scholarly journals Condition Assessment of Subsurface Drained Areas and Investigation of their Operational Efficiency by Field Inspection and Remote Sensing Methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 14-25
Author(s):  
Norbert Túri ◽  
János Rakonczai ◽  
Csaba Bozán

Abstract The extreme weather events highlight the need to develop action concepts to maintain agricultural production security in the future. Hydrological extremes can occur within a year in the form of surplus water (i.e. inland excess water), water scarcity or even drought. These adverse effects are influenced, inhibited and also facilitated by human activity. Previously, complex amelioration interventions, including subsurface drainage, aimed to improve the productivity of agricultural areas with unfavourable water management properties. The current efficiency of the subsurface drain networks in the regulation of groundwater level or soil moisture content can be questioned from several aspects. After the end of the socialist era (after 1990s), lack of maintenance and operation tasks have become typical, and are still a problem today in Hungary. Unfortunately, there is no exact national cadastre on the tile drained areas, and data is only available to a limited extent in the original amelioration plan documentations. In the present study, we aimed to reveal the possibilities of delineating the subsurface drained areas, and to develop a new method of condition assessment. Three tile drained study sites were selected on the Great Hungarian Plain in Central Europe. Our field investigations revealed the typical problems of the drained areas: (1) excessive vegetation of the receiving channels; (2) inadequate condition of the receiving main channel bed; (3) soil compaction in multiple layers above the drainage network; and (4) poor condition of outlets of the drain pipes. The developed methodology enabled us to evaluate the soil and the surface/subsurface water of the tile drained areas, and the technical condition of the drains. The necessary action plans or treatments were also outlined to replace the unused drain networks into use. Based on the scientific literature, we also sketched the target conditions and technological solutions that are required for the installation of new drains. The organization of the derived data into a GIS database could serve as a basis for the development of a cadastre of the tile drained areas based on a regional approach.

Author(s):  
G. Doxani ◽  
S. Siachalou ◽  
Z. Mitraka ◽  
P. Patias

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Climate change and increase of extreme weather events, besides the numerous consequences, affect significantly and put in risk the agriculture sectors. Natural disasters, such as floods and wildfires, are responsible for a great loss in agriculture production. National governments together with international bodies make an important effort to cooperate towards the response and resilience when a disaster occurs. In this frame the European Earth Observation Programme - Copernicus provides a series of observation data, in-situ measurements and services related, amongst others, to different types of disasters. Concerning the availability of this big volume of observation data, the aim of DiAS (Disaster and Agriculture Sentinel Applications) project is to revise the existing knowledge on remote sensing methods for mapping the extent of natural and/or man-made disaster over agricultural areas and propose improvements. The developed methodology will be implemented in a Decision Support System (DSS), which will be freely available and easy-to-use by non-experts. In this paper, the developed methodology focuses on mapping floods over agricultural areas. Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery are used as input information for the comparison analysis before and after the event. The reference for results’ evaluation is the corresponding information delivered by Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS). Although, the evaluation results are in good agreement when they could be used, a reference of higher accuracy is needed in order to estimate accurately the quality of the output products.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-416
Author(s):  
V. M. Tytar ◽  
Ya. R. Oksentyuk

Abstract In this study an attempt is made to highlight important variables shaping the current bioclimatic niche of a number of mite species associated with the infestation of stored products by employing a species distribution modeling (SDM) approach. Using the ENVIREM dataset of bioclimatic variables, performance of the most robust models was mostly influenced by: 1) indices based on potential evapotranspiration, which characterize ambient energy and are mostly correlated with temperature variables, moisture regimes, and 2) strong fluctuations in temperature reflecting the severity of climate and/or extreme weather events. Although the considered mite species occupy man-made ecosystems, they remain more or less affected by the surrounding bioclimatic environment and therefore could be subjected to contemporary climate change. In this respect investigations are needed to see how this will affect future management targets concerning the safety of food storages.


Author(s):  
Sergio A. Molina Murillo

Most scenarios indicate that people in developing countries are more vulnerable and less capable of adapting to climate change. Since our public understanding of risk toward climate change in developing countries is limited, this article presents results from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, two countries which are socio-economically distinct, but which are expected to suffer similar extreme weather events. From October of 2008 until May 2010, a total of 1,047 respondents were surveyed in cities of both countries. The main results indicate that climate change is a widely known concept but other notions such as “carbon footprint” are foreign to most respondents. Despite the general concern with its negative consequences, respondents’ foremost concern is linked to their socioeconomic situation, and how it will be impacted by climate change in such aspects as poverty and social security. The results presented here contribute to advance national and international policies aiming to support mitigation or adaptation strategies in developing countries.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C. Balash, PhD ◽  
Kenneth C. Kern ◽  
John Brewer ◽  
Justin Adder ◽  
Christopher Nichols ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-75
Author(s):  
Robert Ddamulira

This article addresses three research questions: How does climate change impact food production? What are the governance challenges associated with managing such impacts? What are the conditions for future success in managing the impacts of climate change on food production? To answer these questions, the researcher undertook a document review and analysis to address these various aspects with a major focus on East Africa. The study finds that climate change affects food production largely through its physical impacts on precipitation and increased the frequency of extreme weather events. Within a context of weak governance; climate change further challenges governance institutional structures and mechanisms. The study concludes that specific aspects of the prevailing climate change governance regime require major reforms (particularly the role of the state, corporations and civil society) while other climate governance mechanisms need to be completely overhauled (for example through establishment of a new World Environment Organization).


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