Interactions between water-land resources and oasis urban development at the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains,Xinjiang,China

Urban development in arid and semi-arid regions is largely constrained by fragile physical environ- ments. The characteristics of an urban settlement are different from those in other regions of China. This paper analyses the coupling characteristics and spatio-temporal variations for oasis urban development and water-land resources at the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains by principal component analysis and a coupling degree model. The result shows that the degree and change in regional use of water and land resources are different among the studied cities/counties during their development. The built-up areas of these cities/counties have changed little with increasing populations and urbanization levels, which well reflects that the urban development in arid and semi-arid regions is limited by oasis areas. Per capita amount of water supplied, however, presented a trend of slowed growth with increasing levels of urbanization. Water consumption gradually increased with urban development and the improvement of people＇s living standards, accompanied by enhanced water use efficiency. The level of urbanization can be assessed through the coupling degree between oasis urban development and the use of water and land resources. A high coupling degree represents a high level of comprehensive urban devel- opment and use of water-land resources. Alternatively, a low coupling degree denotes a low level of urban devel- opment and water-land resource use.

Integrated assessment model of water resources constraint intensity on urbanization in arid area

Water has become a key restricting factor of the urbanization process in developing arid areas.Based on qualitative and quantitative methods,we constructed an integrated in-dicator system to assess the status of water resources and urbanization system in arid area,and established an AHP model reformed by entropy technology to evaluate the temporal and spatial variations of water resources constraint intensity on urbanization.This model is ap-plied to the Hexi Corridor,a typical arid area in NW China.Results show that,water resources constraint intensity on urbanization in the Hexi Corridor is bigger in the east and smaller in the west.It has changed from the less strong constraint type into the strong constraint type from 1985 to 2005,yet it decreased appreciably in recent years.At present,most areas in the Hexi Corridor belong to the less strong or strong constraint type.Through rational adjustment of water resources and urbanization system,the Hexi Corridor can still promote water resources sustainable utilization and accelerate the urbanization process.This study suggests that the integrated assessment model of water resources constraint intensity on urbanization is an effective method to analyze the conflicts between water resources and urbanization system in arid area.

Water Resources and Management under Increasing Urban Demography: A Kenyan Perspective—A Review

The United Nations classifies Kenya as a water-scarce country since it has less than 1000 m3 per capita of renewable freshwater supplies. Numerous factors including global warming, contamination of drinking water, and a lack of investment in water resources have aggravated the water crisis in Kenya. Estimates indicate that only about 56% of its population has access to safe water supply. Like many developing countries, Kenya recognizes the crucial role of water in realizing its development goals. Its economic performance and poverty reduction are critically dependent on clean water availability for agriculture, industrialization, energy production and tourism among others. Similar to most developing countries, Kenya suffers from lack of human, monetary and institutional capabilities to efficiently provide clean and sufficient water to its citizens. The water shortage in the major cities is acute and chronic and has continued to worsen with increasing urbanization, water pollution and encroachment of water catchment areas by humans and invasive plant species. Despite the water challenges facing the urban populations, Kenya possesses sufficient water resources to meet demand if the available resources are properly managed. Several initiatives are being put in place in Kenya to mitigate the water challenges and protect water resources in Kenya. These include enacting of water policies to protect water catchment areas, reduce pollution and enhance access to clean water.

Urban Water Supply Industry Marketization of China in View of Public Water Service and Water Resource Management

Started with the discussions on the value orientation of urban water supply industry marketization,the article points out that the current urban water supply industry marketization reform is inconsistent with the goal of public water service equalization to some extent.The article also analyzes the problems emerged in urban water supply industry marketization reform and various rea-sons in view of efficiency and fairness.An efficiency and fairness oriented management model is built in this article to illustrate how the government should conciliate interests of various communities involved in the process of marketization reform of the urban water supply industry so as to actualize the coordination of efficiency and fairness.At the end,an assumption on urban water price is put forward to help achieve the public water service equalization.

Urban Water Resource Utilization Efficiency in China

The efficient use of water resources directly affects environmental, social, and economic development; therefore, it has a significant impact on urban populations. A slacks-based measure for data envelopment analysis （SBM-DEA） has been widely used in energy efficiency and environmental efficiency analyses in recent years. Based on this model, data from 316 cities were examined and a category method was employed involving three different sorting techniques to empirically evaluate the efficiency of urban water re- source utilization in China between 2000 and 2012. The overall efficiency （OE） of urban water resource utilization in China was initially low, but has improved over the past decade. The scale efficiency （SE） was higher than the pure technological efficiency （PTE）; PTE is a major determining factor of OE, and has had an increasingly significant effect. The efficiency of water resource utilization varied ac- cording to the region, urban scale, and economic function. The OE score for the eastern China was higher than for the rest of the region, and the OE score for the western China was higher than for the central China. The OE score for urban water resource utilization has improved with urban expansion, except in the case of small cities. The SE showed an inverted U-shaped＇ trend with increasing urban expansion. The OE of urban water utilization in comprehensive functional cities was greater than in economic specialization cities, and was greater in heavy industry specialization cities than in other specialization cities. This study contributes to the field of urban water resource management by examining variations in efficiency with urban ~ezle

Solving Water Problems of a Metropolis

The metropolis of Istanbul has faced water supply challenges throughout history;however the situation escalated in the past decade with rapid population growth. Water demand of an ever-growing city could only be solved by transporting water from surrounding water basins as far as 190 km away from the city border. Moreover, imbalanced distribution of water resources and imbalanced water demand on the European and Asian side of the city was resolved by transporting water from Asian side to the European side, by laying water transmission pipes under the Bosphorus Strait and by constructing a tunnel passing 130 m under the Strait. Another difficulty that required challenging solutions was the protection of water reservoirs of the city, hence illegal settlements arose in the reservoir watershed zones due to fast urban growth and migration from rural areas. Discharge of wastewater from illegal settlements caused not only algae growth in water treatment plant (WTP) of one of the largest reservoirs of Istanbul, but also eventual death of algae was a major setback due to anaerobic conditions created in the reservoir. The problem was solved by tertiary treatment of the wastewater and by diverting the effluent through a tunnel away from the reservoir. The aim of this paper is to provide an insight into setbacks faced in a metropolis of 14 million and technical solutions provided against the pollution of reservoirs.

Application of Rainwater Garden in Dealing with Drought and Flood in Cities

On the basis of analyzing the concurrency of water resource shortage and flood disasters in Chinese cities, this paper proposed the application of natural water drainage mechanism, and introduction of rainwater garden into the urban landscape architecture design. The drainage ways of green streets including rainwater garden were elaborated, and it was proposed that roadside green belts can be used to save rainwater, realize the resource utilization of rainwater, to deal with the concurrency of drought and food in Chinese cities.

Use of Caffeine for the Evaluation of the Anthropic Influence over the Upper and Middle Iguaçu River Basins

Many parameters are usually used as gauges to describe water quality worldwide, such as the concentrations of phosphorus, forms of nitrogen, dissolved oxygen (DO), among others. Though legislative limits for the concentrations of these substances are in place, such is not the case for caffeine. Caffeine is a pharmacologically active alkaloid, from the xanthine group, which can be used as a chemical tracer for anthropic influence over water resources. The objective of this study was to analyze the pollution indicators over the Igua?u River, one of the main rivers in Southern Brazil, through the examination of nutrients, DO and their correlations to caffeine. The water samples were collected from 10 sampling sites along the river course, unevenly spaced to better represent the different environmental scenarios present in its basin, extracted from 2014 to 2017. Caffeine was detected and quantified through high-efficiency liquid state chromatography. Results show that both nutrient and caffeine concentrations increased in intensely urbanized areas, specially from IG2 to IG5 sampling sites. Downstream from IG6 the contaminant concentrations decreased mainly due to higher river flows and lower population density. Caffeine was detected in 82% of the samples, indicating that most of the sampling sites were under anthropic influence.

Fresh Water Demand Minimization in Residential Urban Buildings

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

Assessing the Impact of Population Growth in Louisiana on Diminishing Water Quantity and Quality within the State

This study explores the intricate relationship between population growth and water resource management in Louisiana, emphasizing the spatial distribution of water quality. Human activities, particularly urbanization, have significantly impacted the state’s water resources, with population growth driving increased water withdrawals for public supply, industry, and power generation. By employing a Geographic Information System (GIS)-centered approach, this research utilizes Louisiana’s census data from 1999 to 2020 to illustrate population shifts and their effects on water resource distribution. The study also incorporated advanced remote sensing techniques, using Sentinel 2 imagery to assess the water quality through the Trophic State Index (TSI). The TSI, calculated based on the near-infrared (NIR) and Red bands of Sentinel-2 imagery, provided a nuanced understanding of the nutrient levels and clarity/ quality of water bodies across the state. The study reveals a significant correlation between population density and water withdrawals, with higher populations leading to greater extraction from both groundwater and surface water sources. For instance, densely populated parishes like East Baton Rouge and Orleans showed substantially higher water withdrawals for public supply, industry, and power generation compared to less populated areas. The water quality analysis indicated that many water bodies in Louisiana are experiencing high levels of nutrient enrichment, with rivers and streams accounting for 86% of the impaired water bodies, and lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters showing hypereutrophic conditions in up to 96% of cases. These results underscore the significant impact of human activities on Louisiana’s water resources, highlighting the need for effective water management practices that consider both quantity and quality. The study therefore advocates for the implementation of water conservation measures, responsible consumption, and pollution prevention strategies to ensure the sustainable use of water resources and the preservation of water quality across Louisiana.

Trend of urban system structure under the restriction of water and land resources in Xinjiang

根据在 Xinjiang 影响城市的开发和城市的系统结构的水和陆地资源上的研究，这篇论文分析利用地位和城市的水资源的缺乏。城市的水资源的消费和浪费在一个增加趋势，这被考虑。然而，在 Xinjiang 的大多数城市和镇在水资源的缺乏水资源的废物是严肃的，特别在小镇上。megapolis 和中等城市的发展被有限陆地资源显然限制。尽管有扩展小城市和镇的相对大的空格，水和陆地资源的输出好处是低的。为了完成城市的系统的顺序的扩大，在 Xinjiang 组织，在都市化的快速的发展拿一个圆和三条带和节俭资源的策略的城市的空间发展模式被建议。

The driving effects of urbanization on economic growth and water use change in China： A provincial-level analysis in 1997-2011

As one of the key issues in China＇s sustainable development, rapid urbanization and continuous economic growth are accompanied by a steady increase of water consump- tion and a severe urban water crisis. A better understanding of the relationship among ur- banization, economic growth and water use change is necessary for Chinese decision mak- ers at various levels to address the positive and negative effects of urbanization. Thus, we established a complete decomposition model to quantify the driving effects of urbanization on economic growth and water use change for China and its 31 provincial administrative regions during the period of 1997-2011. The results show that, （1） China＇s urbanization only contrib- uted about 30% of the economic growth. Therefore, such idea as urbanization is the major driving force of economic growth may be weakened. （2） China＇s urbanization increased 2352×10^8 m3 of water use by increasing the economic aggregate. However, it decreased 4530×10^8 m3 of water use by optimizing the industrial structure and improving the water use efficiency. Therefore, such idea as urbanization is the major driving force of water demand growth may be reacquainted. （3） Urbanization usually made greater contribution to economic and water use growth in the provincial administrative regions in east and central China, which had larger population and economic aggregate and stepped into the accelerating period of urbanization. However, it also made greater contribution to industrial structure optimization and water use efficiency improvement, and then largely decreased total water use. In total, urbanization had negative effects on water use growth in most provincial administrative re- gions in China, and the spatiotemporal differences among them were lessened on the whole. （4） Though urbanization helps to decrease water use for China and most provincial adminis- trative regions, it may cause water crisis in urban built-up areas or urban agglomerations. Therefore, China should construct the water transfer and compensation mechanisms be- tween urban and rural areas, or low and high density urban areas as soon as possible.

Optimization research on supply and demand system for water resources in the Chang-Zhu-Tan urban agglomeration

Using system analysis theory and methods, a dynamic model of a water resource supply and demand system was built to simulate trends in the supply and demand of water in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan （Chang-Zhu-Tan） urban agglomeration for the period 2012 to 2030. Four scenarios were examined; namely, a traditional development model, an economic development model, a water-saving model, and a coordinated development model. （i） The problem of balancing water resource supply and demand is becoming increasingly conspicuous with a growing population and a rapidly developing economy. （ii） By 2030, water demand is set to reach a total of 105.1 × 10^8 m^3, with a water supply of 5.4 × 10^8 m^3. A coordinated development model for water resource supply could meet the growing demands of socio-economic development, and generate huge comprehensive benefits. This will be the best solution for the development and utilization of a water resource supply and demand system in the Chang-Zhu-Tan urban agglomeration. （iii） We should accelerate the construction of water conservation projects, strengthen the management of water conservation, optimize economic structures, enhance our awareness of the importance of protecting water resources, hasten the recycling of waste water and environmental improvement, and promote utilization efficiency, and support the capabilities of water resources to meet our expectations.

Novel Applications for Fog Water Harvesting

In a scenario of climate changes and increasing stress upon available fresh water resources like rivers, lakes and aquifers, collecting fog water is a promising yet relatively unexplored potentiality. Providing sufficient water and reducing water extraction’s environmental impact at the same time can be a challenge with conventional ways, but fog harvesting technology presents itself as a powerful and efficient alternative. Water availability profoundly determined regional economic benefit, social relations and it also influenced environmental security and ecosystem services. Underdeveloped countries have been dealing with water scarcity issue for decades, but also wealthy countries will have to face the water crisis soon, due to unsustainable development processes. A review of the state of the art highlights the most relevant parameters to deal with when discussing about fog water harvesting. In regions with frequent fog events, this technology already proved to be a sustainable drinking water resource for rural communities and their low per capita water usage was provided by basic devices utilization. Nevertheless, in this paper, different fog water harvesting applications are investigated, besides the already existing fresh-water collection, reforestation and agricultural use. Further options, such as building components, outdoor activities and domestic devices are considered, according to different parameters, such as economic benefits, possibility of standardized production, life cycle and market attractiveness. A desirable novel concept would become relevant in specific contexts, thanks to multiple functions, offering locals designed and customized solutions. Also noteworthy are the landscape impact of such devices and the effects of the project in terms of places regeneration, raising awareness and “green” conscience creation. The study of local climatic data and improvement in fog collector applications, integration with architectural and landscape design, will expand the regions where fog harvesting can be applied and its sustainable improvements.

Dying Traditional Water Bodies in India Struggling to Survive against Unplanned Development

India is endowed with diverse and distinctive traditional water bodies. They support large human population and biodiversity but are under continuous stress, caused primarily by demographic pressure and unplanned growth. There has been a decline in their water quality and quantity and several of them have vanished, thanks to improper monitoring of these water bodies. This research study was conducted in Meerut district to help government in identifying status of traditional water bodies and suggest steps necessary for protection of these water bodies. Similar research framework, with minor customization, could be applied to any other district in India. Meerut district, with a population of around 3.5 million people is in an abysmal state as the rivers and groundwater are highly polluted. The last resort—the traditional water bodies are also getting transformed into sewage ponds. A field based research was undertaken—which involved on-ground survey using GPS, GIS mapping & water quality testing of 120 ponds, distributed across 12 blocks of Meerut district to acquire a practical understanding of the status of these water bodies. The research team also did an informal discussion with around 500 residents, located nearby ponds, to understand the water situation of the locality. Results show that more than 50% of water bodies are severely polluted (with D.O below 5mg/l) and total dissolved solids (more than 100 NTU). Fecal contamination was observed in all the ponds that were analyzed. The major problems are excessive nutrient pollution, leading to eutrophication, and sewage contamination. The spatial analysis finds out that around half the ponds have reduced in area. With around 100 upcoming cities in India and most of the cities already experiencing water scarcity, it is essential to digitize, monitor, control & prevent pollution and most essentially make the people and grassroots institutions aware in order to protect these essential water bodies from getting extinct.

Hydrological Problem during Urbanization Process

With the rapid economic and social development, China is in rapid development period of urbanization now. Urbanization is an inevitable trend of mankind development, and is also a necessary stage of a country moving toward modernization. The rapid development of urbanization has a major impact on urban hydrology. Urban hydrologic environment, hydrologic element, water resources and water quality were discussed in the pa- per. Based on the analysis of urban hydrological effect, from the angles of subject development and application, corresponding countermeasures and outlook of the urban hydrology problem were put forward. The research can provide support for reasonably planning and designing urban flood control and drainage systems to promote urban environment-friendly development, having certain practical significance.

System Dynamics Model of Urban Water Resources Use and It’s Application

A new urban water resources use and forecasting model consturcted by comprehensive considering the balance between the supply and demand of the water resources system to an industry city and the feedback relationship of the water resources control policy,and by applying DYNAMO language is presented in this paper.It can give more rational data of urban water resources simulation and planning than that given by the growth rate trend forecasting method.

Ecological Regeneration of Obsolete Tourist Resorts

Tourist cities have particular and different use compared with ordinary city. The main users spend most of their time to leisure, and to the enjoyment of the urban environment, so people must be attentive to the changing needs of visitors and be willing to transform their environment based on them. These changes must be environmentally sustainable and based on concepts of economic, environmental and social sustainability, people need to be prepared for the continuous recycling of the existence, and are always seeking to increase the energy efficiency. The rehabilitation in edificatory and urban terms must go hand in hand in this task if people want to achieve the objectives of environmental sustainability, combining the lives of residents with visitors, especially in poor energetic resource areas where the external dependency is very high, that is the case of the Canary Islands, where the scarcity of energy and water make necessary in a very small and densely populated area, the efficient use of resources and thus the reuse and transformation of what exists. The rehabilitation process of the poor quality buildings built in the 1970s has started, so people must not miss this new opportunity to improve environment to make it more sustainable.

坚持“四水四定”推动经济社会高质量发展——以宁夏回族自治区“四水四定”创新实践为例

坚持“四水四定”,强化水资源刚性约束,既是缓解我国水资源供需矛盾、保障水安全的必然选择,也是推动高质量发展、建设美丽中国的客观要求。文章以宁夏回族自治区为例,深入分析了宁夏回族自治区“四水四定”改革实践,总结了相关经验启示,为探索以水资源节约集约利用推动经济社会高质量发展提供了参考。

基于VSD模型的陕南城市群水资源脆弱性评价及影响因子研究

[目的]构建基于社会-经济-生态耦合作用下的陕南城市群水资源脆弱性模型,阐明水资源脆弱性状态,厘定影响因子,助力秦岭地区人水和谐。[方法]基于暴露度-敏感性-适应性(Vulnerability Scoping Diagram,VSD)对陕南城市群水资源脆弱性进行了评价,结合多元统计法,进一步识别了社会-经济-生态耦合作用下水资源脆弱性的影响因子。[结果]2011—2020年,陕南整体水资源脆弱性的变化趋势与商洛市最相似,除2011年极度脆弱外,基本保持在轻度脆弱状态,而汉中市和安康市的水资源脆弱性等级较高,水安全保障程度相对较低;陕南城市群水资源脆弱性的主控因子有生态环境用水量、人均水资源量、年降水量;优化生态环境用水量分配,加强对年降水量与人均水资源量监测,将成为陕南城市群降低水资源脆弱性新的工作重心。[结论]陕南城市群水资源系统安全性的提升与当地注重水生态文明建设以及与社会-经济协调发展有关。此外,构建的VSD模型适用于陕南城市群水资源脆弱性评价,可为缓解人-城-水矛盾提供理论指导。