scholarly journals NATURAL RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN A MOUNTAIN ECONOMY

10.26458/1845 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 75-93
Author(s):  
Viorica Jelev
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Mountain Area ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
The Impact

 This paper presents the existing situation at national and world level considering the available water resources, their vulnerability especially in the mountains areas, the impact of climate changes, the possible conflicts regarding the intensification of water shortage in some regions of the world. I also present a case study on forests in Romania. Beginning with the general data mentioned above, we point out the specific peculiarities of the mountain area hydrology for identifying some aspects which are specific to the mountain water relationship. The analysis is necessary as no specifications regarding the mountain hilly or plain areas are done in the activity regarding waters management. Waters are managed unitary on river basins considering some general principles, unanimously recognized, well reflected into the national and international regulations. As a first stage, traditional economic activities are identified in the relationship of the mountain areas inhabitants with water but also some present approaches. The way the mountain areas inhabitants knew how to live together and capitalize water resources represents a model and impulse for coming back to such sustainable solutions but capitalizing the advantages of modern technologies. Each of these activities referring to waters which take place in the mountains area can represent ways for the research activity and future thorough studies from the technical, economic, social, cultural-traditional point of view and also for environment protection. A main preoccupation might have connection with the evolution of agricultural activities in the mountains area considering the climate changes and a possible “migration” towards higher areas of some agricultural practices specific to lower areas. The paper also shows a small example of the regaining by the locals of a community of an important resource for their lives in the hands of corporations: the forests defaced by HOLZINDUSTRIE SCHWEIGHOFER and stop flooding villages. 

scholarly journals The water crisis and its implications in Brazilian agribusiness: A bibliographic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
O. S. Fagundes ◽  
L. C. A. Oliveira ◽  
O. M. Yamashita ◽  
I. V. Silva ◽  
M. A. C. Carvalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Industrial Effluents ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Water Crisis ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Basic Sanitation ◽  
Environmental Good

Water scarcity has become one of the main global problems, since of all the water of the terrestrial surface, only 2.5% represents fresh water, and of this, only 0.3% corresponds to the water of the rivers and lakes that are available to supply the demand for food production and other uses. The present work consisted in surveying the scenario related to the global water crisis and presenting evidence that even Brazil being abundant in the amount of water available, tends to face serious problems because of its scarcity, affecting two of the main economic pillars, agribusiness and industry. It was observed that the main negative effects on water resources occur due to urban occupation and agricultural practices in a disorderly way, causing destruction of natural resources through the discharge of domestic sewage, industrial effluents and agrochemicals. In general, the lack of control of the use of the water directed to the productive processes is one of the major generators of the water shortage, since 69% of the water derived from rivers, lakes and aquifers underground is turned to irrigated agriculture, using 70 times more water than for domestic purposes. Thus, it is necessary to adopt policies aimed at the conservation and efficient use of water resources, to value water as a social, social and environmental good, since their scarcity can generate instability in economic sectors such as agriculture, generating production insecurity in industry, as well as affecting the supply of drinking water, basic sanitation and public health.

Potential impacts of climate change on agriculture - A review

2020 ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel P. Pais ◽  
Fernando H. Reboredo ◽  
José C. Ramalho ◽  
Maria F. Pessoa ◽  
Fernando C. Lidon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Ca 50 ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Greenhouse gases content in the atmosphere significantly raised since the beginning of the industrial revolution, mainly associated to anthropogenic emissions, namely those related to altered land use. Such rise is driving changes in the climate, which will worsen throughout the 21st century. Agricultural systems are particularly vulnerable to Climate Changes (CC) thus the attempts to achieve higher crop productivities, simultaneously with more efficient use of resources, while minimizing environmental impacts could fail. The CC mitigation/adaptation measures require a major effort to decarbonise the economy, which includes a global greenhouse gas emissions reduction of ca. 50-60% by 2050, as compared to 1990. These actions should be used in a complementary manner, in order to greatly reduce the vulnerability of agri-food systems, thus, contributing to food security and safety. The water shortage and increase of extreme events episodes in Southern Europe may lead to abandonment of agricultural practices, whereas in the northern Europe it is foreseen the expansion of suitable crop´s areas and yield increases, thus emphasizing that the estimated impacts of climate changes will not be uniform throughout the world.

Hydrology and Best Practices for Managing Water Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands

2017 ◽  
pp. 164-184
Author(s):  
Samwel N. Marigi
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Analysis And Evaluation ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Current Resource ◽  
Development And Management ◽  
Water Issues

This chapter provides a critical analysis and evaluation of the water issues relevant to Kenya's ASALs. This has particularly been centred on the current resource development and management, future resource demand as well as extent of its vulnerability to climate variability and change. The water development policy interventions have also been evaluated. The analysis has revealed that water resources are being utilized to satisfy a myriad of demands and that in-fact a water shortage already exists in these ASALs. A number of factors including population pressure, poor resource use and management and other socio-economic activities have been noted to increase the vulnerability of the available water to the impacts of climate change. A raft of recommendations for purposes of ensuring the sustainable utilization of this vital resource has therefore, been proposed.

scholarly journals Observing Snow Cover and Water Resource Changes in the High Mountain Asia Region in Comparison with Global Mountain Trends over 2000–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 3913
Author(s):  
Claudia Notarnicola
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Snow Cover Extent ◽  
The Impact

The quantification of snow cover changes and of the related water resources in mountain areas has a key role for understanding the impact on several sectors such as ecosystem services, tourism and energy production. By using NASA-Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images from 2000 to 2018, this study analyzes changes in snow cover in the High Mountain Asia region and compares them with global mountain areas. Globally, snow cover extent and duration are declining with significant trends in around 78% of mountain areas, and the High Mountain Asia region follows similar trends in around 86% of the areas. As an example, Shaluli Shan area in China shows significant negative trends for both snow cover extent and duration, with −11.4% (confidence interval: −17.7%, −5.5%) and −47.3 days (confidence interval: −70.4 days, −24.4 days) at elevations >5500 m a.s.l. respectively. In spring, an earlier snowmelt of −13.5 days (confidence interval: −24.3 days, −2.0 days) in 4000–5500 m a.s.l. is detected. On the other side, Tien Shan area shows an earlier snow onset of −28.8 days (confidence interval: −44.3 days, −8.2 days) between 2500 and 4000 m a.s.l., governed by decreasing temperature and increasing snowfall. In the current analysis, the Tibetan Plateau shows no significant changes. Regarding water resources, by using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data it was found that around 50% of areas in the High Mountain Asia region and 30% at global level are suffering from significant negative temporal trends of total water storage (including groundwater, soil moisture, surface water, snow, and ice) in the period 2002–2015. In the High Mountain Asia region, this negative trend involves around 54% of the areas during spring period, while at a global level this percentage lies between 25% and 30% for all seasons. Positive trends for water storage are detected in a maximum 10% of the areas in High Mountain Asia region and in around 20% of the areas at global level. Overall snow mass changes determine a significant contribution to the total water storage changes up to 30% of the areas in winter and spring time over 2002–2015.

scholarly journals Confronting South Africa’s water challenge: A decomposition analysis of water intensity

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 831-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Kohler
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Water Intensity ◽  
The Impact

Water is a vital natural resource, demanding careful management. It is essential for life and integral to virtually all economic activities, including energy and food production and the production of industrial outputs. The availability of clean water in sufficient quantities is not only a prerequisite for human health and well-being but the life-blood of freshwater ecosystems and the many services that these provide. Water resource intensity measures the intensity of water use in terms of volume of water per unit of value added. It is an internationally accepted environmental indicator of the pressure of economic activity on a country’s water resources and therefore a reliable indicator of sustainable economic development. The indicator is particularly useful in the allocation of water resources between sectors of the economy since in waterstressed countries like South Africa, there is competition for water among various users, which makes it necessary to allocate water resources to economic activities that are less intensive in their use of water. This study focuses on economy-wide changes in South Africa’s water intensity using both decomposition and empirical estimation techniques in an effort to identify and understand the impact of economic activity on changes in the use of the economy’s water resources. It is hoped that this study will help inform South Africa’s water conservation and resource management policies

scholarly journals Rural Settlements on Peatlands in Moscow Region: Impact of Economic Activities and Climate Changes on Quality of Life

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 462-481
Author(s):  
Tatiana Borodina ◽  
Alexander Savchenko
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Moscow Region ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Weather And Climate ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The impact of the transformation of economic activities and sharp weather and climate changes on the quality of life in rural settlements on peatlands in the Moscow region was analyzed. As theoretical background, an analysis of various interpretations of the concept of the quality of life was carried out, including in the context of sustainable development. The impact of economic and environmental factors of the quality of life in rural settlements on peatlands is considered with respect to their location in the zone of attraction of Moscow. It was concluded that the development of industrialization in the region led to population decline and to increase in the anthropogenic load. This critically increased the vulnerability of peatlands to fluctuations in weather and climate conditions and several times led to serious environmental disasters. At the same time, location in the zone of attraction of Moscow opens up opportunities for improving the quality of life associated with the development of post-industrial recreational use.

scholarly journals A simulation impact evaluation of social-economic development on water resource use

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenyi Wang ◽  
Weihua Zeng ◽  
Bo Yao ◽  
Jing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Social Growth ◽  
Tongzhou District ◽  
Social Economic Development ◽  
The Impact

Due to the fast growth of the economy and population, the water scarcity issue has aroused widespread critical concern. In fact, reasonable structure, adaptive patterns and effective regulation of the economy, society and water resources can bring a harmonious future. Therefore, the study of how to balance economic social growth and water resources is of great importance. A model of the water resource, society and economy system of the Tongzhou district was designed by Stella. The model established here attempts to analyze future trends in social-economic development and the impact of the economic and population growth on water use in the Tongzhou district under three scenarios. The results reveal that the water shortage is very serious. If the current trends persist, the existing water supply will not be able to meet the water demand in the future. Tongzhou district's water shortage will be 162.50 million m3 in 2020 under the business-as-usual scenario. Therefore, it is necessary to develop unconventional water sources and improve the water-saving capacity of production and life to alleviate the water tensions. This research offers insight into larger questions regarding economic growth and water resource management in general.

scholarly journals Technologies and methods of restoration of degraded forage lands of the Central Caucasus

2020 ◽  
Vol 203 (12) ◽  
pp. 35-42
Author(s):  
Irina Soldatova ◽  
Sergey Dzhibilov ◽  
Eduard Soldatov ◽  
Lyudmila Guluyeva
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Resource Saving ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Simultaneous Application ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The article presents the results of R&D and new units for the restoration of degraded mountain areas. The purpose of the study is the accelerated restoration of the natural phytocenosis and the implementation of measures to improve meadows using these aggregates. The object of the study is the technologies and units developed by the authors for the following operations: cutting bumps, raking stones, sowing grass mixtures with the simultaneous application of mineral fertilizers. The research objectives included: determining the initial floristic composition of a degraded mountain meadow; assessment of the impact of events and agricultural practices on the change in the floristic composition of the grass stand, its productivity and energy intensity; identification of the effectiveness of the application of the developed units when sowing herbs in turf and targeted application of mineral fertilizers. The novelty of the technical solution lies in the fact that new resource-saving methods have been developed to improve mountain fodder land using small-sized universal units. . The tests were carried out at a mountain hospital located on the southeastern exposition of the Dargavskiy depression of the North Ossetia-Alania, at an altitude of 1650 m above sea level with a slope of 10°, in six plots, with a recorded area of 360 m2. Three options in triplicate. The first option is natural seeding, and the second is grass seeding by the aggregate, the third option is grass seeding and low doses of N60P45K20 fertilizers. The plots are located across the slope randomized. It was found that at a concentration of 17.2 MJ of energy in 1 kg of dry matter of feed, the total collection in the control plot was 29.7 GJ, and in the seeded experimental field – 85.3 GJ; the crop of the aboveground fodder mass, when sowing grasses, in the first year of observations amounted to 21.8 c/ha of dry weight, which is 3 times higher than in the control. During the growing season of the third year of observations, the yield in the sown area was 39.2 c/ha of dry weight against 19.3 c/ha in the control.

Modeling the impact of 1.5 and 2.0◦C global warming on the hydrology of the Faleme river basin (West Africa)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamadou Lamine Mbaye ◽  
Khadidiatou Sy ◽  
Bakary Faty ◽  
Saidou Moustapha Sall
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Hydrological Model ◽  
Cumulative Distribution ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Calibration And Validation ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

<p>Climate change raises many questions about the future availability of water resources in West Africa. Indeed, water in this region is a fundamental element for many socio-economic activities. This study proposes an assessment of the impact of climate change on the hydrology of the Faleme basin, located in the Sahel (West Africa). The applied methodology consists in calibrating and validating the hydrological model GR4J before simulating the future evolution of flows in this catchment under of 1.5 and 2°C global warming.  Observed rainfall, potential evapotranspiration (PET), and river flows were used for calibration and validation of the GR4J model. Furthermore, output of three regional climate models (DMI-HIRHAM, SHIM-RCA, and BCCR-WRF) were bias corrected with the cumulative distribution function-transform (CDF-t) before used as input to the GR4J hydrological model to simulate future flows at the watershed scale. During the historical period the results shows a good correspondence between the simulated flows and those observed during calibration and validation, with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiencies (NSE) greater than 70%. Projections show a general increase in mean annual temperature and PET; a decrease in mean annual rainfall is projected by the DMI-HIRHAM, BCCR-WRF models and the overall mean; while a slight increase is noted with the SMHI-RCA model. As for future flows, a downward trend in annual and monthly average flows is expected in the two sub-basins of the Faleme (Kidira and Gourbassi) with input from the DMI-HIRHAM, BCCR-WRF models and the overall mean; however,  the GR4J forced by the SMHI-RCA model output, project increased flows. Furthermore, the decrease is more pronounced at Gourbassi sub-basin than at Kidira sub-basin. Thus, recommendations were made to mitigate the likely impacts of climate change on socio-economic activities that use water resources.</p>

scholarly journals Integrated RAGA-PP water demand forecast model (case study: Shaanxi Province, China)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yang ◽  
Yanning Mao ◽  
Yuqi Ma ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
Yuan Bai
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Demand Forecast ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Demand Fluctuations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The demand for water resources in Shaanxi Province increases greatly due to the continuous growth of its population and the rapid development of the social economy. Water demand forecasting is a significant issue in the designing, maintaining and operating of a reliable and economical water supply system. An explicit mathematical method was presented in this study, based on the indicators of industrial output value, such as the gross output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery. The impact of total retail sales and year trends in the domestic or industrial water demands, can accurately forecast the water demand fluctuations for a municipality. Adopt RAGA-PP optimal selection model through a grouping method of data handling for water demand management to test for the case study Shaanxi, China. Results showed that the prediction effect of multivariate logarithmic model accuracy can reach 99.50%, and it is estimated that the demand for water resources in Shaanxi would exceed 10 billion m3 by 2030. The average relative error of the water consumption from 2015 to 2017 is 3.05% for the model of multiple linear and 0.50% for the model of multivariate logarithm model. Our framework can assist in developing sustainable solutions.

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