Livelihood status of small-scale fishermen and determinants of their income: Insights from north-eastern floodplains of Bangladesh

The small-scale fishermen in the north-eastern floodplains are one of the most vulnerable communities of Bangladesh due to their limited income.This study assessed their livelihood status using a sustainable livelihood framework and employed a multiple regression model to evaluate factors influencing their earnings.Primary data were collected from fishermen’s households in Tanguar Haor and Hakaluki Haor through direct interviews.Results revealed that these households lacked human capital,had poor sanitation facilities and suffered from frequent diseases.Their income is very limited as they lack training on other socioeconomic activities to comple-ment their livelihood grounded on fishing.Hence,their financial capital was very deficient and ranked lowest among other livelihood capitals.Fishermen’s major physical assets were the boats used for group and individual fishing.These small-scale fishermen had limited involvement with local administration,and around half of them were members of various NGOs.Women of these households had low participation in fishing or other income activities.The income of the fishermen was influenced by their age,fish catch per day,training and NGO mem-bership.To increase the earnings and improve the livelihood status of small-scale fishers in the floodplain,this study suggests providing training on complementary income generating activities,improving sanitation facilities and providing additional government and non-government support.

Prediction of the Nutrient Retention Capacity of the Rehabilitated Gemenc-Bdda-Karapancsa Floodplains

The GEF-WB Nutrient Reduction project aims to reduce the phosphorus inputs of the Black Sea from the Danube by means of different interventions. Hungary takes part of this project by enhancing the nutrient trapping capacity of the Gemenc and Beda-Karapancsa wetlands （GBK） which can be found on the premises of the Danube Drava National Park along the Danube River in Southern Hungary. Due to anthropogenic influences, less of small floods reach the oxbows of the area than some decades before which has a negative effect on the ecosystem. The objective of the study is to predict the nutrient reduction capacity of the Gemenc-B6da-Karapancsa water system and to make a proposal to increase this capacity. Although the floodplain vegetation has a huge nutrient intake capacity, this is limited by the fact that the floodplain is not always covered by the water of the river Danube. For that reason, a combination of hydrodynamic modelling, flood probability calculation and an estimation of suspended solids settling constitute the base of this study. The main course taken into account is the settling of suspended solids and the ratio of total nitrogen and total phosphorus to the mass of sediment is determined by local measurement results.

Analytical Models for Velocity Distributions in Compound Channels with Emerged and Submerged Vegetated Floodplains

The lateral distributions of depth-averaged velocity in open compound channels with emerged and submerged vegetated floodplains were analyzed based on the analytical solution of the depth-integrated Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equation with a term to account for the effects of vegetation.The three cases considered for open channels were two-stage rectangular channel with emerged vegetated floodplain,rectangular channel with submerged vegetated corner,and two-stage rectangular channel with submerged vegetated floodplain,respectively.To predict the depth-averaged velocity with submerged vegetated floodplains,we proposed a new method based on a two-layer approach where flow above and through the vegetation layer was described separately.Moreover,further experiments in the two-stage rectangular channel with submerged vegetated floodplain were carried out to verify the results.The analytical solutions of the cases indicated that the corresponding analytical depth-averaged velocity distributions agree well with the simulated and experimental prediction.The analytical solutions of the cases with theoretical foundation and without programming calculation were reasonable and applicable,which were more convenient than numerical simulations.The analytical solutions provided a way for future researches to solve the problems of submerged vegetation and discontinuous phenomenon of depth-averaged velocity at the stage point for compound channels.Understanding the hydraulics of flow in compound channels with vegetated floodplains is very important for supporting the management of fluvial processes.

Estimating Soil Hydraulic Parameters Characterizing Rainwater Infiltration and Runoff Properties of Dryland Floodplains

The two-layered (0 - 50 and 50 - 250 mm) surface horizon hydraulic parameters of three dryland floodplain soil-types under aquafer water management in Postmasburg, Northern Cape Province of South Africa were estimated with HYDRUS-1D model. Time dependent water infiltration measurements at 30 and 230 mm depths from simulated rainfalls on undisturbed 1 m2 small plots with intensities of 1.61 (high), 0.52 (medium) and 0.27 (low) mm·min-1, were minimised using a two-step inversion. Firstly, separate optimisation of the van Genuchten-Mualem model parameters for the two surface-horizon layers and secondly, simultaneous optimisation for the joint two-layered horizon with first step optimal parameters entered as initial values. The model reproduced transient water-infiltration data very well with the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (NSE) of 0.99 and overestimated runoff (NSE;0.27 to 0.98). The upper surface horizon had highly optimised and variable parameters especially θs and Ks. Optimal Ks values from higher soil surface bulk-density (≥1.69 g·cm-3) were lower by at least one order of magnitude to double ring infiltrometers and water infiltration properties were different (P < 0.05) for the high rainstorm due to raindrop impact and surface crusting. Optimal α and n parameter values corresponded well with texture of the Addo (Greysols), Augrabies (Ferralsols) and Brandvlei (Cambisols) soil types. However, θs and Ksshowed greater sensitivity to model output and exerted greater influence on dryland floodplain water-infiltration and runoff characteristics. Increasing rainfall simulation period to attain near-surface saturated conditions and inclusion of surface ponding data in the inverse problem could considerable improve model prediction of hydro-physical parameters controlling surface-subsurface water distribution in fluvial environments.

Application of pressure-state-response approach for developing criteria and indicators of ecological health assessment of wetlands:a multi-temporal study in Ichhamati floodplains,India

Background Tropical floodplain wetlands are among the most disturbed and intensively harvested ecosystems.Their sustainable management is often hindered due to the lack of comprehensive,coherent,and standardized assessment frameworks of wetland ecological health(WEH).In this study,a set of appropriate criteria and indicators(C&I)of WEH assessment was developed and tested on seven wetlands of River Ichhamati,eastern India.Methods Based on the pressure-state-response(PSR)approach,evaluation indicators representing ecological,socio-economic,and institutional sustainability issues of floodplain wetland systems were either selected or formulated through literature survey and stakeholder consensus.Weights of indicators were assigned by the entropy weighting method and then used in the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution model to determine the Euclidean distances of each wetland from the positive ideal solution and negative ideal solution.Subsequently,a comprehensive wetland ecological health index(CWEHI)was constructed from these distances to portray the condition of any PSR system component in a wetland under a fivefold classification scheme,namely‘excellent health’(CWEHI≥0.81),‘good health’(0.61-0.80),‘moderate health’(0.41-0.60),‘weak health’(0.21-0.40),and‘morbid’(≤0.20).Results The developed C&I set contains 8 criteria and 38 indicators under pressure component,7 criteria and 49 indicators under state component,as well as 4 criteria and 18 indicators under response component.When applied in 2016 and 2022,it was found that the Panchita and Aromdanga wetlands were continuously in weak and morbid health status,while the Madhabpur wetland always showed an excellent or good status for all components.Health of other wetlands oscillated between moderate and morbid health across assessment years and system components.Conclusions The developed C&I set was found to be a flexible,holistic,and refined framework that could be applied elsewhere in similar assessments with minor indicator-level adjustments.The present assessment inferred that agriculture-dominated wetlands were more affected by amplified environmental pressure than fishing-dominated wetlands.Absence of persistent water flow from main river channel,wide-spread jute-retting,agriculture-induced eutrophication,proliferation of aquatic weeds were identified as the major causes of rapid ecological deterioration.

HYDRAULICS OF COMPOUND CHANNEL WITH VEGETATED FLOODPLAINS

Experimental researches were conducted on flood carrying capacity of compound open channels with wide and narrow floodplains as well as hydrodynamic behavior of overbank flow across vegetated floodplains. Results show that hydrodynamic behavior of compound channels with narrow floodplains is different from that of the wide floodplains. In such compound channels with narrow vegetated floodplains as in the Pearl River delta nework, it has been found that vegetated domains become really impenetra ble when the length of vegetated domain is larger than Lm, the length of f low in floodplain coming into the main channel, and that the influence of vegeta ted floodplains upon flood stages of a channel is not very significant.

Does ash dieback affect the reproductive ecology of Fraxinus excelsior L.?

Forest tree species reproduction is a key factor in maintaining the genetic diversity of future generations and the stability of forest ecosystems.The ongoing ash dieback disease could affect the reproductive ecology of Fraxinus excelsior L.and have a major impact on the quantity and quality of pollen and seeds.In this study,we investigated pollen production and viability of pollen and seeds of ash trees with different health status from 2018 to 2022.Inflorescences were collected from 105 trees(pollen production),pollen from 125 trees(pollen viability),and seeds from 53 trees(seed quality)in two seed orchards and in one floodplain forest in southern Germany.Not all parameters were examined at every site every year.The average pollen production per tree was estimated at 471.2±647.9 billion pollen grains.In addition,we found that a high number of inflorescences did not equate to high pollen production per inflorescence.Pollen production of healthy and diseased trees did not differ significantly,although only 47%of severely diseased male trees(vs.72%for healthy trees)produced flowers.With regards to pollen viability,the TTC test showed an average viability of 73%±17%.Overall,there was a slight tendency for diseased trees to have less viable pollen.However,a significant difference could only be calculated for trees in the floodplain forest.The percentage of germinable seeds in 2018 was 38%in the floodplain forest and 57%in one of the seed orchards.The percentage of viable seeds(TTC test)ranged from 17 to 22%in the orchards in 2020.Non-viable seeds were usually heavily infested by insects.In general,seed quality was not significantly different between healthy and diseased trees.Our results indicate that ash dieback affects flower formation and pollen viability but not pollen production or seed quality.Nevertheless,the fact that hardly any flowering was observed,especially for trees that were seriously affected,suggests a negative effect of ash dieback on reproductive performance.Thus,severely diseased trees will transfer their genes to a smaller extent to the next generation.

Chinese Built-up Land in Floodplains Moving Closer to Freshwaters

Human proximity to water and its dynamics are important to understanding the socio-hydrological dilemma between using floodplains and avoiding flood risk.However,previous studies have not distinguished between the water proximity of built-up land in floodplains(BLF)and the water proximity of built-up land outside floodplains(BLOF).This article provides a new and spatiotemporal perspective of the BLF water proximities for understanding the changing flood risk in China.The results show that China’s BLFs had an average water proximity of 5.41 km in 2014.Most of the BLFs(62%,25.889103 km2)were located within 3 km of waterbodies.From 1990 to 2014,China’s BLFs increased rapidly by 81%from23.069103 km2 to 41.749103 km2,of which a large portion(57%)was concentrated in water surroundings(≤km),shortening the distance between BLFs and waterbodies by 169 m.The BLF growth concentrated in water surroundings even in areas where BLFs have an overall increasing distance from waterbodies.Both the increases in the BLFs and their proximity to waterbodies can increase flood exposure and exacerbate flood risk.The scientific community and policymakers should pay attention not only to the volume of BLF growth,but also its spatial relationship with waterbodies.

Lateral distributions of streamwise velocity in compound channels with partially vegetated floodplains

Natural rivers are commonly characterized by a main channel for primary flow conveyance and a floodplain, often partially covered with vegetation such as shrubs or trees, to carry extra flow during floods. The hydraulic resistance due to vegetation on the floodplain typically causes a further reduction of flow velocity and increases the velocity difference between the main channel and the floodplain. As a consequence a strong lateral shear layer leads to the exchange of mass and momentum between the main channel and floodplain, which in turn affects the overall channel conveyance and certain fluvial processes. The prediction of the lateral velocity distribution is important for many flood alleviation schemes, as well as for studies on sediment transport and dispersion in such channels. The present paper proposes a method for predicting the depth-averaged velocity in compound channels with partially vegetated floodplains, based on an analytical solution to the depth-integrated Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equation with a term included to account for the effects of vegetation. The vegetation is modelled via an additional term in the momentum equation to account for the additional drag force. The method includes the effects of bed friction, drag force, lateral turbulence and secondary flows, via four coefficients f, CD, λ & Γ respectively. The predicted lateral distributions of depth-averaged velocity agree well with the experimental data. The analytical solutions can also be used to predict the distribution of boundary shear stresses, which adds additional weight to the method proposed.

Longitudinal dispersion coefficients of pollutants in compound channels with vegetated floodplains

The characteristics of the longitudinal dispersion of pollutants in compound channels remain unclear. This study examines the relationships among the vegetation density, the width of the floodplain, the water depth ratio, the cross-sectional mean velocity, and the longitudinal dispersion coefficient of a symmetrical compound channel with a rigid non-submerged vegetated floodplain. The longitudinal dispersion coefficient is found to increase significantly with the presence of vegetation on floodplains, and is positively correlated with the plant density. When the density of the vegetation on the floodplains exceeds a certain value, the dispersion coefficient no longer changes with the vegetation density. The longitudinal dispersion coefficient is found to increase with the increase of the width of the floodplain. Moreover, the combined effects of the mean velocity and the water depth ratio have a positive correlation with the dispersion coefficient. The effects of the vegetation on the longitudinal dispersion coefficient in the channels with various cross-sections are also compared. The compound channels with a vegetated floodplain are found to differ significantly from the channels with a rectangular cross-section.

QUANTITATIVE APPROACH TO INFLUENCES OF HIGH SEDIMENT LADEN INUNDATION FLOWS ON THE MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION OF FLOODPLAINS

This article mainly aims at developing an integrated 2-D numerical simulation model on inundation, sediment transportation and the morphological variations of floodplains due to high sediment-laden inundation flows. Due to the complexity of inner and outer boundaries and the arbitrary structures within the computational domain of floodplains, an unstructured Finite-Volume Method （FVM） based on an irregular polygon mesh was worked out so that the influences of complex boundaries can be integrated into the simulation. A case study was conducted in the Lower Yellow River Basin, in which a dike-break at the Huayuankou Hydrological Station was assumed to happen when a flood scale of 1982 was suffered in the region. The simulated spatial distribution of sediment deposition and erosion can be used to reasonably explain the natural phenomena of ＂suspended river＂ of the lower part of the Yellow River. It is concluded that the inundation process of water is similar to a variable-river-bed condition during the simulation because the sediment deposition and erosion are modified by new values at the end of each time step. The mass and momentum conservation were strictly followed during the simulation. Therefore, the prediction of floodplain evolutions by the integrated simulation model, proposed in this study, can be adequately and accurately given if the real condition of an floodplain can be obtained in detail.

Dispersion features of pollutants in a compound channel with vegetated floodplains

The planting of the vegetation on the floodplain helps the ecological restoration,which is the main form of the river’s ecological corridor.Therefore,the current research of the river dynamics focuses on the water movement under a compound channel with the vegetated floodplains.Two simulated vegetation species are selected in this paper for the flume simulation experiments of the floodplain vegetation,and the compound channel is divided into three subregions in the transverse direction.The Navier-Stokes equation and the eddy viscosity theory are applied to obtain the transverse distribution of the depth-averaged velocity and the results agree well with the experimental data.This paper proposes a new method based on the analytical solution of the flow velocity distribution to calculate the average flow velocity in each section.Calculation results can effectively simulate the average flow velocity of the measured sections.The description of the pollutant transport processes in a moving stream requires a refined determination of the dispersion coefficients in the compound channel.The process of the pollutant concentrations in each zone and the reasons for their occurrence are elucidated on the basis of the experimental results.Simultaneously,the measured values of the longitudinal dispersion coefficients are obtained by the“routing procedure,”and a two-zone model of the pollutant dispersion is constructed on the basis of the hydrodynamic study.The prediction method for the longitudinal dispersion coefficients is also presented.Applying the predicted and measured section average flow velocities to the two-zone model to predict the longitudinal dispersion coefficient,and the average relative errors are only 4.17%,7.15%,respectively.This result indicates that the two-zone model can effectively predict the longitudinal dispersion coefficients.The calculation methods for the longitudinal dispersion coefficients from—various studies are compared.The results reveal that the predicted values of these calculation methods are all larger than the measured values,indicating that the vegetation has a considerable influence on the dispersion process.This study comprehensively shows the dispersion features of the pollutants and provides a theoretical basis for the planning and the design of the vegetated ecological corridors.

Water productivity for living aquatic resources in floodplains of Northwestern Bangladesh

Objective:To measure the productivity of water on the floodplain land in terms of fisheries and living aquatic resources based on two floodplain beels in Bangladesh.Methods:Among two beels,beel Mail is practicing community based fish culture management,and beel Chandpur is open access and improperly managed.The production and market price data of fish,snail,and aquatic plants were collected by direct observation based on 30 samples fishers in the year 2006-2007.This study also collected production related water quality data,such as water temperature,pH and dissolved oxygen.Results:The water quality data are found within the normal range.Net aggregated water productivity values based on production costs were TK 8016.23 ha^(-1)and TK 3912.9 ha^(-1)and based on all cost TK 7160.97 ha^(-1)and TK 3741.13 ha^(-1)at beel Mail and beel Chandpur,respectively.The contribution of fish,snails and aquatic resources were 96.50%,3.10%,and 0.40%of the gross aggregated water produced in beel Mail and 87.85%,8.38%,and 3.77%in the beel Chandpur.The water productivity values in beel Mail are higher than in beel Chandpur due to the intervention of community based fish culture.Conclusions:The proper management and techniques of harvesting fish through appropriate number of fish fingerlings stocked,good quality of fish fingerlings,size of beel,good fencing and well defined embankment,etc.can help to improve the productivity of water in the beel areas.

Overbank Flow in a Multi-Staged Open Channel: Zonal and Overall Discharge Studies

An improved divided channel method has been proposed by modelling a parameter using the function of depth ratio for a multi-stage compound channel. Experimental data suggest that as the flow depth increases over the second stage floodplain, fractional contribution of the main channel and first stage floodplain under bankfull height plays a pivotal role in shear layer and momentum distribution. Therefore, a new mathematical model has been suggested for estimating the stage-discharge relationship for staged channels of more than one floodplain using the 1D technique of overall roughness correction. .

The Influence of Land-Use on Water Quality in a Tropical Coastal Area: Case Study of the Keta Lagoon Complex, Ghana, West Africa

The Keta Lagoon and its catchment areas in Ghana are influenced by intensive agriculture and the use of agro-chemicals. It has therefore, become necessary to assess the quality of water in the lagoon and the surrounding fresh water aquifers. In this study, a water quality index (WQI), indicating the water quality has been adopted. The WQI was determined on a basis of various physico-chemical parameters like pH, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, calcium, magnesium, chloride, nitrates, ammonium and sodium. The index was used both for tracking changes at one site over time, and for comparisons among sites. The WQI was also employed to wells used for irrigation on farms along the Keta Sand Spit as well as that of the Keta Lagoon Complex and its surrounding floodplains, in order to ascertain the quality of water for public and livestock consumption, irrigation, recreation and other purposes. The WQI of the wells, Keta lagoon and its floodplains showed various degrees of poor water quality and therefore considered unsuitable for drinking and recreation. By WHO standards, this calls for intensive physical and chemical treatment of the water for human consumption.

Evaluation of a Simple Hydraulic Resistance Model Using Flow Measurements Collected in Vegetated Waterways

A simple idealized model to describe the hydraulic resistance caused by vegetation is compared to results from flow experiments conducted in natural waterways. Two field case studies are considered: fixed-point flow measurements in a Green River (case 1) and vessel-borne flow measurements along a cross-section with floodplains in the river Rhine (case 2). Analysis of the two cases shows that the simple flow model is consistent with measured flow velocities and the present vegetation characteristics, and may be used to predict a realistic Manning resistance coefficient. From flow measurements in the river floodplain (case 2) an estimate was made of the equivalent height of the drag dominated vegetation layer, as based on measured flow characteristics. The resulting height corresponds well with the observed height of vegetation in the floodplain. The expected depth-dependency of the associated Manning resistance coefficient for could not be detected due to lack of data for relatively shallow flows. Furthermore, it was shown that topographical variations in the floodplain may have an important impact on the flow field, which should not be mistaken as roughness effects.

Agroecosystems, Landscapes and Knowledge of Family Farmers from AramaçáIsland, Upper Solimões Region, Amazon

The family farmer’s knowledge about floodplains agroecosystems dynamics is part of agrobiodiversity conservation cognitive strategies. This is because the conservation in floodplains is conditioned by the ecophysiological adaptation to the period and flood gradient of the agricultural lands and by the transformations promoted in the environment by the waters pulse. The aim of this study was to understand the cognitive strategies expressed in the organized meaning of agroecosystems by local knowledge, related to the geomorphological dynamics of the Arama&#231;á Island, Amazonas, Brazil. In this research, the Case Study and Ethnoecology were adopted as approach, taking the systemic complexity paradigm as a theoretical framework. To do so, it was necessary to establish a dialogue with the local knowledge through multitemporal analyses of satellite images, historical series of hydrological data, as well as cartographic documents of the locality. The floodplains amphibian mark, as a living organism in permanent autopoietic process, seems to be imprinted in the family farmer’s knowledge. In order to live in the floodplains and of floodplains, it is necessary, above all, to develop a cognitive ability capable of understanding not only the rivers action on the lands, but also that of the lands on the rivers as well. Therefore, the geomorphological dynamics in the spaces managed by the family farmers impose on them, risks and uncertainties, demanding from them strategies that allow knowing and dealing with this complexity.

Appraisal of Groundwater Potential of Fadama Areas within Northern Nigeria: A Review

Nigeria is a country endowed with alluvial aquifers that occur along major river valleys, in low lying areas which are frequent to flooding during the rainy season. They are scattered across the ecological zones of Guinea savannah, Sudan savannah and the Sahel Savannah and are the thickest along the river Niger and river Benue. The irrigated flood plains (Fadama) are formed by the deposition of transported weathered exogenic terrigenous materials derived from the surrounding basement rocks. These shallow aquifers are mostly unconfined and are recharged through flash flooding events which make them hold great groundwater resources for dry season farming. The fertility of the soils with their residual moisture content makes them attractive for dry season farming. The potential and importance of Fadama agriculture for food production and economic development are crucial, given the recent rising food prices, climatic changes, environmental risks associated with “modern” agriculture, modelled farming systems and population growth. Fadama areas are therefore of critical importance to the survival and economic development of millions of rural dwellers. This paper reviews the groundwater potential of the Floodplains of Fadama for dry farming systems in semi-arid northern Nigeria.

Impacts of human activity and natural change on the wetland landscape pattern along the Yellow River in Henan Province

By using GIS and remote sensing techniques, the paper discusses how human activities have changed along the Yellow River in Henan province, China and how these altered activities have influenced the wetland landscape pattern change from 1987 to 2002. Results show that the total area of the wetland reduces dramatically compared to 1987, the total area of wetland reduces by 19.18%, the number of the patches in 2002 increases by 21.17%, the density increases by 50%, and the total perimeter increases by 1,290,491 m. Disturbed by human activities, landscape diversity index decreases from 1.1740 in 1987 to 0.9803 in 2002. During the last 20 years, the total area of the rice wetland increases, while the others decrease. Among those, the area of the bulrush wetland decreases most. In 1987, it takes 0.5% of the total area, but in 2002, it only takes 0.11%. The interpenetration of human influences on the wetland natural system has been long and close. The impacts of human activities on the spatial pattern of the wetland landscape along the Yellow River in Henan from 1987 to 2002 are great.

Outlines of New Global Geochemical Mapping Program

Since 1988,great efforts and enthusiasm had been paid by applied geochemists in the implementation of global geochemical mapping through the International Geological Correlation Program＇s Projects 259 and 360,and the Task Group on‘Global Geochemical Baselines＇ established by the International Union of Geological Sciences（IUGS）,in collaboration with the International Association of Geochemistry（IAGC）.But how to use extremely low-density sampling to obtain a global picture of the distribution of most elements in the periodic table in a reasonably short time is still a great challenge faced by the applied geochemistry community.It will depend on the continuous development of new mapping concept,and the advisable and courageous innovation of methodology for searching other suitable sample media and sampling layout.Based on the encouragement results obtained from the representativeness study of delta sediments conducted at the mouth of Yangtze River,and at the mouths of its four major tributary,it is expected to broadly apply the geochemical fractal self-similarity nature to main rivers and their estuaries with catchments up to hundreds of thousands or over a million square kilometers in the world.With this new mapping concept,a new outlines of a Global Geochemical Mapping Program was advanced and the establishment of an International Research Center of Global Geochemical Mapping was also suggested to facilitate the programs implementations.