, traditional manual inspection methods are no longer sufficient to meet regulatory demands. Late fusion change detection methods in deep learning are particularly effective for monitoring river and lake occupation due to their straightforward principles and processes. However, research on this topic remains limited. To fill this gap, we selected eight popular deep learning networks—VGGNet, ResNet, MobileNet, EfficientNet, DenseNet, Inception-ResNet, SeNet, and DPN—and used the Jinshui River Basin in Wuhan as a case study to explore the application of Siamese networks to monitor river and lake occupation. Our results indicate that the Siamese network based on EfficientNet outperforms all other models. It can be reasonably concluded that the combination of the SE module and residual connections provides an effective approach for improving the performance of deep learning models in monitoring river and lake occupation. Our findings contribute to improving the efficiency of monitoring river and lake occupation, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of water resource and ecological environment protection. In addition, they aid in the development and implementation of efficient strategies for promoting sustainable development.

The Cyrenaica Karst Project: Karst Geomorphology and Caves, Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, NE Libya

This paper introduces the Cyrenaica Karst Project: a collaboration project between the University of Benghazi, Libya and the Hyblean Center of Speleo-hydrogeological of Ragusa, Italy. Among the objectives of the project there are: study the karst geomorphology and caves of Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, construction of a speleological model consistent with the geodynamic evolution and climate changes taken place in the Tethyan-Mediterranean region; those with application fall-outs into the local socio-economic framework addressing the finding out and protection of new water resources, the mapping of man altered areas, potentially at risk of instability and/or sinking because of the presence of karst voids, and the institution of Karst Geosites and Geopark. The campaign of geospeleological investigations carried out in the 2007/2008/2009 years and most recently in 2022, 2023 and 2024 years, has concerned the karst area of the coastal belt of Benghazi, Sousa and the plateau of El-Marj, Al-Baydah, Dernah and Tobruk. In Benghazi area, the Lethe karst system with a large underground lake is of a particular interest. In the Sousa coastal area, a significant karst outcrop, was surveyed and documented, including Brak Notta karst system, which is constituted by a collapse doline and two large neighbouring doline-lake hydrologically connected by a recent tectonic structure. In the highly elevated areas of Al Baydah and Al Marj plateau, a very interesting geomorphologic and hydrogeologic studies show some large dolines and dip swallow-holes, inserted in the context of a typical cockpit relief, while in the plateau of Darnah the exploration of a complex labyrinthine cave has allowed the discovery of paleontologic and archaeological finds. Speleological/geological investigations of the above-mentioned karst areas are still being carried out in order to formulate a speleogenetic model linked to the tectonic phases and climatic changes that affected the Cyrenaica ridge during the Plio-Pleistocene to Recent.

Impact of climate change and land management on nitrate pollution in the high plains aquifer.

High concentrations of nitrate in groundwater pose risks to human and environmental health. This study evaluates the potential impact of climate change, land use, and fertilizer application rates on groundwater nitrate levels in the High Plains Aquifer under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios. A random forest model, with predictors such as fertilizer application rates, cropland coverage, and climate variables from six Coupled Model Intercomparison Project models, is used to project future nitrate concentrations. Results show increases across all scenarios, with nitrate levels rising by 4% under SSP5-8.5 and up to 13% under SSP2-4.5 when accounting for climate change effects. Fertilizer application rates are identified as the primary driver of projected changes. The northern and central regions of the aquifer exhibited the most pronounced increases. The projected changes in nitrate levels, observed across both low- and high-greenhouse gas emission pathways, highlight the need to develop integrated management strategies that consider shared socioeconomic scenarios and water resource protection constraints.

Online monitoring of water quality in industrial wastewater treatment process based on near-infrared spectroscopy.

Water quality monitoring is one of the critical aspects of industrial wastewater treatment, which is important for checking the treatment effect, optimizing the treatment technology and ensuring that the water quality meets the standard. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a key indicator for monitoring water quality, which reflects the degree of organic matter pollution in water bodies. However, the current methods for determining COD values have drawbacks such as slow speed and complicated operation, which hardly meet the demand of online monitoring. This article firstly proposed a novel quantitative analysis method based on NIR spectroscopy and multi-preprocessing stacking, successfully enabling real-time online monitoring of COD values during industrial wastewater treatment. First, the existing swarm intelligence algorithm was enhanced to optimize the hyperparameters of various base models. Next, multiple spectral preprocessing techniques were innovatively combined with a stacking strategy to construct multi-preprocessing stacking models, enabling comprehensive extraction of effective spectral information. Finally, various combinations of base models were evaluated, leading to the selection of the multi-preprocessing stacking model with optimal performance. The results indicate that the model achieves excellent predictive performance and strong generalization ability. For equalization tank samples, the R2 and RMSE values were 0.8640 and 326.6845 mg/L, respectively. For secondary settling tank samples, the R2 and RMSE values were 0.8798 and 15.1917 mg/L, respectively. Compared to traditional single and stacking models, the RMSE was reduced by at least 12.75 % and 5.11 %, respectively. In addition, the method has a relatively low modeling cost and offers interpretability. This study presents an efficient and straightforward solution for the online monitoring of COD values in industrial wastewater treatment, laying a solid technical foundation for the efficient management of industrial wastewater and the protection of water resources and the ecological environment.

Hydrochemical Dynamics of River Flow in a Mountain River (Katun River as an Example)

It is noted that the efficiency of protection and rational use of water resources decreases due to uncertainty of information about spontaneously changing indicators of their quality, uniqueness of such variability and, consequently, due to impossibility to develop uniform rules of economic use of water bodies and watercourses. It is shown that these problems arise not only in water bodies subjected to intensive anthropogenic impact, but also in those remaining in practically natural conditions. The results of the authors' studies of the rivers of the Altai Mountains are presented, where such features of melt (freshly formed) water as structural shifts in time series of its quality indicators, clustering of volatility, non-seasonal cyclicity and long memory of time series were discovered. It was concluded that it is necessary to take into account not only external conditions but also intrinsic dynamic characteristics of water flow to assess water composition and properties in order to reliably predict its quality and ensure efficient water use.

Coupling Driving Force–Pressure–State–Impact–Response–Management Framework with Hydrochemical Data for Groundwater Management on Sithonia Peninsula, Greece

Water scarcity in coastal tourist areas constitutes a critical environmental and socioeconomic sustainability issue. Hence, it is crucial to implement an integrated water resource management and protection plan. In this research, the DPSIR framework is coupled with hydrochemical data on groundwater resources in the fractured aquifer of the Sithonia Peninsula in Chalkidiki, North Greece. Geographical and demographic data, together with morphology, geology, hydrology, and groundwater quality data, were collected and evaluated to categorize the hydrosystem’s driving forces, pressures, states, impacts, and responses. The main pressures that affect groundwater quality in the study area are tourism, geological formation, and land use. Based on the analysis of the DPSIR framework, the absence of a landfill site, the inadequate operation of sewage treatment plants and biological wastewater treatment systems, and tourist activity contribute significantly to the degradation of groundwater quality. Additionally, the fractured rock aquifer develops preferential flow paths to pollutants through preexisting faults, which influence groundwater quality. The hydrochemical analysis of groundwater indicates seawater intrusion in the coastal area. The combination of DPSIR analysis and a water quality index based on ion ratios of groundwater samples identifies high-risk areas of seawater intrusion. Thus, it is essential to reinforce groundwater resources by implementing managed aquifer recharge, limiting unnecessary use of groundwater during the tourist season, and storing surface water during the wet period.

Supporting indigenous stewardship of water: reflections on a decade of water quality research in the Tully River basin adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

ABSTRACT Water quality monitoring programs (WQMPs) are an important means for assessing water quality, particularly in river basins where agricultural intensification and development pressures raise concerns in freshwater and adjacent marine environments. WQMPs, if supported by scientists, Indigenous peoples, and local communities, and if based on the knowledge needs of all rights holders and stakeholders, can provide crucial actions to protect water resources and values. This paper presents a decade of water quality research in the Tully River basin, adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Identification of knowledge issues raised by Indigenous peoples during development of the Tully Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP) in 2008 highlighted needs for a targeted local WQMP in this basin. Subsequent development and successful implementation of a community-agreed and Indigenous-led pilot WQMP in 2012 paved the way for further Indigenous-led research in the Tully and neighboring river basins identified as containing pollutants of concern. WQMPs can successfully be led by Indigenous peoples based on collaborative partnerships to provide an evidence base for freshwater management. Recent WQMPs and other Indigenous-led research in this basin and surrounding catchments suggest genuine and respectful relationships, developed and maintained over time, can support Indigenous stewardship of water. However, they also indicate the important role of locally embedded and trusted organizations, such as Indigenous corporations and community-based not-for-profit environmental management organizations, in supporting these collaborations to produce better outcomes for people and Country.

Twenty Years of Resilient City Research: Reviews and Perspectives

The resilient city plays an increasingly important role in coping with the challenges raised by economic, social, and environmental risks. In this review, we examine approximately 27,094 papers published in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) and perform extensive bibliometric and scientometric analyses to identify the research themes, evolutionary history, and potential research trends in the state of the art in resilient city studies. Seven main resilient city research themes are identified, with significant differences persisting across regions. Specifically, the research on resilient cities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America reveals clear regional characteristics in macro development planning and strategies, technological methods, urban economic growth, urban water resource protection, and so on. The analysis also reveals the collaborative networks among different countries and regions in the study of resilient cities. The evolutionary history of resilient city research shows that it has gradually evolved from a single research field into a multidisciplinary field and further formed a unique discipline. Moreover, the urban ecological environment, urban economic development, urban sprawl, and urban mobility have become key research hot spots and trends in resilient city research. This study provides a systematic and data-driven analytical demonstration of resilient city research, which provides empirical support for policy formulation and practice.

Políticas del agua en Bolivia: análisis desde la filosofía del vivir bien y la agenda patriótica 2025

The water crisis facing the world has raised the need to analyze the complexity and multiplicity of factors influencing water-related issues, which have significant repercussions in local contexts. In this regard, one of the strategies adopted by governments has been the legal protection of water resources through their recognition as a human right in constitutions. This approach has impacted the design and implementation of public policies; however, the outcomes have been contrary to the political-governmental proposals. This reflection addresses the Bolivian case with the aim of analyzing the influence of the philosophy of “Vivir Bien” (Living Well) and the involvement of non-state actors in water resource management in Bolivia. To this end, a qualitative methodology was used, based on techniques such as literature review and public policy analysis. This allowed for a study of the main background of the Water War in Bolivia, constitutional regulations, and the Patriotic Agenda 2025 as the framework for national policies, followed by an analysis of the participation of various actors and the application of the philosophy of Vivir Bien as a central element of Bolivian culture.

Recycling of Reclaimed Water in China: Current Situation, Development Trend, and Countermeasures

Recycling of reclaimed water is an important way to develop water resources and reduce pollution discharge. At present, the utilization rate of reclaimed water is low in China and the recycling system is inadequate. Therefore, from the perspective of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" dual carbon propulsion and "water resources protection, water environment governance, and water ecological restoration" three water co-governance, this study first systematically combined the water resources situation, water supply structure, urban domestic sewage collection and treatment, and recycling of reclaimed water in all provinces （municipalities and autonomous regions）. Data collected in 2022 showed that the capacity of municipal sewage treatment was approximately 62.689 billion cubic meters annually, the capacity of reclaimed water production was approximately 28.98 billion cubic meters annually, and the utilization rate of reclaimed water was approximately 28.76%. There were 20 provinces with the utilization rate of reclaimed water less than 25%, among which the utilization rate of reclaimed water was less than 5% in Shanghai, Chongqing, Xizang, and Jiangxi. The situation of water resources did not match the development of the utilization rate of reclaimed water. Therefore the utilization paths of reclaimed water must be broadened and the utilization rate of reclaimed water must be improved crucially. Moreover, the related policies, laws, and regulations and standards of reclaimed water in China were listed. The technical and benefit feasibility analysis of reclaimed water utilization was carried out, and the development trends and existing problems of reclaimed water utilization in China were investigated. Finally, the countermeasures and suggestions of the recycling of reclaimed water from the aspects of technology development, management policy, fund guarantee, and publicity incentive are proposed, to promote the resource treatment of sewage, realize the synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions in sewage treatment, help achieve the goal of carbon peak carbon neutrality, and accelerate the construction of a beautiful China. This study can provide reference and guidance for regional recycling of reclaimed water.

Research on the Correlation Between Overburden Rock Fracture Development and High-Energy Events During Deep Mining in Extremely Thick and Weakly Consolidated Strata for Regional Coal Mining Safety

The environmental damage and mining accidents caused by water inrush accidents and rock burst are two major problems faced in the safe and sustainable deep mining of extremely thick weakly cemented overlying strata. Mastering the fracture development law of the overlying strata, the evolution characteristics of high-energy events, and their correlative relationships in the deep mining of extremely thick weakly cemented overlying strata is the key to solving the above two problems, which is directly related to the sustainable development of regional coal and the protection of underground water resources in mining areas. By integrating the geological characteristics of extremely thick and weakly cemented overburdens in the Shaanxi–Inner Mongolia mining region of China, this study adopts methods such as field measurements, numerical simulations, and theoretical analyses to investigate the energy evolution characteristics of regional mining-induced tremors, as well as the correlation and mutual influence mechanisms between overburden fracture development and high-energy events. The results indicate a positive correlation between high-energy events and the development height of overburden fractures, suggesting that the occurrence of high-energy events can increase the height of overburden fracture development. Furthermore, high-energy events occurring before and after the “parallel joining” of two working faces have a relatively minor impact on the development height of overburden fractures, with an increase in the fracture-to-mining ratio (FMR) ranging from 1.56 to 2.78. In contrast, high-energy events occurring during the “parallel joining” of two working faces significantly affect the development height of overburden fractures, resulting in an FMR increase of 10.33 to 13.44, approximately one-third of the FMR measured through boreholes. The research results can provide a scientific basis for the safe and sustainable coal mining and the protection of underground water resources in similar mining areas with extremely thick weakly cemented overlying strata.

Sustainable Water Management Practices at ETUT: Innovations and Policies

The paper delves into the water management strategies of Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan (ETUT), emphasizing sustainable practices and regulatory compliance. ETUT employs various innovative techniques like rainwater collection through rain gardens, permeable pavement, and cisterns to mitigate runoff and enhance water quality. Rainwater is stored for irrigation, reducing reliance on municipal sources and contributing to groundwater recharge. A water-recycling program repurposes rainwater and fountain water, while innovative structures promote plant growth and water conservation by condensing atmospheric moisture. The university utilizes advanced wastewater treatment methods incorporating plants and microorganisms to purify water efficiently. Complying with national regulations ensures safe drinking water provision and resource protection. Regular monitoring aids in assessing policy effectiveness, fostering continuous improvement. ETUT's commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship is reflected in its comprehensive water conservation program, fostering a culture of innovation and responsibility within the university community.

Design and development of coastal marine water quality monitoring based on IoT in achieving implementation of SDGs

Indonesia, an archipelagic nation with about 70% ocean territory, relies on oceanographic data for efficient marine environment monitoring and natural resource sustainability. Current data collection is limited by tools measuring only single parameters and lengthy data collection times. This study proposes a marine coastal water quality monitoring tool based on the internet of things (IoT), capable of simultaneously measuring temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Utilizing an Atmega328 and a battery lasting up to 119 hours, this system offers a cost-effective solution for real-time oceanographic data collection. Employing the ADDIE methodology, the results demonstrate high measurement accuracy compared to traditional methods, with accuracy of 90.5% for temperature, 93.50% for electrical conductivity, 93.67% for pH, and 96.82% for dissolved oxygen. The development of this tool aims to reduce costs and labor in capturing oceanographic data integrated with IoT, facilitate access and monitoring of water data, and make a significant contribution to achieving SDGs targets. The main focus on the goals of addressing climate change and life underwater, especially in the aspects of water resources management and protection of marine ecosystems in Indonesian.

Phosphorus removal from irrigation return flow using an iron oxide filter and denitrifying pine bark bioreactor treatment train

Development of low-cost aqueous P removal methods is imperative for water resource protection. This study assessed the contribution of an iron oxide (FeOx) filter for P sorption paired with a denitrifying pine bark bioreactor, quantifying the effect of treatment order on P removal. FeOx filters were placed upstream (order 1) or downstream (order 2) of pine bark bioreactors receiving a continuous flow of simulated irrigation return flow after constructed floating wetland treatment. The FeOx filters removed 0.095 ± 0.01 g P·m−3·d−1 and 0.21 ± 0.01 g P·m−3·d−1 in the spring and fall, respectively. P concentration was reduced from 5.08 to 3.8 mg·L−1 and from 6.72 to 4.5 mg·L−1 in the spring and fall experiments, respectively. The FeOx substrate sorbed 1.49 ± 0.08 mg P·g FeOx−1 in spring and 3.18 ± 0.2 mg P·g FeOx−1 fall experiments. P sorption varied by season due to differences in the load presented to the FeOx filters. Reclaimed FeOx substrates were viable P removal filters, especially during cooler months when the nutrient uptake capacity of constructed floating wetland plants was limited. Overall, findings indicate that FeOx filters can be used as a substrate for P sorption in conjunction with constructed floating wetlands or other plant-based treatment technologies that can be limited by seasonality.

"We are Water Warriors":

Elementary-aged children with a team of science, theater, and literacy educators performed the Chicago Global Water Dances in 2023. Global Water Dances (GWD) is an international initiative to raise awareness about water issues, promote sustainability, and inspire action to protect water resources through dance performed by a local body of Water. Through the Chicago Global Water Dances, children articulated several messages about the necessity of, and right to, clean water and highlighted the collective responsibility to protect this precious resource.

Electrocoagulation as a Remedial Approach for Phosphorus Removal from Onsite Wastewater: A Review

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs), although essential for managing domestic sewage in areas without centralized sewerage treatment plants, often release phosphorus (P) into the environment due to inadequate treatment. This unregulated P discharge exacerbates water quality degradation and jeopardizes aquatic habitats and human health. Among different treatment technologies, electrocoagulation (EC) demonstrates considerable potential for addressing this challenge by efficiently removing P from OWTSs and thus protecting water resources and ecological integrity. Through electrochemical reactions, EC destabilizes and aggregates P-bearing particles, facilitating their removal through precipitation. Compared to conventional treatment approaches, i.e., chemical and biological methods, EC offers several advantages, including high efficiency, minimal chemical usage, and adaptability to varying wastewater compositions. This review underscores the urgent need for mitigating P discharge from OWTSs and the efficacy of EC as a sustainable solution for P removal, offering insights into its mechanisms, reactor design considerations, important operational factors, performance, and potential applications in OWTSs as well as providing future research directions.

Protection of water resources from agricultural pressures: Embracing different knowledge domains in governance approaches

AbstractThe remediation of nitrate and pesticide pollution from agriculture in drinking water resources has manifested itself as a complex and multifaceted challenge in Europe and in other continents. Addressing agricultural pollution in water resources requires cross‐sectoral approaches. The EU Water Framework Directive aims to build bridges among these sectors, but the often sectoral implementation by Member States prevents its potential from being fully explored. This study aims to contribute to the body of interdisciplinary knowledge on the driving forces towards water quality improvement from agricultural pollution by case study research in five European countries in an interdisciplinary setting. The cases have shown that the added value of voluntary practices is considerable for creating shared ambitions but limited for actual water quality improvement. Implementation of strategies should be supported by practical guidance and monitoring of outcomes that enables compliance testing and refines simulation models for the formulation of follow‐up actions. Dynamic interactions among the knowledge domains, for example, social‐economic context, the legal framework, and the state of the water system, help to identify necessary actions at the different stages of the policy cycle. Especially in the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation stage of the policy cycle, there is a need for further studies in order to improve effectiveness, for example on the role of monitoring and evaluation, licensing, and the issue of scale in cross‐sectoral approaches.

Amino acid functionalized carboxymethyl cellulose-based crosslinked aerogels for efficient removal of dye and metal ion from aqueous solution

In order to protect water resources and maintain sustainable development of society, it is crucial to design the adsorption materials with high adsorption capacity and environmental friendliness to effectively remove the pollutants in wastewater. In this study, amino acid functionalized carboxymethyl cellulose-based aerogels were successfully prepared by combining grafting, blending, freeze-drying and crosslinking technologies. The aerogels exhibited outstanding adsorption properties for methylene blue (MB) and lead ions (Pb (II)) with adsorption capacities of 461.68 and 304.60 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption experiment showed that the adsorption process of aerogels for MB conformed to Freundlich adsorption isotherm model and quasi-second-order kinetics model, and the adsorption process for Pb (II) conformed to Langmuir model and quasi-second-order kinetics model. Furthermore, the aerogels displayed excellent recyclability, with the removal efficiency of over 90.0 % for MB and only 14.0 % reduction for Pb (II) after 6 cycles. It is evident that the aerogels hold great potential for application in wastewater treatment, which has important practical significance for environmental protection and high-value utilization of natural polymers.

Characteristics and genesis of high-quality metasilicate mineral water in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province.

Drinking natural mineral water often contains minerals and trace elements essential for human beings, such as strontium and silicon. As people's quality of life improves, so do their requirements for drinking water. Therefore, it is crucial to identify and develop high-quality groundwater that is rich in metasilicate and other minerals. The aim of this study is to reveal the distribution pattern and causes of high-quality metasilicate-rich groundwater in Liaocheng City through scientific methods, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the rational development and protection of mineral water resources. The results shown that Dong'e County was the main concentration area of high-quality metasilicate mineral water in Liaocheng City. The main reason for its high concentration of metasilicic acid was due to water-rock interaction. There was bedrock fissure water in the underlying water supply rock groups in Dong'e County, and the reaction between the metasilicate minerals in the rock groups and water was the main source of metasilicic acid. In addition, the development of fissures in the area provided a good storage and conductivity system for the enrichment of metasilicic acid in groundwater. Based on the analysis of hydrogeological conditions and the mechanism of formation of enriched areas, the enriched areas were divided into developable areas, protected and restricted development areas, and restricted development areas. The results of the study can lay a theoretical foundation for the systematic and scientific development, utilization, and protection of high-quality metasilicate mineral water in Liaocheng City.