Impact of land use and urbanization on river water quality and ecology in a dam dominated basin

Widespread urban expansion around the world, combined with rapid demographic and climatic changes, has resulted in serious pollution issues in many coastal water bodies. To help formulate coastal management strategies to mitigate the impacts of these extreme changes (e.g., local land-use or climate change adaptation policies), research methodologies that incorporate participatory approaches alongside with computer simulation modeling tools have potential to be particularly effective. One such research methodology, called the “Participatory Coastal Land-Use Management” (PCLM) approach, consists of three major steps: (a) participatory approach to find key drivers responsible for the water quality deterioration, (b) scenario analysis using different computer simulation modeling tools for impact assessment, and (c) using these scientific evidences for developing adaptation and mitigation measures. In this study, we have applied PCLM approach in the Kendrapara district of India (focusing on the Brahmani River basin), a rapidly urbanizing area on the country’s east coast to evaluate current status and predict its future conditions. The participatory approach involved key informant interviews to determine key drivers of water quality degradation, which served as an input for scenario analysis and hydrological simulation in the next step. Future river water quality (BOD and Total coliform (Tot. coli) as important parameters) was simulated using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) tool, considering a different plausible future scenario (to 2050) incorporating diverse drivers and pressures (i.e., population growth, land-use change, and climate change). Water samples (collected in 2018) indicated that the Brahmani River in this district was already moderately-to-extremely polluted in comparison to the desirable water quality (Class B), and modeling results indicated that the river water quality is likely to further deteriorate by 2050 under all of the considered scenarios. Demographic changes emerged as the major driver affecting the future water quality deterioration (68% and 69% for BOD and Tot. coli respectively), whereas climate change had the lowest impact on river water quality (12% and 13% for BOD and Tot. coli respectively), although the impact was not negligible. Scientific evidence to understand the impacts of future changes can help in developing diverse plausible coastal zone management approaches for ensuring sustainable management of water resources in the region. The PCLM approach, by having active stakeholder involvement, can help in co-generation of the coastal management options followed by open access free software, and models can play a relevant cost-effective approach to enhance science-policy interface for conservation of natural resources.

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Riparian conservation management needs habitat quality mapping

Columella Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences ◽

10.18380/szie.colum.2020.7.2.15 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 15-23

Author(s):

Lyndre Nel

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

River Water ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Conservation Management ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

River Water Quality ◽

Riparian Habitat ◽

Conservation Programs ◽

Human Welfare

Riparian habitat quality has a significant influence on the water quality of rivers, primary resources for urban and agricultural use. River water quality deteriorates where normal ecological functioning is disrupted by harmful impacts from nearby land-use types. Important rivers are typically managed and protected by government-led conservation programs. These programs often lack a key tool for efficient conservation management, habitat quality mapping. The Berg River, an important water source in South Africa, was used as a case-study to assess how habitat quality mapping could broaden the current scope of river conservation programs. The river faces threats from nearby urban settlements, industrial areas, mining, encroachment, and agricultural practices. The aim of this study was to develop habitat quality and habitat degradation maps for a section of the Berg River to assess the value that mapping holds for conservation managers and spatial planners. InVEST modelling software and ArcGIS was used to produce these habitat quality maps based on land-use/land-cover and threat impact data. The resulting maps showed several specific locations of heavily threatened and degraded riparian habitat that had not specifically been included in current government conservation management or spatial planning. Habitat quality mapping is an important tool that conservation managers and spatial planners can use to successfully address habitat degradation and protection while facing resource limitations, such as lack of funding. Oversight of degraded riparian habitats will lead to further decreases in river water quality, adversely affecting human welfare and local economies.

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Influence of land use on river water quality in the Ganjiang basin

Acta Ecologica Sinica ◽

10.5846/stxb201409221870 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (13) ◽

Author(s):

王鹏 WANG Peng ◽

齐述华 Qi Shuhua ◽

陈波 Chen Bo

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

River Water ◽

River Water Quality

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CHARACTERISTICS OF RIVER WATER QUALITY IN TWO ADJACENT WATERSHEDS WITH DIFFERENT LAND USE

PROCEEDINGS OF HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING ◽

10.2208/prohe.48.1471 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 48 ◽

pp. 1471-1476

Author(s):

Nobuyuki EGUSA ◽

Masashi MIONOYA ◽

Tsutomu WASHIDA ◽

Tatemasa HIRATA

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

River Water ◽

River Water Quality

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River water quality changes in New Zealand over 26 years: response to land use intensity

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-21-1149-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 1149-1171 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Jason P. Julian ◽

Kirsten M. de Beurs ◽

Braden Owsley ◽

Robert J. Davies-Colley ◽

Anne-Gaelle E. Ausseil

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

New Zealand ◽

River Water ◽

River Water Quality ◽

Land Use Intensity ◽

Land Disturbance ◽

Areal Coverage ◽

Legacy Nutrients ◽

Intensively Managed

Abstract. Relationships between land use and water quality are complex with interdependencies, feedbacks, and legacy effects. Most river water quality studies have assessed catchment land use as areal coverage, but here, we hypothesize and test whether land use intensity – the inputs (fertilizer, livestock) and activities (vegetation removal) of land use – is a better predictor of environmental impact. We use New Zealand (NZ) as a case study because it has had one of the highest rates of agricultural land intensification globally over recent decades. We interpreted water quality state and trends for the 26 years from 1989 to 2014 in the National Rivers Water Quality Network (NRWQN) – consisting of 77 sites on 35 mostly large river systems. To characterize land use intensity, we analyzed spatial and temporal changes in livestock density and land disturbance (i.e., bare soil resulting from vegetation loss by either grazing or forest harvesting) at the catchment scale, as well as fertilizer inputs at the national scale. Using simple multivariate statistical analyses across the 77 catchments, we found that median visual water clarity was best predicted inversely by areal coverage of intensively managed pastures. The primary predictor for all four nutrient variables (TN, NOx, TP, DRP), however, was cattle density, with plantation forest coverage as the secondary predictor variable. While land disturbance was not itself a strong predictor of water quality, it did help explain outliers of land use–water quality relationships. From 1990 to 2014, visual clarity significantly improved in 35 out of 77 (34∕77) catchments, which we attribute mainly to increased dairy cattle exclusion from rivers (despite dairy expansion) and the considerable decrease in sheep numbers across the NZ landscape, from 58 million sheep in 1990 to 31 million in 2012. Nutrient concentrations increased in many of NZ's rivers with dissolved oxidized nitrogen significantly increasing in 27∕77 catchments, which we largely attribute to increased cattle density and legacy nutrients that have built up on intensively managed grasslands and plantation forests since the 1950s and are slowly leaking to the rivers. Despite recent improvements in water quality for some NZ rivers, these legacy nutrients and continued agricultural intensification are expected to pose broad-scale environmental problems for decades to come.

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The The Correlation Between Type of Land Use and Water Quality in the Rembangan River, Jember Regency

Jurnal ILMU DASAR ◽

10.19184/jid.v20i2.8939 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 111

Author(s):

Fefi Eka Wardiani ◽

Retno Wimbaningrum ◽

Rendy Setiawan

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

River Water ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Research Result ◽

Good Condition ◽

River Water Quality ◽

Chemical Parameters ◽

Type Of Land Use

The river is one of the important water sources and at this time the river water quality has decreased.The type of land use around the river is thought to have a significant contribution to river water quality. This research was conducted to determine of correlation between the type of land use and water quality in Rembangan River, Jember Regency.The study was carried out at four stations that passed through secondary forests, coffee plantations, rice fields and residential housing. The data of biodiversity and density of plants and physical-chemical parameters of river water were noted, and benthic macroinvertebratessamples were collected at each station. Data of biodiversity and density plants were used to determine of environmental services index (ESI) values. Benthic macroinvertebrates samples were identifiedat the family level, and after that the tolerance score and the abundance of each family was determined. The last two data were analyzed to determine of Family Biotic Index (FBI) values.The value of ESI, physico-chemical parameters of river waterand FBI were analyzedto determine the relationship between these variables by using Pearson correlation analysis (α < 0.05).The research result revealed that the type of land use (ESI) was significantly related to the biological quality of river water (FBI) as indicated by the p value > 0.05. The correlation characteristic is negative and very strong (R = 0.886). High ESI values indicate that the diversity and carbon sequestration of plant community around the river are in good condition and vice versa. Low HBI values indicate good river water quality and vice versa. Based on this research, each land use type must provide space for the natural growth of the plant communityto maintain the quality of river water to remain good. Keywords: river, benthic macroinvertebrates, land use, water quality, ESI, HBI.

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