Characterisation of Hydrological Drought and Implications for Sustainable Water Resources Management in the Sokoto-Rima River Basin (SRRB), Nigeria

Hydrological drought is usually characterised by water loss over time from both underground and surface supplies. Thus for this study, the assessment of hydrological drought was carried out by employing Cumulative Rainfall/Streamflow Anomaly as preliminary tools for the presence of drought signatures while detailed characterisation was via Streamflow Drought Index (SDI). The results revealed that hydrological drought was observed in all the stations;however, though in general, the stations could be classified as experiencing near normal drought conditions with mild drought signatures. The findings also revealed that the average streamflow deficit volume and durations of the hydrological drought severity were 1.780 Mm3 and 192 months, 1.444 Mm3 and 252 months, 3.148 Mm3 and 252 months, and 0.159 Mm3 and 372 months for Bakolori, Goronyo (pre dam construction era), Goronyo (post dam construction era) and Zobe stations, respectively. The results also revealed the relevance of flow duration curve and analysis of frequency of drought state transition for the development of scenario-based basin water resources management protocol. The coefficient of determination (R2) statistic of the developed regression models indicate that 73.3% and 86.5% variation in streamflow dynamics across the Basin can be explained by climate change variables. However, for sustainable management of water resources in the Basin, it is imperative that characterisation of hydrological drought and monitoring should employ robust indices which use improved monthly precipitation estimates under global warming scenario in addition to ensuring that there is a shift from reactive to proactive approach in order to combat hydrological risk. Hence, a robust framework that finds application both for planning mitigation actions which embody strategic, tactical and emergency components should be designed;to this end, analysis of persistence and recurrence of drought in time and determination of possible recurrent patterns are necessary.

Overall-effective Measures for Sustainable Water Resources Management in the Coastal Areas of Shandong Province, China——Case Study: the Huangshuihe River Catchment of Longkou City

In the coastal catchments of Shandong Province the water scarcity is aggravated due to saltwater intrusion, reducing the usability of water resources available. Such a situation calls for sustainable integrated water resources management (IWRM). The idea for the objectives and implementation of the IWRM are explained in this paper. The general objective of the planned project disscussed in the present study is to bring together German traditional expertise in water resources management and newer developments in the context of the European Water Framework Directive; the research efforts aim to relieve the desperate water scarcity situation in the costal area of Shandong Province.

Emergency Plan for Water Supply in Consecutive Droughts and Sustainable Water Resources Management in Beijing

Beijing, the capital city of China, has suffered from acute water shortage, with only 300 m3/a of water resources available per capita. In addition, Beijing has experienced a prolonged period of consecutive droughts from 1999 to 2010. Water crisis has constrained the socio-economic development of Beijing. Meanwhile, the national "South-to-North Water Transfer"（STNWT） project, which is expected to provide some relief to the water crisis in Beijing, is still under development. In order to ensure the security of water supply in Beijing before the completion of the STNWT project, several measures have been implemented to cope with droughts, including pumping groundwater from emergency well fields,water saving, recycling of water, rain and flood water harvesting, and the diversion of water from neighboring rivers and groundwater basins. Groundwater from four emergency well fields contributes the most to the public and domestic water supplies in Beijing, supplying a total volume of 1.8×10;m;.The water crisis is supposed to be mitigated by the completion of the STNWT project. After the completion of this project, more sustainable management of water resources will be implemented,including the use of aquifers as groundwater reservoirs and conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources.

Soil and Water Resources and Land Sustainable Productivity in the Catchment Area with Intensive Management in Hilly Red Soil Regions,China

Taking an example of Majiayu Catchment Area (14.15 ha) in Taoyuan County of HunanProvince, the soil and water resources dynamics, fertility evolution characteristics andland productivity changing situation were studied. Fixed observation results from 1993to 2002 showed that pools covering about 15% of total area could store up 10% of surfacerunoff, keep 78.1% of eroded soil and 65.4% of lost nutrients. The yearly ratio ofinterception and evapotranspiration in land, storage in pools and drainage was 7:2:1,which ensured the resources and nutrients equilibrium and a benign recycle in thecatchment area system, and benefited the aquatic culture and helped to resist seasonaldrought. Moreover, the results showed that soil erosion modulus decreased significantly,equal to or lower than soil loss tolerance (≤500 tkm-2) in reddish yellow soil regions.Soil organic matter, total and available N content in sloping land, dryland and paddyfield increased steadily (>10%); water storage enhanced by more than 20% in sloping landand dryland in drought season; crop production increased by more than 20%; and productionof trees, fruits, tea and fish as well as land productivity increased yearly.

A system dynamics approach for water resources policy analysis in arid land:a model for Manas River Basin

The Manas River Basin in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, similar to other arid regions, is facing water constraints which challenge decision-makers as to how to rationally allocate the available water resources to meet the demands from industries and natural ecosystems. Policies which integrate the supply and demand are needed to address the water stress issues. An object-oriented system dynamics model was developed to capture the interrelationships between water availability and increasing water demands from the growth of industries, agri- cultural production and the population through modeling the decision-making process of the water exploration ex- plicitly, in which water stress is used as a major indicator. The model is composed of four sectors： 1 ） natural surface and groundwater resources; 2） water demand; 3） the water exploitation process, including the decision to build reservoirs, canals and pumps; 4） water stress to which political and social systems respond through increasing the supply, limiting the growth or improving the water use efficiency. The model was calibrated using data from 1949 to 2009 for population growth, irrigated land area, industry output, perceived water stress, groundwater resources availability and the drying-out process of Manas River; and simulations were carried out from 2010 to 2050 on an annual time step. The comparison of results from calibration and observation showed that the model corresponds to observed behavior, and the simulated values fit the observed data and trends accurately. Sensitivity analysis showed that the model is robust to changes in model parameters related to population growth, land reclamation, pumping capacity and capital contribution to industry development capacity. Six scenarios were designed to inves- tigate the effectiveness of policy options in the area of reservoir relocation, urban water recycling, water demand control and groundwater pumping control. The simulation runs demonstrated that the technical solutions for im- proving water availability and water use efficiency are not sustainable. Acknowledging the carrying capacity of water resources and eliminating a growth-orientated value system are crucial for the sustainability of the Manas River Basin.

Challenge and Perspective of Yangtze River Basin Water Resources Protection

The major faced problems at present in Yangtze river basin are: ① uneffective control in river water pollution threatens seriously the safety of drinking water; ② shrinkage of lake area and serious eutrophication; ③ soil-water losses degraded the ecological environment of the basin; ④ the impact of TGP and S-N water transfer project on water environment of the basin. In the light of above-mentioned problems, water resources utilization strategy must be adjusted and the sustainable social and economic development should be supported by sustainable water resources utilization, and it is necessary to take the following countermeasures: ① establishing overall flood control and disaster relief system; ② developing high water use efficiency agriculture; ③ taking "giving priority to water saving on the basis of pollution control" as urban water resources utilization strategy; ④ implementing comprehensive pollution control strategy with sources control as main point; ⑤ guaranteing water demand of the ecological environment; ⑥implementing the strategy of maintaining water resources supply and demand balance on the basis of water demand management; ⑦ studying countermeasures for the ecological and environmental impacts of trans-basin water transfer and western China devolopment. The key of realization of sustainable water resources utilization is to reform management and investment mechanism of water resources and water price policy. It is the only way to solve the water resources problems in Yangtze river basin as well as the whole China.

Management Implications of Aquifer Fractures on Ecosystem and Habitat Suitability for Panthers in Southern Florida

Our case study analyzed the proximity of previously mapped fractures in the aquifer matrix to 93 Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) dens mapped from 2007-2016 in south Florida. Dens occurred in five counties (Collier = 77, Dade = 1, Hendry = 9, Lee = 5, and Monroe = 1) and three sub-basins of the Greater Everglades Basin (Big Cypress Swamp = 83, Caloosahatchee = 3, and Everglades = 7). Fractured aquifers occur worldwide, but are not the focus of habitat suitability studies, despite evidence that fractures influence plant species composition and density. Habitat alterations can occur many kilometers from the surface footprint of groundwater alterations in the regional Floridan aquifer system via preferential flow through fractures. Increased natural discharge from and recharge to the aquifer occur at fracture intersections. Greater induced recharge and habitat changes also may occur at fracture intersections. All dens were within 5 km of a previously mapped fracture;36% and 74% were within 1 km and 2 km, respectively, of those fractures;and 47%, 74%, and 90% of dens were within 2 km, 3.25 km and 5 km, respectively, from the nearest fracture intersection. Results suggest fractures influence the suitability and/or availability of habitat for panther dens, selection of den sites, and availability as well as abundance of high quality prey items essential for the nutritional demands of successfully rearing panther kittens in the wild. We recommend more detailed investigations of: a) vegetation characteristics near dens, b) groundwater alterations and cumulative impacts of those alterations associated with fractures in panther habitat (e.g., altered plant species composition and density), and c) influence of aquifer fractures in all habitats underlain by fractures.

Empowering Conditions for Good Water Governance-a Sustainable Model： Vilanculos Case Study （Mozambique）

This article shows the results of the project Empowering conditions for good water governance-a sustainable model： Vilanculos case study （Mozambique）, co-financed by the European Community. This project had the aim of improving sanitary conditions and increasing economic and financial sustainability of water services for the population of Vilanculos. The project has been developed and deployed with cooperation between Acque del Chiampo （an Italian water utility, near Vicenza）, the University of Brescia and the Vilanculos public water service utility, Empresa Mo^ambicana de Agua （EMA）. The paper reports analytical praxis for water distribution measurements, capable of providing essential data about the water network performances, to assess the eventual need for actions in order to solve possible and effective problems of the water service. These practices involve flow and pressure analyses, pinpointing of the network＇s criticalities and leakages by in-situ inspections along the network, managing the valves together with water service utility, as well as the use of a water distribution model to simulate the effects of the proposed interventions and specific software to automatically register bills and payments.

Payment for Water-Related Ecosystem Services as a Strategic Watershed Management Approach

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) have been created worldwide to assist watershed management and improve or maintain water quality. Considering their importance, we conducted a holistic review of payment for water-related ecosystem services to understand how this instrument has been applied in watershed management worldwide. First, we identified the watershed management actions considered by the PES programs and the challenges of implementing water-related PES. After we identified the methods and criteria used to define priority areas for water-related PES. Our review considered articles published on the Web of Science from 2011 to 2022. We found 236 articles relating PES to water resources, highlighting the main water conservation strategies: native vegetation conservation, native vegetation restoration, and implementing best agricultural practices. The method most frequent was interview, followed by the use of technologies, document analysis, and hydrological models. Another significant result was that priority areas for receiving PES are mainly riparian zones, areas near or with native vegetation cover, areas with higher erosion potential, steep areas, and areas with socially vulnerable communities. This review was crucial to identify efficient water resource conservation strategies and potential challenges in the implementation and development of PES programs.

Research progress of socio-economic water cycle in China

China has made great progress in the study of socio-economic water cycle. She has completed national water resources appraisement and medium to long-term water supply planning. She has been engaging in study on water-deficient regions in North China and Northwest China for about half a century. For solving water shortage problem in northern China, she has put forward the famous South-to-North Water Transferring Projects, which has been set as one of the four biggest national projects in the Tenth Five-Year-Plan period although there are still debates. For promoting water use efficiency, China has been reforming her water management system, including water right system and water price system. There has already been a case of water right purchase. China has also done a lot of research on the interaction between human activity, water and ecosystem. For meeting the need of sustainability and coordinating water resources development and environmental protection, the study of ecological water requirement became very hot in recent years. There are three focuses of socio-economic water cycle study now in China: water transfer projects from the south to the north, water resources management and ecological water requirement.

Synthesis of Attaining Sustainable Development Goal 6.5: A Case Study of Mano River

The Mano River is a transboundary river that runs through Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. According to a 2018 United Nation report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.5, which aims to improve the adoption of cohesive water resource management by 2030;the impact of this goal on the Mano River management is minimal. The research summarizes previous studies using an integrative literature review method, drawing general conclusions and identifying unsolved problems with respect to water resources management. The research finding demonstrated that existing water stress and poor management as exacerbated by socioeconomic practices in the region are the major threats to achieve SDG 6.5. As a result of these activities, long-term management of the river basins has become extremely difficult. The research informs a discussion to achieve cooperative water resource management, which is best achieved by shared collaboration and shared interests as described by SDG 6.5.

Coupling the hydrological and ecological process to implement the sustainable water resources management in Hanjiang River Basin

Research on the combination of hydrological variation and ecological demands plays an important role in water availability assessment and sustainable management on basin scale. An integrative frame, consisting of hydrological regime modelling, ecological water demands estimation and renewable resources management, is given in this paper in order to support the implementation of the sustainable water resources management. The suggested integrative frame has been used to study the integrated water resources management in southern Hanjiang River Basin which is the water source of South-toNorth Water Transportation Project in China. SWAT (soil and water assessment tool) model was used to simulate the monthly averaging streamflow and the amounts of ecological water demands in stream were also estimated in order to evaluate the available water resources for the local users and the transportation project. Then we formed the developing scenarioes by coupling the available water resources, the recovering rate of water resources in natural water cycle, the local water use rate and the amounts of the water transported to North, and used the Scheafer model to analyze their evolving trajectories. Eventually, the sustainable water resources management measures were assembled by the comprehensive evaluation of the scenarioes. The research indicates that the integrative frame provided a new way for the integrated water resources management in river basin.

Sustainable Water Resources Management: River Basin Modelling and Decision Support Framework

Sustainability is a key objective of water resources management and this paper describes a modelling and decision support framework that achieves this, illustrated by applications on the UK Thames and Mekong river basins. The decision support framework contains several modules, including an interactive user＇s interface linked to a GIS, a geo-database, knowledge base, simulation models and optimization procedures. Based on the analysis of scenarios and proposed interventions, efficient modelling and optimization tools form a comprehensive integrated decision support framework for the analysis and operational management of water resources in the river basin, our emphasis has been on a practical implementation through careful screening of alternatives, consideration of the institutional framework and direct involvement of stakeholders in the decision making process. Operating in this environment is transparent, reproducible and auditable, securing the trust of all interested parties. This paper discusses its applications to water utilisation on the Mekong river basin and drought management of the Lower Thames stored reservoir system.

Fresh Water Demand Minimization in Residential Urban Buildings

In the last decades, there is a lot of discussion in many scientific fields, about the high importance of water as a basic element for the existence and the maintenance of life, aiming to the right and proper usage of water in our everyday basic water-needs due to its limited resources and the growing demand. This research deals with simple ways and technological systems applicable in urban residential buildings for the better management of domestic fresh water, as far as its maintenance and sustainability. Main aim of the survey is the effective minimization of urban daily water usage. All measurements of water quantities have estimated in the imperial gallon （1 gallon = 4.546 liter）, and in liter （1 liter = 0.2 gallon）.

对复杂水资源系统管理的认知与思考

通过提升管理能力进一步缓解水资源供需矛盾,应对水、经济、社会、生态等关联系统之间的不确定性已经成为新时期水资源可持续发展的必然要求。面对我国水资源系统存在的新老问题,亟须开展新时期反映复杂水资源系统特征的管理研究。基于此,梳理我国水资源管理模式的发展历程,指出我国已经进入面向关联要素的水资源系统综合管理阶段,多属性、全过程和多要素是目前复杂水资源系统管理的基本特征。从管理目标、管理对象和管理路径3个方面对复杂水资源系统管理的基本框架进行详细阐述。最后,对复杂水资源系统管理的关键支撑技术进行探讨,提出水资源监测技术、水循环模拟技术、水资源配置与调度技术、水生态环境过程模拟技术是我国水资源科学管理的关键支撑。

农村水资源可持续发展治理研究

农村生活污水是水环境的重要污染源之一,生活污水治理是实现乡村振兴战略的重中之重。由于中国农村地区生活生产环境因素复杂等原因,在污水治理水平、治理理念等方面与城市地区相差甚远。文章针对中国目前农村水污染防治与可持续发展治理现状,对农村水资源污染问题进行分析,并有针对性地提出了相应的对策措施。

基于海绵城市理论的城市公园景观设计研究

近年来,我国城镇化建设快速发展,城市化进程不仅带来了经济繁荣,也伴随着一系列严峻的环境问题。快速城市化导致的城市水体污染、内涝、水资源短缺等城市雨水问题,对居民日常生活造成了不可忽视的影响。为了应对这些挑战,我国提出了“海绵城市”这一创新性建设理念。城市公园拥有大规模的绿地和水体,是雨水储存再利用的天然容器,也是海绵城市建设的主要载体。基于此,文章围绕海绵城市理念展开研究,以城市公园景观为研究对象,探索将海绵城市理论融入城市公园景观设计的策略和方法,以期为后续海绵城市和公园景观的建设提供参考。

生态流量方法应用现状研究

水资源是制约国家经济社会发展的重要因素。长期以来,水资源的过度开发利用直接影响了流域的生态保护和高质量发展。生态流量(Ecological Flow)是保障流域水生态环境可持续发展和管理的重要指标。然而当前研究方法众多,尚未进行系统性梳理。以生态流量为出发点,归纳总结国内生态流量评估的最新进展,系统地对水文学法、水力学法、生境模拟法和整体分析法等四大类共17种方法进行对比总结,评述其优缺点及适用条件,并根据国内流域的生态流量评估现状,建议在我国流域水系庞杂且气候、水文地质、下垫面和水资源开发利用等条件差异较大的情况下,因地制宜地选择生态流量评估方法。未来的生态流量研究和流域水生态管理应综合考虑气候、水文条件变化和人类活动的影响,依据生态流量目标制定、水利水电工程调度、生态流量监测、流域制度法规建设等方面系统性完善生态流量管理与研究,实现流域水资源的高质量发展。

丘北江边蚌常林场森林资源现状与可持续经营对策

文章对丘北江边蚌常林场森林资源现状进行评价,得出结论:乔木林地和灌木林地面积较大,比重达86.86%;林地保护等级以Ⅱ级为主,比重为71.00%;生态公益林面积和商品林面积比例为71:29;乔木林中,中、幼龄林比重大,达到93.40%。在此基础上,分析林场森林经营管理中存在的问题,并提出科学编制森林经营方案、加强中、幼龄林抚育、调整森林结构和产业结构、加强人才队伍建设等对策,以期为林场森林可持续经营提供借鉴。

欧洲流域水资源综合管理战略发展回顾与思考

水资源是维持人类生存和推动经济社会发展的基础和命脉,是无法被替代的重要自然资源。目前可被人类利用的淡水资源仅占全球水资源的2%,且空间分布不均。由于气候变化的影响、人口增长的威胁以及前所未有的城市化发展规模,水资源综合管理面临的稀缺性、竞争性挑战日益凸显。在最严峻形势的预测下,2030年全球竞争性用水需求将导致世界40%的地区面临供水短缺问题。为了更好应对未来“自然-社会”二元驱动力作用下水资源供需协调、水生态保护及水灾害防御治理三个方面的挑战,水行政主管部门需要制定更科学、更具包容性且可持续的水资源管理战略及政策。据经济合作与发展组织(OECD)分析,由于国家之间及国家内部存在差异性,没有一种放之四海而皆准的水管理战略可以用于解决当今全球范围内的水问题。但是基于水资源的流动性及完整性提出的以流域为单元进行管理的战略已被越来越多的国家所采纳。20世纪60年代,欧洲发达国家认识到综合管理水资源的必要性,至今已制定、推动了一系列管理战略及政策法规。通过回顾梳理这一历程,提出应对不断变化的水挑战的思考,以期为中国水资源综合管理战略制定提供借鉴。