Water and nitrogen footprint assessment of integrated agronomic practice management in a summer maize cropping system

The footprints of water and nitrogen(WF and NF)provide a comprehensive overview of the type and quantity of water consumption and reactive nitrogen(Nr)loss in crop production.In this study,a field experiment over two years(2019 and 2020)compared three integrated agronomic practice management(IAPM)systems:An improved management system(T2),a high-yield production system(T3),and an integrated soil-crop management system(ISCM)using a local smallholder farmer’s practice system(T1)as control,to investigate the responses of WF,Nr losses,water use efficiency(WUE),and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE)to IAPM.The results showed that IAPM optimized water distribution and promoted water use by summer maize.The evapotranspiration over the whole maize growth period of IAPM increased,but yield increased more,leading to a significant increase in WUE.The WUE of the T2,T3,and ISCM treatments was significantly greater than in the T1 treatment,in 2019 and 2020respectively,by 19.8-21.5,31.8-40.6,and 34.4-44.6%.The lowest WF was found in the ISCM treatment,which was 31.0%lower than that of the T1 treatment.In addition,the ISCM treatment optimized soil total nitrogen(TN)distribution and significantly increased TN in the cultivated layer.Excessive nitrogen fertilizer was applied in treatment T3,producing the highest maize yield,and resulting in the highest Nr losses.In contrast,the ISCM treatment used a reduced nitrogen fertilizer rate,sacrificing grain yield partly,which reduced Nr losses and eventually led to a significant increase in nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen recovery.The Nr level in the ISCM treatment was34.8%lower than in the T1 treatment while NUE was significantly higher than in the T1 treatment by 56.8-63.1%in2019 and 2020,respectively.Considering yield,WUE,NUE,WF,and NF together,ISCM should be used as a more sustainable and clean system for sustainable production of summer maize.

Green Roof Performance for Stormwater Management in Equatorial Urban Areas Using Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)

Many Low Impact Developments (LIDs) have recently been developed as a sustainable integrated strategy for managing the quantity and quality of stormwater and surrounding amenities. Previous research showed that green roof is one of the most promising LIDs for slowing down rainwater, controlling rainwater volume, and enhancing rainwater quality by filtering and leaching contaminants from the substrate. However, there is no guideline for green roof design in Malaysia. Hence, Investigating the viability of using green roofs to manage stormwater and address flash flood hazards is urgently necessary. This study used the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to evaluate the effectiveness of green roof in managing stormwater and improving rainwater quality. The selected study area is the multistory car park (MSCP) rooftop at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus. Nine green roof models with different configurations were created. Results revealed that the optimum design of a green roof is 100 mm of berm height, 150 mm of soil thickness, and 50 mm of drainage mat thickness. With the ability to reduce runoff generation by 26.73%, reduce TSS by 89.75%, TP by 93.07%, TN by 93.16%, and improved BOD by 81.33%. However, pH values dropped as low as 5.933 and became more acidic due to the substrates in green roof. These findings demonstrated that green roofs improve water quality, able to temporarily store excess rainfall and it is very promising and sustainable tool in managing stormwater.

GIS-based flash flooding susceptibility analysis and water management in arid mountain ranges:Safaga Region,Red Sea Mountains,Egypt

The Safaga Region(SR)is part of the Red Sea mountain range in Egypt.Catastrophic flash flooding is now an inescapable event,wreaking havoc and causing massive loss of life and property.The majority of the floodwater,however,has been wasted as runoff to the Red Sea,which,if used wisely,could meet a fraction of the water demands for a variety of applications in this area.The current work aims to use GIS techniques to integrate remote sensing data for evaluating,mitigating,and managing flash floods in SR.The data set comprised Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission(TRMM)thematic rainfall data,1:50,000 scale topographical map sheets,geological maps,the ASTER Digital Elevation Model(ASTER GDEM),Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper"(ETM7+),and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager.The flash flood risk model of SR is developed using ArcGIS-10.3 geoprocessing tools integrating all the causal factors thematic maps.The final flood risk model for the SR suggests that 57%of the total basins in the SR are at high risk of flooding.Almost 38%of all basins are at moderate flood risk.The remaining 5%of basins are less prone to flooding.Flood-prone zones were identified,suitable dam-building sites were located,and extremely probable areas for water recharge were recognized.On the basis of reliable scientific data,structural and non-structural mitigation strategies that might reduce the damage susceptibility,alleviate the sensitivity of the flash flood,and best utilize its water supply were recommended.

A Hydrogen Iron Flow Battery with High Current Density and Long Cyclability Enabled Through Circular Water Management

The hydrogen-iron(HyFe)flow cell has great potential for long-duration energy storage by capitalizing on the advantages of both electrolyzers and flow batteries.However,its operation at high current density(high power)and over continuous cycling testing has yet to be demonstrated.In this paper,we discuss our design and demonstration of a water management strategy that supports high current and long cycling performance of a HyFe flow cell.Water molecules associated with the movement of protons from the iron electrode to the hydrogen electrode are sufficient to hydrate the membrane and electrode at a low current density of 100 mA cm^(-2)during the charge process.At higher charge current density,more aggressive measures must be taken to counter back-diffusion driven by the acid concentration gradient between the iron and hydrogen electrodes.Our water management approach is based on water vapor feeding in the hydrogen electrode,and water evaporation in the iron electrode,thus enabling the high current density operation of 300 mA cm^(-2).

A Hydrogen Iron Flow Battery with High Current Density and Long Cyclability Enabled Through Circular Water Management

The hydrogen-iron(HyFe)flow cell has great potential for long-duration energy storage by capitalizing on the advantages of both electrolyzers and flow batteries.However,its operation at high current density(high power)and over continuous cycling testing has yet to be demonstrated.In this article,we discuss our design and demonstration of a water-management strategy that supports high current and long-cycling performance of a HyFe flow cell.Water molecules associated with the movement of protons from the iron electrode to the hydrogen electrode are sufficient to hydrate the membrane and electrode at a low current density of 100 mA cm^(-2)during the charge process.At higher charge current density,more aggressive measures must be taken to counter back-diffusion driven by the acid concentration gradient between the iron and hydrogen electrodes.Our water-management approach is based on water vapor feeding in the hydrogen electrode and water evaporation in the iron electrode,thus enabling high current density operation of 300 mA cm^(-2).

A Cradle-to-Cradle Novel Approach for Wastewater Management in Sustainable Urban Communities

Water, a valuable resource to human lives, is being abused and driven to scarcity. This scarcity is leading some countries and areas to face difficulty in accessing drinking water. As the UN recently stated “by 2050 water shortages and harder access will be reached by around 2/3rd of the world total population” [1], thus, there is a high need to treat and reuse wastewater for domestic purposes, which will lead to less reliance on fresh water as an initial water source. Greywater—defined as the water produced in domestic houses including sinks and bathroom showers, and excluding any blackwater mix which is collected from toilets—is a type of wastewater. Greywater accounts for up to 75% of the daily water produced [2] while it has fewer contaminants when compared to blackwater. This makes greywater a focal point for treatment, and reusing to conserve fresh water and approach net zero water concept. Even though the definition of greywater is the same globally, its criteria can differ from one country to another, from one building to another, or even from the same person’s usage along the day. Accordingly, several treatment methods evolved over years aiming at treating the produced greywater for reuse mainly in irrigation and toilet flushing. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a novel net zero wastewater approach applying cradle-to-cradle concept for urban communities;while also proposing a sustainable greywater treatment technique that is environmentally friendly, cost-effective and socially acceptable.

Green High-yield and High-efficiency Cultivation Techniques of Integrated Management of Water and Fertilizer for Maize under Mulch Drip Irrigation

The green high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation techniques of integrated management of water and fertilizer for maize under mulch drip irrigation are described from the aspects of high yield target of maize and its component factor indexes,pre-sowing preparation,sowing,post-sowing management,field management at the seedling stage,integrated management of water and fertilizer for target yield of maize,rational application of micro-fertilizer,comprehensive prevention and control of diseases and pests,timely harvest,etc.,in order to provide a reference for agricultural technicians,maize farmers and maize industry development in northern Xinjiang.

Analysis on Residents’ Satisfaction and Its Influencing Factors with Water Environment Management: Based on the Data from Xiaoqing River

Xiaoqing River is one of the key rivers in the Yellow River Basin, and its management satisfaction is the content that the government should consider when formulating policies. This paper concentrates on residents’ satisfaction of water environment management in Jinan section of Xiaoqing River, using questionnaires to find out the problems and effects of Xiaoqing River management. Based on the correlation analysis of the questionnaire data, the results show that five factors including the impact of water pollution, understanding of Xiaoqing River governance, willingness to participate in Xiaoqing River governance, policy publicity, and government regulation have a positive impact on the satisfaction of Xiaoqing River water environment governance. Finally, the paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions to increase residents’ satisfaction from five aspects, such as increasing publicity efforts, paying attention to the cultivation of public participation consciousness, etc.

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.

An Evaluation of Manure Management Strategies, Phosphorus Surface Runoff Potential and Water Usage at an Arkansas Discovery Dairy Farm

Manure management is an essential component of dairy production. Nutrient-laden, field-applied dairy manure often serves as a fertilizer source, but can also pose environmental threats if not properly managed. The Haak dairy farm, located in Decatur, Arkansas, was granted a permit by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to employ a unique method in treating and storing cattle manure generated during the milking process. This method includes minimizing water use in wash water, dry scraping solids to combine with sawdust for composting and pumping effluent underground into a sloped concrete basin that serves as secondary solid separator before transporting the manure effluent into an interception trench and an adjacent grassed field to facilitate manure nutrient uptake and retention. The Arkansas Discovery Farm program (ADF) is conducting research to evaluate the environmental performance of the dairy’s milk center wash water treatment system (MCWW) by statistical analysis, characterization of phosphorus (P) migration in soil downslope from the inception trench, temperature measurements, and nutrient analysis of a stored dry stack manure/sawdust mixture. Goals included determining possible composting effectiveness along with comparisons to untreated dairy manure and quantifying the use of on-farm water. Results from this research demonstrated that: 1) The MCWW was effective at retaining manure-derived nutrients and reducing field nutrient migration as the MCWW interception trench had significantly higher total nitrogen (TN) (804.2 to 4.1), total phosphorus (TP) (135.6 to 1.5), and water extractable phosphorus (WEP) (55.0 to 1.0) concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg⋅L-1) than the downhill freshwater pond respectively;2) temperature readings of the manure dry stack indicated heightened levels of microbial and thermal activity, but did not reach a standard composting temperature of 54°C;3) manure dry stack nutrient content was typically higher than untreated dairy manure when measured on a “dry basis” in ppm, but was lower on an “as is basis” in ppm and kg/metric ton;and 4) water meter readings showed that the greatest use of on-farm water was for farm-wide cattle drinking (18.77), followed by water used in the milking center (3.45) and then followed by human usage (0.02) measured in cubic meters per day (m3⋅d-1). These results demonstrate that practical innovations in agricultural engineering and environmental science, such as the Haak dairy’s manure treatment system, can effectively reduce environmental hazards that accompany the management of manure at this dairy operation.

The Management of Environment Cost Caused by Ballast Water

According to classical economic theory,external cost is the indirect,and uncompensated,social or environmental cost caused to an uninvolved third party that arises as an effect of another party’s activity.In light of this,the environmental cost caused by ballast water is considered as a negative externality.This paper aims to contribute by proposing that the environmental cost caused by ballast water can be determined through questionnaires,and that the imposition of a Pigouvian retributive tax is required to compensate for the environmental damage caused.The paper proceeds as follows.Firstly,ballast water management is discussed.Second,the environmental cost is discussed and it is asserted that it is important to have clear regulations and to update them frequently to prevent or minimize ballast water’s negative impact on the environment.Finally,it is suggested that the environmental cost caused by ballast water can be determined by questionnaires and,more specifically,by the WTP(Willingness to Pay)method,and that a special Pigouvian corrective taxation which can internalize this cost should be imposed.

Artificial Intelligence Technique in Hydrological Forecasts Supporting for Water Resources Management of a Large River Basin in Vietnam

Hydrological forecasting plays an important role in water resource management, supporting socio-economic development and managing water-related risks in river basins. There are many flow forecasting techniques that have been developed several centuries ago, ranging from physical models, physics-based models, conceptual models, and data-driven models. Recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an advanced technique applied as an effective data-driven model in hydrological forecasting. The main advantage of these models is that they give results with compatible accuracy, and require short computation time, thus increasing forecasting time and reducing human and financial effort. This study evaluates the applicability of machine learning and deep learning in Hanoi water level forecasting where it is controlled for flood management and water supply in the Red River Delta, Vietnam. Accordingly, SANN (machine learning algorithm) and LSTM (deep learning algorithm) were tested and compared with a Physics-Based Model (PBM) for the Red River Delta. The results show that SANN and LSTM give high accuracy. The R-squared coefficient is greater than 0.8, the mean squared error (MSE) is less than 20 cm, the correlation coefficient of the forecast hydrology is greater than 0.9 and the level of assurance of the forecast plan ranges from 80% to 90% in both cases. In addition, the calculation time is much reduced compared to the requirement of PBM, which is its limitation in hydrological forecasting for large river basins such as the Red River in Vietnam. Therefore, SANN and LSTM are expected to help increase lead time, thereby supporting water resource management for sustainable development and management of water-related risks in the Red River Delta.

Rice Yield and Water Use as Affected by Soil Management Practices

A field experiment was conducted at the Shenyang Experimental Station ofEcology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to study the effects of soil management practices on water useand rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield in an aquic brown soil during 2001 and 2002. A completely randomexperimental design with three replications was employed, having four soil management practices astreatments, namely: an undisturbed plow layer (CK), a thin plastic film (TN), a thick plastic film(TI) and subsoil compacting (CP). Results indicated no significant differences among all treatmentsfor rice biomass and grain yields. Also, water consumption was about the same for treatments TN andCK, however the treatments TI and CP were much lower with more than 45% and 40% of the irrigationwater in the treatments TI and CP, respectively, saved each year compared to CK. Therefore, wateruse efficiency was higher in the treatments TI and CP. These results will provide a scientific basisfor the water-saving rice cultivation.

Effects of Land Management Practices on Soil Water in Southwestern Mountainous Area, China

The effects of selected land management practices （cross-sloping tillage, ridge culture, organic manure, and straw mulch） on soil water conservation in a southwestern mountainous area, China, were studied during November 2002 to November 2004. The experimental field is divided into three parts based on soil layer depths, 0-60 cm （part Ⅰ）, 0-40 cm （part Ⅱ）, and 0- 20 cm （part Ⅲ）, and they all had the same slope azimuth （SE）, slope （10°）, and slope type （linear）. The experimental plots were subjected to the following treatments： cross-sloping tillage （CST）; cross-sloping tillage with organic manure （CST/ OM）; cross-sloping tillage with straw mulch （CST/SM）; contour ridge culture （CRC）; contour ridge culture with organic manure （CRC/OM）; and contour ridge culture with straw mulch （CRC/SM）, to identify the effects of management practices on soil water. Water contents were determined for soil samples collected, using a 2.2 cm diameter manual probe. Soil water was monitored once every five days from Nov. 20, 2002 to Nov. 20, 2004. The results indicated that, in the study stages, an integration of rainfall, evaporative losses, and crop transcription controlled the basic tendencies of profile （mean） soil water, while land management practices, to a certain extent, only modified its amount, distribution, and routing. Moreover, these modifications also mainly focused on the first 20 cm depth of topsoil layer. When each management practice was compared with control treatment, season changes of profile （mean） soil water were pronounced, while interannual changes among them were not significant. More comparisons indicated that, in the study stages, contour ridge culture had better effects than cross-sloping tillage. And under the same tillage, the combination of organic manure could achieve more than straw mulch. These management practices should be recommended considering the effectiveness of soil and water management techniques in the southwestern mountainous area, China.

Interactions of Water Management and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Nitrogen Absorption and Utilization in Rice

The interactions of water management and nitrogen fertilizer on nitrogen absorption and utilization were studied in rice with Wuxiangjing9 (japonica). The results showed that the nitrogen uptake and remaining in straw increased and the percentage of nitrogen translocation (PNT) from vegetative organs, nitrogen dry matter production efficiency (NDMPE) and nitrogen grain production efficiency (NGPE) decreased with nitrogen increasing. The nitrogen uptake and NGPE decreased when severe water stressed. However, rice not only decreased the nitrogen uptake but also increased the PNT from vegetative organs, NDMPE and NGPE when mild water stressed. There were obvious interactions between nitrogen fertilizer and water management, such as with water stress increasing the effect of nitrogen on increasing nitrogen uptake was reduced and that on decreasing NDMPE was intensified.

A simulation-based two-stage interval-stochastic programming model for water resources management in Kaidu-Konqi watershed,China

This study presented a simulation-based two-stage interval-stochastic programming （STIP） model to support water resources management in the Kaidu-Konqi watershed in Northwest China. The modeling system coupled a distributed hydrological model with an interval two-stage stochastic programing （ITSP）. The distributed hydrological model was used for establishing a rainfall-runoff forecast system, while random parameters were pro- vided by the statistical analysis of simulation outcomes water resources management planning in Kaidu-Konqi The developed STIP model was applied to a real case of watershed, where three scenarios with different water re- sources management policies were analyzed. The results indicated that water shortage mainly occurred in agri- culture, ecology and forestry sectors. In comparison, the water demand from municipality, industry and stock- breeding sectors can be satisfied due to their lower consumptions and higher economic values. Different policies for ecological water allocation can result in varied system benefits, and can help to identify desired water allocation plans with a maximum economic benefit and a minimum risk of system disruption under uncertainty.

SWOT Analysis and Challenges of Nile Basin Initiative:An Integrated Water Resource Management Perspective

River Nile is one of the longest transboundery rivers and it is shared and used by Burundi,Democratic Republic of Congo,Egypt,Ethiopia,Eritrea,Kenya,Rwanda,Sudan,Tanzania and Uganda.As of today,the Nile is a crucial resource for the economic development of the Nile Basin countries and a vital source of livelihood for 160 million inhabitants as well as 300 million people living in the 10 riparian countries.The Nile Basin Initiative(NBI) is one of the international cooperative river basin management program and regional partnership where all the Nile Basin countries except Eritrea unite to pursue long-term sustainable development,improved land use practices and management.This review therefore focused on the challenges not faced on NBI in terms of integrated use of the river and conducted analysis of strengths,weaknesses,opportunities and threats(SWOT) based on secondary data.The result of the review revealed that for decades,the Nile Basin people have been facing many complex environmental,social,economic and political challenges that have made it difficult for the proper management and sustainability of Nile water.The initiative provides training to develop skills in government ministries,non-governmental organizations and local communities in each country.It is also working to raise awareness of critical environmental issues by strengthening networks of environmental education practitioners;developing curriculum in the education sector.The challenges of NBI include the involvement and funding of World Bank,lack of sufficient staff,procedural and policies conflicts,lack of coordination and linkage with other regional institutions and lack of recognition as river basin organization.Considering the complex nature of the project,it is recommended that the NBI should come up with a strong multi-disciplinary monitoring and evaluation team to follow up all implemented projects.The NBI should carry out participatory land use planning in communities along the river basin.Moreover,livelihood analysis should be carried out especially in communities along the Nile to come up with poverty eradication projects which are socially acceptable,applicable,economically viable and affordable.

Reliability model of organization management chain of South-to-North Water Diversion Project during construction period

In order to analyze the indispensability of the organization management chain of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project （SNWDP）, two basic forms （series connection state and mixed state of both series connection and parallel connection） of the organization management chain can be abstracted. The indispensability of each form has been studied and is described in this paper. Through analysis of the reliability of the two basic forms, reliability models of the organization management chain in the series connection state and the mixed state of both series connection and parallel connection have been set up.

Virtual Water Trade as a Strategy to Water Resource Management in Iran

Agriculture has historically played a central role in the economy, life and culture of the Iranian population. Nowadays, this sector is facing the reality that its natural fresh water resources become fully utilized. Considering the climate conditions and limitation of using new water resources and the necessity of increasing agricultural product as a result of population growth, there is a general doubt about Iran’s ability to maintain this level of production amid the mounting water challenges, among other obstacles. Therefore, the evaluation of virtual water and water footprint can provide new indicators for informing water policy decisions. So, in order to study the situation at the national level, we estimated virtual water consumption in term of virtual water theory as well water footprint in agriculture sector of Iran. Data from 2001-2008 were used to account for yearly. The results of this study show that Iran has water import dependency and also net water import is 12.7 billion m3 averages. So Iran country saved 12.7 billion m3 from their domestic water resource for utilization in other sectors. Finally, it should be concluded that virtual water trade as a policy measure to water resources management will be provided to a great extent in order to reach both significant water saving and environmental sustainability.

Natural water purification and water management by artificial groundwater recharge

Worldwide,several regions suffer from water scarcity and contamination.The infiltration and subsurface storage of rain and river water can reduce water stress.Artificial groundwater recharge,possibly combined with bank filtration,plant purification and/or the use of subsurface dams and artificial aquifers,is especially advantageous in areas where layers of gravel and sand exist below the earth's surface.Artificial infiltration of surface water into the uppermost aquifer has qualitative and quantitative advantages.The contamination of infiltrated river water will be reduced by natural attenuation.Clay minerals,iron hydroxide and humic matter as well as microorganisms located in the subsurface have high decontamination capacities.By this,a final water treatment,if necessary,becomes much easier and cheaper.The quantitative effect concerns the seasonally changing river discharge that influences the possibility of water extraction for drinking water purposes.Such changes can be equalised by seasonally adapted infiltration/extraction of water in/out of the aquifer according to the river discharge and the water need.This method enables a continuous water supply over the whole year.Generally,artificially recharged groundwater is better protected against pollution than surface water,and the delimitation of water protection zones makes it even more save.