Water Scarcity in Conakry, Guinea: Challenges and Proposed Strategies for a Way Forward

The capital of Guinea, Conakry, faces a notable difficulty due to a water shortage, which is worsened by the rapid increase in population and urban development. The Guinean Water Company (SEG) faces challenges in supplying water to the entire city due to its limited area of approximately 420 km2 and a population of 2 million. Moreover, the population growth rate is anticipated to increase dramatically, exacerbating the difficulty of fulfilling future water requirements. As a result, this study employs data from the Knoema website and the Institute of National Statistics of Guinea (INS) to examine the water production and distribution process by the SEG. The study examines the challenges related to water scarcity in Conakry and suggests strategies to assist the city in managing the present circumstances and planning for the future. The primary objective is to get a long-lasting water supply and uphold water quality to advance public health.

The Impact of Water Scarcity on Food Security in Iraq

Iraq is part of the Fertile Crescent with the two large rivers:Tigris and Euphrates and their tributaries that secure the required quantity and quality of water to the Iraqi population for their different uses;including agriculture,industry,and other domestic requirements.During the last decades,however,the quantity and quality of water in these rivers decreased causing water scarcity in the country.This scarcity is having severe impacts on food security in Iraq since large cultivated areas in different parts of the country that grow different agricultural products have been abandoned due to lack of water.The worsening situation is attributed mainly to global climate changes including decreasing rainfall amounts,increase in air temperature,and insufficient water inflows in the two main rivers and their tributaries.This last issue is exasperated by the unfair water sharing policies of the riparian countries namely Turkey and Iran.In writing this article relevant data from different sources were used.Numerous published reports and papers dealing with this important issue were consulted,while at the same time,the long experience of the authors in these very important issues was also drawn upon to elucidate the difficulties that are current today and those expected in the future in this field.

Analysis on Systematic Water Scarcity Based on Establishment of Water Scarcity Classification System

It would be very helpful for making countermeasures against complex water scarcity by analysis on systematic water scarcity.Based on the previous researches on water scarcity classification,a classification system of water scarcity was established according to contributing factors,which comprises three water scarcity categories caused by anthropic factors,natural factors and mixed factors respectively.Accordingly,the concept of systematic water scarcity was proposed,which can be defined as one type of water scarcity category caused by the discordance between water demand pattern determined by anthropic factors and water supply pattern controlled by natural factors in an evaluation region during a period.Systematic water scarcity has four features,namely space-time characteristic,scale property,externality and integrity,and can be divided into four developing phases including critical phase,early phase,middle phase and late phase according to various degrees of water scarcity.

Evaluating mountain water scarcity on the county scale: a case study of Dongchuan District, Kunming, China

Mountain water, which contributes 50% to 90% to the lower reaches of the watershed, has a considerably low utility efficiency. The water accessibility could be a quantitative measure of water scarcity in the mountains. It can be used effectively for emergency water shortage planning and water resource management. In the present study, Dongchuan District, a typical county in the Hengduan Mountains in Yunnan province of Southwest China, was selected as the study area, and the minimal cumulative resistance(MCR) model was used to simulate the least-cost path(LCP) from 1255 point features of natural villages, as well as 12,368 dryfield centroids, to their respective surrounding river systems, which serve as a source for emergency drinking water and irrigation during droughts. The average length of the LCP for each administrative village was calculated to represent the accessibility to water sources for agricultural production and daily life in these mountain villages. The distribution of population and dryfields, as well as other geographic elements, were analyzed to classify the degree of water scarcity in these villages. The results indicate that the area facing the highest risk of water shortage for agricultural irrigation is located in northern Dongchuan, in particular along the two sides of the Xiaojiang Valley, and that the area with the highest risk of water shortage for daily life needs is located along the Xiaojiang Valley.

Study on Reduction of Mixed Water Salinity by Sound Wave <br/>—Toward Water Scarcity Issue-Solving in Isolated Islands in the World

There are so many Isolated Islands (inhabited islands) in the world, including Japan. However, at present islanders, there have been faced with the decline of industries, serious concerns of rapid aging and very low birthrate without children and water scarcity issues etc. It can be said that these situations are under the environment which shows a microcosm of Japanese and/or world survival society in the near future. In this paper, the experimental data on the reduction of the mixed water (seawater & rainwater) salinity by the sound wave when changing the volume ratio were first shown, taking into the characteristics of the Isolated Islands. Next, the main analysis result on the water qualities of mixed water with which sound wave was irradiated was shown and the consideration mainly based on the WHO drinking water quality standards was carried out. Finally, through a simple water quality improvement apparatus using small hydroelectric power, a consideration regarding a possibility of the purification of the water (to be a drinking water) based on the solar circulation energy (regenerative type’s natural energy) such as small hydropower utilization, natural sunlight utilization, natural gravity utilization, natural oscillation utilization has been described in the paper.

Coping with Firewood Scarcity in Soroti District of Eastern Uganda

This study investigated how rural households cope with firewood scarcity in dryland areas of Eastern Uganda. A household survey was conducted in December 2008 to January 2009, where 490 respondents were randomly interviewed. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were also held with community elders and women. Responses were analyzed both descriptively and qualitatively. Findings indicated that 99% of the households used firewood for cooking with a per capita consumption of 542.32 Kilograms. Commonly used tree species included Combretnum molle (42.7%) and Acacia polyacantha willd (18.2%). Over 78% of the households have a preference for acacia tree species for firewood. In particular, Acacia polyacantha willd (60.3%), Acacia hockii (16.9%) and Combretum collinum (9.6%) were the most preferred tree species. The scarcity of firewood supply was eminent from the average distance (2 ± 7 Km) traveled by collectors in search of them. Firewood collectors spent 1 to 10 hours with an average of 3 hours weekly in firewood collection activities. This resulted in per annum estimated opportunity cost of Shillings 432,000 (US 232 dollars) for those who collected on weekly basis and Shillings 1,080,000 shillings (US 580 dollars) for those who collected on daily basis. The frequency of collection decreased as distance increased among 89% of the households. Minority of households (1%) have resorted to deliberately planting trees on their own farms to ease problems of firewood shortage, and to modification of biomass stove so as to use less firewood. Households in their endeavour to circumvent the problem of continued scarcity have resorted to poorer quality tree/bushes for firewood (71.2%), alongside other coping strategies such as cooking meals once a day, avoidance of cooking some food types (70%), and using crop residues as fuel source (60%). There is a need for scaling-up on-farm tree planting as well as the use of improved biomass cook stoves in the region.

Linking Environmental Water Scarcity and Options for Adaptation in the MENA Region

Contamination of surface and underground water by sea level rise, surface runoff, and land use activities such as industrial and agricultural activities can lead to water scarcity. Water could be available and accessible but not suitable for human use. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region countries, the agriculture sector depends massively on water for farming activities, which consumes about 80% of the available water resources. In this context, the issue of environmental water scarcity is under highlighted, though the use of this term itself is still lacking in an international context (FAO). Meanwhile, the international goal of universal access to clean freshwater is included in global development targets (SDGs). This study provides some insights and deepens our understanding on environmental water scarcity, particularly MEN-A region countries. This review paper begins with an introduction to water scarcity and continues with a discussion of environmental issues associated with water scarcity in MENA region countries. Finally, we suggest some adaptive measures in two distinct areas such as agriculture sectors and policy makers and conclude that the lack of implementation of this particular term is hindering sustainable development in MENA region countries.

Regional differences and threshold characters of the impact of energy use efficiency on energy scarcity in China

The improvement of the technical efficiency of energy use has been widely seen as an important way to alleviate energy scarcity.However,the energy rebound effect demonstrates the vulnerability and unsustainability of alleviating energy scarcity relying on technology.Under the background of the consistent development of energy factor market,it is of great importance to explore the paths and differences of energy source allocation constrained by technology and cost to promote the sustainable use of energy.This study analyzed the regional differences and threshold characteristics in the impact of the technical and cost efficiency of energy use on energy scarcity using the instrumental variable-two-stage least square method,based on the panel data of Chinese provinces from 2003 to 2017.The results showed that:①Technology and price were the critical forces of the technical and cost efficiency of energy use.They changed the degree of use of surplus production factors by affecting the complementary and replacement demand relationship between energy and non-energy factors.Meanwhile,the impact of energy use efficiency on energy scarcity showed regional and time features due to the different technology capabilities and different levels of market development in different regions and different time.②The alleviation of energy scarcity at the national level relied on the improvement of energy cost efficiency.At the regional level,the alleviation of energy scarcity in central China came from the improvement of the technical efficiency of energy use.However,the alleviation of energy scarcity in the eastern and western regions was due to the improvement of energy cost efficiency.③Constrained by the economic development,openness,science and technology input and the industrial development structure,the impact of the technical and cost efficiency of energy use on energy scarcity demonstrated a nonlinear feature.And structural mutation occurred after passing a specific‘inflection point’,which showed a significant threshold feature.Therefore,energy price should play an important role in energy use and it is necessary to pay attention to the regional differences and time characteristics of energy economic development to promote the sustainable development of energy resources.

Using GIS and Remote Sensing in Assessment of Water Scarcity in Nakuru County, Kenya

Water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development, healthy ecosystems and for human survival. This research study has been carried out in Nakuru County, a tropical region in the Rift Valley of Kenya, bounded between latitude 0.28°N and 1.16°S, and longitude 36.27°E and 36.55°E. The objective of the study has been to use GIS and remote sensing in assessment of water scarcity using Land use Land cover area changes, standard precipitation index and crop yields. Landsat satellite images for the year 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015 were used. Classification was done using maximum likelihood algorithm while classification accuracy assessment entailed the use of confusion matrix method and ground truth data. Post classification change detection results gave percentage cropland areas as 21% in 1985, 29% in 1995, 53% in 2005 and also 53% in 2015. Eleven (11) ground rainfall stations and TRMM satellite rainfall data from 1985 to 2015 has been used to show meteorological drought. Validation of rainfall data done using correlation coefficient (R2) and root mean square (RMS) methods showed that ground rainfall data and TRMM data correlate. Modelling of 3 months SPI for each of the three seasons (MAM, JJA and OND) has been done using interpolation distance weighted method (IDW). 3 months SPI time scales curves gave October 1987 May 1993, and July 2004 as water scarce and dry seasons and were categorized as either Normal, moderately dry, severely dry and extremely dry. Crop yield trends curves showed crop yield decrease in this identified water scarce and dry years. Conclusion reached is that crop yields is not dependent on size of land ploughed only but mostly on rainfall quantities. Therefore, the findings of this research can be used as drought monitoring tools.

Exploring the Cornerstone Factors That Cause Water Scarcity in Some Parts of Africa, Possible Adaptation Strategies and Quest for Food Security

Water scarcity is significantly increasing water stress in Africa and some parts of the world. This is due to human-induced factors such as climate change, human population increase that raises demand for food availability, and put great changes on land use which results in changes of hydrological mechanics and water availability as a whole. The investigation of this paper was based on a literature review and the examination of water scarcity in different African regions, and the major factors that result in this menace. Some possible strategies that can be employed to manage water scarcity at the domestic and national levels in the agricultural sector were described in this paper.

Incremental adaptation strategies for agricultural water management under water scarcity condition in Northeast Iran

Population growth and climate changes as two synergistic phenomena have damaged water resources nationwide and worldwide.The water resources available for agriculture is one of the most critical limiting factors in food production enhancement in Iran.Agriculture must tackle the challenge of supplying the increasing demands for food due to population growth.For this purpose,we must get acquainted with how farmers make decisions and their adaptations to water scarcity conditions by studying their adaptation strategies.In this case,we can predict the farmers’behaviors by recognizing the optimal adaptation strategies under water scarcity crisis.This study aims to provide a model to examine and analyze the farmers’behaviors in the realm of water scarcity and the contributing factors to it,facilitating a better understanding of the potential implications of such scarcity,introducing the adaptation changeability procedures for agricultural water management and assistance to farmers to adapt,and developing the actions for mitigating the vulnerability of agriculture sector in Iran.In this study,175 farmers in Northeast Iran were interviewed to conduct an applied research by questionnaire survey.The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire designed based on the theoretical literature and designed model.According to the research,the model of incremental adaptation strategies could determine the effects of a set of psychological and socioeconomic factors and the formation of adaptation decisions in water resources management under water scarcity conditions.The results indicated that the concern and attitude,farmers’knowledge and technical skill,self-efficiency and risk-taking level,social capital and information availability for farmers,and the internal norm are significantly and positively correlated in this model.The results provide a proper understanding of farmers’sustainable decision-making and a perspective on contributing factors to the strategy framework and improved policies in the form of incremental adaptation strategies when facing water scarcity in agricultural water resources management.Thus,this study will respond to deal with water scarcity by changing farmers’behaviors in dry lands and water scarce regions.

Remote Sensing-Based Accounting of Reservoir’s Water Storage for Water Scarcity Mitigation: A Case Study for Small and Medium Irrigation Dams in Vietnam

Integrated water resources management requires consistent and accurate data on available water storage in reservoirs as well as water stress level. Vietnam is enduring a significant deficit in collecting necessary information to manage its water resources in that manner. While reservoirs are abundant, the majority of them were constructed a long ago and often lack of regular and adequate measurement on storage volume. Furthermore, the condition of water stress is often missing or remains bias leading to certain risks in reservoir operation, e.g. during water scarcity period. This paper presents how remote sensing data can be used to acquire needed information that is fundamental to understand water resources conditions. The results indicated that Sentinel-1 and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) can be applied to determine water surface area and water stress, through vegetation health index (VHI). This information is deemed necessary to improve water resources monitoring and management and hence, ensure long-term drought resilience and water and food security.

Natural resource scarcity,fossil fuel energy consumption,and total greenhouse gas emissions in top emitting countries

Natural resource scarcity,fossil fuel energy consumption,and total greenhouse gas emissions are critical issues that require immediate attention.With the global population steadily increasing and economies expanding,the demand for natural resources,particularly fossil fuels,has experienced an unprecedented surge.This surge in consumption is directly linked to the alarming rise in greenhouse gas emissions.The study examines the nexus between agricultural nitrous oxide emissions and natural resource scarcity,taking into account the dynamics of agriculture,forestry,fishing value addition,fossil fuels,and total greenhouse gas emissions in top-emitting countries between 1971 and 2020.Natural resource scarcity positively correlates with agriculture,forestry,fishing,fossil fuel energy consumption,and total greenhouse gas emissions.There is a decrease in natural resource scarcity in countries that emit agricultural nitrous oxide,forestry,fishing emissions,fossil fuel energy consumption,and greenhouse gas emissions.Policy-makers may promote sustainable development,mitigate climate change,and ensure the longterm viability of agricultural systems by addressing the dynamics of agriculture,forestry,and fishing value addition in top-emitting countries.Through strategic policy interventions,supported by technology transfer,capacity building,and market-based instruments,the agricultural,forestry,and fishing sector can achieve a more sustainable future while addressing the challenges of natural resource scarcity.

Scarcity andMental Health—Multiple Mediators of Sleep Quality and Life Satisfaction

Background:In the current social environment,scarcity,as a universally present objective state,profoundly impacts individuals’decision-making and health through the subjective feeling it induces,known as a“scarcity mindset.”Particularly,the feeling of scarcity related to money and sleep time is not only widespread but also directly linked to an individual’s mental health.Purpose:This study aims to delve into the relationship between the feeling of scarcity and mental health,with a specific focus on the relationship between the feeling of money scarcity or sleep time scarcity and mental health,as well as the role of sleep quality or life satisfaction in this relationship.Procedure:We determined the sampling quotas based on the population and economic development levels of each province in the“China Statistical Yearbook(2021)”(National Bureau of Statistics,2021).Participants were selected using the Probability Proportional to Size(PPS)sampling method.Data was collected by distributing online questionnaires to participants,and the relationships between the main variables were explored using structural equation modeling.Results:1.In China,the feeling of sleep time scarcity is stronger than the feeling of money scarcity among the public.2.The feeling of money scarcity is positively correlated with depression and anxiety,whereas the feeling of sleep time scarcity is only positively correlated with depression.3.The feeling of scarcity mainly leads to depression and self-denial through reducing life satisfaction,and it leads to anxiety through reducing sleep quality.Conclusion:The feeling of scarcity in money and sleep time is related to different dimensions of mental health.Therefore,reasonably planning financial allocation and ensuring an adequate amount of sleep can reduce the sense of scarcity,thereby improving mental health.Additionally,improving sleep quality and increasing life satisfaction can alleviate the adverse effects of scarcity on mental health.

Climate Change, Water Scarcity, and Health Adaptation in Southwestern Coastal Bangladesh

Climate change may affect human health through multiple and interactive pathways that include safe water scarcity. However, impacts of climate change-induced water scarcity on health and well-being are complex.About 80% of illnesses in developing countries are attributed to unsafe drinking water and waterborne diseases. In Southwestern Bangladesh, lack of safe drinking water is a severe crisis due to climate change. The study investigated the impacts of climate change on water resources and human health in a coastal area. A questionnaire survey was carried out in two villages of Shymnagar upazila on the southwestern coast to investigate the present status of safe water sources and health care facilities and their impacts on the local community. The results show that the local community believes that climate change is having substantial impacts on freshwater sources and health. More than 70% of the respondents identified diarrhea, dysentery,and skin diseases as the prime waterborne health risks that occur through climate-related safe water scarcity. By synthesizing the ground data, we suggest pathways to health adaptation to climate change effects and safe water scarcitythrough locally available adaptive practices such as the use of pond sand filters, rainwater harvesting, and importing potable water with the active participation of the government,nongovernmental organizations, and communities.

An empirical analysis of effective factors on farmers adaptation behavior in water scarcity conditions in rural communities

This paper investigates the effect of factors on Farmers Adaptation Behavior in Water Scarcity Conditions in Rural Communities of Sabzevar,Iran.A survey questionnaire was used for collecting data,the study population was 120 farmers in rural Sabzevar County selected based on the Cochran formula.A questionnaire was designed for the target group for the measurement of on farm adaptation behavior in water scarcity conditions.Research models were drawn using structural equation modeling and the relationships between latent variables and indicators.The findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between awareness and adaptation behavior.Meanwhile,there is a significant relationship among network and media on farmer's perception about water scarcity and their activities toward better management of water in the critical condition.There are also significant relationships among perception and awareness with intention however,intention do not effect on adaptation behavior strongly.In other words,even the that means farmers had information about crisis,they are not able to have not operational plans to confront the water scarcity conditions.

Improved drought tolerance in Festuca ovina L.using plant growth promoting bacteria

Numerous ecological factors influence a plant’s ability to live and grow,in which dryness is a substantial constraint on plant growth in arid and semi-arid areas.In response to a specific environmental stress,plants can use the most effective bacteria to support and facilitate their growth and development.Today,plant growth promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)is widely used to reduce drought stress on plant growth.In this study,the effects of drought on Festuca ovina L.germination,growth,and nutrient absorption were investigated using PGPR in a factorial test with a completely random design under four water regimes.Soil water content was kept at 100%FC(field capacity),70%FC(FC),50%FC,and 30%FC.The treatments were inoculated with Azotobacter vinelandii,Pantoea agglomerans+Pseudomonas putida,and a mixture of bio-fertilizers.Results showed that the effects of drought stress were significantly reduced(P<0.05)when A.vinelandii and P.agglomerans+P.putida were used separately,however,the combined treatment of bio-fertilizers had a greater influence on seed germination than the single application.P.agglomerans+P.putida under 30%FC condition resulted in higher increases in stem,root length,and plant dry biomass.The highest uptake of nutrients was observed for the combined treatment of bio-fertilizers under 30%FC condition.Therefore,the use of A.vinelandii and P.agglomerans+P.putida,applied separately or combined,increased tolerance to drought stress in F.ovina by increased germination indices,dry weight,stem length,and root length.Because of the beneficial effects of PGPR on the growth characteristics of plants under drought conditions and the reduction of negative effects of drought stress,inoculating F.ovina seeds with Azotobacter and Pseudomonas is recommended to improve their growth and development characteristics under drought conditions.PGPR,as an affordable and environmentally friendly method,can improve the production of forage in water-stress rangelands.

The Impact of Inoculum Preparation Media on Pollutant Removal through Phycoremediation of Agricultural Drainage Water by Desmodesmus sp.

Water is the most essential natural resource for the future development.Agriculture production is extensively water-dependent and a significant polluter of water resources.So,this work investigated the effect of two different preparation media[Bold’s Basal Medium(BBM)and Domiati cheese whey(DCW)]for agricultural drainage water(ADW)remediation.All treatments were incubated for 6 days.According to the results of biomass productivity,specific growth rate,photosynthetic pigments,and biochemical composition,Desmodesmus sp.can grow in drainage water without dilution.The two treatments significantly reduced the concentration of nitrate,phosphate,chemical oxygen demand,and sodium in ADW.Finally,using cheese whey with BBM as inoculum preparation media enhanced the lipid accumulation in the algal biomass(25.4%w/w)and gave the best biodiesel properties among treatments.Therefore,combining remediation of drainage water with microalgae mass production can achieve the sustainability of agriculture.

Water Distribution in the Perspectives of Stakeholders and Water Users in the Tarim River Catchment, Xinjiang, China

Many river basins in the arid and semi-arid parts of the world are experiencing water scarcity due to water consumption by agriculture resulting in conflicts between upstream and downstream, conflicts between water users, and degradation of the natural ecosystems. The Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China, has developed into the world’s most important cotton production region with 8.85% of the world’s production. Under the extremely arid climate with annual precipitation of below 100 mm, the water consumption due to irrigation resulted in water scarcity and conflicts between water users as well as between upstream and downstream. The Tarim river catchment harbors about half of the world’s Populus euphratica riparian forests, which are impacted by water shortage. Starting in the 1990s, a unified water management system with a quota system for water distribution has been set up. We introduce this unified water management system and analyze how the water distribution works in practice. Ecologists and forestry officials claim more water for environmental flow, whereas water management officials give priority to agricultural, industrial, and domestic water use. The water quotas for downstream regions are frequently not fulfilled, especially during the non-flood season in spring and early summer posing a risk to water users. Water users with financial and political advantages gain more water security than others. The water quotas are annual quotas. These quotas should be differentiated into seasonal quotas, in order to enhance water security for the downstream section of the Tarim all year round.

Present Conditions and Future Challenges of Water Resources Problems in Iraq

Iraq is part of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region). It greatly relies in its water resources on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Iraq was considered rich in its water resources till 1970s. After that problems due to water scarcity aroused. Recently, it is expected that water shortage problems will be more serious. The supply and demand are predicted to be 43 and 66.8 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) respectively in 2015, while in 2025 it will be 17.61 and 77BCM respectively. In addition, future prediction suggests that Tigris and Euphrates Rivers will be completely dry in 2040. To overcome this problem, prudent water management plan is to be adopted. It should include Strategic Water Management Vision, development of irrigation techniques, reduction of water losses, use of non-conventional water resources and research and development planning.