scholarly journals Preliminary Model-Based Evaluation of Water Conservation Strategies in a Semi-Arid Urban Zone

Land ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Marcelino Antonio Zúñiga-Estrada ◽  
Liliana Lizárraga-Mendiola ◽  
Carlos Alfredo Bigurra-Alzati ◽  
Sergio Esteban Aldana-Alonso ◽  
Jorge Santiago Ramírez-Núñez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Preliminary Model ◽  
Field Assessment ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Semi Arid

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stormwater management model was applied to a semi-arid urban micro watershed. The sub-catchment’s current features were modeled as scenario A, while the insertion of a set of LID technologies (rain barrels, bioretention cells, permeable pavement, and infiltration trenches) was represented as scenario B. A third scenario (C), considering only the most feasible LID technologies, was also modeled. All the scenarios were evaluated under two representative storm events (30 and 9 mm in two consecutive days, and 39 mm of rainfall in one day) occurred during the sampling performed in this study. Water quality was also simulated for a 30-mm storm event and compared against field assessment results after a real 30-mm storm event. Through the model, the inefficiency of current evacuation methods after 30- and 39-mm storm events was demonstrated. Simulation of scenario B showed that LID technologies could satisfactorily diminish peak flows generated by the selected storm events as well as runoff-conveyed pollution, while the realistic scenario allowed a lower but satisfactory hydrological performance and almost the same runoff quality than scenario B. This preliminary study could contribute to spread awareness about the benefits of LID technologies in semi-arid urban areas of the developing world.

scholarly journals The role of water conservation strategies and benchmark ecotopes for increasing yields in South Africa’s semi-arid croplands

Water SA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (3 July) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Hensley ◽  
Pieter AL Le Roux ◽  
J Jacobus Botha ◽  
Leon D Van Rensburg
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Daily Rainfall ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Cumulative Probability ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Semi Arid

Recently published results regarding South Africa’s cropping potential show that about one third of the arable land is of low potential, located mainly in semi-arid areas, with the main problem being water shortage.  This is therefore an appropriate time to review priorities and procedures, for selecting benchmark ecotopes to represent marginal areas, and for research needs with regard to water conservation strategies to mitigate the problems of low yields.  Relevant international principles encapsulated in the words agro-ecology, sustainability and socio-economic conditions, are discussed. Relevant new technologies are described, namely: digital soil mapping that will facilitate the identification of benchmark ecotopes; a stochastic procedure to predict rainfall intensity data from daily rainfall that will facilitate runoff predictions; a crop yield cumulative probability procedure that enables sustainability to be described quantitatively. As a case study, results from a successful field experiment using the infield rainwater harvesting production technique on benchmark ecotopes in a semi-arid area, inhabited by subsistence farmers, are presented.  The objectives of the study, procedures used and the method of expressing the results are recommended as guidelines for contributing towards mitigating the problem of low crop productivity across a large portion of the arable area in South Africa.

scholarly journals Water-Use and Conservation in the Commercial Vehicle Washing Industry in Urban Ghana: The Case of Cape Coast Metropolis

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
J. N. Quayson ◽  
E. Awere
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Commercial Vehicle ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Wastewater Reclamation ◽  
Cape Coast ◽  
Regional Office ◽  
General Managers ◽  
Washing Process

Commercial vehicle washing businesses have gained popularity in urban Ghana. Most vehicle washing bays operating in the Cape Coast Metropolis rely on Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) for their water supply. With increasing vehicular numbers, the pressure on the limited safe water quantities is likely to increase. There is the need to regulate the operations of the commercial vehicle washing industry to ensure water conservation and its associated environmental and social impacts. This study is aimed at assess the water-use and conservation strategies in the commercial vehicle washing industry in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The study focused on all the sixteen (16) commercial vehicle washing bays in the Cape Coast metropolis which are registered with and certified by the Metropolitan Assembly and are also members of the Vehicle Washing Bay Operators Association, Cape Coast Branch. Data was collected through the use of pre-tested questionnaire and interview guide as well as personal observation and measurement. A total of Thirty-two (32) questionnaires were distributed to the General Managers and Operation Managers of all the 16 washing bays in the metropolis. In addition, officials of Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) and Central Regional office of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were interviewed. Trained Research Assistants were assigned to each vehicle washing bay for one week including Saturdays and Sundays to count the number of vehicles washed daily and the quantity of water used for washing. The study revealed that the most common technique used by the washing bays is the manual and semi-automatic washing process. On the average, the quantity of water required for washing vehicles ranges between 162.0 litres for saloon vehicles and 532.0 litres for tipper trucks. A minimum of 96 vehicles are washed daily utilizing approximately 19,346.00 litres (19.346 m3) of water. There are no water efficiency and wastewater reclamation regulations in place for the vehicle washing industry. It is concluded that the existing commercial vehicle washing facilities in use does not ensure efficient water use and conservation.

scholarly journals Potential use of ionic species for identifying source land-uses of stormwater runoff

2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 978-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Hoon Lee ◽  
Jin Hwi Kim ◽  
Joseph A. Mendoza ◽  
Chang-Hee Lee ◽  
Joo-Hyon Kang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Ionic Composition ◽  
Stormwater Runoff ◽  
Ionic Species ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Storm Events

Identifying critical land-uses or source areas is important to prioritize resources for cost-effective stormwater management. This study investigated the use of information on ionic composition as a fingerprint to identify the source land-use of stormwater runoff. We used 12 ionic species in stormwater runoff monitored for a total of 20 storm events at five sites with different land-use compositions during the 2012–2014 wet seasons. A stepwise forward discriminant function analysis (DFA) with the jack-knifed cross validation approach was used to select ionic species that better discriminate the land-use of its source. Of the 12 ionic species, 9 species (K+, Mg2+, Na+, NH4+, Br−, Cl−, F−, NO2−, and SO42−) were selected for better performance of the DFA. The DFA successfully differentiated stormwater samples from urban, rural, and construction sites using concentrations of the ionic species (70%, 95%, and 91% of correct classification, respectively). Over 80% of the new data cases were correctly classified by the trained DFA model. When applied to data cases from a mixed land-use catchment and downstream, the DFA model showed the greater impact of urban areas and rural areas respectively in the earlier and later parts of a storm event.

Spatiotemporal Changes of Riverbed and Surrounding Environment in Yongding River (Beijing section) in the Past 40 Years

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 40407-1-40407-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ran Pang ◽  
He Huang ◽  
Tri Dev Acharya
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Cropland Area ◽  
The Past ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Spatiotemporal Changes ◽  
Yongding River

Abstract Yongding River is one of the five major river systems in Beijing. It is located to the west of Beijing. It has influenced culture along its basin. The river supports both rural and urban areas. Furthermore, it influences economic development, water conservation, and the natural environment. However, during the past few decades, due to the combined effect of increasing population and economic activities, a series of changes have led to problems such as the reduction in water volume and the exposure of the riverbed. In this study, remote sensing images were used to derive land cover maps and compare spatiotemporal changes during the past 40 years. As a result, the following data were found: forest changed least; cropland area increased to a large extent; bareland area was reduced by a maximum of 63%; surface water area in the study area was lower from 1989 to 1999 because of the excessive use of water in human activities, but it increased by 92% from 2010 to 2018 as awareness about protecting the environment arose; there was a small increase in the built-up area, but this was more planned. These results reveal that water conservancy construction, agroforestry activities, and increasing urbanization have a great impact on the surrounding environment of the Yongding River (Beijing section). This study discusses in detail how the current situation can be attributed to of human activities, policies, economic development, and ecological conservation Furthermore, it suggests improvement by strengthening the governance of the riverbed and the riverside. These results and discussion can be a reference and provide decision support for the management of southwest Beijing or similar river basins in peri-urban areas.

The implications of climate change on residential water use: a micro-scale analysis of Portland (OR), USA

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivek Shandas ◽  
Meenakshi Rao ◽  
Moriah McSharry McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Residential Water Use ◽  
Residential Water

Social and behavioral research is crucial for securing environmental sustainability and improving human living environments. Although the majority of people now live in urban areas, we have limited empirical evidence of the anticipated behavioral response to climate change. Using empirical data on daily household residential water use and temperature, our research examines the implications of future climate conditions on water conservation behavior in 501 households within the Portland (OR) metropolitan region. We ask whether and how much change in ambient temperatures impact residential household water use, while controlling for taxlot characteristics. Based on our results, we develop a spatially explicit description about the changes in future water use for the study region using a downscaled future climate scenario. The results suggest that behavioral responses are mediated by an interaction of household structural attributes, and magnitude and temporal variability of weather parameters. These findings have implications for the way natural resource managers and planning bureaus prepare for and adapt to future consequences of climate change.

Nitrogen/phosphorus behavior traits and implications during storm events in a semi-arid mountainous watershed

2021 ◽  
pp. 148382
Author(s):  
H.K.M. Mihiranga ◽  
Yan Jiang ◽  
Xuyong Li ◽  
Wang Wei ◽  
Koshila De Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Storm Events ◽  
Mountainous Watershed ◽  
Nitrogen Phosphorus ◽  
Semi Arid

scholarly journals A Soundwalk in the heart of Poblenou superblock in Barcelona: Preliminary study of the acoustic events

Noise Mapping ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-216
Author(s):  
Rosa Ma Alsina-Pagès ◽  
Gerardo José Ginovart-Panisello ◽  
Marc Freixes ◽  
Antonella Radicchi
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Traffic Density ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Social Exchanges ◽  
Interdisciplinary Work ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
New City

Abstract The Poblenou Superblock, in Barcelona, is a crucial element in the development of the new city-planning within the framework of the Superblock (Superilles) concept, whose principal aim is to recover the cultural, economic and social exchanges once produced in streets and squares. People living in urban areas need a lower traffic density, more green spaces and cleaner air in order to restore the previous uses of public spaces in their day-today lives. The urban actions conducted at this Superblock to change its uses were completed about 3 years ago, and neighbours and workers have already taken over the new spaces. In an interdisciplinary work on urban planning and acoustics, we detail the preliminary results of the acoustic events found in the recordings in a soundwalk in the heart of the Poblenou Superblock. Fifteen people evaluate and record sound fragments with the Hush City App application, in order to establish comparisons between the different points of the route, observe the spaces arranged for people and perceive the soundscape. Meanwhile, several acoustic technicians record 5-min long audios in the different stops designed for the soundwalk. The points chosen to make the recordings are very different from each other, some of them in the middle of gardens and others are on pacific streets and finally, we also wanted to include Superblock borders where the traffic is still very present. The results of our study were promising and have encouraged us to further investigate acoustics events in superblocks and include all the perceptual information provided by the Hush City App.

scholarly journals A Cumulative Rainfall Function for Subhourly Design Storm in Mediterranean Urban Areas

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Carbone ◽  
Michele Turco ◽  
Giuseppe Brunetti ◽  
Patrizia Piro
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Nonlinear Least Squares ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Rainfall Time Series ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Design Storm ◽  
Double Exponential ◽  
Two Parameters ◽  
Precipitation Records

Design storms are very useful in many hydrological and hydraulic practices and are obtained from statistical analysis of precipitation records. However considering design storms, which are often quite unlike the natural rainstorms, may result in designing oversized or undersized drainage facilities. For these reasons, in this study, a two-parameter double exponential function is proposed to parameterize historical storm events. The proposed function has been assessed against the storms selected from 5-year rainfall time series with a 1-minute resolution, measured by three meteorological stations located in Calabria, Italy. In particular, a nonlinear least square optimization has been used to identify parameters. In previous studies, several evaluation methods to measure the goodness of fit have been used with excellent performances. One parameter is related to the centroid of the rain distribution; the second one is related to high values of the standard deviation of the kurtosis for the selected events. Finally, considering the similarity between the proposed function and the Gumbel function, the two parameters have been computed with the method of moments; in this case, the correlation values were lower than those computed with nonlinear least squares optimization but sufficiently accurate for designing purposes.

scholarly journals Urban rats have less variable, higher protein diets

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1889) ◽  
pp. 20181441 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Guiry ◽  
M. Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Urban Ecology ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Animal Management ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Brown Rat ◽  
Dietary Niche ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Over the past 1000 years, rats ( Rattus spp.) have become one of the most successful and prolific pests in human society. Despite their cosmopolitan distribution across six continents and ubiquity throughout the world's cities, rat urban ecology remains poorly understood. We investigate the role of human foods in brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus ) diets in urban and rural areas over a 100 year period ( ca AD 1790–1890) in Toronto, Canada using stable carbon ( δ 13 C) and nitrogen ( δ 15 N) isotope analyses of archaeological remains. We found that rat diets from urban sites were of higher quality and were more homogeneous and stable over time. By contrast, in rural areas, they show a wide range of dietary niche specializations that directly overlap, and probably competed, with native omnivorous and herbivorous species. These results demonstrate a link between rodent diets and human population density, providing, to our knowledge, the first long-term dietary perspective on the relative value of different types of human settlements as rodent habitat. This study highlights the potential of using the historical and archaeological record to provide a retrospective on the urban ecology of commensal and synanthropic animals that could be useful for improving animal management and conservation strategies in urban areas.

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