scholarly journals Status of the Indus River dolphin Platanista minor

Oryx ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall R. Reeves ◽  
Abdul Aleem Chaudhry
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Industrial Effluent ◽  
River System ◽  
Agricultural Runoff ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Indus River ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Urban Sewage ◽  
The Face

The endemic freshwater dolphins in the Indus River system of Pakistan, Platanista minor, have been considered endangered since the early 1970s. Measures taken to protect them from deliberate capture seem to have stopped a rapid decline, and combined counts in Sindh and Punjab provinces since the early 1980s suggest a total population of at least a few hundred animals. Severe problems remain, however. In addition to the risks inherent to any species with an effective population size in the low hundreds (at most), these dolphins are subject to long-term threats associated with living in an artificially controlled waterway used intensively by humans. Irrigation barrages partition the aggregate population into discrete subpopulations for much of the year. Dolphins that ‘escape’ during the flood season into irrigation canals or into reaches downstream of barrages where winter water levels are low have little chance of survival. A few dolphins probably die each year after being caught in fishing nets. Pollution by untreated urban sewage, agricultural runoff and industrial effluent threatens the health of the entire Indus system. The future of this dolphin species depends on Pakistan's commitment to protecting biological diversity in the face of escalating human demands on dwindling resources.

scholarly journals Water Quality Modeling of Bhima River by using HEC-RAS Software

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 2886-2889
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
River Water ◽  
Hydrodynamic Model ◽  
Algal Blooms ◽  
Agricultural Runoff ◽  
Water Quality Modeling ◽  
Water Quality Model ◽  
River Water Quality ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Quality Model

The River has got religious importance in India. The Bhima River is beginning from Bhimashankar hill and it flows through some parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka state. The assessment of water quality for the development of the places near the bank of River is important. These is controlled by various manmade activities. The quality of river water resources is facing problems because of the continuous agricultural runoff, development and urbanization. Due to mixing of nutrients causes algal blooms, which results eutrophication. The modeling of water quality can be deliberated as useful tool for assessing river water. Bhima River is demarcated as a major and important water body located in Pandharpur, dist. Solapur, Maharashtra. As Pandharpur is having historical background and known as one of the famous Holly places in Maharashtra, this place is facing huge population fluctuation due to migrated pilgrims and rapid growth of urbanization. These two things detrimentally affect River water quality. The main objective of current study was to develop a hydrodynamic model combined with river water quality model for the Bhima River to measure and recognize the processes harmful for the River. For Bhima River a hydrodynamic model was constructed using the HEC-RAS 4.1 software combined with a river water quality model to estimate the amount, distribution and sources of algae, nitrate and temperature. The river model has standardized with the help of previous water levels near the Pandharpur region. It has standardized and calibrated for the assessed parameters by competing them with the present data. The result showed a relationship between DO and temperature range. DO level in Pandharpur and Gopalpur were observed to be fluctuating with respective temperature and during Vari season. However, wastewater discharge from Nalha in sample station 3 i.e. Goplapur shows slit changes in DO and due to this there is necessity to learn other parameters also.

scholarly journals DEVELOPMENT OF A FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR A BRAIDED RIVER SYSTEM

2017 ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Mustafa Kemal Cambazoglu ◽  
Cheryl Ann Blain
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Channel Model ◽  
River System ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
High Flow ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Pearl River ◽  
Braided River ◽  
River Channels

The aim of this study is to construct a modeling system that will assist flood risk management strategies in a coastal plain braided river system. The model configuration consists of a hydrodynamic model (ADCIRC) of the river basin that receives tidal forcing at the open boundary and river discharge forcing at upstream flux boundary. An unstructured mesh model resolving the Pearl River channels at higher resolution from the coastline to approximately 75km inland to upstream reaches of the river has been constructed. The modeling system produces water levels and currents throughout the Lower Pearl River Basin. Initial sensitivity analysis efforts on the channel model include consideration of low-flow, average-flow, and high-flow scenarios. Model results were found to be slightly sensitive to slope of river channels and bottom friction to control stability in predictions. The model results were shown to be highly sensitive to the bathymetry of the model that controls the discharge capacity of the narrow river channels and the channel model resulted in elevated currents and water levels under high flow conditions. A channel discharge capacity analysis was conducted and the results showed the need to construct a floodplain mesh around the channel model with more realistic bathymetry and topography so that the flooding scenarios could be modeled with wetting and drying capability of ADCIRC. An initial attempt to develop such a floodplain mesh has been made with preliminary results and more comprehensive validation of the developed floodplain modeling system will extend to reproducing events associated with the historical Hurricane Isaac that impacted the region in 2012. This modeling system will provide an important tool to decision makers that could be used in future flood risk management and mitigation efforts.

From the Punjab to Pattala

2020 ◽  
pp. 234-264
Author(s):  
Waldemar Heckel
Keyword(s):  
Monsoon Season ◽  
River System ◽  
Indus River ◽  
The World ◽  
End Of The World ◽  
The Ganges ◽  
Direct Attack

The campaign in the Punjab saw Alexander, supported by his Indian ally Taxiles, attack Porus, who lived beyond the Hydaspes River. The battle, at the beginning of the monsoon season, involved a division of the Macedonian forces. One part faced Porus at the river crossing, where the current and the elephants in the Indian army made a direct attack virtually impossible. Alexander took a portion of his army and marched upstream. Once across the river, he drew Porus away from his defensive position and defeated the Indian ruler in a battle fought primarily by cavalry, although the Macedonian pikemen inflicted injuries on the elephants, which became a danger to their own troops. After the Hydaspes victory, Alexander advanced to the Hyphasis (Beas), where the army refused to cross in order to march to the Ganges. The whole episode was contrived, since Alexander clearly had no intention of going farther east. His failure to reach the eastern end of the world was thus attributed to the timidity and war-weariness of his soldiers. During the descent of the Indus river system, Alexander received a near-fatal wound at the hands of the Mallians. Once he recovered, Alexander conducted a series of bloody massacres as he sailed to the mouth of the Indus and accomplished his goal of sailing out into the ocean. Although the Indian campaign was by far the bloodiest of the expedition, there was little long-term gain from the conquest.

scholarly journals Feedback Mechanism in Bifurcating River Systems: the Effect on Water-Level Sensitivity

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1915
Author(s):  
Matthijs R.A. Gensen ◽  
Jord J. Warmink ◽  
Fredrik Huthoff ◽  
Suzanne J.M.H. Hulscher
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
River System ◽  
Feedback Mechanism ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
River Systems ◽  
Water Level Variations ◽  
System Water ◽  
Discharge Distribution ◽  
Single Branch

Accurate and reliable estimates of water levels are essential to assess flood risk in river systems. In current practice, uncertainties involved and the sensitivity of water levels to these uncertainties are studied in single-branch rivers, while many rivers in deltas consist of multiple distributaries. In a bifurcating river, a feedback mechanism exists between the downstream water levels and the discharge distribution at the bifurcation. This paper aims to quantify the sensitivity of water levels to main channel roughness in a bifurcating river system. Water levels are modelled for various roughness scenarios under a wide range of discharge conditions using a one-dimensional hydraulic model. The results show that the feedback mechanism reduces the sensitivity of water levels to local changes of roughness in comparison to the single-branch river. However, in the smaller branches of the system, water-level variations induced by the changes in discharge distribution can exceed the water-level variations of the single-branch river. Therefore, water levels throughout the entire system are dominated by the conditions in the largest branch. As the feedback mechanism is important, the river system should be considered as one interconnected system in river maintenance of rivers, flood-risk analyses, and future planning of river engineering works.

Sustaining our rivers in crisis: setting the international agenda for action

2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Petts
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Polluted Water ◽  
Civic Life ◽  
Short Term ◽  
International Context ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Basic Resource ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of

The history of streams and rivers is as much a social and technological history as it is a scientific one. Rivers are the lifeblood of nations and the control of their waters has been fundamental to the building of human civilisations. The control or regulation of rivers embodied the advancement of institutions, administration and co-ordination; it was a manifestation of military and economic power. Yet the history of human development is also characterised by the degradation of the basic resource - polluted water, increased flooding, and the loss of biological diversity. Many early civilisations collapsed in the face of environmental degradation, manifest by flood, drought, famine and plague. The Industrial Revolution upon which modern societies are founded was based upon a short-term vision that has left rivers in crisis, marked by a legacy of pollution, slums, a loss of confidence in civic life, and a loss of ownership of places and spaces - once seen to be at the heart of civilised society. Within this global or international context of water management, this paper examines the impacts and future of rivers and water within the United Kingdom, establishing some principles for such management in other settings.

scholarly journals Microbiological Pollution Level and Seasonal Variations in Physicochemical Parameters of the River Buriganga, Dhaka

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
Md Abdul Karim ◽  
Rehena Nasrin Happy ◽  
Md Saifur Rasul ◽  
Sirajul Hoque
Keyword(s):  
River System ◽  
Bacterial Count ◽  
Enteric Bacteria ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Pollution Level ◽  
Organic Chemical ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Urban Sewage

The Buriganga is one of the highly polluted rivers in Bangladesh. Most of the industries and factories of Dhaka are situated on the banks of the river Buriganga or very close to the river system. Substantial part of urban sewage of the Dhaka city is also disposed in the river Buriganga. The study was conducted to determine the pollution level of water of river Buriganga. Field investigation was started from May 2010 and sample collection was conducted in different seasons up to June 2011. Various water quality parameters such as pH, DO, BOD, COD, TDS, Conductivity, Alkalinity, NO2 --N, NO3 --N, NH4+-N and PO4 -, were determined for water of each sampling points to monitor the level of these parameters where it exceeds or remain within the permissible limit. DO concentration of water of river Buriganga was very low ranging between 0.04 and 2.25 mg/l. The aerobic heterotrophic bacterial count ranged between 1.0 × 107 and 2.0 × 108 cfu/100 ml. The highest count of enteric bacteria was noticed during the autumn that was 2.0 × 105 cfu/100 ml. BOD and COD values along with the presence of different species of bacteria clearly indicated that the water of the river Buriganga is highly polluted with the organic, chemical and bacterial pollutants.Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 29, Number 1, June 2012, pp 11-15

Modelling the Pathways of Toxic Contaminants in the St. Clair-Detroit River System Using the Toxfate Model: The Fate of Perchloroethylene

1986 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efraim Halfon
Keyword(s):  
Half Life ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
River System ◽  
High Water ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Detroit River ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
High Volatility ◽  
Local Water

Abstract Perchloroethylene (PERC) is a heavier-than-water, soluble and volatile solvent used primarily in the dry cleaning business. Black puddles (popularly known the the “blob”), containing several contaminants inducing PERC, were reported in the St. Clair River bottom sediments downstream from Sarnia in 1984 and in 1985. The TOXFATE model is used to predict the fate of PERC and the relative importance of volatilization in relation to water transport. Simulations show that in the St. Clair-Detroit River system about 82% (78-87%). under a variety of temperature and wind conditions) of the PERC loading is volatilized, about 17% (12-21%) of loading enters Lake Erie (more in winter, less in summer) and only about 1% remains in the system. The residence half life of PERC being transported in the water from Sarnia to Lake Erie is 350-400 hours and the half life of PERC being volatilized is 80-85 hours. A sensitivity analysis shows the importance of knowing the daily loadings to compute, in real time, local water concentrations following a PERC spill. The high water levels in the St. Clair River system do not influence the fate of PERC. Given the high volatility of PERC low temperatures and wind speeds do not reduce significantly the rate of removal of PERC from the system through volatilize nation.

India, Pakistan and cooperation along the Indus River system

Water Policy ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda A. Zawahri
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
River System ◽  
Indus River ◽  
Member States ◽  
Over 40 Years

Despite receiving accolades for being the example of cooperation, India and Pakistan's peaceful management of their Indus River system remains largely unexamined. Scholars that do consider this case classify it as passive cooperation. To support their classification, they point to the Indus Waters Treaty's allocation of the river system between India and Pakistan and suggest that it severed the interdependent relationship and need to cooperate. Consequently, this paper seeks to demonstrate that India and Pakistan remain interdependent in managing their Indus River system and for over 40 years, they have sustained active cooperation. To account for the maintenance of this cooperation the paper argues that it is necessary to consider the design of the Permanent Indus Commission, an institution established to manage the Indus River. The ability of Indian and Pakistani commissioners to communicate directly and hold regular meetings permitted them to perform the necessary standard and operating procedures for the functioning of the institution. The commission's ability to monitor development of the river system has enabled it to ease member states’ fear of cheating and confirm the accuracy of all exchanged data. Finally, its conflict resolution mechanisms have permitted it to negotiate settlements to disputes as they arise.

scholarly journals Population Genomic Evidence Reveals Subtle Patterns of Differentiation in the Trophically Polymorphic Cuatro Ciénegas Cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi

2019 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine L Bell ◽  
Chris C Nice ◽  
Darrin Hulsey
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Molecular Ecology ◽  
Cichlid Fish ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome ◽  
The Face ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
Herichthys Minckleyi

Abstract In recent decades, an increased understanding of molecular ecology has led to a reinterpretation of the role of gene flow during the evolution of reproductive isolation and biological novelty. For example, even in the face of ongoing gene flow strong selection may maintain divergent polymorphisms, or gene flow may introduce novel biological diversity via hybridization and introgression from a divergent species. Herein, we elucidate the evolutionary history and genomic basis of a trophically polymorphic trait in a species of cichlid fish, Herichthys minckleyi. We explored genetic variation at 3 hierarchical levels; between H. minckleyi (n = 69) and a closely related species Herichthys cyanoguttatus (n = 10), between H. minckleyi individuals from 2 geographic locations, and finally between individuals with alternate morphotypes at both a genome-wide and locus-specific scale. We found limited support for the hypothesis that the H. minckleyi polymorphism is the result of ongoing hybridization between the 2 species. Within H. minckleyi we found evidence of geographic genetic structure, and using traditional population genetic analyses found that individuals of alternate morphotypes within a pool appear to be panmictic. However, when we used a locus-specific approach to examine the relationship between multi-locus genotype, tooth size, and geographic sampling, we found the first evidence for molecular genetic differences between the H. minckleyi morphotypes.

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