Integrated Water Resources Research: Advancements in Understanding to Improve Future Sustainability

Anthropogenic and natural disturbances to freshwater quantity and quality is a greater issue for society than ever before. To successfully restore water resources in impaired watersheds requires understanding the interactions between hydrology, climate, land use, water quality, ecology, social and economic pressures. Current understanding of these interactions is limited primarily by a lack of innovation, investment, and interdisciplinary collaboration. This Special Issue of Water includes 18 articles broadly addressing investigative areas related to experimental study designs and modeling (n = 8), freshwater pollutants of concern (n = 7), and human dimensions of water use and management (n = 3). Results demonstrate the immense, globally transferable value of the experimental watershed approach, the relevance and critical importance of current integrated studies of pollutants of concern, and the imperative to include human sociological and economic processes in water resources investigations. Study results encourage cooperation, trust and innovation, between watershed stakeholders to reach common goals to improve and sustain the resource. The publications in this Special Issue are substantial; however, managers remain insufficiently informed to make best water resource decisions amidst combined influences of land use change, rapid ongoing human population growth, and changing environmental conditions. There is thus, a persistent need for further advancements in integrated and interdisciplinary research to improve scientific understanding, management and future sustainability of water resources.

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Catchment effects of a future Nordic bioeconomy: From land use to water resources

AMBIO ◽

10.1007/s13280-020-01391-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 49 (11) ◽

pp. 1697-1709

Author(s):

Eva Skarbøvik ◽

Philip Jordan ◽

Ahti Lepistö ◽

Brian Kronvang ◽

Marc I. Stutter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Water Resources ◽

Water Systems ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Land Resources ◽

Special Issue ◽

Renewable Biomass ◽

The World ◽

Biomass Resources

Abstract In the future, the world is expected to rely increasingly on renewable biomass resources for food, fodder, fibre and fuel. The sustainability of this transition to bioeconomy for our water systems depends to a large extent on how we manage our land resources. Changes in land use together with climate change will affect water quantity and quality, which again will have implications for the ecosystem services provided by water resources. These are the main topics of this Ambio special issue on “Environmental effects of a green bio-economy”. This paper offers a summary of the eleven papers included in this issue and, at the same time, outlines an approach to quantify and mitigate the impacts of bioeconomy on water resources and their ecosystem services, with indications of useful tools and knowledge needs.

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STUDI BIONOMIK VEKTOR MALARIA DI KECAMATAN KALIBAWANG, KULONPROGO

Jurnal Rekayasa Lingkungan ◽

10.29122/jrl.v4i2.1859 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sardjito Eko Windarso dkk

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Malaria Vector ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Dry Season ◽

Physical Factors ◽

Mosquito Vector ◽

Anopheles Species ◽

Commercial Farming ◽

Study Results ◽

Dry And Rainy Seasons

The increasing of malaria cases in recent years at Kecamatan Kalibawang has been suspected correspond with the conversion of farming land-use which initiated in 1993. Four years after the natural vegetation in this area were changed become cocoa and coffee commercial farming estates, the number of malaria cases in 1997 rose more than six times, and in 2000 it reached 6085. This study were aimed to observe whether there were any differences in density and diversity of Anopheles as malaria vector between the cocoa and mix farming during dry and rainy seasons. The results of the study are useful for considering the appropriate methods, times and places for mosquito vector controlling. The study activities comprised of collecting Anopheles as well as identifying the species to determine the density and diversity of the malaria vector. Both activities were held four weeks in dry season and four weeks in rainy season. The mea-surement of physical factors such as temperature, humidity and rainfall were also conducted to support the study results. Four dusuns which meet the criteria and had the highest malaria cases were selected as study location. Descriptively, the results shows that the number of collected Anopheles in cocoa farming were higher compared with those in mix horticultural farming; and the number of Anopheles species identifi ed in cocoa farming were also more varied than those in the mix horticultural farming.Key words: bionomik vektor malaria, anopheles,

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A Quantitative Analysis of Factors Influencing Organic Matter Concentration in the Topsoil of Black Soil in Northeast China Based on Spatial Heterogeneous Patterns

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information ◽

10.3390/ijgi10050348 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 348

Author(s):

Zhenbo Du ◽

Bingbo Gao ◽

Cong Ou ◽

Zhenrong Du ◽

Jianyu Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Type ◽

Northeast China ◽

Black Soil ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Soil Zone ◽

Rainfed Farming ◽

Study Results

Black soil is fertile, abundant with organic matter (OM) and is exceptional for farming. The black soil zone in northeast China is the third-largest black soil zone globally and produces a quarter of China’s commodity grain. However, the soil organic matter (SOM) in this zone is declining, and the quality of cultivated land is falling off rapidly due to overexploitation and unsustainable management practices. To help develop an integrated protection strategy for black soil, this study aimed to identify the primary factors contributing to SOM degradation. The geographic detector, which can detect both linear and nonlinear relationships and the interactions based on spatial heterogeneous patterns, was used to quantitatively analyze the natural and anthropogenic factors affecting SOM concentration in northeast China. In descending order, the nine factors affecting SOM are temperature, gross domestic product (GDP), elevation, population, soil type, precipitation, soil erosion, land use, and geomorphology. The influence of all factors is significant, and the interaction of any two factors enhances their impact. The SOM concentration decreases with increased temperature, population, soil erosion, elevation and terrain undulation. SOM rises with increased precipitation, initially decreases with increasing GDP but then increases, and varies by soil type and land use. Conclusions about detailed impacts are presented in this paper. For example, wind erosion has a more significant effect than water erosion, and irrigated land has a lower SOM content than dry land. Based on the study results, protection measures, including conservation tillage, farmland shelterbelts, cross-slope ridges, terraces, and rainfed farming are recommended. The conversion of high-quality farmland to non-farm uses should be prohibited.

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The Role of Technology in Greenhouse Agriculture: Towards a Sustainable Intensification in Campo de Dalías (Almería, Spain)

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11010101 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 101

Author(s):

Antonio J. Mendoza-Fernández ◽

Araceli Peña-Fernández ◽

Luis Molina ◽

Pedro A. Aguilera

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Economic Development ◽

Water Resources ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Temporal Evolution ◽

Technological Development ◽

Sustainable Intensification ◽

Short Period ◽

Cultivation Techniques

Campo de Dalías, located in southeastern Spain, is the greatest European exponent of greenhouse agriculture. The development of this type of agriculture has led to an exponential economic development of one of the poorest areas of Spain, in a short period of time. Simultaneously, it has brought about a serious alteration of natural resources. This article will study the temporal evolution of changes in land use, and the exploitation of groundwater. Likewise, this study will delve into the technological development in greenhouses (irrigation techniques, new water resources, greenhouse structures or improvement in cultivation techniques) seeking a sustainable intensification of agriculture under plastic. This sustainable intensification also implies the conservation of existing natural areas.

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Risk Assessment of Future Climate and Land Use/Land Cover Change Impacts on Water Resources

Hydrology ◽

10.3390/hydrology8010038 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 38

Author(s):

Nick Martin

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Land Use ◽

Water Resources ◽

Land Cover ◽

Water Balance ◽

Water Availability ◽

Reference Conditions ◽

Weather Generator ◽

Future Climate ◽

Lulc Change

Climate and land use and land cover (LULC) changes will impact watershed-scale water resources. These systemic alterations will have interacting influences on water availability. A probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) framework for water resource impact analysis from future systemic change is described and implemented to examine combined climate and LULC change impacts from 2011–2100 for a study site in west-central Texas. Internally, the PRA framework provides probabilistic simulation of reference and future conditions using weather generator and water balance models in series—one weather generator and water balance model for reference and one of each for future conditions. To quantify future conditions uncertainty, framework results are the magnitude of change in water availability, from the comparison of simulated reference and future conditions, and likelihoods for each change. Inherent advantages of the framework formulation for analyzing future risk are the explicit incorporation of reference conditions to avoid additional scenario-based analysis of reference conditions and climate change emissions scenarios. In the case study application, an increase in impervious area from economic development is the LULC change; it generates a 1.1 times increase in average water availability, relative to future climate trends, from increased runoff and decreased transpiration.

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A Review of SWAT Model Application in Africa

Water ◽

10.3390/w13091313 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 1313

Author(s):

George Akoko ◽

Tu Hoang Le ◽

Takashi Gomi ◽

Tasuku Kato

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Water Resources ◽

Hydrological Modeling ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Swat Model ◽

Data Availability ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Model Parameterization ◽

Basin Scale

The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is a well-known hydrological modeling tool that has been applied in various hydrologic and environmental simulations. A total of 206 studies over a 15-year period (2005–2019) were identified from various peer-reviewed scientific journals listed on the SWAT website database, which is supported by the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD). These studies were categorized into five areas, namely applications considering: water resources and streamflow, erosion and sedimentation, land-use management and agricultural-related contexts, climate-change contexts, and model parameterization and dataset inputs. Water resources studies were applied to understand hydrological processes and responses in various river basins. Land-use and agriculture-related context studies mainly analyzed impacts and mitigation measures on the environment and provided insights into better environmental management. Erosion and sedimentation studies using the SWAT model were done to quantify sediment yield and evaluate soil conservation measures. Climate-change context studies mainly demonstrated streamflow sensitivity to weather changes. The model parameterization studies highlighted parameter selection in streamflow analysis, model improvements, and basin scale calibrations. Dataset inputs mainly compared simulations with rain-gauge and global rainfall data sources. The challenges and advantages of the SWAT model’s applications, which range from data availability and prediction uncertainties to the model’s capability in various applications, are highlighted. Discussions on considerations for future simulations such as data sharing, and potential for better future analysis are also highlighted. Increased efforts in local data availability and a multidimensional approach in future simulations are recommended.

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Decision Support for the (Inter-)Basin Management of Water Resources Using Integrated Hydro-Economic Modeling

Hydrology ◽

10.3390/hydrology8010042 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 42

Author(s):

Gerald Norbert Souza da Silva ◽

Márcia Maria Guedes Alcoforado de Moraes

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Water Resources ◽

Water Allocation ◽

Hydrological Modeling ◽

Well Being ◽

Water Transfer ◽

Economic Modeling ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Study Results

The development of adequate modeling at the basin level to establish public policies has an important role in managing water resources. Hydro-economic models can measure the economic effects of structural and non-structural measures, land and water management, ecosystem services and development needs. Motivated by the need of improving water allocation using economic criteria, in this study, a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) with a hydro-economic optimization model (HEAL system) was developed and used for the identification and analysis of an optimal economic allocation of water resources in a case study: the sub-middle basin of the São Francisco River in Brazil. The developed SDSS (HEAL system) made the economically optimum allocation available to analyze water allocation conflicts and trade-offs. With the aim of providing a tool for integrated economic-hydrological modeling, not only for researchers but also for decision-makers and stakeholders, the HEAL system can support decision-making on the design of regulatory and economic management instruments in practice. The case study results showed, for example, that the marginal benefit function obtained for inter-basin water transfer, can contribute for supporting the design of water pricing and water transfer decisions, during periods of water scarcity, for the well-being in both basins.

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Impacts of land use changes on soil erosion in Pa Deng sub-district, adjacent area of Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand

Soil and Water Research ◽

10.17221/32/2011-swr ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 7 (No. 1) ◽

pp. 10-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

S. Wijitkosum

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Cover ◽

National Park ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Influential Factors ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Adjacent Area ◽

Erosion Risk ◽

Study Results

Soil erosion has been considered as the primary cause of soil degradation since soil erosion leads to the loss of topsoil and soil organic matters which are essential for the growing of plants. Land use, which relates to land cover, is one of the influential factors that affect soil erosion. In this study, impacts of land use changes on soil erosion in Pa Deng sub-district, adjacent area of Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand, were investigated by applying remote sensing technique, geographical information system (GIS) and the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). The study results revealed that land use changes in terms of area size and pattern influenced the soil erosion risk in Pa Deng in the 1990–2010 period. The area with smaller land cover obviously showed the high risk of soil erosion than the larger land cover did.

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Impact of Climate and Land Use/Land Cover Change on the Water Resources of a Tropical Inland Valley Catchment in Uganda, East Africa

Climate ◽

10.3390/cli8070083 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 83

Author(s):

Geofrey Gabiri ◽

Bernd Diekkrüger ◽

Kristian Näschen ◽

Constanze Leemhuis ◽

Roderick van der Linden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Water Resources ◽

Land Cover ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Hydrological Processes ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

Lulc Change ◽

Inland Valley ◽

Headwater Catchment

The impact of climate and land use/land cover (LULC) change continues to threaten water resources availability for the agriculturally used inland valley wetlands and their catchments in East Africa. This study assessed climate and LULC change impacts on the hydrological processes of a tropical headwater inland valley catchment in Uganda. The hydrological model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to analyze climate and LULC change impacts on the hydrological processes. An ensemble of six regional climate models (RCMs) from the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment for two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, were used for climate change assessment for historical (1976–2005) and future climate (2021–2050). Four LULC scenarios defined as exploitation, total conservation, slope conservation, and protection of headwater catchment were considered. The results indicate an increase in precipitation by 7.4% and 21.8% of the annual averages in the future under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. Future wet conditions are more pronounced in the short rainy season than in the long rainy season. Flooding intensity is likely to increase during the rainy season with low flows more pronounced in the dry season. Increases in future annual averages of water yield (29.0% and 42.7% under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively) and surface runoff (37.6% and 51.8% under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively) relative to the historical simulations are projected. LULC and climate change individually will cause changes in the inland valley hydrological processes, but more pronounced changes are expected if the drivers are combined, although LULC changes will have a dominant influence. Adoption of total conservation, slope conservation and protection of headwater catchment LULC scenarios will significantly reduce climate change impacts on water resources in the inland valley. Thus, if sustainable climate-smart management practices are adopted, the availability of water resources for human consumption and agricultural production will increase.

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