Groundwater and environmental challenges in Asia

Asia stands out as the most populous and geographically diverse region globally.The pressing issues of water resource development and the resulting ecological impacts are exacerbated by the region's rapid population growth and economic expansion.Groundwater,a vital source of water in Asia,faces significant disparities in distribution and suffers from unsustainable exploitation practices.This study applies groundwater system theory and categorizes Asia into 11 primary groundwater systems and 36 secondary ones,based on intercontinental geological structures,climate,terrain,and hydrogeological characteristics.As of the end of 2010,Asia's assessed groundwater resources totalled 4.677×10^(9) m^(3)/a,with exploitable resources amounting to 3.274×10^(9) m^(3)/a.By considering the geological environmental impacts of groundwater development and the distinctive characteristics of terrain and landforms,six categories of effect zones with varying distribution patterns are identified.The current research on Asia's groundwater resources,environmental dynamics,and human impacts aims to provide a theoretical foundation for sustainable groundwater management and environmental conservation in the region.

Environmental complaint insights through text mining based on the driver,pressure,state,impact,and response(DPSIR)framework:Evidence from an Italian environmental agency

Individuals,local communities,environmental associations,private organizations,and public representatives and bodies may all be aggrieved by environmental problems concerning poor air quality,illegal waste disposal,water contamination,and general pollution.Environmental complaints represent the expressions of dissatisfaction with these issues.As the timeconsuming of managing a large number of complaints,text mining may be useful for automatically extracting information on stakeholder priorities and concerns.The paper used text mining and semantic network analysis to crawl relevant keywords about environmental complaints from two online complaint submission systems:online claim submission system of Regional Agency for Prevention,Environment and Energy(Arpae)(“Contact Arpae”);and Arpae's internal platform for environmental pollution(“Environmental incident reporting portal”)in the Emilia-Romagna Region,Italy.We evaluated the total of 2477 records and classified this information based on the claim topic(air pollution,water pollution,noise pollution,waste,odor,soil,weather-climate,sea-coast,and electromagnetic radiation)and geographical distribution.Then,this paper used natural language processing to extract keywords from the dataset,and classified keywords ranking higher in Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency(TF-IDF)based on the driver,pressure,state,impact,and response(DPSIR)framework.This study provided a systemic approach to understanding the interaction between people and environment in different geographical contexts and builds sustainable and healthy communities.The results showed that most complaints are from the public and associated with air pollution and odor.Factories(particularly foundries and ceramic industries)and farms are identified as the drivers of environmental issues.Citizen believed that environmental issues mainly affect human well-being.Moreover,the keywords of“odor”,“report”,“request”,“presence”,“municipality”,and“hours”were the most influential and meaningful concepts,as demonstrated by their high degree and betweenness centrality values.Keywords connecting odor(classified as impacts)and air pollution(classified as state)were the most important(such as“odor-burnt plastic”and“odor-acrid”).Complainants perceived odor annoyance as a primary environmental concern,possibly related to two main drivers:“odor-factory”and“odorsfarms”.The proposed approach has several theoretical and practical implications:text mining may quickly and efficiently address citizen needs,providing the basis toward automating(even partially)the complaint process;and the DPSIR framework might support the planning and organization of information and the identification of stakeholder concerns and priorities,as well as metrics and indicators for their assessment.Therefore,integration of the DPSIR framework with the text mining of environmental complaints might generate a comprehensive environmental knowledge base as a prerequisite for a wider exploitation of analysis to support decision-making processes and environmental management activities.

Environmental impact of aquaculture-sedimentation and nutrient loadings from shrimp culture of the southeast coastal region of the Bay of Bengal

Nutrient loadings were measured for surface seawater and bottom sediments of semi intensive and improved extensive shrimp culture pond, adjacent estuary, and fallow land in the south east coastal region of Bangladesh during August, 2000—January, 2001 to evaluate the impact of shrimp culture. The mean levels of nutrients found in the pond surface water were 108 780 mg/L for CaCO 3, 0 526 mg/L for NH + 4 N, 3 075 wt% for organic carbon, 7 00 mg/L for PO 4 P, 5 57 mg/L for NO 3 N, and 7 33 mg/L for chlorophyll a. The maximum mean value of H 2S(0 232 mg/L) was found in estuarine water. Nutrients loading were found to be decreased with distance from the shrimp farm discharge unit in estuarine water. The mean level of organic matter, total nitrogen, and organic carbon were found in higher concentrations in sediments of cultured pond compared to bottom soil of adjacent fallow land at the same elevation. Extractable Ca values were found in higher concentration(550 33 ppt) in adjacent fallow land, as the shrimps for molting in shrimp ponds use extractable Ca. The relation between seawater H 2S value and sediment pH ( r= -0 94); sediment organic carbon and sediment pH values ( r= -0 76), sediment total nitrogen and sediment pH ( r= - 0 74) were found to be highly negatively correlated. Whereas the relation between seawater H 2S value and sediment total nitrogen ( r= 0 92), water NH + 4 N and sediment pH ( r= 0 66) were found to be positively correlated. The results revealed that load of nutrients at eutrophic level in estuarine water, and decrease of soil pH; leading to acid sulphate soil formation indicates a negative impact of shrimp culture.

Analysis of hydrogeolgical characteristics and water environmental impact pathway of typical shale gas exploration and development zones in Sichuan Basin, China

Studying the influence of shale gas exploration and development on groundwater environment is the basis of guiding water environment protection in the process of shale gas exploration and development.Groundwater environmental pollution is concealed,complex and persistent.Once it is difficult to control the pollution,the current commercial shale gas development zones in Sichuan Basin that are mostly located in karst areas and highly sensitive to groundwater will be vulnerable to the impact of shale gas exploration and development.Based on the hydrogeological conditions of shale gas exploration and development area and combined with engineering analysis of exploration and development,various risk pathways that may affect the groundwater environment during process of shale gas exploration,mining well construction,mining operations and other stages were identified in this paper.Some existing risk pathways were proved by verification of typical areas and should not be ignored.Based on the actual situation of typical areas,the countermeasures of groundwater environmental protection in the process of shale gas exploration and development in karst areas were discussed.It is believed that the groundwater environment can be better protected by strengthening administration,research and application of new technologies,precise design,hydrogeological conditions,and research and feedback of groundwater environmental protection.

Development of an Indicator Scheme for the Environment Impact Assessment in the Federal District, Mexico

In this work is developed a proposal of environment indicators needed for the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process in Mexico’s Federal District (FD);through which are authorized the construction and realization of different work actions and activities. The methodology is based on the combination of cabinet and field work, performed in three stages. In the first, a documental review was carried out within the topic of Environment Impact (EI), the EIA and the study area, with a subsequent analysis of the environment indicators at an international, national and regional scale. In the second, the systematization of information was performed for the sixteen study cases at a local scale and the organization and analysis of a data base with the allotted information. And in the last stage, a field work was realized with participative observations in three verification sites and interview applications to the principal actors of the EIA process. These results allowed: to determine the main limitations within the EIA process (methodological, technical and operational), to propose an indicators scheme, and to formulate recommendations focused on the improvement of this Environment Public Policy instrument.

Climate Change Impacts, Agroforestry Adaptation and Policy Environment in Sri Lanka

Despite its low emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHGs), Sri Lanka is considered as a vulnerable small island nation under climate change. Agroforestry, which uniquely integrates trees into land use systems, has historically contributed to climate change adaptation in Sri Lanka. Hence, the promotion of agroforestry practices is vitally important to enhance the resiliency of the country to future climate change. This paper reviews the literature and discusses the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture and forestry, the effects of adapting agroforestry on climate changes, and important policies for promoting agroforestry adaptation in Sri Lanka. The adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture and forestry are identified as follows: endangerment of natural assets;prevalence of pests, diseases and invasive species;agriculture and forest damage;and high levels of food insecurity. The adaptation of agroforestry impacts climate change by increasing the tree cover outside forests, enhancing forest carbon stocks, conserving biodiversity, reducing risks and damage intensity, maintaining health and vitality, and scaling up multiple benefits. Changing regulations and legislation, developing awareness and capacity, planning for climate-smart agroforest landscapes, offering no-regret options and implementing climate change adjustment programs are discussed as important policy measures. It is concluded that agroforestry, along with favourable policy, has an important role in climate change adaptation by enhancing resilience to climate impacts on farming systems.

Discussion about Environmental Impact Assessment of Shale Gas Development

China is the third country to develop and utilize shale gas after the United States and Canada. However,shale gas development has significant environmental problems,such as huge consumption of both land and water resources,water pollution risk of hydraulic fracturing,leakage risk of shale gas and so on. At present,environmental impact assessment of shale gas development in China has been conducted based on the Technical Guideline for Environmental Impact Assessment——Constructional Project of Petroleum and Natural Gas Development on Land which lacks clear guidance on selection and quantitative analysis of pollution factors. In this paper,based on the experience of shale gas development in America,special environmental problems that need to be noticed for shale gas development were summarized,and the supplement to the technical guideline for environmental impact assessment of shale gas development was discussed to improve the environmental impact assessment system.

Natural and Artificial Connections between Atoll Islets in the Pacific,Their Process and Environmental Impact

Three types of natural connection between atoll islets are described. Causeway, as an artificial way of connecting islets, makes a connection to be completed in a few months. In this case shore adjustment becomes more vigorous than that in natural conditions, resulting in lagoon shore erosion. A causeway without short bridges or culverts should be built close to the lagoon shore to reduce lagoon shore erosion. A causeway-crossing channel assemblage is the worst type among all of the connection engineering constructions because the crossing channel traps sediment and further transports it out of the channel, resulting in long period coastal erosion. Reforming Nippon Causeway in Tarawa Atoll, Kiribati by simple means will stop sand loss, reduce shore erosion and greatly upgrade its stability.

Microplastics in Marine Environment: Occurrence, Distribution, and Extraction Methods in Marine Organisms

The pervasive presence of microplastics in marine environments has raised significant concerns. This review addresses the pressing issue of microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems and its potential implications for both the environment and human health. It outlines the current state of microplastic occurrence, distribution, and extraction methods within marine organisms. Microplastics have emerged as a significant environmental concern due to their harmful effects on ecosystems and their potential human health risks. These particles infiltrate marine environments through runoff and atmospheric deposition, ultimately contaminating beaches and posing threats to marine life. Despite the gravity of this issue, there has been limited research on the presence and distribution of microplastics in marine organisms. This review aims to bridge this knowledge gap by comprehensively examining the occurrence, distribution, and various extraction methods used to detect microplastics in marine organisms. It emphasizes the urgent need for targeted measures to manage microplastic pollution, highlights the significant role of human activities in contributing to this problem, and underscores the importance of reducing human-induced pollution to safeguard marine ecosystems. While this paper contributes to the understanding of microplastic pollution in marine environments and underscores the critical importance of taking action to protect marine organisms and preserve our oceans for future generations, it also emphasizes that, in effectively tackling the microplastic problem, a well-coordinated approach is essential, involving research initiatives, policy adjustments, public involvement, and innovative technologies. Crucially, prompt and resolute responses must exist to counteract the escalating peril posed by microplastics to the oceans and the global environment.

Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Road Infrastructure in Countries: A Study of the Namibia Scenario

The assessment of the impact of road infrastructure in the developing countries using the Namibian case scenario was done based on the contemporary challenges of road use. This study employed a qualitative technique using a sample size of thirty (30) selected by the simple random sampling technique. The use of charts, tables and frequencies were done to explain certain trends in the study. A well-structured, valid and reliable questionnaire instrument was designed for the study based on the following research questions;what are the impacts of road transport on the Namibian environment and what are the possible measures that may be used to reduce environmental impact of road transport on the Namibian environment? Twenty five respondents (83%) agreed that road transfer has drastically improved development and 26 (87%) respondents also accepted that it can improve Namibian economy. Similarly, it has also improved communication and technology greatly according to 27 (90%) respondents. To add more credence to the impact of road transport on the economy, all the 30 (100%) of the respondents agreed that road transport aids mobility within Namibia while 27 (90%) respondents supported the opinion that road transport aids in job search, 3 (10%) disagreed. The result shows that car owners service are potential threats which can affect pollution levels as was supported by 97% to cause environmental pollution as well as 100% when combined with energy consumption. Similarly, all the respondents indicated the potential of increased accident rate from poor road safety. Felling of trees poses great danger (97% response) due to the degradation of the environment. Most respondents (77% and 83%) agreed that road transport can lead to land encroachment and loss of aesthetic and farming. This research has shown that eventually death rate may increase from mere ill-health to from the degraded ecosystem, 24 respondents (80%). So many policies to protect the environment but the practical measures are to encourage impact assessment studies for road projects, land use control and human safety precautions on road use.

Analyses of environmental impacts of underground coal mining in an arid region using remote sensing and GIS

The influences of coal mining in an arid environment on vegetation coverage, land-use change, desertification, soil and water loss were discussed. A series of available TM/ETM＋ images with no cloud cover from July/August in different years （1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005） were used to analyze the change in various land environmental factors over time. The results show that while mining activity initially had a marked adverse impact on the environment, mine rehabilitation measures have also subsequently played a great role in improving vegetation cover and controlling land desertification and loss of water and soil. The effect of coal mining on vegetation cover is dependent upon the soil type and natural indigenous flora. Results of this investigation imply that mining activity has a greater effect on the vegetation of loess areas than at sandy sites. Although local vegetation coverage was improved by planting in the mining area, the total area of land affected by desertification still in- creased from 26.81% in 1990 when large-scale mine construction was introduced, to 46.79% in 1995. With continuous efforts at rehabilitation, the vegetation cover in the Shendong coal mining area was increasing, and loss of water and soil were effec- tively controlled since 1995. Subsequently, the total area of extreme desertification decreased to 23.24% in 2000 and further to 18.68% in 2005. The total area affected by severe loss of water and soil also decreased since the early 1990＇s （70.61% in 1990, 71.43% in 1995）, to 43.64% in 2000 and 34.93% in 2005, respectively.

Environmental Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Production in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Climate change will impact agriculture and food production around the world due to the effects of elevated CO2 in the atmosphere, higher temperature, altered precipitation and transpiration regimes, increased frequency of extreme events, and modified weed, pest and pathogen pressure. Data of this study were collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary sources of data were collected using two sets of structured questionnaires. A total number of three hundred （300） questionnaires were administered on categories of respondents in this study. Results of this study revealed that food crops are the major crops cultivated in the study area, and the effects of climate change on agricultural production results in soil loss, plant nutrient loss, textural change, increase in pest and diseases and poor yield germination etc.. This study therefore recommended that cover trees should be planted, which will provide shade and reduce heat, due to climate change and the preservation of underground water.

Geochemical Principles and Methods of Assessment of Surface Water Environmental Impact on Sensitive Zones

This paper describes how to carry out environmental impact assessment in an envi-ronmentally sensitive zone. The principles, the train of thought and methods are proposed in this paper. We have made the water environmental impact assessment on the engineering pro-ject of technical reform in Guiyang Battery Mill. The basis for engineering construction and environmental protection in this mill has been laid dawn.

Economic development and its impact on the environment in east coastal zone of China

This paper discusses briefly the elementary characteristics of the east China economic developing zone, and analyses the condition of urban atmospheric pollution, water pollution and ecological damage in this zone at present. It was brought forward that we must pay great attention to the environmental factors, and make the environmental impact assessment and environmental planning in the process of economic development in this zone.

Low-Impact Development(LID) of the Water Ecological Environment in Rural Areas: A Case Study of the Wei River Wetland in Fengxi New City of Xixian New Area

The problem of rural water ecological environment is becoming growingly prominent, and its ecological management is of great significance. From sponge cities to sponge villages, it is an effective way to use the low-impact development (LID) technology to solve rural water ecological environment problems. Through the investigation and analysis of the hydrology, soil, runoff, vegetation and other factors in the Wei River wetland of Fengxi New City of Xixian New Area, this study attempts to construct a LID route suitable for managing the rural water ecological environment in the northwest, so as to provide a reference for the construction of green infrastructure and sponge cities of rural areas in the northwest.

Analysis of the Impact of Large Constellations on the Space Debris Environment and Countermeasures

Large constellations have developed rapidly in recent years because of their unique advantages, but they will inevitably have a major negative impact on the space debris environment, leading to its deterioration. The key to mitigate the impact is the success rate and duration of the post-mission disposal(PMD) process. Aiming at solving this problem, this paper further studies the impact of large constellations on other space assets under different PMD strategies through simulation, and proposes corresponding strategies and suggestions for mitigation.According to One Web’s large constellation launch plan, the dangerous intersection of the large constellation with existing space assets at different stages of the constellations life cycle is calculated by simulation. Based on this, the influence of the large constellation operation on existing space assets at different times and strategies of PMD is analyzed. The conclusion shows that in the PMD stage, large constellations have the greatest impact on existing space assets;the PMD duration and number of satellites performing PMD at the same time are key factors to the degree of negative impact. The faster the PMD is, the less threat it poses to other spacecraft. More results and conclusions are still being analyzed.

Environmental Impact on Surface and Ground Water Pollution from Mining Activities in Ikpeshi, Edo State, Nigeria

The study was carried out to evaluate the surface and groundwater condition from mining activities in Ikpeshi and its environs in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Twenty water samples were randomly collected and analyzed—one borehole water sample, two hands dug wells, eight river samples and nine quarry pits water samples. The physiochemical, heavy metal and bacteriological analysis of the water sample, as well as the variables were compared with those of the World Health Organization (WHO) standard (2008), United State Environmental Protection Agencies (USEPA) standard (2012) and National Agency For Food, Drug Administration And Control (NAFDAC) in Nigeria to determine their suitability for drinking and domestic purposes. The variables determined are: pH ranges from 7.67 - 8.56 mg/l which is suggestive of neutral to alkaline in character, calcium ranges from 5.12 - 2416 mg/l, turbidity ranges from 1.16 - 15.32 mg/l, total dissolved solid (Tds) ranges from 90 - 366 mg/l and total hardness ranges from 58.65 - 187.37 mg/l, fall within WHO standard, are suggestive of concentration of detergent from soap, calcium, magnesium, suspended solid particles and colloidal matters from some of the water samples. While iron ranges from 0.08 - 0.16 mg/l, potassium ranges from 0.02 - 0.18 mg/l, chloride ranges from 30.03 - 120.13 mg/l, sulphate ranges from 1.03 - 5.36 mg/l, nitrate ranges from 0.01 - 0.23 mg/l, lead ranges from 0 - 0.01 mg/l, Zinc ranges from 0 - 0.08 mg/l, copper ranges from 0 - 0.02 mg/l and magnesium ranges from 1.38 - 6.56 mg/l, fall within standards. Coliform count ranges from 0 - 14 mg/l. The water should be treated before the consumption because of its high concentration of detergent, suspended particles, faecal materials and calcium from the water samples. The quarry pits should be reclaimed and rehabilitate after mining. Alkaline materials should be used to neutralize the rock pile area, dumped site, tailing and mine pit itself to avoid acid generation.

Impacts of Suburbanization on Urban Eco-environment of Xi'an in China

Suburbanization in large cities is an important phenomenon in the process of urbanization development in China in recent decades,which plays a very important role in promoting city development,whereas some side effects on the eco-environment appeared at the same time.This paper,taking Xi'an City in China as a case study site,analyzed the features of population suburbanization and industry suburbanization and pointed out the impacts of suburbanization on urban eco-environment.Based on the research,suggestions of countermeasures for urban planning and municipal management of Xi'an City in protecting urban eco-environment and conserving natural ecology were put forward in the end.

Development of a Geographic Information Systems Baseline Spatial Geodatabase Template for Evaluating Potential and Predicted Environmental Impacts for Sustainable Environmental Impact Assessment of Mining in Sierra Leone

Baseline Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of mining projects in Sierra Leone creates a challenging environment for data collection and impact prediction. Application of geographic information systems provides suitable spatial analysis data collection methods to reduce the challenges created by mining environments. This research develops a baseline spatial geodatabase template for evaluating potential and predicted environmental impacts assessment of mining projects in Sierra Leone. It is observed that spatial analysis of impacts of mining projects on the environmental attributes, especially air, noise, water, land, and socio-economy in mining areas is largely unexplored in Sierra Leone. The literature review revealed that no complete GIS spatial data geodatabase collection template appears to have been developed to date to provide an integrated sustainable spatial analysis and modelling tool for EIA and environmental management of mining in Sierra Leone. Therefore developing a Geographic Information Systems baseline geodatabase template for the evaluation of potential and predicted environmental impact for sustainable environmental impact assessment of mining in Sierra Leone will: 1) provide support to the data acquisition process of environmental impact assessment, 2) offer a concept for developing analysis methods for environmental management of mining, 3) minimize the undesired environmental impacts of mining, and 4) give an optimal proposal for data collection and analysis of mining industry in attaining sustainable development in Sierra Leone. Due to the limited available data, a conceptual GIS database template has been developed rather than a database case study of a mining site. No site investigation and data collection were undertaken. The geospatial database template was designed using ArcCatalog, ArcGIS 10.7.1. software, through the following steps: exploration of the general data requirement of environmental impact assessment studies of mining, the definition of the general baseline datasets requirement of environmental impact assessment in mining, structuring of the environmental impact assessment baseline spatial geodatabase, creating the geographic geodatabase dictionary, selecting, matching geographic data with geodatabase structure, designing the feature class and attributes, creating the baseline GIS geodatabase template. The GIS spatial geodatabase template has several advantages for environmental impact assessment of mining including avoiding data redundancy, integrating data into a single database, creating uniformity in data collection, easy to find and track data, integrated spatial and non-spatial data, and reducing the volume of data.