scholarly journals Developing GIS-based water poverty and rainwater harvesting suitability maps for domestic use in the Dead Sea region (West Bank, Palestine)

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 1581-1592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameer M. Shadeed ◽  
Tariq G. Judeh ◽  
Mohammad N. Almasri
Keyword(s):  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
The West ◽  
Suitability Maps ◽  
Domestic Use ◽  
The Dead

Abstract. In the arid region of the Dead Sea, water shortage and the inability to satisfy the increasing domestic water demand threatens sustainable development. In such situations, domestic rainwater harvesting is considered an efficient way to combat water poverty. This paper aims to develop domestic water poverty (DWP) and domestic rainwater harvesting suitability (DRWHS) maps for the West Bank, Palestine. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the GIS-based weighted overlay summation process (WOSP) were utilized in the development of these maps. Results of the DWP map indicate that 57 % of the West Bank is under high to very high poverty of domestic water. The DRWHS map shows that 60 % of the West Bank is highly suitable for domestic rainwater harvesting. Spatial intersection (combined mapping) between DWP and DRWHS maps indicates that around 31 % of the total West Bank areas could be classified as high potential locations (hotspot areas) for adopting rainwater harvesting techniques for domestic purposes. The developed maps are valuable to the stakeholders to better identify the best areas of rainwater harvesting in the West Bank.

scholarly journals Developing a GIS-based water poverty and rainwater harvesting suitability maps for domestic use in the Dead Sea region (West Bank, Palestine)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameer M. Shadeed ◽  
Tariq G. Judeh ◽  
Mohammad N. Almasri
Keyword(s):  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
West Bank ◽  
High Water ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
The West ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Very High

Abstract. In Dead Sea region as arid to semi-arid regions, water shortage and the inability to satisfy the increasing domestic water demand have been threatening the sustainable development. In such situations, domestic rainwater harvesting is considered an efficient management option to combat water poverty. This paper aims to develop a domestic water poverty (DWP) and domestic rainwater harvesting suitability (DRWHS) maps for the West Bank, Palestine (5860 km2). The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) together with the GIS-based weighted overly summation process (WOSP) was utilized in the development of these maps. A total of 12 and four different assessing criteria were used in the development of DWP and DRWHS maps, respectively. Results of DWP map indicate that about 57 % of the West Bank is under high to very high domestic water poverty. On the other hand, the DRWHS map indicates that about 60 % of the West Bank can be classified as high to very high suitable areas for domestic rainwater harvesting. Furthermore, DWP and DRWHS maps intersection indicates that around 31 % of the West Bank areas could be classified as high potential locations for adopting rainwater harvesting techniques for domestic purposes. Finally, the developed maps are of high value for different stakeholders to realize the importance of promoting rainwater harvesting for a self-sustaining and self-reliant domestic water supply in high water poverty areas in the Dead Sea region generally and in the West Bank particularly.

scholarly journals Optimal Sizing of Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Tanks for Sustainable Domestic Water Use in the West Bank, Palestine

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 573
Author(s):  
Sameer Shadeed ◽  
Sandy Alawna
Keyword(s):  
Storage Tank ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Optimal Size ◽  
Storage Tanks ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
The West ◽  
Average Family ◽  
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting

In highly water-poor areas, rooftop rainwater harvesting (RRWH) can be used for a self-sustaining and self-reliant domestic water supply. The designing of an optimal RRWH storage tank is a key parameter to implement a reliable RRWH system. In this study, the optimal size of RRWH storage tanks in the different West Bank governorates was estimated based on monthly (all governorates) and daily (i.e., Nablus) inflow (RRWH) and outflow (domestic water demand, DWD) data. In the estimation of RRWH, five rooftop areas varying between 100 m2 and 300 m2 were selected. Moreover, the reliability of the adopting RRWH system in the different West Bank governorates was tested. Two-time series scenarios were assumed: Scenario 1, S1 (12 months, annual) and scenario 2, S2 (8 months, rainy). As a result, reliable curves for preliminary estimation of optimal RRWH storage tanks for the different West Bank governorates were obtained. Results show that the required storage tank for S1 (annual) is more than that of the S2 (rainy) one. The required storage tank to fulfill DWD is based on the average rooftop area of 150 m2, the average family members of 4.8, and the average DWD of 90 L per capita per day (L/c/d) varies between (75 m3 to 136 m3) and (24 m3 to 84 m3) for S2 for the different West Bank governorates. Further, it is found that the optimal RRWH tank size for the 150 m2 rooftop ranges between 20 m3 (in Jericho) to 75 m3 (in Salfit and Nablus) and between 20 m3 (in Jericho) to 51 m3 (in Jerusalem) for S1 and S2 scenarios, respectively. Finally, results show that the implementation of an RRWH system for a rooftop area of 150 m2 and family members of 4.8 is reliable for all of the West Bank governorates except Jericho. Whereas, the reliability doesn’t exceed 19% for the two scenarios. However, the reduction of DWDv is highly affecting the reliability of adopting RRWH systems in Jericho (the least rainfall governorate). For instance, a family DWDv of 3.2 m3/month (25% of the average family DWDv in the West Bank) will increase the reliability at a rooftop area of 150 m2 to 51% and 76% for S1 and S2, respectively.

scholarly journals Rainwater Harvesting to Address Current and Forecasted Domestic Water Scarcity: Application to Arid and Semi-Arid Areas

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 3583
Author(s):  
Tariq Judeh ◽  
Isam Shahrour
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Arid Areas ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
The West ◽  
Semi Arid

This paper discusses the effectiveness of rooftops rainwater harvesting (RRWH) in addressing domestic water scarcity, emphasizing the West Bank (Palestine) as an example of arid to semi-arid areas with limited water resources. The paper deals with the actual and future water demand by considering climate-change impact and urban growth. The analysis is based on the evaluation of (i) the supply–demand balance index (SDBI), which designates the ratio between the total water supply (TWS) and total water demand (TWD), and (ii) the potential of RRWH. Applying this methodology to the West Bank shows that the potential RRWH can contribute by about 40 million cubic meters/year in 2020, which is approximately the same amount of water as the municipal water supply (42 million cubic meters/year). This contribution can effectively reduce the suffering governorates from 64% to 27% in 2020. Furthermore, it can support water-related decision-makers in the arid to semi-arid areas in formulating efficient and sustainable water resources strategies. The analysis also shows that the domestic water scarcity in 2050 will be worse than in 2020 for all governorates. For example, 73% of the West Bank governorates are expected to suffer from extreme to acute water scarcity in 2050 compared to 64% in 2020. Thus, RRWH appears to be highly efficient in mitigating the current and future domestic water scarcity in the West Bank.

scholarly journals SALT LAKES OF THE WEST KAZAKHSTAN REGION AS OBJECTS OF MEDICAL TOURISM

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (2spl) ◽  
pp. 637-645
Author(s):  
Kazhmurat M. AKHMEDENOV ◽  
◽  
Rysty A. KHALELOVA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Arid Regions ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Genetic Type ◽  
Salt Lakes ◽  
The West ◽  
Western Kazakhstan ◽  
The Dead ◽  
West Kazakhstan ◽  
Recreational Use

West Kazakhstan region is also rich in unique balneological hydromineral resources. The aim of the study was to review the studied, as well as little-known and promising, salt lakes of West Kazakhstan region, which have hydromineral resources suitable for balneological and recreational use is given. As a result of the field and laboratory researches in 2017-2020, 7 promising balneological sites were studied – the Lakes Bolshoy Sor, the Alzhansor, the Sorkol, the Hakisor, the Aralsor, the Edilbaysor, the Koysarysor. It was established that the studied peloids correspond to the genetic type of mainland silt mineral (sulphide) therapeutic mud typical of arid regions. According to the main indicators, the studied peloids are generally suitable for use in recreational, therapeutic and medical purposes, and in terms of the content of salts and therapeutically valuable components, they are not inferior to the medical mud of the resorts of Western Kazakhstan and the Dead Sea recognized in balneological practice.

Dead Sea Water Levels Analysis Using Artificial Neural Networks and Firefly Algorithm

2022 ◽  
pp. 1118-1129
Author(s):  
Nawaf N. Hamadneh
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Neural Networks ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Firefly Algorithm ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Artificial Neural ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Predicted Values

In this study, the performance of adaptive multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) for predicting the Dead Sea water level is discussed. Firefly Algorithm (FFA), as an optimization algorithm is used for training the neural networks. To propose the MLPNN-FFA model, Dead Sea water levels over the period 1810–2005 are applied to train MLPNN. Statistical tests evaluate the accuracy of the hybrid MLPNN-FFA model. The predicted values of the proposed model were compared with the results obtained by another method. The results reveal that the artificial neural network (ANN) models exhibit high accuracy and reliability for the prediction of the Dead Sea water levels. The results also reveal that the Dead Sea water level would be around -450 until 2050.

Gypsum saturation degrees and precipitation potentials from Dead Sea - seawater mixtures

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itay J. Reznik ◽  
Jiwchar Ganor ◽  
Assaf Gal ◽  
Ittai Gavrieli
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Theoretical Calculations ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Gypsum Precipitation ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
The 1960S

Environmental context. Since the 1960s the Dead Sea water level has dropped by nearly 30 m and over the last decade the rate of decline accelerated to over 1 m per year. Conveying seawater to the Dead Sea to stabilise or even raise its water level is currently being considered but may result in ‘whitening’ of the surface water through the formation of minute gypsum crystals that will remain suspended in the water column for a prolonged period of time. This paper is a first step in attaining the relevant physical and chemical parameters required to assess the potential for such whitening of the Dead Sea. Abstract. Introduction of seawater to the Dead Sea (DS) to stabilise its level raises paramount environmental questions. A major concern is that massive nucleation and growth of minute gypsum crystals will occur as a result of mixing between the SO42–-rich Red Sea (RS) water and Ca2+-rich DS brine. If the gypsum will not settle quickly to the bottom it may influence the general appearance of the DS by ‘whitening’ the surface water. Experimental observations and theoretical calculations of degrees of saturation with respect to gypsum (DSG) and gypsum precipitation potentials (PPT) were found to agree well, over the large range but overall high ionic strength of DS–RS mixtures. The dependency of both DSG and PPT on temperature was examined as well. Based on our thermodynamic insights, slow discharge of seawater to the DS will result in a relatively saline upper water column which will lead to enhanced gypsum precipitation.

scholarly journals Dead Sea evaporation by eddy covariance measurements vs. aerodynamic, energy budget, Priestley–Taylor, and Penman estimates

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 1135-1155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jutta Metzger ◽  
Manuela Nied ◽  
Ulrich Corsmeier ◽  
Jörg Kleffmann ◽  
Christoph Kottmeier
Keyword(s):  
Energy Budget ◽  
Water Budget ◽  
Heat Storage ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Eddy Covariance Measurements ◽  
Lake Evaporation ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Storage Term

Abstract. The Dead Sea is a terminal lake, located in an arid environment. Evaporation is the key component of the Dead Sea water budget and accounts for the main loss of water. So far, lake evaporation has been determined by indirect methods only and not measured directly. Consequently, the governing factors of evaporation are unknown. For the first time, long-term eddy covariance measurements were performed at the western Dead Sea shore for a period of 1 year by implementing a new concept for onshore lake evaporation measurements. To account for lake evaporation during offshore wind conditions, a robust and reliable multiple regression model was developed using the identified governing factors wind velocity and water vapour pressure deficit. An overall regression coefficient of 0.8 is achieved. The measurements show that the diurnal evaporation cycle is governed by three local wind systems: a lake breeze during daytime, strong downslope winds in the evening, and strong northerly along-valley flows during the night. After sunset, the strong winds cause half-hourly evaporation rates which are up to 100 % higher than during daytime. The median daily evaporation is 4.3 mm d−1 in July and 1.1 mm d−1 in December. The annual evaporation of the water surface at the measurement location was 994±88 mm a−1 from March 2014 until March 2015. Furthermore, the performance of indirect evaporation approaches was tested and compared to the measurements. The aerodynamic approach is applicable for sub-daily and multi-day calculations and attains correlation coefficients between 0.85 and 0.99. For the application of the Bowen ratio energy budget method and the Priestley–Taylor method, measurements of the heat storage term are inevitable on timescales up to 1 month. Otherwise strong seasonal biases occur. The Penman equation was adapted to calculate realistic evaporation, by using an empirically gained linear function for the heat storage term, achieving correlation coefficients between 0.92 and 0.97. In summary, this study introduces a new approach to measure lake evaporation with a station located at the shoreline, which is also transferable to other lakes. It provides the first directly measured Dead Sea evaporation rates as well as applicable methods for evaporation calculation. The first one enables us to further close the Dead Sea water budget, and the latter one enables us to facilitate water management in the region.

scholarly journals Dead Sea evaporation by eddy covariance measurements versus aerodynamic, energy budget, Priestley–Taylor, and Penman estimates

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jutta Metzger ◽  
Manuela Nied ◽  
Ulrich Corsmeier ◽  
Jörg Kleffmann ◽  
Christoph Kottmeier
Keyword(s):  
Linear Function ◽  
Heat Storage ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Vapour Pressure Deficit ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Eddy Covariance Measurements ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Daily Evaporation ◽  
Storage Term

Abstract. The Dead Sea water budget is no longer in equilibrium. The lake level decline exceeds 1 m a−1 and causes severe environmental problems, such as a shifting of the fresh/saline groundwater interface and climatic changes. As the Dead Sea is a terminal lake, located in an arid environment, evaporation is the key component of the Dead Sea water budget and accounts for the main loss of water. However, the actual amount of evaporation as well as the governing factors are unknown. Therefore, for the first time, long-term eddy covariance measurements were performed for a period of one year, starting in March 2014. The total annual amount measured at this location was 994 ± 81 mm a−1. The median daily evaporation rate reaches 4.3 mm d−1 in July and only 1.1 mm d−1 in December. The wind velocity and vapour pressure deficit were identified as the main governing factors of evaporation throughout the year. Consequently, the local wind systems define the diurnal evaporation cycle. In the evening, strong downslope winds govern the wind field and cause evaporation amounts which are up to 100 % higher than during daytime, and also during the night evaporation rates are accelerated compared to daytime evaporation, due to strong northerly along-valley flows. Furthermore, a robust and reliable regression model is presented to calculate sub-daily and multiday evaporation values with a linear function of wind velocity and vapour pressure deficit. An overall correlation coefficient of 0.8 is achieved and the cross validation results in a prediction error of 4.8 %. Finally, indirect evaporation approaches were tested for their applicability for the Dead Sea and compared to the measurements. The aerodynamic approach is applicable for sub-daily and multi-day calculations and attains correlation coefficients between 0.85 and 0.99. For the application of the Bowen-Ratio-Energy-Balance (BREB) method and the Priestley–Taylor method, measurements of the heat storage term are inevitable to calculate evaporation on time scales up to one month. Without the heat storage term, the equations yield strong seasonal biases and over- or underestimate daily evaporation rates by up 100 %. The usage of an empirically gained linear function or a hysteresis model depending on the net radiation to estimate the heat storage term was not accurate enough to provide reliable evaporation amounts. The Penman equation was adapted to calculate realistic evaporation amounts, by using an empirically gained linear function for the heat storage term. The correlation coefficients are above 0.9, the daily mean difference is only 0.5 mm d−1 and the estimated annual amount is within the range of the measurement uncertainties. In summary, this study provides the first directly measured amounts of Dead Sea evaporation and applicable methods to calculate evaporation.

scholarly journals Rainwater Harvesting for Sustainable Agriculture in High Water-Poor Areas in the West Bank, Palestine

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameer Shadeed ◽  
Tariq Judeh ◽  
Michel Riksen
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
West Bank ◽  
High Water ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
The West ◽  
Gis Environment ◽  
Total Study Area ◽  
Very High

In most arid regions of the world, the increasing agricultural water supply–demand gap jeopardizes sustainable agricultural development and, as such, undermines local food security. In such situations, unconventional water resource practices such as agricultural rainwater harvesting (ARWH) can be potentially used to tackle agricultural water poverty (AWP). This study aims to integrate AWP and agricultural rainwater harvesting suitability (ARWHS) maps to identify locations where ARWH can be of the most benefit to the West Bank, Palestine. These maps were developed under the GIS environment. The weighted overlay summation process (WOSP), supported by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), was utilized. Research findings of the AWP map indicate that high to very high AWP covers about 61% of the study area, whereas, the findings of the ARWHS map shows that highly suitable ARWH areas cover 65% of the total study area. Further, 31% of the study area has highly suitable sites for the implementation of proper ARWH techniques. Finally, the combined mapping between the ARWHS map and agricultural lands indicates that high to very high ARWH-suitable areas cover 53% of the rough grazing areas (62% of the entire West Bank area). Thus, the implementation of proper ARWH techniques in such areas is seen to be a sustainable water management option for achieving agricultural sustainability and, accordingly, improved food security in the West Bank, Palestine.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document