Relationships between environmental governance and water quality in growing metropolitan areas: a synthetic view through the coupled natural and human system lens

Abstract. We investigate relationships between environmental governance and water quality in two adjacent, growing metropolitan areas in the western US. While the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington metro areas share many biophysical characteristics, they have different land development histories and water governance structures, providing a unique opportunity for examining a coupled human and natural system (CHANS). We conceptualize feedback loops in which water quality influences governance directly, using monitoring efforts as a metric, and indirectly, using the metric of changes in the sale price of single-family residential properties. Governance then influences water quality directly through, for example, changes in the monitoring regime and riparian restoration and indirectly through land use policy. We investigate these hypotheses by presenting evidence of these linkages. Our results show that changes in monitoring regimes and land use differed in response to differences in governance systems. On the other hand, property sale prices increased in response to water quality improvement for both studied watersheds. Our results show that sales prices responded positively to improved water quality (i.e. DO) in both cities. Furthermore, riparian restoration efforts improved over time for both cities, indicating the positive effect of governance on this land-based resource that may result in improved water quality. However, as of yet, there were no substantial differences across study areas in changes in water temperature over time. While urban areas expanded more than 20% over 24 yr, water temperature did not change. The mechanisms by which water quality was maintained was similar in the sense that both cities benefited from riparian restoration, but different in the sense that Portland benefitted indirectly from land use policy. A combination of a long-term legacy effect of land development and a relatively short history of riparian restoration in both the Portland and Vancouver regions may have masked any subtle differences in both regions. An alternative explanation is that both cities exhibited combinations of positive indirect and direct water quality governance that resulted in maintenance of water quality in the face of increased urban growth. These findings suggest that a long-term water quality monitoring effort is needed to identify the effectiveness of alternative land development and water governance policies.

Download Full-text

Relationships between environmental governance and water quality in a growing metropolitan area of the Pacific Northwest, USA

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-18-1383-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1383-1395 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

H. Chang ◽

P. Thiers ◽

N. R. Netusil ◽

J. A. Yeakley ◽

G. Rollwagen-Bollens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Environmental Quality ◽

Environmental Governance ◽

Water Governance ◽

Land Development ◽

Land Use Policy ◽

Riparian Restoration ◽

Governance Systems ◽

Over Time

Abstract. We investigate relationships between environmental governance and water quality in two adjacent growing metropolitan areas in the western US. While the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington metro areas share many common biophysical characteristics, they have different land development histories and water governance structures, providing a unique opportunity for examining how differences in governance might affect environmental quality. We conceptualize possible linkages in which water quality influences governance directly, using monitoring efforts as a metric, and indirectly by using the change in the sale price of single-family residential properties. Governance may then influence water quality directly through riparian restoration resulting from monitoring results and indirectly through land use policy. We investigate evidence to substantiate these linkages. Our results showed that changes in monitoring regimes and land development patterns differed in response to differences in growth management policy and environmental governance systems. Our results also showed similarities in environmental quality responses to varying governance systems. For example, we found that sales prices responded positively to improved water quality (e.g., increases in DO and reductions in bacteria counts) in both cities. Furthermore, riparian restoration efforts improved over time for both cities, indicating the positive effect of governance on this land-based resource that may result in improved water quality. However, as of yet, there were no substantial differences across study areas in water temperature over time, despite an expansion of these urban areas of more than 20 % over 24 years. The mechanisms by which water quality was maintained was similar in the sense that both cities benefited from riparian restoration, but different in the sense that Portland benefited indirectly from land use policy. A combination of long-term legacy effects of land development, and a relatively short history of riparian restoration in both the Portland and Vancouver regions, may have masked any subtle differences between study areas. An alternative explanation is that both cities exhibited combinations of positive indirect and direct water quality governance that resulted in maintenance of water quality in the face of increased urban growth. These findings suggest that a much longer-term water quality monitoring effort is needed to identify the effectiveness of alternative land development and water governance policies.

Download Full-text

Misinterpreting carbon accumulation rates in records from near-surface peat

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-53879-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Dylan M. Young ◽

Andy J. Baird ◽

Dan J. Charman ◽

Chris D. Evans ◽

Angela V. Gallego-Sala ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Policy ◽

Carbon Accumulation ◽

Accumulation Rates ◽

Near Surface ◽

Carbon Accumulation Rates ◽

Surface Peat ◽

Land Use Practices ◽

Over Time

AbstractPeatlands are globally important stores of carbon (C) that contain a record of how their rates of C accumulation have changed over time. Recently, near-surface peat has been used to assess the effect of current land use practices on C accumulation rates in peatlands. However, the notion that accumulation rates in recently formed peat can be compared to those from older, deeper, peat is mistaken – continued decomposition means that the majority of newly added material will not become part of the long-term C store. Palaeoecologists have known for some time that high apparent C accumulation rates in recently formed peat are an artefact and take steps to account for it. Here we show, using a model, how the artefact arises. We also demonstrate that increased C accumulation rates in near-surface peat cannot be used to infer that a peatland as a whole is accumulating more C – in fact the reverse can be true because deep peat can be modified by events hundreds of years after it was formed. Our findings highlight that care is needed when evaluating recent C addition to peatlands especially because these interpretations could be wrongly used to inform land use policy and decisions.

Download Full-text

The consequences for stream water quality of long-term changes in landscape patterns: Implications for land use management and policies

Land Use Policy ◽

10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105679 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 109 ◽

pp. 105679

Author(s):

António Carlos Pinheiro Fernandes ◽

Lisa Maria de Oliveira Martins ◽

Fernando António Leal Pacheco ◽

Luís Filipe Sanches Fernandes

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Stream Water ◽

Landscape Patterns ◽

Land Use Management ◽

Stream Water Quality ◽

Long Term Changes

Download Full-text

Assessment of land cover on soil erosion in Lam Phra Phloeng watershed by USLE model

MATEC Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/matecconf/201819202017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 192 ◽

pp. 02017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jatuwat Wattanasetpong ◽

Uma Seeboonruang ◽

Uba Sirikaew ◽

Walter Chen

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Cover ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Land Development ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Surface Erosion ◽

Agricultural Field ◽

Land Cover Data

Soil loss due to surface erosion has been a global problem not just for developing countries but also for developed countries. One of the factors that have greatest impact on soil erosion is land cover. The purpose of this study is to estimate the long-term average annual soil erosion in the Lam Phra Phloeng watershed, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand with different source of land cover by using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and GIS (30 m grid cells) to calculate the six erosion factors (R, K, L, S, C, and P) of USLE. Land use data are from Land Development Department (LDD) and ESA Climate Change Initiative (ESA/CCI) in 2015. The result of this study show that mean soil erosion by using land cover from ESA/CCI is less than LDD (29.16 and 64.29 ton/ha/year respectively) because soil erosion mostly occurred in the agricultural field and LDD is a local department that survey land use in Thailand thus land cover data from this department have more details than ESA/CCI.

Download Full-text

A Century of Forest Regrowth and Snow Loss Alters the Cooling Effect of Historical Land Use in the Upper Midwest

Ecosystems ◽

10.1007/s10021-019-00456-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 1056-1074

Author(s):

Bethany J. Blakely ◽

Adrian V. Rocha ◽

Jason S. McLachalan

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Snow Cover ◽

Forest Canopy ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Cooling Effect ◽

Forest Regrowth ◽

Historical Land Use ◽

Over Time

AbstractAnthropogenic land use affects climate by altering the energy balance of the Earth’s surface. In temperate regions, cooling from increased albedo is a common result of historical land-use change. However, this albedo cooling effect is dependent mainly on the exposure of snow cover following forest canopy removal and may change over time due to simultaneous changes in both land cover and snow cover. In this paper, we combine modern remote sensing data and historical records, incorporating over 100 years of realized land use and climatic change into an empirical assessment of centennial-scale surface forcings in the Upper Midwestern USA. We show that, although increases in surface albedo cooled through strong negative shortwave forcings, those forcings were reduced over time by a combination of forest regrowth and snow-cover loss. Deforestation cooled strongly (− 5.3 Wm−2) and mainly in winter, while composition shift cooled less strongly (− 3.03 Wm−2) and mainly in summer. Combined, changes in albedo due to deforestation, shifts in species composition, and the return of historical forest cover resulted in − 2.81 Wm−2 of regional radiative cooling, 55% less than full deforestation. Forcings due to changing vegetation were further reduced by 0.32 Wm−2 of warming from a shortened snow-covered season and a thinning of seasonal snowpack. Our findings suggest that accounting for long-term changes in land cover and snow cover reduces the estimated cooling impact of deforestation, with implications for long-term land-use planning.

Download Full-text

Effects of long-term flooding on biogeochemistry and vegetation development in floodplains – a mesocosm experiment to study interacting effects of land use and water quality

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-6-3263-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 3263-3301

Author(s):

A. M. Banach ◽

K. Banach ◽

R. C. J. H. Peters ◽

R. H. M. Jansen ◽

E. J. W. Visser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Sediment Pore Water ◽

Vegetation Development ◽

River Floodplains ◽

Fertilized Soil ◽

Agricultural Use ◽

Peat Formation ◽

Effects Of Land Use

Abstract. The frequent occurrence of summer floods in Eastern Europe, possibly related to climate change, urges the need to understand the consequences of combined water storage and nature rehabilitation as an alternative safety measure instead of raising and reinforcing dykes, for floodplain biogeochemistry and vegetation development. We used a mesocosm design to investigate the possibilities for the creation of permanently flooded wetlands along rivers, in relation to water quality (nitrate, sulphate) and land use (fertilization). Flooding resulted in severe eutrophication of both sediment pore water and surface water, particularly for more fertilized soil and sulphate pollution. Vegetation development was mainly determined by soil quality, resulting in a strong decline of most species from the highly fertilized location, especially in combination with higher nitrate and sulphate concentrations. Soils from the less fertilized location showed, in contrast, luxurious growth of target Carex species regardless water quality. The observed interacting effects of water quality and agricultural use are important in assessing the consequences of planned measures for ecosystem functioning (including peat formation) and biodiversity in river floodplains.

Download Full-text

Effects of Lake level changes on water quality and fisheries production of Lake Baringo, Kenya

10.22541/au.162557458.89080739/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jacques Walumona ◽

Boaz Arara ◽

Cyprian Ogombe ◽

James Murakaru ◽

Phillip Raburu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Water Level ◽

Fish Species ◽

Lake Level ◽

Water Level Fluctuations ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Lake Level Fluctuations ◽

Lake Level Changes ◽

Over Time

The study was conducted in Lake Baringo and determined quantitative relationships between water level changes, water quality, and fishery production for informed lake basin management. Long-term (2008 to 2020) data on water level, water quality, and fisheries yields from Lake Baringo were analyzed using a combination of statistical methods. Linear and waveform regression analyses described patterns of lake level fluctuations over time while, Pearson’s correlation determined the concordance of lake level changes with water quality parameters, landings, and condition of fish species. PCA results grouped the study period into different years based on annual water quality variable levels. LOWESS analysis showed the decline of annual lake level amplitude over time with peak values in 1964 (8.6 m) and 2008 (9.4 m). The waveform regression significantly modeled lake level fluctuations as indexed by annual deviations from the long-term average (DLTM) and showed a 20-year oscillation between peak water levels in the lake. There were significant positive correlations of Water Level Fluctuations (WLFs) with water quality variables and water quality index (WQI) in Lake Baringo. Linear regression analyses showed a significant concordance (p < 0.05) between the annual fishery yield and the rising WLFs (r = 0.66). Overall, the results demonstrate that WLFs of Lake Baringo are a driver of fish species biomass and physico-chemical properties of the lake. We recommend the integration of fisheries yields, water quality assessment, and WLFs modeling at different temporal scales in the management of Afrotropical lake ecosystems

Download Full-text

VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS OF UNDERGROUND AQUIFERS TO CONTAMINATION USING THE DRASTIC METHOD AND RISK DETERMINATION

Caminhos de Geografia ◽

10.14393/rcg228457049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (84) ◽

pp. 227-245

Author(s):

Berenice de Paula Amaral ◽

Renato Farias Do Valle junior ◽

Emerson Ribeiro Machado ◽

Hygor Evangelista Siqueira

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Environmental Management ◽

Land Use ◽

Action Planning ◽

Industrial Activities ◽

The World ◽

Drastic Method ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

Sandstone Formation

Groundwater represents an important component in the supply of freshwater in several regions around the world. The contamination of these waters is a worrisome problem in the management of water resources. Since underground aquifers are vulnerable to contamination by human and industrial activities, including land use, the diagnosis associated with land use is critical for environmental management. The present study was carried out in the Uberaba sandstone formation, in which the vulnerability of the subterranean aquifers was determined using the DRASTIC method, by evaluating the interaction between the use and occupation of the land using a geographic information system. Thus, the risk of contamination of the underground aquifer was determined by evaluating the land use with the water quality and fertility. The tool applied in the present study proved effective for the diagnosis, management and action planning in the short and long term, with the intention of preserving these natural resources.

Download Full-text

Evolution in the Enabling Factors for Transformational Change in Forestry and Land Use Policy Processes: The Case Of Redd+ in Cameroon

International Forestry Review ◽

10.1505/146554819825863762 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 62-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

E.L. Chia ◽

D. Hubert ◽

S. Carudenuto ◽

O. Sene

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Transformational Change ◽

Land Use Policy ◽

Fine Tuning ◽

Policy Reforms ◽

Institutional Reforms ◽

Enabling Factors ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Mitigate Climate Change

To mitigate climate change through forestry and land use, countries are expected to shift away from policies and practices that drive deforestation to ones that reduce forest loss. This paper draws on political economy concepts to assess the evolution in the enabling measures for transformational change in forestry and land use policy processes in Cameroon. The findings indicate that actors have diverse stances on the capacity of existing policy measures to guarantee transformational change. The policy environment has evolved with proposals on institutional arrangements and policy reforms that are far from concrete reforms as expected. There is significant room for fine-tuning proposed policy and institutional reforms to enable Cameroon respond to its international emission reduction commitments. For example, putting forward clear-cut incentive and regulatory mechanisms; enhance and create new anti-deforestation coalitions; generate concrete specific/tailored sector ideas and information; and enhance negotiations between sectoral interests. However, these can only be achieved in the long-term with continuous support.

Download Full-text

Trends in water quality of five dairy farming streams in response to adoption of best practice and benefits of long-term monitoring at the catchment scale

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf12155 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 64 (5) ◽

pp. 401 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Robert J. Wilcock ◽

Ross M. Monaghan ◽

John M. Quinn ◽

M. S. Srinivasan ◽

David J. Houlbrooke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Stream Water ◽

Dairy Farming ◽

E Coli ◽

Long Term Monitoring ◽

Term Monitoring

Five streams in catchments with pastoral dairy farming as the dominant land use were monitored for periods of 7–16 years to detect changes in response to adoption of best management practices (BMPs). Stream water quality was degraded at the start with respect to N, P, suspended solids (SS) and E. coli concentrations, and was typical of catchments with intensive pastoral agriculture land use. Trend analysis showed a decrease in SS concentration for all streams, generally increasing water clarity, and lower E. coli concentrations in three of the streams. These are attributed to improved stream fencing (cattle exclusion) and greater use of irrigation for treated effluent disposal with less reliance on pond systems discharging to streams. Linkages between water quality and farm actions based on survey data were used to develop BMPs that were discussed at stakeholder workshops. Generic and specific BMPs were developed for the five catchments. The 3–7 year periodicity of major climate cycles, as well as market forces and a slow rate of farmer adoption of simple BMPs mean that monitoring programs in New Zealand need to be much longer than 10 years to detect changes caused by farmer actions. Long-term monitoring is also needed to detect responses to newly legislated requirements for improved water quality.

Download Full-text