Soil water resources use limit in the loess plateau of China

Soil water is a key factor limiting plant growth in water-limited regions. Without limit of soil water used by plants, soil degradation in the form of soil desiccation is easy to take place in the perennial forestland and grassland with too higher density or productivity. Soil water resources use limit (SWRUL) is the lowest control limit of soil water resources which is used by plants in those regions. It can be defined as soil water storage within the maximum infiltration depth in which all of soil layers belong to dried soil layers. In this paper, after detailed discussion of characteristics of water resources and the relationship between soil water and plant growth in the Loess Plateau, the definition, quantitative method, and practical applications of SWRUL are introduced. Henceforth, we should strengthen the study of SWRUL and have a better understanding of soil water resources. All those are of great importance for designing effective restoration project and sustainable management of soil water resources in water- limited regions in the future.

Instruments for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Water Resources in the Baikal Natural Area

The present paper contains the results of a review of economic instruments for water resources management in the Republic of Buryatia prepared under the OECD project “Improving the use of economic instruments for water management in the Republic of Buryatia (Lake Baikal basin)” and aimed at supporting the policy dialogue on water in Russia, in cooperation with the EU Water Initiative. Based on the analysis, some recommendations were developed for improving the use of instruments for water resources management in the Republic of Buryatia as a part of the Baikal Natural Area.

Climate change, water resources and sustainable development in the arid and semi-arid lands of Central Asia in the past 30 years

The countries of Central Asia are collectively known as the five "-stans": Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. In recent times, the Central Asian region has been affected by the shrinkage of the Aral Sea, widespread desertification, soil salinization, biodiversity loss, frequent sand storms, and many other ecological disasters. This paper is a review article based upon the collection, identification and collation of previous studies of environmental changes and regional developments in Central Asia in the past 30 years. Most recent studies have reached a consensus that the temperature rise in Central Asia is occurring faster than the global average. This warming trend will not only result in a higher evaporation in the basin oases, but also to a significant retreat of glaciers in the mountainous areas. Water is the key to sustainable development in the arid and semi-arid regions in Central Asia. The uneven distribution, over consumption, and pollution of water resources in Central Asia have caused severe water supply problems, which have been affecting regional harmony and development for the past 30 years. The widespread and significant land use changes in the 1990 s could be used to improve our understanding of natural variability and human interaction in the region. There has been a positive trend of trans-border cooperation among the Central Asian countries in recent years. International attention has grown and research projects have been initiated to provide water and ecosystem protection in Central Asia. However, the agreements that have been reached might not be able to deliver practical action in time to prevent severe ecological disasters. Water management should be based on hydrographic borders and ministries should be able to make timely decisions without political intervention. Fully integrated management of water resources, land use and industrial development is essential in Central Asia. The ecological crisis should provide sufficient motivation to reach a consensus on unified water management throughout the region.

Conjunctive Utilization of Water Resources at the Yulin Coal-Mine Base in China

Shortages in water resources and the fragile ecosystem by coal-mine water affect the Yulin coal-mine base in northwest China, so taking coal-mine water into account is an important issue for the sustainable management of water resources. This paper aims to explore how the Yulin coal-mine base can improve its conjunctive utilization of water resources. Integrated utilization is proposed by establishing a multi-objective, multi-water-source, optimal-allocation model;setting up an integrated information platform;and giving very useful measures and policy suggestions to the local government. Finally, this research can also serve as an example of integrated water utilization for other energy bases.

Toxicity evaluation of produced formation waters after filtration treatment

During the last years many authors have char-acterized the produced formation waters (PFWs) with respect to chemical compounds and toxic-ity. Most of data are related to PFWs collected on offshore platform after treatment process. The available results showed that the particulate phase had an influence on PFW toxicity. As-suming the toxicity of PFWs treated on platform, the aim of this paper is to study the toxicity of these PFWs after a further filtration treatment carried out in laboratory. For this purpose PFWs were sampled from three natural gas platforms located in the Adriatic Sea (Italy) below treat-ment system. The eco-toxicological bioassays have been conducted on test-organisms be-longing to different trophic levels such as bac-teria, algae, crustaceans and fishes. The PFWs resulted toxic according to an overall assess-ment obtained through the bioassays. Further-more, it has been possible to identify the spe-cies that were more sensitive to the tested PFWs, namely Tigriopus fulvus, Dicentrarchus labrax and Vibrio fischeri. Besides, a chemical char-acterization was reported related to the con-taminants present in the PFWs to go with eco-toxicological assessment. Barium, zinc and manganese showed the most concentrations among the metals and the lower molecular weight components were common among the organic compounds. Some differences among PFWs were observed both for toxicity and chemical composition. The highest toxicity was recorded in PFWs (PFW1 and PFW2) containing the highest concentrations of some metals (Ba, Mn and Zn) and/or BTEX.

A Numerical Solution for the Integrated Analysis of Water Resources Management: Application to the Mero River Watershed, La Coruña, Spain

This research is concerned with new developments and practical applications of a physically-based numerical model that incorporates new approaches for a finite elements solution to the steady/transient problems of the joint ground/surface water flows. Python scripts are implemented in Geographic Information System (GIS) to store, represent and take decisions on the simulated conditions related to the water resources management at the scale of the watershed. The proposed surface-subsurface model considers surface and groundwater interactions to be 2-D horizontally distributed and depth-averaged through a diffusive wave approach for surface flood routing. Infiltration rates, overland flows and evapotranspiration processes are considered by a diffuse discharge from surface water, non-saturated subsoil and groundwater table. Recent developments also allow for the management of surface water flow control through the capacity of diversion on river beds, spillways and outflow operations of floodgates in weirs and dams of reservoirs. Practical application regards the actual hydrology of the Mero River watershed, with two important water bodies mainly concerned with the water resources management at the Cecebre Reservoir and the present flooding of a deep coal mining excavation. The MELEF model (Modèle d’éLéments Fluides, in French) was adapted and calibrated during a period of five years (2008/ 2012) with the help of hydrological parameters, registered flow rates, water levels and registered precipitation, water uses and water management operations in surface and groundwater bodies. The results predict the likely evolution of the Cecebre Reservoir, the flow rates in rivers, the flooding of the Meirama open pit and the local water balances for different hydrological components.

Interlinkage Between Global Environmental Changes,Water Resources Availability and Quality in the East African Rift:Preliminary Analyses and Some Cases:The MaWARi Project(Kenya,Ethiopia,Djibouti,France)

The East African Rift extending across Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya is characterized by low level of economic development,high level of poverty,increasing population,scarce natural resources(land,water, and environment),complex and rich ecosystems, increasing desertification and degrading biodiversity, underdeveloped regional trade and market,water resources mainly stored in groundwater and

Revision of Water Function Division and Countermeasures for Water Resources Protection in Jiangjin District of Chongqing City in China

According to the current situation and development planning of water resources in Jiangjin District of Three Gorge Reservoir Area at the upper reaches of Yangtze River,by combining with social needs,through the survey on pollution source and analysis of water quality,based on the Report of Water Function Division of Jiangjin District(2005) ,the adjustment and revision have been conducted on water function divisions,and corresponding protection targets and countermeasures for water resources have been proposed,so that the water function division can comply with the development situation of Jiangjin District,providing a reliable reference for the protection and reasonable utilization of water resources,enhancing the unified and effective supervision of water resources,promoting the sustainable use of water resources in Jiangjin District,and ensuring the sustainable development of regional society and environment.

Influence of climate change and human activity on water resources in arid region of Northwest China: An overview

This study reviews the latest progress in research on climate change and water resources in the arid region of Northwest China, analyzes the cause of water resource changes within the region from the perspective of climate change and human activities, and summarizes future likely changes in water resources and associated adaptation strategies. The research shows that the climate in the region has experienced warming and wetting with the most significant warming in winter and the highest increase in summer precipitation since 1961. Areas with the most significant warming trends include the Qaidam Basin, the Yili River Valley, and Tacheng. Spatially, the increasing trend in precipitation becomes increasingly significant from the southeast to the northwest, and northern Xinjiang experienced the highest increase. Studies have shown a decrease in headwater of Shiyang River because runoff is mainly based on precipitation which shows a decrease trend. But an increase in western rivers was observed such as Tarim River and Shule River as well as Heihe River due to rapid glacier shrinkage and snowmelt as well as precipitation increase in mountain area. Meanwhile unreasonable human activities resulted in decrease of runoff in the middle and lower reaches of Haihe River, Shiyang River and Kaidu River. Finally, recommendations for future studies are suggested that include characteristics of changes in extreme weather events and their impacts on water resources, projections of future climate and water resource changes, climate change attribution, the selection of adaptation strategies relating to climate change and social economic activities, and use of scientific methods to quantitatively determine water resource allocation.

KELEA: A Natural Energy That Seemingly Reduces Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding in Water and Other Liquids

The alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathway was initially identified as a non-immunological defense mechanism against virus infections. It is particularly relevant to the suppression of stealth adapted viruses, which are not normally recognized by the cellular immune system. Many of the methods able to enhance the ACE pathway are consistent with the transfer of a natural energy to the body’s fluids. Additional support for this premise is provided in this paper. The vapor pressure and rate of evaporation of activated water, ethanol and gasoline increase to beyond atmospheric pressure over time. The term KELEA (kinetic energy limiting electrostatic attraction) is proposed for a natural energy that increases the volatility of fluids, seemingly through the loosening of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. KELEA activated fluids have many potential health, agricultural and industrial applications, as well as providing the opportunity for fundamental research.

Review on the Impact of Climate Change on Great Lakes Region’s Agriculture and Water Resources

This study investigates the multifaceted impacts of climate change on the Midwest region of the United States, particularly the rising temperatures and precipitation brought about by hot weather activities and technological advances since the 19th century. From 1900 to 2010, temperatures in the Midwest rose by an average of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit, which would also lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Precipitation is also expected to increase due to increased storm activity and changes in regional weather patterns. This paper explores the impact of these changes on urban and agricultural areas. In urban areas such as the city of Chicago, runoff from the increasing impervious surface areas poses challenges to the drainage system, and agriculture areas are challenged by soil erosion, nutrient loss, and fewer planting days due to excessive rainfall. Sustainable solutions such as no-till agriculture and the creation of grassland zones are discussed. Using historical data, recent climate studies and projections, the paper Outlines ways to enhance the Midwest’s ecology and resilience to climate change.

Photosynthetic Water Use Efficiency of Heritage and Modern Potatoes under Limited and Unlimited Water Environments

Photosynthetic capacity for heritage (Taewa) and modern potato cultivars were compared at different water and nitrogenregimes in the glasshouse and field. The glasshouse was 2*2*4 factorial design with two irrigation: 100% ET and 60% ET;two applied N: 50 kg N ha-1 and 200 kg N ha-1, two Taewa (Moe Moe, Tutaekuri) and two modern potatoes (Moonlight, Agria). The 2009/2010 field experiment was a split-plot, with irrigation and rain-fed regimes as the main treatments: four potatoes above were sub-treatments. The 2010/2011 field experiment was a split-split-plot, with three water regimes as the main treatments: three cultivars (Moe Moe, Tutaekuri, and Agria) were subplots;two N rates were sub-sub-treatments. Gaseous exchange was measured by CIRAS-2 at different days from emergence. Leaf water potential was measured using pressure chamber method. Taewa achieved high photosynthetic WUE in glasshouse and 2010/2011 experiment by maintaining high An, low gs and low Ci compared to modern cultivars (p The An, gs and T increased with irrigation and N increase while decreasing Ci (p < 0.01). Water stress significantly increased VPD resulting in low An and photosynthetic WUE in Moonlight in the glasshouse. The leaf water potential for Taewa was very tolerant while modern potatoes were weakened by water stress. The study indicated that Taewa can be scheduled at partial irrigation without more detrimental effects on photosynthetic capacity while modern potatoes need full irrigation to avoid detrimental effects on photosynthetic capacity.

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.

Estimation of future water resources of Xiangjiang River Basin with VIC model under multiple climate scenarios

Variation trends of water resources in the Xiangjiang River Basin over the coming decades have been investigated using the variable infiltration capacity(VIC) model and 14 general circulation models'(GCMs') projections under the representative concentration pathway(RCP4.5) scenario. Results show that the Xiangjiang River Basin will probably experience temperature rises during the period from 2021 to2050, with precipitation decrease in the 2020 s and increase in the 2030 s. The VIC model performs well for monthly discharge simulations with better performance for hydrometric stations on the main stream of the Xiangjiang River than for tributary catchments. The simulated annual discharges are significantly correlated to the recorded annual discharges for all the eight selected target stations. The Xiangjiang River Basin may experience water shortages induced by climate change. Annual water resources of the Xiangjiang River Basin over the period from 2021 to 2050 are projected to decrease by 2.76% on average within the range from-7.81% to 7.40%. It is essential to consider the potential impact of climate change on water resources in future planning for sustainable utilization of water resources.

The Great Lapse: Climate Change, Water Resources and Economic Risks in the Great Lakes

The striking vastness of the world’s largest surface freshwater resource, the Laurentian Great Lakes, has generated the fallacy that they are not highly vulnerable to climate change. This fallacy has created a great lapse in our research and understanding of the effects of climate change on the Great Lakes, which are approaching critical environmental thresholds and jeopardizing ecosystem services. This article takes the novel approach of correcting the disconnect between the perception of vastness and the reality of vulnerability to climate change in the Great Lakes, and takes an additional novel step to link the water risks with the economic risks. The primary purpose is to demonstrate the interdependence of the freshwater ecosystem services affected by climate change with the economies that are highly dependent on those freshwater services in the Great Lakes region. Although many believe that environmental science or ethical arguments should be sufficient to warrant action on climate change, evidence shows that policy-makers are not compelled to generate advances unless there are strong economic components. This article highlights the leading edge of climate science for the Great Lakes, having conducted 32 in depth interviews with experts in microbiology, ecology, and limnology, among others, but it also adds substantively to previous work by providing economic evidence of water risks in the agricultural sector and energy sector, which constitute over $6 trillion in value and jobs that are specifically dependent on lakes waters. The article concludes by articulating three specific conclusions: the economic viability of the agricultural sector and the energy sector are jeopardized by loss of federal funding for climate change adaptation in the water sector;the existing policies such as between sectors such as the Farm Bill and Energy Future Bill are mal-aligned and should be aligned with the water sector;and negative environmental externalities including factors that exacerbate climate change should be incorporated into the true cost of water so we can more accurately conduct ecosystem valuation and, thus, address the true economic and environmental cost of climate change on the Great Lakes and our greatest water resources. This paper has not previously been published.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Impacts in South West Coastal Zone of Bangladesh and Fact-Finding on Tidal River Management (TRM)

The south west coastal zone of Bangladesh have been affected by rampant water logging due to vulnerable climate, silted rivers and stumpy terrain;and introduction of IWRM and TRM at some places of the zone has substantially safeguarded the circumstance. This study aims to assess the benefits achieved due to implementation of IWRM in parts of Khulna and Jessore districts, and investigate some technical aspects evolving TRM. Analyses have been carried out using satellite images, RS and GIS technology, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and field investigations. A mathematical formulation has been made to assess rate of tidal sedimentation due to TRM and selection strategies of tidal basins. The study comes up with evidences of considerable advancements in regional livelihood i.e. flood resistance, cultivated lands, cultivable area, cropping intensities and food security due to IWRM. Moreover, the technical facts established on TRM would help planners to have vivid perception regarding the process.

Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Water Resources in the Upper Senegal Basin (West Africa)

This study assesses the potential impacts of climate change on water resources and the effect of statistical bias correction on the projected climate change signal in hydrological variables over the Upper Senegal Basin (West Africa). Original and bias corrected climate data from the regional climate model REMO were used as input for the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology-Hydrology Model (MPI-HM) to simulate river discharge, runoff, soil moisture and evapotranspiration. The results during the historical period (1971-2000) show that using the bias corrected input yields a better representation of the mean river flow regimes and the 10th and 90th percentiles of river flow at the outlet of the Upper Senegal Basin (USB). The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient is 0.92 using the bias corrected input, which demonstrates the ability of the model in simulating river flow. The percent bias of 3.88% indicates a slight overestimation of the river flow by the model using the corrected input. The evaluation demonstrates the ability of the bias correction and its necessity for the simulation of historical river regimes. As for the potential changes of hydrological variables by the end of 21st century (2071-2100), a general decrease of river discharge, runoff, actual evapotranspiration, soil moisture is found under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) in all simulations. The decrease is higher under RCP8.5 with uncorrected data in the northern basin. However, there are some localized increases in some parts of the basin (e.g. Guinean Highlands). The projected climate change signal of these above variables has the same spatial pattern and tendency for the uncorrected and bias corrected data although the magnitude of the corrected signal is somewhat lower than that uncorrected. Furthermore, the available water resources are projected to substantially decrease by more than -50% in the majority of the basin (especially in driest and hottest northern basin with RCP8.5 scenario) for all data, except the Guinean highlands where no change is projected. The comparison of simulations driven with uncorrected and bias corrected input reveals that the bias correction does not substantially change the signal of future changes of hydrological variables for both scenarios over the USB even though there are differences in magnitude and deviations in some parts of the basin.

Feasibility of Protection Zones for Water Resources in Arid Areas: Case Study;Duyuk Nueimah Shosa Springs, Jericho, Palestine

Urbanization and different human-economic activities put increasing pressure on the ground water quality, which is considered as the main drinking water resources in Palestine. Protecting the spring water resources in Palestine is one major issue for the continuity of the availability of the water resources. An economic feasibility study was conducted for the Nuewimah-Shosha-Dyuk spring system in order to assess the economical factor for the induced methodology of the protection zones. The spring system has multiple users from different sectors (i.e., domestic, agriculture, commercial and public use) and multi-year cost benefit analysis technique used to show the feasibility of water protection zones on the long run. The study shows that even in arid areas in Palestine, small quantities are derived from springs-implementation of water protection zones is still feasible;the results of this study emphasize on importance and feasibility of water resources protection zones.

The Coupling Coordination Evolution Research of Economy - Ecology - Society System in Xinjiang：Based on the Interaction Perspective of Water Resources

Under the water resources perspective,coupling coordination of economy-ecology-society system in Xinjiang was taken as the research object. By building the coupling evaluation index system of the water resources-economy-ecology-society system,quantitative evaluation and analysis of the coupling coordination of the water resources-economy-ecology-society system from 2001 to 2014 were conducted. The results showed that benefit indexes of economic system and social system grew rapidly,while benefit indexes of water resources system and ecosystem fluctuated smoothly from 2001 to 2014; coupling state of the whole system was at rival stage,and coupling coordination was reluctant coordination type,and the coupling index was slightly higher than the coupling coordination index. Moreover,it showed that the more the coupling systems,the lower indices of coupling and the coupling coordination.

How Water-Development Nexus Can Reunite Central Asia?

The following article has been retracted due to the fact that it cannot be accepted by the author’s university as a scientific peer-reviewed publication. The Editorial Board takes a very strong respect to the author’s situation on this matter. This paper published in World Journal of Engineering and Technology Vol.2 No.3B, September 2014, has been removed from this site.