Water Shortage Research Articles

Activity of photosynthetic pigments and the antioxidant system in sunflower under drought stress

Background. The study is of particular importance in view of the increasing pace of global climate aridization. The article highlights the results of an experiment on the effect of drought on the physiological status of seedlings of cv. ‘Poseidon 625’ representing an important food crop – sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Materials and methods. The experiment included a group of control samples grown with sufficient moisture and four impact groups subjected to osmotic stress. The intensity of accumulation of lipid peroxidation products (LPP) was measured by the reaction of malondialdehyde (MDA) with thiobarbeturic acid; catalase activity was assessed by a photocolorimetric method based on the interaction between hydrogen peroxide and potassium iodide; the content of pigments (Chl a, Chl b, Сar) was calculated spectrophotometrically in acetone extract. Results. The degree of POL accumulation in the impact groups of the experiment was found to be many times higher than the values in the control samples, which was confirmed by a rapid increase in the MDA concentration in response to a growing water shortage. The accumulation of oxygen free radicals triggered the mechanisms of antioxidant protection of seedlings by synthesizing catalase, the concentration of which increased proportionally to the accumulation of POL. At the same time, the rapid accumulation of POL in the absence of irrigation and under osmotic stress of 3 and 5 atm led to a suppression of low-molecular-weight components of protection (carotenoids) and activation of their synthesis only when critical values of osmotic stress were reached. Conclusion. As a result of the experiment, catalase was identified as the main component of antioxidant protection in sunflower seedlings. Due to the activation of its synthesis, the concentrations of Chl a and Chl b decreased, attesting to the activation of the mechanisms protecting the photosynthetic activity in seedlings, and their antioxidant status.

Post-Earthquake Survey of Bagmati River Seepage Through Physicochemical Analysis of Water

Bagmati river has a great cultural, economic and mythological significance. It has also been related to the civilization of Kathmandu valley. Due to the rapid and unmanaged urbanization and industrialization the river has been heavily polluted leading to the water borne hazards and water shortage problem in the capital. Amidst this problem there was a major earthquake in Kathmandu in 2015 which disturbs the land masses in the valley. This research was conducted to assess the physico-chemical parameters of Bagmati river water and ground water from its corridor at about 50 m and 100 m distance for comparison to detect the post-earthquake seepage status of river water from October 2019 to March 2020. In total 10 sites (A-J) were selected from Gokarna to Chovar. From each site 1 river and 2 ground water samples at approximately about 50 m and 100 m radial distance from river were taken. The range of temperature, turbidity, conductivity, TDS, pH, chloride, total hardness, total acidity, total alkalinity, total iron content, total ammonia content, dissolved oxygen content and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) were recorded to be 13-22 ºC, 150.5-395.5 NTU, 121.1-825 μs/cm, 77.56-528 ppm, 6.5-7.84, 4.97-114.3 mg/l, 34-180 mg/l, 10-224 mg/l, 70-382 mg/l, 0.55-4.156 mg/l, 5-150 mg/l, 0-4.5 mg/l and 5.35-320 mg/l respectively for river water samples and 16-21 ºC, 3.8-52.1 NTU, 25.2-745 μs/cm, 16-476.8 ppm, 6.08-7.61, 5.68-134.9 mg/l, 6-328 mg/l, 10-140 mg/l, 30-340 mg/l, 0.02-5.101 mg/l, 0.026-0.9 mg/l, 2.63-8.1 mg/l and 1.62-16.3 mg/l respectively for ground water samples at 50 m distance from river and 16-20 ºC, 3.1-60 NTU, 25.6-697 μs/cm, 12.8-446.08 ppm, 5.49-8.78, 5.68-44.02 mg/l, 10-300 mg/l, 10-160 mg/l, 14-294 mg/l, 0.015-4.37 mg/l, 0.028-0.54 mg/l, 3.1-8.7 mg/l and 0.63-14.2 mg/l respectively for ground water samples at 100 m distance from the river. As there were significant differences in turbidity, chloride, total acidity, iron, ammonia and BOD among Bagmati and ground water samples, direct mixing of polluted Bagmati river water with nearby ground waters through seepage was not detected. Thus, irrespective of earlier condition, the land masses near the Bagmati territory has not been affected so as to allow deeper seepage of river water by the earthquake of 2015.

Enhanced desalination performance of flow capacitive deionization with the addition of conductive polymer in redox couples and activated carbon

Freshwater scarcity is a critical global issue and desalination of brackish water and seawater technologies are regarded as effective solution to mitigate the increasing severity of water shortage. Flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) is an emerging electrochemical desalination technology capable of continuous deionization behavior. However, reducing energy consumption and enhancing desalination rate are now markedly needed for its advancement. Herein, we propose a FCDI system with energy consumption as low as 88.08 kJ mol−1 and a desalting rate of 1.75 μg cm−2 s−1. This is achieved by using flow electrodes containing 0.03125 wt% conductive polymer, 5 wt% activated carbon/carbon black and 80 mM/80 mM ferricyanide/ferrocyanide at a current density 3 mA cm−2 (3.36 mA current for a 1.12 cm2 active area). We further investigate the effects of polymer content, redox pair content, salt content and current densities on desalination performance. Seawater with a conductivity of 52.78 mS cm−1 was successfully desalinated to 0.50 mS cm−1 in continuous process. This research provides a promising approach to enhance FCDI system by achieving a low energy consumption and high salt removal rate, representing a significant advancement in continuous electrochemical desalination technology.

Enhanced efficiency of water purification plant by combined riverbank filtration

Water shortages occur due to several factors, with drought being one of the biggest drivers. Another major environmental issue related to the contamination of freshwater systems worldwide is thousands of micropollutants, although they generally occur at low concentration levels. The provision of safe drinking water to the population in rural developing nations remains a problem, in particular when surface water and shallow wells or non-watertight headworks wells serve as sources of drinking water. Dramatically changing raw water qualities, floods and high rainfall events anthropogenic pollution, lack of electricity supply in developing regions demand new and adapted solutions for treatment and rendering water safe for distribution. Our study aimes to find another source of water supply using riverbank filtration (RBF). The RBF is a water treatment method that removes water from rivers by pumping wells into a nearby alluvial aquifer. Several physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur underground improve the quality of surface water and eliminate the need for traditional potable water treatment. Additional treatment techniques in this process include biological degradation, sorption, and filtration. Physical, chemical, and microbiological variables were used to assess the effectiveness of the RBF system in Upper Egypt. Our study proposes a workable water treatment strategy that replaces RBF treatment or pretreatment technique for high-quality Nile water to eliminate or reduce surface water pollutants without the use of chlorine.

MCDM Method for Managing the Water Resources Based on Possibility Theory under Bipolar Fuzzy Environment

Background: Uncertainty is a common factor in every real-life decision-making problem. Possibility theory is one uncertainty theory in Fuzzy sets (FS). The possibility-based decision-making under a fuzzy environment is a significant multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method. Methods: A bipolar FS is an extension of a fuzzy set. With the bipolarity concept, we can handle both positive and negative thoughts. In this study, we have provided a possibility mean of a bipolar fuzzy number. We have developed a ranking method for bipolar fuzzy numbers using this pos-sibility concept. A novel possibility MCDM method is suggested for solving the water resources management (WRM) in the Nagpur area, Maharashtra State, India. Results: The MCDM technique is an effective tool for solving WRM problems in an area. Many uncertainties and bipolarities occur together in Nagpur water resources. WRM technique with fuzzy is one approach that can be used to solve the area's water problem. We have used the pro-posed MCDM to address the water-related issues of this district. With this proposed MCDM method, numerically, we employed water resource problems under a bipolar fuzzy environ-ment. Conclusion: The Nagpur area is covered by Basaltic rock and faces water shortage. The district is experiencing severe water shortages. Groundwater, surface water, and rainfall are three water resources considered as alternatives. According to the proposed MCDM technique in Nagpur district, Groundwater is the best water source from three flanks: quality of water, affordability, and availability.

Planetary health and mental health

Climate change is the greatest global health threat of the twenty-firstcentury. Greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting rise in average temperatures are directly linked to heatwaves, droughts, water and food shortages, extreme weather events, rising sea levels and migration movements as well as the loss of biodiversity and the alteration and degradation of ecosystems as we know them. Current estimates suggest that societies need to show much greater efforts to ensure that the global average temperature does not rise by more than 1.5 °C by 2029. Not only climate change but also other man-made factors, such as noise, light, particulate matter and plastics are threatening the health of the planet and therefore inevitably human health as well, both physical and mental health. Poorer planetary health also has an impact on human mental health. This article extends the DGPPN 2023 position paper on climate change and mental health to include the concept of planetary health. In particular, the normative dimension of the Canmore Declaration on Planetary Health, the concept of transdisciplinarity and specific calls for action are presented with their relevance to psychiatry, psychotherapy and mental health and the associations are graphically illustrated.

Agrophysiological responses of bread wheat to raised-bed planting and irrigation level

ABSTRACT To investigate the response of wheat to drought stress under different plantation systems, two field experiments were carried out in 2021/22 and 2022/23 in Arsanjan, Iran. The main plot was three different plantation systems (flat planting, 60, and 120 cm raised beds) and the sub plots were irrigation levels at 100% (control), 80% (medium stress), and 60% (severe stress) of crop evapotranspiration. Raised bed planting increased grain yield by 24% compared to flat cultivation. This increase for biological yield was about 17%, the number of ears was 7%, and the number of seeds per ear was 21%. Drought stress caused a significant decrease in grain yield (46.4%), number of ears (20.5%), seed number (30.3%), biological yield (45.9%), chlorophyll a (31.8%), chlorophyll b (28.1%) and relative water content (5.3%) and increased, proline content (24.3%) and ion leakage (147.3%). Water use efficiency was increased in raised bed planting and deficit irrigation treatments. The decrease in yield due to drought stress was moderated to some extent in the raised bed system and therefore cultivation on raised beds is suggested as a suitable planting pattern to improve yield and WUE in wheat under conditions similar to the experimental area, especially under water shortage conditions.

Fit-for-Purpose Water in the Baltic Sea Region

Climate change is visible everywhere, including in Baltic Sea Region (BSR). One of the symptoms is water scarcity, occurring relatively locally but persisting over longer and longer periods. The European and Global Drought Observatories (https://drought.emergency.copernicus.eu) present increasing BSR areas where soil moisture is alarmingly low. Water shortages cause technical and organizational problems in water utilities, agriculture, energy, industry, etc. Hence, competition for water between industry, agriculture, and municipal services has emerged. Sustainable water resource management requires solutions that rationalize and optimize the use of available resources with particular care for the environment. One of the methods of remedying local problems is closing local water and nutrient cycles by recovering water from urban wastewater and using rainwater

In Situ Growth of Well-Aligned MOF Nanoneedle Arrays into Composite Photothermal Membranes for Solar Desalination.

The solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) technology serves as a clean and facile approach combining seawater desalination to address water shortage and energy crisis. Recently, porous organic framework materials have aroused great attention, and the development of MOF-based composites with significant performance in photothermal conversion and water activation has become one of the important focuses in this field. In this work, an MOF-based composite photothermal membrane (PON@MOF) was prepared via the in situ growth of metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoneedle arrays induced by a pyridine-based organic polymer nanowire network (PON). The PON@MOF membrane possessed an MOF array layer, a PON-induced layer, and a porous support layer. The PON is rich in coordinated nitrogen atoms for anchoring the metal-ion source, and the main role of the PON layer is to provide favorable nucleation sites and orient in situ growth of well-aligned MOF nanoneedle arrays. With the highly conjugated framework of PON@MOF and the light trapping of the nanoarrays strengthening the photothermal conversion as well as the hydrophilic chemical structure facilitating the decrease of the water evaporation enthalpy, the PON@MOF membrane realizes highly efficient thermal vapor conversion. Under solar irradiation (1.0 kW m-2), PON@MOF demonstrated an evaporation rate of 2.14 kg m-2 h-1 and a solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency of 98.5%. Meanwhile, the PON@MOF membrane has excellent salt resistance and stability, highlighting its potential application in desalination. Overall, this work provides a special idea for the structural design of photothermal composites for solar desalination and freshwater production.

Research on a cloud model intelligent computing platform for water resource management

ABSTRACT As the demand for water management information systems continues to increase, addressing issues such as poor generalizability, low reusability, and difficulties in updating and maintaining water resource planning cloud model service platforms becomes crucial. To achieve goals like business-oriented functionality, high availability, and reliability, this study proposes constructing a cloud model service platform for basin water resource planning based on cloud computing technology and business workflows. This study couples water cycle models with multi-objective optimization models for water resource allocation, using digital topological water networks to achieve dynamic regional water resource allocation. The cloud service platform adopts a business-oriented modeling method based on B/S development architecture. This paper takes the Weihe River Basin as an example to simulate and analyze the evolution of the water cycle pattern and optimize the annual water resources allocation plan. Results show that: (1) the water cycle model of the cloud model service platform can better describe the runoff change process in the verification period; (2) through the cloud platform service model, the water shortage rate of the Weihe River Basin in 2025 is 7.95%. The research findings provide technical references for intelligent water management and refined allocation of water resources in the Weihe River Basin.

Actionable human–water system modelling under uncertainty

Abstract. This paper develops an actionable interdisciplinary model that quantifies and assesses uncertainties in water resource allocation under climate change. To achieve this objective, we develop an innovative socio-ecological grand ensemble that combines climate, hydrological, and microeconomic ensemble experiments with a widely used decision support system for water resource planning and management. Each system is populated with multiple models (multi-model), which we use to evaluate the impacts of multiple climate scenarios and policies (multi-scenario, multi-forcing) across systems so as to identify plausible futures where water management policies meet or miss their objectives and to explore potential tipping points. The application of the methods is exemplified by a study conducted in the Douro River basin (DRB), an agricultural basin located in central Spain. Our results show how marginal climate changes can trigger non-linear water allocation changes in the decision support systems (DSSs) and/or non-linear adaptive responses of irrigators to water shortages. For example, while some irrigators barely experience economic losses (average profit and employment fall by < 0.5 %) under mild water allocation reductions of 5 % or lower, profit and employment fall by up to 12 % (∼ 24 ×) when water allocation is reduced by 10 % or less (∼ 2×). This substantiates the relevance of informing the potential natural and socio-economic impacts of adaptation strategies and related uncertainties for identifying robust decisions.

Assessment, Characterization, Identification and Prioritization of Major Constraints and Potentials of Three Selected Community Watersheds of Agarfa District, Bale Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

The severity of land degradation due to different socioeconomic and biophysical pressures is a key problem encountered in watersheds. In addition, the lack of research-based references to a given community watershed, particularly with regard to socioeconomic and biophysical aspects, leads to the failure of the interventions. This study aimed to assess and characterize the socioeconomic and biophysical conditions of three selected (Oda Chefo, Wabe Seada, and Oda Nagelle) Community Watersheds of the Agarfa District of Bale Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Furthermore, it identifies and prioritizes constraints and opportunities for scientists, planners, intervention, impact analysis, and project performance evaluation. Communities' watersheds were selected and delineated, followed by household interviews, focus group discussions, and biophysical characterization to generate data. The study used a random sampling technique and a total of 121 sample sizes for socioeconomic data, watershed delineation, slope classification, soil type, and LULC classification map developed based on the preliminary outlet identified with the help of GPS reading and ArcGIS 10.5 software. The socioeconomic parameters were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. The result of the baseline survey identified key constraints such as soil erosion, soil fertility decline, deforestation and climate change, feed and fodder shortage, livestock disease, human disease, unemployment, food insecurity, water shortage, lack of credit access, market, road, cooperatives, high input price, pest and disease, yield decline and lack of irrigation access. The results revealed that the availability of the labor force, local market accessibility, transport services, informal farmer cooperatives, livestock clinics, youth and women associations, and informal intuitions are the main opportunities in selected community watersheds. In conclusion, baseline surveying before any watershed management practice intervention plays ....

Health and environmental impacts of Gaza conflict (2023-2024): A review

The war in Gaza, which erupted on October 7, 2023, unleashed unprecedented assaults from the air, sea, and land, affecting the densely populated area of 360 square kilometers housing 2.3 million people. The conflict claimed over 36 000 Palestinian lives, with women and children making up 70% of the casualties, and resulted in more than 80 000 injuries. The devastation was extensive, with over 70% of homes destroyed, along with six universities, numerous hospitals, communication networks, sewage systems, water desalination plants, roads, wells, and other essential infrastructure. Over a million people were displaced from the northern regions to the southern coastal area of Al-Mawasi, which constitutes less than 3% of Gaza's total area, facing dire shortages of water, healthcare, food, and medicine. The collapse of sewage networks and garbage accumulation led to an increase in flies, mosquitoes, insects, and rodents, contributing to the spread of infectious and non-communicable diseases among the displaced population. This research aimed to study the health and environmental impacts of the war in Gaza through data collection, field visits, and photographic documentation. The findings revealed catastrophic conditions, with the destruction of all infrastructure, including buildings, hospitals, universities, mosques, churches, sanitation, water networks, and communications, and the spread of diseases such as intestinal, respiratory infections, and skin infections due to the complete lack of basic life necessities.

Savage Gardens: Balancing Maintenance, Aesthetics, and Ecosystem Services in the Biodiversity Crisis Era

The escalating biodiversity crisis, coupled with the increasing frequency of droughts and anticipated water shortages due to climate change, necessitates a shift towards biodiversity-led landscape architecture, including domestic gardens. Traditionally viewed as high-maintenance spaces emphasising tidiness, domestic gardens can significantly impact urban green infrastructure and species richness. This paper explores the concept of ‘savage gardens’—untamed and natural spaces representing a fourth nature approach, incorporating wild gardens and neglected areas. Despite potential challenges in public appreciation, it is argued that savage gardens offer substantial benefits, such as reduced maintenance, increased biodiversity, and enhanced resilience to climate change. By reframing the perception of ‘savage’ from biophobic to a reconnection with nature, savage gardens are proposed as a viable solution for balancing aesthetics, maintenance, ecosystem services, and biodiversity in domestic landscapes, promoting a more sustainable future in the face of the biodiversity emergency.

Impact of resilience policies on cape town's water-food nexus: A system dynamics approach

BackgroundClimate change is increasingly affecting the supply of resources such as water and food. From 2015 to 2018, Cape Town endured its most severe drought on record. Yet, resource management often occurs in isolation, which contrasts with the holistic perspective provided by the nexus concept that recognizes the interdependence of resource sectors. This study employs system dynamics modeling, to examine the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) water-food trade-offs and interactions using qualitative and quantitative approaches. It assesses various policies proposed by the CoCT, to improve system resilience and to boost future water supplies, examining their efficacy and potential drawbacks. These policies are tested against future scenarios including population growth and climate change predictions of different severities.ResultsThe simulation results show an increase in food demand, which is mainly linked to population growth and a significant decrease in water availability. Without intervention, the CoCT is expected to experience serious water shortages within the 40-year simulation period.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that the CoCT’s strategies will effectively secure adequate water for its expanding population. However, a major concern was found to be the proposed intensification of aquifer exploitation. The model predicts that such an approach could lead to overabstraction of some aquifers, compromising their sustainability.

Spatial–Temporal Variations in Water Use Efficiency and Its Influencing Factors in the Li River Basin, China

As a vital indicator for measuring the coupled carbon–water cycle of an ecosystem, water use efficiency (WUE) can also reflect the adaptive capacity of plants in different ecosystems. Located in Southwest China, the Li River Basin has a representative karst landform, and the uneven rainfall in the region leads to severe water shortage. In this study, we analyzed the spatial–temporal transformation characteristics of the WUE of the basin and its relationship with different influencing factors from 2001 to 2020 based on a correlation analysis and trend analysis. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The average value of WUE in the Li River Basin was 1.8251 gC· mm−1·m−2, and it kept decreasing at a rate of 0.0072 gC· mm−1·m−2·a−1 in the past 20 years. With respect to the spatial distribution of the multi-year average of WUE, it exhibits a gradual increasing trend from west to east. (2) Between gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET), it was found that ET was the primary influencing factor of WUE. Precipitation was positively correlated with WUE in the Li River Basin, accounting for 67.22% of the total area of the basin. The air temperature was negatively correlated with WUE, and the area was negatively correlated with WUE, accounting for 92.67% of the basin area. (3) The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI) were negatively correlated with WUE, and the proportions of negatively correlated areas to the total area of the basin were similar; both were between 60 and 70%. The growth of vegetation inhibited the increase in WUE in the basin to a certain extent. Regarding Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD), the proportions of positive and negative correlation areas with WUE were similar, accounting for 49.58% and 50.42%, respectively. (4) The occurrence of drought events and the enhancement in its degree led to a continuous increase in WUE in the basin; for different land cover types, the correlation of the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was in the following order from strongest to weakest: grassland > cropland > forest > shrubland.

Enhanced relationship between seasonal soil moisture droughts and vegetation under climate change over China

Climate change could intensify seasonal soil moisture droughts and subsequently degrade vegetation, but it can also facilitate vegetation growth with the rising temperature and CO2 concentrations. Therefore, the change of the vegetation-drought relationship under climate change remains elusive. Here, we investigate the effects of vegetation greening (i.e., increasing leaf area index (LAI)) on seasonal soil moisture drought trends by performing a set of land surface model simulations with the Conjunctive Surface-Subsurface Process model version 2 (CSSPv2), as well as the impact of seasonal soil moisture drought change on vegetation productivity via a statistical fitting model. Our results indicate that both the impact of increasing LAI on exacerbating seasonal droughts and the impact of increasing seasonal droughts on reducing vegetation productivity have been enhanced over China during 1961–2018. Specifically, increased LAI accounts for 48 % of the rising drought frequency through escalated evapotranspiration losses, with more pronounced effects in northern semiarid regions. The decrease in vegetation stomatal conductance caused by rising CO2 concentrations limits transpiration and alleviates 11 % of the increase in drought frequency, but it cannot fully offset the drought aggravation induced by increased vegetation water consumption under climate warming. Meanwhile, increased drought frequency and intensity have reduced the upward trend in vegetation productivity by 5 % over China, and by 8 % in water-limited northern regions. Our study shows the relationship between seasonal soil moisture droughts and vegetation over China has strengthened, indicating that vegetation greening will lead to increased water shortages and further impact vegetation growth and carbon sequestration. This challenges water resources management and environmental sustainability, especially in semiarid regions.

Bio-inspired chemistry for developing micro/nano structured nanofiber membranes for membrane distillation

Membrane distillation (MD) holds significant promise for effluent purification to mitigate the global water shortage. However, the existing petroleum-based MD membranes suffer from high costs, limited sustainability, and wetting issues. Herein, we employed biosynthetic bacterial cellulose (BC) as the substrate and successfully achieved a uniform and stable dispersion of ZnO nanoflowers onto the BC nanofibers through in-situ synthesis technology. After undergoing a fluorination process, a superhydrophobic membrane was prepared by the synergistic effect of micro/nano structures and low surface energy. The resulting membrane exhibited exceptional properties, including a remarkable contact angle of 151.7°, a substantial liquid entry pressure of 2.5 bar, and exhibiting structural integrity and high hydrophobicity even under harsh conditions. Furthermore, this strategy ensured exceptional membrane porosity (∼94.9 %), increased the permeation flux and reduced conductive heat transfer, thereby enhancing the thermal efficiency of the membrane. Furthermore, the membrane demonstrated effective bactericidal activity and self-cleaning capability, facilitating easy cleaning and extending service life. These properties endow the membrane with an impressive durability. After 96 h of continuous operation, the membrane maintained a stable permeation flux of 10.29 L m−2 h−1 and an extraordinary salt rejection rate exceeding 99.9 %. Notably, even with the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate to the feed, the membrane exhibited stable permeation flux and outstanding antiwetting properties. In summary, the MD membrane fabricated using the bio-inspired chemistry demonstrated a promising potential for long-term applications in direct contact MD operations.

Discriminating Between Biotic and Abiotic Stress in Poplar Forests Using Hyperspectral and LiDAR Data

Sustainable forest management faces challenges from various biotic and abiotic stresses. The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and drought stress both induce water shortages in poplar trees, but require different management strategies. In northwestern China, ALB and drought stress caused massive mortality in poplar shelterbelts, which seriously affected the ecological functions of poplars. Developing a large-scale detection method for discriminating them is crucial for applying targeted management. This study integrated UAV-hyperspectral and LiDAR data to distinguish between ALB and drought stress in poplars of China’s Three-North Shelterbelt. These data were analyzed using a Partial Least Squares-Support Vector Machine (PLS-SVM). The results showed that the LiDAR metric (elev_sqrt_mean_sq) was key in detecting drought, while the hyperspectral band (R970) was key in ALB detection, underscoring the necessity of integrating both sensors. Detection of ALB in poplars improved when the poplars were well watered. The classification accuracy was 94.85% for distinguishing well-watered from water-deficient trees, and 80.81% for detecting ALB damage. Overall classification accuracy was 78.79% when classifying four stress types: healthy, only ALB affected, only drought affected, and combined stress of ALB and drought. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of UAV-hyperspectral and LiDAR data in distinguishing ALB and drought stress in poplar forests, which contribute to apply targeted treatments based on the specific stress in poplars in northwest China.

Suitability Assessment and Optimization of Small Dams and Reservoirs in Northern Ghana

Water shortages, exacerbated by erratic rainfall, climate change, and population growth, pose significant challenges globally, particularly in semi-arid regions like northern Ghana. Despite the construction of numerous small dams in the region that were intended to provide reliable water for domestic and irrigation purposes, critical water issues persist during dry periods. Key drivers in this failure are attributed to the lack of studies and/or the number of inadequate studies on suitable dam siting. This study focused on assessing the sites of selected small dams in northern Ghana, employing various methods such as stream order analysis and the Analytic Hierarchy Process within a Geographic Information System framework. Results showed that many existing dams are poorly sited, with over half located far from major stream networks, resulting in drying out during the dry season and failing to meet sustainable water storage standards. This study proposed new dam locations that would allow achieving a significant increase in storage capacities from 30% to 60%. These results highlight the necessity for decision-makers to adopt research-based approaches to address water shortages effectively, balancing agricultural, domestic, economic, and environmental needs. Future research should integrate climate change considerations, long-term monitoring, environmental impact assessments, and advanced decision-making techniques such as machine learning.