scholarly journals Hydrological Response to Natural and Anthropogenic Factors in Southern Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1981
Author(s):  
Hsin-Fu Yeh ◽  
Jyun Tsao

Global climate change and rapid industrial development have led to changes in streamflow worldwide, and determining the relative contributions from climate variability and human activity is important for water management. However, studies using attribution analysis to investigate the streamflow in Taiwan are scarce. In this study, statistical methods are used to evaluate the changes in streamflow in order to assess the variation in the hydrological environment of Taiwan. Four river basins in Southern Taiwan were selected as the study area. The impact of climate variability and human activities on the changes in the streamflow from 1980 to 2017 was quantified via the hydrological sensitivity-based method and the decomposition method, which is based on the Budyko hypothesis. The results from these two methods were consistent and demonstrated that the increase in the streamflow of the four river basins was mainly attributable to climate variability. Streamflow change was more responsive to precipitation because of the relatively larger value of the sensitivity coefficients. This study provides a basic insight into the hydrological dynamics of river basins in Southern Taiwan and may serve as a reference for related research in the future.

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2465
Author(s):  
Jyun Tsao ◽  
Cheng-Haw Lee ◽  
Hsin-Fu Yeh

Climate change and anthropogenic activity are the main factors impacting the hydrological environment. For sustainable water utilization, identifying the impact contribution of these two factors on the streamflow variations is an important topic in recent research. In this study, seven river basins in southern Taiwan were selected as the study area to evaluate the annual streamflow from 1980 to 2017. The decomposition and elasticity methods based on the Budyko hypothesis were applied to quantify the contribution of climate and anthropogenic factors to the streamflow variations. In addition, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used to represent the actual situation of land cover and verify the parameters in the Budyko equation. The two quantitative methods consistently demonstrated that the streamflow variations from pre- to post-period occurred due to the climate factor. The elasticity coefficient of variables demonstrated that the streamflow change is more sensitive to precipitation and this influence reduces from pre- to post-period as the streamflow increase. In the NDVI variations, except for the Yanshui and the Linbain rivers, the Budyko equation parameters changed consistently with NDVI. The present study provides effective results on the contribution of streamflow variations in southern Taiwan to serve as a reference for future water management.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 344-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Yang ◽  
Jianxia Chang ◽  
Jun Yao ◽  
Yimin Wang ◽  
Qiang Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract Studying the impact of climate variability is important for the rational utilization of water resources, especially in the case of intensified global climate variability. Climate variability can be caused by natural climate variability or human-caused climate variability. The analysis of Jinghe River Basin (JRB) may not be comprehensive because few studies have concentrated on natural climate variability. Therefore, the primary goal is to explore the impact of natural climate variability on runoff. A modified Mann–Kendall test method was adopted to analyze the aberrance point to determine the natural condition period during which runoff was only influenced by natural climate variability. Then, the Monte Carlo method was employed to extract segments of monthly runoff in the natural condition period and combine them to construct a long series to reduce the instability. Results indicate that the percentage of runoff variability affected by natural climate variability is 30.52% at a confidence level of 95%. Next, a topography-based hydrological model and climate elasticity method were used to simulate runoff after the aberrance point without considering the impact caused by local interference. Through a comparison of the measured and simulated runoff, we discovered that local interference has the greatest impact on runoff in the JRB.


Author(s):  
H. P. Ivus ◽  
R. R. Ozymko ◽  
Е. V. Аgayar ◽  
N. М. Mishchenko ◽  
А. B. Semerhei-Chumachenko

Over the recent decades the research efforts associated with the atmosphere intensified due to the increasing urgency of the problem of global climate change and the impact of anthropogenic factors thereon. Atmospheric moisture, its phase state and moisture exchange play a significant role in the formation of weather and climate. The article analyzes modern circulation conditions over the territory of Transcarpathia in winter over the period from 2007 to 2016 when strong and very strong precipitation was formed. Using the typification  of weather processes over a given region and taking into account the elementary circulation mechanisms (the EСMs) proposed by B. L. Dzerdzeevskyi, V. M. Kurgan and Z. M. Vitvytska the most probable atmospheric processes and types of synoptic situations that create conditions for extreme precipitation in the Transcarpathian region were identified. According to observation data from 9 hydrometeorological stations, 30 hydrological stations and 15 automated hydrometeorological stations extreme precipitation series for three winter months were obtained. The following objective analysis data of the US National Center for Atmospheric Prediction (NCEP) and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) were used for calculating the blocking indicators: geopotential fields at the level of 500 hPa. According to the research period, precipitation of ≥ 20 mm / 12 h were more often recorded in December (47 %), and year-wise – in 2011, that is, unevenly over time. Precipitation of 30 mm / 12 h (37 cases from 66 - 56,1 %) formed only as a result of type 6 synoptic processes – cyclonic circulations with great atmospheric pressure gradients. Strong precipitation in Transcarpathia is much more often associated (75,7 %) with ECM 11 and ECM 12 types. The highest repeatability of hazardous precipitation is observed in December and associated possibly with blocking anticyclones. As an example, the article describes the situation over the period from 22 to 26 December, 2009 when the maximum amount of precipitation per day was recorded: 82 mm at the Ust-Chorna and Rusʹka Mokra meteorological stations, December 26, 2009. Azor and Arctic blockings may contribute to stationing of the blocked southwest and northwest cyclones and formation of intense and long-term precipitation and other extreme weather phenomena over the orographically inhomogeneous territory of Transcarpathia.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaushik Ramanathan ◽  
Nirmala Vasudevan

<p>Are we justified in referring to all landslides as natural hazards? With the effects of climate change, landslide incidences are increasing all over the world, and many of them accompany floods and occur due to extreme weather events. It has been unequivocally established that humans are responsible for global climate change. Further, landslides also occur in deforested areas. Even if one were to discount the effects of deforestation on climate change and the subsequent occurrence of landslides, one cannot ignore the fact that deforestation leads to slope instabilities in multiple ways. It decreases the effective retaining strength of the slope materials and also exposes more slope material to weathering and consequent leaching. Thus, deforestation and climate change, caused directly or indirectly by human beings, have a significant bearing on landslide occurrence. Furthermore, several catastrophic landslides in recent times have occurred due to indiscriminate human activity, such as constructing dams and other structures on fragile slopes, blasting slopes for road construction without providing adequate toe support, excessive mining, constructing faulty retaining structures on unstable slope material, etc. Over the years, such human activity has resulted in landslides of all types and at various scales. Whether a landslide is natural, caused due to anthropogenic factors, or a combination of the two, the investigation approach and monitored parameters remain the same; we still need to identify the various causative factors and quantify their rates of change over time in the run up to the landslide event. However, we need a paradigm shift in our perspective and treatment of landslides. We need to accept that human activity is, or can be, responsible for landslide occurrence. With this change in perspective, we would monitor slopes with an increased awareness that human actions could negatively impact slope stability. This, in turn, would entail monitoring at every stage to ensure that no human activity adversely impacts the natural balance, thus paving the way for truly sustainable development. We would be doing great disservice to the investigation and monitoring of landslides by such preconceived notions as all landslides are natural hazards. It is high time that we accept our part in compounding the problem of landslide occurrences and come up with solutions to monitor the impact of human activity on the environment to prevent landslides.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Rončák ◽  
Kamila Hlavčová ◽  
Tamara Látková

Abstract Distributed rainfall-runoff model simulations are often used to evaluate the impact of changes on the generation of runoff. These models have the advantage of reflecting the effects of land use on spatially distributed model parameters. The article deals with changes in forest associations as a result of global climate changes. In this article the WetSpa model was used for estimating the impact of forest changes on the runoff regime in the Hron and Topla river basins, with an emphasis on the parameterization of the land cover properties in the runoff simulations. The parameters of the model were estimated using climate data and three digital map layers: a land-use map, soil map and digital elevation model. This work contains two land use change scenarios of forest associations and also two scenarios of global climate change. Both types of scenarios of changes were prepared, and the runoff under the new conditions was simulated.


Author(s):  
B. M. Kalyn ◽  
S. A. Nepytaliuk

At the present stage, in the conditions of growing scale of anthropogenic impact on water resources, shortage of quality drinking water and climate change, priority measures should be their rational use and comprehensive conservation. The article analyzes the environmental problems of surface waters of river basins, analyzed the existing potential of water resources and the state of water use, qualitative and quantitative indicators of surface waters of river basins of the Dnieper, Southern Bug and Dniester within Khmelnytsky region. The main problems of water resources of the region are highlighted and proposals for their effective use are formulated. A feature of the Khmelnytsky region is its location in three river basins – the rivers Dniester, Southern Bug and Dnieper. The main share of water intake in the region comes from surface objects, and s unevenly distributed throughout its territory. The study shows that in the sectoral structure of general use of water in Khmelnytsky region, the largest consumer is industry (58.6 %), and among industries electricity sector is the main and largest consumer. The main environmental problem of the region is the pollution of surface water bodies with untreated and insufficiently treated return water. In the territory of Khmelnytsky region, 80 water users discharge return water into water bodies. The average annual concentrations of manganese (2–6 times), copper (4–7 times) and nitrites (2–5 times) were exceeded in all control samples from water bodies of Khmelnytsky region. There is also an increase in the total amount of discharges of pollutants, including petroleum products, suspended solids, sulfates, total iron, and copper. In addition to pollution, the problem is the current structure of land within river basins. Excessive plowing is one of the main negative factors that contributes to the deterioration of the water regime and leads to pollution of water bodies. Within the Khmelnytsky region, arable land is the dominant form of land use, their share is 50–70 %. Restoration of the quality of water bodies involves the implementation of measures to reduce the environmental risk of deterioration based on the analysis of the impact of anthropogenic factors and a set of water protection measures.


2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Karambiri ◽  
S. G. García Galiano ◽  
J. D. Giraldo ◽  
H. Yacouba ◽  
B. Ibrahim ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-60
Author(s):  
N.V. Lukina ◽  
◽  
A.P. Geraskina ◽  
A.V. Gornov ◽  
N.E. Shevchenko ◽  
...  

The problem of assessing the impact of biodiversity on the climate-regulating functions of forests is fundamental. It is of great applied importance for sustainable forest management in the context of global climate change. On the one hand, climate change affects biodiversity; on the other hand, biodiversity underlies the mechanisms of adaptation of forests and society to these changes, because it is a provider of all ecosystem functions. This article aims to discuss scientific issues currently faced by scientists, such as the relationships between biodiversity and climate-regulating functions of forests, and to outline the perspective of the studies. There are numerous studies that describe the influence of certain plant and animal species – ecosystem engineers – on the ecosystem, including climate-regulating functions of forests. However, we lack estimates of the combined effect of the diversity of biota of different trophic levels and groups on the completeness of the implementation of climate-regulating functions of forests of different types/at different succession stages. We emphasise the importance of accounting for such estimates as taxonomic, including genetic, and the functional and structural diversity of forests. We considered various concepts of forest management, taking into account the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. The most important aspect of this problem is estimates and forecasts of interrelationships (trade-offs and synergies) between climate-regulating and other ecosystem functions of forests characterised by different levels of biodiversity, with their natural development and with the combined impact of various natural and anthropogenic factors on forests, including climate change, fires, and forest management regimes. Integration of mathematical models is a promising approach to assess and predict the dynamics of relationships between various ecosystem functions of forests.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-90
Author(s):  
N.V. Lukina ◽  
◽  
A.P. Geraskina ◽  
A.V. Gornov ◽  
N.E. Shevchenko ◽  
...  

The problem of assessing the impact of biodiversity on the climate-regulating functions of forests has fundamental character and great importance for sustainable forest management in the context of global climate change. On the one hand, climate changes affect biodiversity, on the other hand, it is biodiversity, as a provider of all ecosystem functions, underlies the mechanisms of adaptation to these changes. This paper aims to discuss scientific questions about the links between biodiversity and climate-regulating functions of forests, and to outline the prospects for these studies. It is shown that studies of the influence of plant and animal species – ecosystem engineers on forest ecosystem’s functioning, including climate-regulating processes and functions, are quite numerous. However, studies of the combined effects of the diversity of biota belonging to different trophic levels and groups on climate-regulating functions of forests of different types/different stages of succession are not carried out. In such studies, it is important to take into account both taxonomic, including genetic, and functional biodiversity as well as structural diversity of forests. Various concepts of forest management taking into account the conservation and restoration of biodiversity are considered. An important aspect of this problem is the assessment and prediction of relationships (synergy or trade-offs) between climate-regulating and other ecosystem functions of forests with different levels of biodiversity functioning in natural conditions and under the combined impact of natural and anthropogenic factors, including climate change, fires, and forestry regimes. It is shown that a promising approach to assessing and predicting the dynamics of relationships between different ecosystem functions of forests is the integration of mathematical models.


2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 141-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kashyap

There is increasing evidence that global climate variability and change is affecting the quality and availability of water supplies. Integrated water resources development, use, and management strategies, represent an effective approach to achieve sustainable development of water resources in a changing environment with competing demands. It is also a key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It is critical that integrated water management strategies must incorporate the impacts of climate variability and change to reduce vulnerability of the poor, strengthen sustainable livelihoods and support national sustainable development. UNDP's strategy focuses on developing adaptation in the water governance sector as an entry point within the framework of poverty reduction and national sustainable development. This strategy aims to strengthen the capacity of governments and civil society organizations to have access to early warning systems, ability to assess the impact of climate variability and change on integrated water resources management, and developing adaptation intervention through hands-on learning by undertaking pilot activities.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document