Emerging Issues in Groundwater Sustainability: New Challenges

Author(s):  
Encarna Esteban

The increased pressure on groundwater has resulted in a major deterioration of the overall status of this resource. Despite efforts to control the degradation of underground water bodies, most aquifers worldwide experience serious quality and quantity problems. New emerging issues around groundwater resources have become relevant and pose additional protection and management challenges. Climate change, with predictable impacts on temperature and precipitation, will cause considerable fluctuations in aquifer recharge levels and subsequent problems in the status of these water bodies. Expected reductions in water availability will increase groundwater withdrawals not just for irrigation but also for urban and industrial water use. Declines in stored water will have an impact on many freshwater ecosystems whose survival depends on the status of groundwater bodies. Furthermore, land subsidence, as a side effect of aquifer overexploitation, involves land collapse and deformation that are especially harmful for urban areas and deteriorate physical and hydrological water systems. All these new challenges require integrated planning strategies and multisectorial solutions to curtail the deterioration of these resources. Although these issues have been studied, in-depth analyses of the economic, social, and policy implications of groundwater management strategies are still necessary.

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
T. T. Ajith Kumar ◽  
Kuldeep K. Lal

Abstract Ornamental fish culture and aquarium keeping have become a booming sector worldwide. It has been observed that a number of stakeholders are involved in introducing exotic ornamentals in India as well, as the takers are interested on variants and new species. Most of the exotic ornamental fishes are also being domesticated in India, since the demand is readily fulfilled through adequate supply to the hobbyists. This sector provides livelihood option to many people and helps to earn millions of dollars to our country every year, however, the invasion of exotic ornamentals in our natural water bodies needs to be assessed, monitored and controlled with due attention as it is a staid menace to our biodiversity. Around 400 species / variants of exotic freshwater ornamentals and around 100 exotic marine ornamental species including invertebrates are found to have introduced in the trade. It is significant to note that an apparent violation in the trade is taking place by concealing the Government of India approval, which is given only for 92 species / variants of fishes for import. Further, as some of the freshwater ornamental fishes currently available in the aquarium trade have invaded through natural water bodies, their impacts need to be studied in detail. To deal with the situation, the proper precautionary approach should be implemented by adopting measures after having proper quarantine, meticulous risk analysis and strategic prevention methods as well. Combined efforts of industry stakeholders with different government agencies, academic and research institutions is required and a suitable protocol has to be formulated for permissible import, sustainable production, supply and management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 2338-2341

Entry of contaminated soils and sediments in to the water sources from the urban runoff decreases lake water quality and increases the cost of water purification. Water pollution is inevitable issue when the surrounding activities of nearby people are not maintained proper water handling techniques with respect to preserving lake water quality along with the quantity. Sedimentation is a complex process where the eroded soil particle enters in to the water bodies through flowing water or through any of the transporting media and settles as layers on the bottom of the water bodies. Maintenance of good water quality in the lakes is always most important criteria for promoting good irrigation standards and drinking facilities to the nearby people along with other benefits like recreation, fisheries etc. but all these benefits are questionable in the current scenario as the water in the lakes are being contaminated by industrial and municipal waste disposal practices along with agricultural runoff at certain rural connected areas. Urban areas especially in India are facing severe problems with water as the availability of water reducing year by year at an alarm rate which in turn leads to increased pressure on sustainable consumption of lake water to meet the daily water demand of the city. There should be some suitable management strategies for Protecting water bodies to promote ecological balance at study area, the present study has taken up at koritapadu lake falls under the limits of guntur municipal corporation, Andhra Pradesh, earlier this lake served as major source for drinking and also for other requirements of water to the nearby people but now it became un useful as the water contamination is high and unable to consume as part of daily activities. Total eight samples were collected for both water and sediments by considering all possible corners of contamination, all he samples were analyzed by adopting standard water quality analysis procedures [7]. By keeping the above considerations this study was initiated to promote water quality for future consumption.


Patan Pragya ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
Chhabi Ram Baral

Urban poverty is one of multidimensional issue in Nepal. Increasing immigration from the outer parts of Kathmandu due to rural poverty, unemployment and weak security of the lives and the properties are core causes pushing people into urban areas. In this context how squatter urban area people sustain their livelihoods is major concern. The objectives of the study are to find out livelihood assets and capacities squatters coping with their livelihood vulnerability in adverse situation. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are applied for data collection. It is found that squatters social security is weak, victimized by severe health problems earning is not regular with lack of physical facilities and overall livelihood is critical. This study helps to understand what the changes that have occurred in livelihood patterns and how poor people survive in urban area.


Author(s):  
Udayon Misra

The concluding chapter takes up what it sees to be some of the major unresolved issues of Partition politics. While it tries to trace the roots of the violence centred around land in several areas of Assam, especially in the Bodo-inhabited region, it shows how issues such as the controversy over the cut-off year for immigrants to acquire citizenship are carry-overs from Partition days. Other major issues that are discussed include the status of Hindu refugees/displaced persons in the state, the National Register of Citizens, and the larger question of language and Assamese identity. It shows how with the new wave of immigrants being assimilated into the Assamese nationality, its transformation is underway and how this transformation itself throws up new challenges and equations.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 159
Author(s):  
Clemens de Olde ◽  
Stijn Oosterlynck

Contemporary evaluations of urban growth management (UGM) strategies often take the shape of quantitative measurements of land values and housing prices. In this paper, we argue that it is of key importance that these evaluations also analyse the policy formulation and implementation phases of growth management strategies. It is in these phases that the institutions and discourses are (trans)formed in which UGM strategies are embedded. This will enable us to better understand the conditions for growth management policies’ success or failure. We illustrate this point empirically with the case of demarcating urban areas in the region of Flanders, Belgium. Using the Policy Arrangement Approach, the institutional dynamics and discursive meanings in this growth instrument’s formulation and implementation phase are unravelled. More specifically, we explain how the Flemish strategic spatial planning vision of restraining sprawl was transformed into one of accommodating growth in the demarcation of the Antwerp Metropolitan Area, epitomised by two different meanings of the phrase “safeguarding the future.” In conclusion, we argue that, in Antwerp, the demarcation never solidified into a stable policy arrangement, rendering it largely ineffective. We end by formulating three recommendations to contribute to future attempts at managing urban growth in Flanders.


2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. MAZHARUL ISLAM ◽  
KAZI MD ABUL KALAM AZAD

SummaryThis paper analyses the levels and trends of childhood mortality in urban Bangladesh, and examines whether children’s survival chances are poorer among the urban migrants and urban poor. It also examines the determinants of child survival in urban Bangladesh. Data come from the 1999–2000 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. The results indicate that, although the indices of infant and child mortality are consistently better in urban areas, the urban–rural differentials in childhood mortality have diminished in recent years. The study identifies two distinct child morality regimes in urban Bangladesh: one for urban natives and one for rural–urban migrants. Under-five mortality is higher among children born to urban migrants compared with children born to life-long urban natives (102 and 62 per 1000 live births, respectively). The migrant–native mortality differentials more-or-less correspond with the differences in socioeconomic status. Like childhood mortality rates, rural–urban migrants seem to be moderately disadvantaged by economic status compared with their urban native counterparts. Within the urban areas, the child survival status is even worse among the migrant poor than among the average urban poor, especially recent migrants. This poor–non-poor differential in childhood mortality is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The study findings indicate that rapid growth of the urban population in recent years due to rural-to-urban migration, coupled with higher risk of mortality among migrant’s children, may be considered as one of the major explanations for slower decline in under-five mortality in urban Bangladesh, thus diminishing urban–rural differentials in childhood mortality in Bangladesh. The study demonstrates that housing conditions and access to safe drinking water and hygienic toilet facilities are the most critical determinants of child survival in urban areas, even after controlling for migration status. The findings of the study may have important policy implications for urban planning, highlighting the need to target migrant groups and the urban poor within urban areas in the provision of health care services.


2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 2280-2296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekkehard Christoffels ◽  
Andrea Brunsch ◽  
Jens Wunderlich-Pfeiffer ◽  
Franz Michael Mertens

Micropollutant pathways were studied for the Swist river basin (Western Germany). The aim was to verify the effectiveness of a monitoring approach to detect micropollutants entering the river. In a separate sewer system, water was frequently found to be contaminated with micropollutants. Improper connections of sewage canals to the stormwater network seemed to be the cause of pollution. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) exerted the largest influence on micropollutants for the receiving river. During a flu outbreak, antibiotics in the Swist stemming from WWTPs increased remarkably. Elevated levels of pharmaceuticals were measured in discharges from a combined sewer overflow (CSO). The study showed that the pharmaceutical load of a CSO was significantly reduced by advanced treatment with a retention soil filter. Painkillers, an anticonvulsant and beta blockers were the most often detected pharmaceuticals in the sewage of urban areas. Herbicides, flame retardants and industrial compounds were also observed frequently. On cropland, Chloridazon and Terbuthylazine compounds were often found in landscape runoff. Fungicides and insecticides were the most frequent positive findings in runoff from orchards. The paper shows that a coherent approach to collecting valid information regarding micropollutants and to addressing relevant pathways as a basis for appropriate management strategies could be established.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6565
Author(s):  
Shama E. Haque

Phosphorus is an essential component of modern agriculture. Long-term land application of phosphorous-enriched fertilizers and animal manure leads to phosphorus accumulation in soil that may become susceptible to mobilization via erosion, surface runoff and subsurface leaching. Globally, highly water-soluble phosphorus fertilizers used in agriculture have contributed to eutrophication and hypoxia in surface waters. This paper provides an overview of the literature relevant to the advances in phosphorous management strategies and surface water quality problems in the U.S. Over the past several decades, significant advances have been made to control phosphorus discharge into surface water bodies of the U.S. However, the current use of phosphorus remains inefficient at various stages of its life cycle, and phosphorus continues to remain a widespread problem in many water bodies, including the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie. In particular, the Midwestern Corn Belt region of the U.S. is a hotspot of phosphorous fertilization that has resulted in a net positive soil phosphorous balance. The runoff of phosphorous has resulted in dense blooms of toxic, odor-causing phytoplankton that deteriorate water quality. In the past, considerable attention was focused on improving the water quality of freshwater bodies and estuaries by reducing inputs of phosphorus alone. However, new research suggests that strategies controlling the two main nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen, are more effective in the management of eutrophication. There is no specific solution to solving phosphorus pollution of water resources; however, sustainable management of phosphorus requires an integrated approach combining at least a reduction in consumption levels, source management, more specific regime-based nutrient criteria, routine soil fertility evaluation and recommendations, transport management, as well as the development of extensive phosphorus recovery and recycling programs.


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