Spatiotemporal Analysis on the Teleconnection of ENSO and IOD to the Stream Flow Regimes in Java, Indonesia

While many studies on the relationship between climate modes and rainfall in Indonesia already exist, studies targeting climate modes’ relationship to streamflow remain rare. This study applied multiple regression (MR) models with polynomial functions to show the teleconnection from the two prominent climate modes—El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)—to streamflow regimes in eight rivers in Java, Indonesia. Our MR models using data from 1970 to 2018 successfully show that the September–November (SON) season provides the best predictability of the streamflow regimes. It is also found that the predictability in 1970–1989 was better than that in 1999–2018. This suggests that the relationships between the climate modes and streamflow in Java were changed over periods, which is suspected due to the river basin development. Hence, we found no clear spatial distribution patterns of the predictability, suggesting that the effect of ENSO and IOD are similar for the eight rivers. Additionally, the predictability of the high flow index has been found higher than the low flow index. Having elucidated the flow regimes’ predictability by spatiotemporal analysis, this study gives new insight into the teleconnection of ENSO and IOD to the Indonesian streamflow.

Agricultural Policies, Schemes and Funding: Media Responsibilities to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria

Agricultural policies and schemes are some of the measures through which the Nigerian government has attempted to address some of her challenges in the agricultural sector. Despite the MDGs/SDGs programs, Nigeria is still faced with extreme poverty, hunger, and poor education. Nigeria’s budgetary allocation is still far from meeting international recommendations of 25% by FAO. Laudable and well thought out agricultural schemes such as “Operation feed the nation”, “Green Revolution”, “River Basin Development”, “Agricultural Development Project” etc were government policies and schemes geared towards the provision of agricultural solutions. If objectives of the SDGs be realized in the country, issues of corruption, insecurity, proper education, and awareness creation etc., must be addressed by all stake holders ranging from the financial sector, the government as well as the mass media. The media are faced with challenges of news policies, brown envelops, loss of job opportunities etc., while most youths lack awareness and proper education about agricultural schemes and funding in Nigeria.

Pollen Viability and Germinability of Gamma Irradiated M4 Lines of Sesame

Pollen viability and germinability are indispensable criteria in plant breeding programmes. This research evaluated eleven M4 mutant lines of gamma irradiated sesame (Sesamum indicum) for some pollen parameters. Seeds were obtained from the Department of Plant Biology, Federal University of Technology, Minna and were raised to maturity alongside their respective checks in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The field experiment was conducted at the experimental field of the Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, Minna. Pollen viability and diameter were determined using standard procedure. The germinability test was done using three different sucrose concentrations (10 %, 20 % and 30 %) with 1 % nutrient agar solution. The results revealed that all the M4 mutant lines had adequate pollen viabilities (over 80%) with ML-10 having the highest (97.56 %) viability followed by ML-7 (95.61 %), ML-8 (95.01 %) and Check-2 (95.60 %). The highest pollen germinability was recorded at 20 % sucrose concentration for all the mutant lines with line ML-7 (39.70 %) having the highest percentage. Check-1 at 10 % sucrose concentration recorded the least percentage (11.46 %) across the concentration and treatments. Highest pollen diameter (169.52μm) was recorded in Check-1. Suboblate shapes with 10-13 colpi was observed in all the mutant lines and the checks. Pollens from all the lines comprised of circular and elliptic pollens except in ML-7 and the checks where the pollens were solely circular in polar view. The study revealed that gamma-irradiation could be a reasonable tool for inducing variability in sesame and advantageous in increasing the pollen viability.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVIDENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC FINGERPRINT IN FLOODING IN TARABA STATE OF NIGERIA

Anthropogenic nexus of environmental change is a vital issue in flood control and hazard management. While it is true that some will loom in flood and others in drought, it is no longer valid to argue the authenticity of climate change. Though climate change alters our physical veracities, the problem of yearly flooding is more a human than a natural one in Taraba State. This paper provides technical proof of anthropogenic impression in the incessant flooding in the area. Both spatial and hydro-climatic data were used for this study in addition to designed questionnaire. Hydro and climatic data were collected from Upper Benue River Basin Development Agency, Yola. Correlation matrix was used to show the extent of climatic variation and GIS depicts the land use change. Rainfall has not related well with excess channel flow. Coefficient of variation in rainfall and runoff is not pronounced. R- Factor in all the gauging stations is very low. Built up area occupied just 2.8% of the area accounting for 806.9 hectares. Cultivated area and the bare land was about 13146.2 hectares. This accounts for about 46.3% of the area. Vegetation cover occupied more than half of the study area. This accounts for 50.1% of the land mass of the catchment area under study. Owing to the occurrence of good vegetation cover, which is more than 50% of the basin area, generally one would have expected low occurrence of flooding in the study area. The farmers’ assessment agreed with the scientific analysis. The runoff volumes that traverse the state three decades ago without much disturbance now pose a serious ache. Though Inter catchment link and discharge thereof is a factor, the cogwheel pinpoints land use change and encroachment of floodplain. Parastatals involved in the land survey and planning of the state should wake up to the challenge.

Exponent determination in a poorly gauged basin system in Nigeria based on flow characteristics investigation and regionalization method

In this study, a method for estimating the exponent “n” values of the catchment-area equations of four sub-basins within the poorly gauged Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) in Nigeria is presented to enable the estimation of flows at ungauged sites within the basin and the determination of small hydropower (SHP) potential at different locations in each sub-basin and the entire basin. Optimal prediction of streamflow characteristics in poorly gauged basin requires developing a methodology for extrapolation of data from gauged to ungauged sites within the basin. Four sub-catchments of BORBDA, a poorly gauged basin in Nigeria, were investigated using Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information System (GIS), statistical techniques, and Natural Resources Conservation Service-Curve Number (NRCS-CN) hydrological model. Discharge values at gauged sites (Qg) were obtained from recorded discharge values collected for 12 months at an established gauging station in each sub-basin. RS and GIS techniques were used to develop classification maps and obtain crucial data like curve number (CN), elevation, Hydrologic Soil Group (HSG), rainfall intensity, slope, area of gauged and ungauged required for evaluating spatial discharge (ungauged) utilizing NRCS-CN model. From the established model for each sub-basin, exponent “n” in the relationship between discharge and catchment area was obtained to be 0.23, 0.41, 0.71, and 0.74. Using the lumped modeling approach, which considers a watershed as a single unit for computation, where watershed parameters and variables were to be averaged produced “n” = 0.52 for BORBDA area, which is within the range of 0.5–0.85 suggested by previous researchers. Obtained BORBDA exponent “n” was validated for use in the entire basin through soil homogeneity test by generating BORBDA soil map which confirms the four sub-basins investigated share similar HSG A, B, and D with BORBDA. The exponent “n” value is useful for predicting flows in ungauged parts of the basin. The exponent “n” value obtained for the basin is helpful in the assessment of discharge and determination of SHP potential at different locations within the poorly gauged BORBDA basin, and the dissemination of the research findings will find practical use and guide to practicing hydrologists in Nigeria and locations around the world with similar challenges of poorly gauged basins particularly Africa and other developing countries.

Aqueous seed extracts of Jimson weed (Datura stramonium L.) stimulate morpho-agronomic attributes in selected soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] varieties

Datura stramonium (L.) contains allelochemicals capable of affecting agro-morphological traits in plants. Thus, field experiment was carried out at Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, Minna, Nigeria to examine the effects of different concentrations [25%, 50% and 100% and 0% (control)] of D. stramonium aqueous seed extracts on agro-morphological attributes of two soybean varieties (‘TG x 2018-5E’ and ‘TG x 2022-4E’), obtained from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan. Dry seeds of the soybean were pre-soaked in the Datura seed extracts for two hours before planting in a complete randomized block design (CRBD) with three replicates each. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). At maturity, D. stramonium seed extracts significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased plant height (38.37 cm) and length of petiole (2.93 cm) for ‘TG x 2018-5E’ at 100% concentration. Significantly highest plant height (29.20 cm) and number of branches (17.00) were enhanced in ‘TG x 2022-4E’ at 50% concentration. Both ‘TG x 2018-5E’ and ‘TG x 2022-4E’ leaf areas were significantly highest (23.11 cm2 and 28.41 cm2, respectively) at 100% concentration. Yield attributes such as number of seeds per plant, weight of fresh and dry pods per plant for both ‘TG x 2018-5E’ (3.33, 1.60 and 1.32, respectively) and ‘TG x 2022-4E’ (3.00, 0.60 and 0.26, respectively) were significantly stimulated in 50% concentration while number of pods per plant was significantly highest for ‘TG x 2018-5E’ and ‘TG x 2022- 4E’ (3.33 and 3.00, respectively) in 100% concentration. On these premises higher concentrations (50% and 100%) of D. stramonium seed extracts support better morphological growth and yield characters in soybean varieties.

Seeing through water: gender, anxiety and livelihoods in large-scale infrastructural development in the era of climate change.

A narrative approach is taken in this chapter to document and analyze the gendered social and socio-environmental consequences of globalized river basin development using water as the lens to understand the depth and breadth of these changes in people's lives. The chapter is based on primary multi-site ethnographic field research conducted in all three active dam areas of Lesotho in 1997 and 2000-2002, as well as ongoing documentary research. Water remains central within Lesotho's national development plans and to the stability of the region even amid changing climate conditions. More locally, as water becomes more precarious within the lives of highlands residents living near the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), this chapter reveals the multi-layered, complex, embodied experiences of infrastructure policy and its consequences, for the everyday lives and livelihoods of people directly affected by these projects.