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The need for facilitation of access to soil information has never been greater. Growing human population, shrinking land and water resources, soil pollution, climate change and unequal distribution of agriculture‐oriented technology impact negatively on global food security. There has been a long‐standing interest in developing low‐cost and easily accessible soil field kits to measure different properties of agricultural soils in order to improve their agronomic capacity. Test strips in particular have provided a favoured method of obtaining soil nutrient status information since the 1970s. Today there is renewed interest in using semi‐quantitative colorimetric methods in soil assessment due to incorporation of modern technological solutions, such as smartphones, which could in turn increase the accuracy and precision of the existing methods. In this paper, we propose streamlined testing procedures based on experience gathered that may be conducted prior to a field kit development involving test strips. Results from laboratory and field experiments are presented, highlighting important factors which ought to be taken into account at the commencement of test strip‐oriented studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging climate-development processes jeopardize water supply, especially in the Global South. In the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, disrupted water flows driven by climate change and hydropower development have caused water scarcity, threatening agricultural systems in both upstream and coastal areas. Based on insights from desk reviews, stakeholder workshops and interviews with local informants, this paper argues that while grey (engineered) solutions take precedence in addressing water scarcity, securing water sustainability (water retention) for agricultural resilience demands integrated 'grey–green' (engineered-nature-based) solutions. This paper suggests demands for translating this approach into the water governance framework for the delta's agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges regarding the prediction of groundwater resource changes is the climate change phenomenon and its impacts on quantitative variations of such resources. Groundwater resources are treated as one of the main strategic resources of any region. Given the climate change phenomenon and its impacts on hydrological parameters, it is necessary to evaluate and predict future changes to achieve an appropriate plan to maintain and preserve water resources. In this regard, the present study is put forward by utilizing the Statistical Down-Scaling Model (SDSM) to forecast the main climate variables (i.e., temperature and precipitation) based on new Rcp scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions within a period from 2020 to 2060. The results obtained from the prediction of climate parameters indicate different values in each emission scenario, so the limit, minimum and maximum values occur in the Rcp8.5, Rcp2.6 and Rcp4.5 scenarios, respectively. Also, a model is developed by utilizing the GMDH artificial neural network technique. The developed model predicts the average groundwater level based on the climate variables in such a way that by implementing the climate parameters forecasted by the SDSM model, the groundwater level within a time period from 2020 to 2060 is predicted. The results obtained from the verification and validation of the model imply its proper performance and reasonable accuracy in predicating groundwater level based on the climate variables. The findings derived from the present paper indicate that compared to the years prior to the prediction period, the groundwater level of the Sahneh Plain has dramatically dropped so that based on the Rcp scenarios, the groundwater level values are in their lowest state within the period from 2046 to 2056. The findings of this paper can be used by managers and decision makers as a layout for evaluating climate change effects in the Sahneh Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With ongoing climate change, new threats appear to the operation of water supply systems (WSSs), which are related to the amount of available drinking water resources, its quality, the operation of existing water supply infrastructure and changes in consumer behavior. The paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the state of knowledge on the impact of climate change on the failure of water supply infrastructure. The bibliometric analysis was performed based on the VOSviewer program. The results of the analysis indicate current research trends in this area around the world and allow the identification of strengths and weaknesses. Most research concerns the identification of factors related to the impact of climate on the failure rate of water distribution systems. A popular research topic was also the prediction of water supply network failures, taking into account the impact of climatic factors. The main research gap is determining the impact of climate change on water quality. The acquired knowledge can be used by water companies, policy-makers and other researchers to plan adaptation strategies to climate change, which pose new challenges for the operation of water supply systems. The conducted bibliometric analysis also allowed for identifying research gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific Islanders have been exposed to risks associated with climate change. Samoa as one of the Pacific Islands are prone to climatic hazards that will likely increase in coming decades, affecting coastal communities and infrastructure around the is- lands. Climate models do not predict a reduction of such disaster events in the future in Samoa; indeed, most predict an increase in such events. This paper identifies key infrastructure and their functions and status in order to provide an overall picture of relative vulnerability to climate-related stresses of such infrastructure on the island. By reviewing existing reports as well as holding a series of consultation meetings, a list of critical infrastructures were developed and shared with stakeholders for their consideration. An indicator-based vulnerability model (SIVM) was developed in collaboration with stakeholders to assess the vulnerability of selected infrastructure systems on the Samoan Islands. Damage costs were extracted from the Evan cyclone recovery needs document. On the other hand, criticality and capacity to repair data were collected from stakeholders. Having stakeholder perspectives on these two issues was important because (a) criticality of a given infrastructure could be viewed differently among different stakeholders, and (b) stakeholders were the best available source (in this study) to estimate the capacity to repair non-physical damage to such infrastructure. Analysis of the results suggested rankings from most vulnerable to least vulnerable sectors are the transportation sector, the power sector, the water supply sector and the sewerage system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a politically and culturally important city cluster, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region is the most prominent area in China where the imbalance between the supply and demand of water resources restricts the sustainable and healthy development of the regional social economy. In the context of global warming, research into water demand prediction that takes climate change into consideration would be more in line with the strategic goal of the low-carbon sustainable development of future cities. At the same time, the prediction of agricultural water demands against a background of climate change is urgently needed, while industrial water consumption is weakly correlated with climate change, an investigation of the statistical relationship between the two is needed. Thus, in this paper, future climate data from the BTH region under the scenarios RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 were generated using a statistical downscaling model, and then coupled with agricultural and industrial water demand prediction models to simulate and analyze the impact of climate change on the agricultural and industrial water demands, respectively. The results show that during the forecast period (2020–2035), the reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) growth rates in the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei areas under the RCP2.6 scenario are 1.438 mm·a−1, 1.393 mm·a−1 and 2.059 mm·a−1, respectively. Under the RCP4.5 scenario, they are 2.252 mm·a−1, 2.310 mm·a−1 and 2.827 mm·a−1, respectively. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, they are 3.123 mm·a−1, 2.310 mm·a−1 and 2.141 mm·a−1, respectively. Furthermore, under each climate scenario, the increase in evapotranspiration in the Hebei area is the largest, followed by that in the Tianjin area, and that in the Beijing area is the smallest. For water consumption per CNY 10,000 of industrial added value during the forecast period, under the three different climate scenarios, a downward trend is seen in the Beijing area, with rates of 0.158, 0.153 and 0.110, respectively, but in the Tianjin area, there is an upward trend, with an upward tendency in rates of 0.170, 0.087 and 0.071, and an upward trend in the Hebei area, with an upward tendency in rates of 0.254, 0.071 and 0.036, respectively. This study will help the BTH region to rationally allocate agricultural and industrial water against the background of future climate change, and strengthen the coordination and cooperation between the different regions to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to assess the correlation of groundwater level changes (or groundwater level anomalies (GWLA)) obtained from direct measurements in wells with groundwater storage anomalies (GWSA) calculated using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) products and Global Land Data Assimilation Systems (GLDAS) models across different climate zones, from temperate Poland to Arctic Sweden. We recognize that such validation studies are needed to increase the understanding of the spatio-temporal limits of remote sensing model applicability, not least in data-scarce sub-Arctic and Arctic environments where processes are complex due to the impacts of snow and (perma) frost. Results for temperate climates in Poland and southern Sweden show that, whereas one of the models (JPL_NOAH_GWSA) failed due to water balance term overestimation, the other model (CSR_CLM_GWSA) produced excellent results of monthly groundwater dynamics when compared with the observations in 387 groundwater wells in the region during 2003–2022 (cross-correlation coefficient of 0.8). However, for the sub-Arctic and Arctic northern Sweden, the model suitable for other regions failed to reproduce typical northern groundwater regimes (of the region's 85 wells), where winter levels decrease due to the blocking effect of ground frost on groundwater recharge. This suggests, more generally, that conventional methods for deriving GWSA and its seasonality ceases to be reliable in the presence of considerably infiltration-blocking ground frost and permafrost (whereas snow storage modules perform well), which hence need further attention in future research. Regarding long-term groundwater level trends, remote sensing results for southern Sweden show increasing levels, in contrast with observed unchanged to decreasing (~10 mm/a) levels, which may not necessarily be due to errors in the remote sensing model but may rather emphasize impacts of anthropogenic pressures, which are higher near the observation wells that are often located in eskers used for water supply. For sub-Arctic and Arctic Sweden, the (relatively uncertain) trend of the remote sensing results nevertheless agrees reasonably well with the groundwater well observations that show increasing groundwater levels of up to ~14 mm/a, which, e.g., is consistent with reported trends of large Siberian river basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method to analyze and improve the set of equations constituting a rainfall‐runoff model structure based on a combination of a data assimilation algorithm and polynomial updates to the state equations. The method, which we have called "Data Assimilation Informed model Structure Improvement" (DAISI) is generic, modular, and demonstrated with an application to the GR2M model and 201 catchments in South‐East Australia. Our results show that the updated model generated with DAISI generally performed better for all metrics considered included Kling‐Gupta Efficiency, NSE on log transform flow and flow duration curve bias. In addition, the elasticity of modeled runoff to rainfall is higher in the updated model, which suggests that the structural changes could have a significant impact on climate change simulations. Finally, the DAISI diagnostic identified a reduced number of update configurations in the GR2M structure with distinct regional patterns in three sub‐regions of the modeling domain (Western Victoria, central region, and Northern New South Wales). These configurations correspond to specific polynomials of the state variables that could be used to improve equations in a revised model. Several potential improvements of DAISI are proposed including the use of additional observed variables such as actual evapotranspiration to better constrain internal model fluxes. Plain Language Summary: This paper presents a data‐driven method to improve rainfall‐runoff models used to generate future water resources scenario in climate change studies. The method, which we have called "Data Assimilation Informed model Structure Improvement" (DAISI) is generic, modular, and demonstrated with an application to monthly streamflow simulations over a large data set of catchments in South‐East Australia. Our results show that DAISI improves model performance for a wide range of metrics and increases the sensitivity of the model to climate inputs, which is critical in climate change scenarios. Finally, the improvements identified by DAISI take a simple mathematical form with distinct regional patterns in three sub‐regions of the study domain (Western Victoria, central region, and Northern New South Wales). Several improvements of DAISI are discussed including the inclusion of additional observed variables such as evapotranspiration to better constrain model simulations. Key Points: Data Assimilation Informed model Structure Improvement method diagnoses hydrological model structures by combining data assimilation with a polynomial update of state equationsThe method was applied to the GR2M rainfall‐runoff model with significantly improved streamflow simulations in 201 Australian catchmentsThe method identified updates to state equations with marked regional characteristics that could guide future improvement of GR2M [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordinating management of groundwater, surface water, and irrigated crops is fundamental economically for many arid and semi-arid regions. This paper examines conjunctive water management for agriculture using hydro-economic optimization modeling. The analysis is integrated across two timescales: a two-stage stochastic decadal model for managing annual and perennial crops spanning dry and wet years and a far-horizon dynamic program embedding the decadal model into a longer groundwater policy setting. The modeling loosely represents California's San Joaquin Valley and has insights for many irrigated arid and semi-arid regions relying on groundwater with variable annual hydrology. Results show how conjunctive water management can stabilize crop decisions and improve agricultural profitability across different water years by pumping more in dry years and increasing recharging groundwater in wetter years. Using groundwater as a buffer for droughts allows growing more higher-value perennial crops, which maximizes profit even with water-scarce conditions. Nevertheless, ending overdraft in basins with declining groundwater for profit-maximizing farming reduces annual crops to maintain more profitable perennial crops through droughts. Results are affected by economic discount rates and future climates. Operating and opportunity costs from forgone annual crops can reduce aquifer recharge early in regulatory periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: As climate change increases the frequency and severity of droughts in many regions, conservation during drought is becoming a major challenge for ecologists. Droughts are multidimensional climate events whose impacts may be moderated by changes in temperature, water availability or food availability, or some combination of these. Simultaneously, other stressors such as extensive anthropogenic landscape modification may synergize with drought. Useful observational models for guiding conservation decision‐making during drought require multidimensional, dynamic representations to disentangle possible drought impacts, and consequently, they will require large, highly resolved data sets. In this paper, we develop a two‐stage predictive framework for assessing how drought impacts vary with species, habitats and climate pathways. Location: Central Valley, California, USA. Methods: We used a two‐stage counterfactual analysis combining predictive linear mixed models and N‐mixture models to characterize the multidimensional impacts of drought on 66 bird species. We analysed counts from the eBird participatory science data set between 2010 and 2019 and produced species‐ and habitat‐specific estimates of the impact of drought on relative abundance. Results: We found that while fewer than a quarter (16/66) of species experienced abundance declines during drought, nearly half of all species (27/66) changed their habitat associations during drought. Among species that shifted their habitat associations, the use of natural habitats declined during drought while use of developed habitat and perennial agricultural habitat increased. Main Conclusions: Our findings suggest that birds take advantage of agricultural and developed land with artificial irrigation and heat‐buffering microhabitat structure, such as in orchards or parks, to buffer drought impacts. A working lands approach that promotes biodiversity and mitigates stressors across a human‐induced water gradient will be critical for conserving birds during drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst systems are important for drinking water supply. Future climate projections indicate increasing temperature and a higher frequency of strong weather events. Both will influence the availability and quality of water provided from karst regions. Forest disturbances such as windthrow can disrupt ecosystem cycles and cause pronounced nutrient losses from the ecosystems. In this study, we consider the time period before and after the wind disturbance period (2007/08) to identify impacts on DIN (dissolvedinorganic nitrogen) and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) with a process-based flow and solute transport simulation model. Calibrated and validated before the disturbance the model disregards the forest disturbance and its consequences on DIN and DOC production and leaching. It can therefore be used as a base-line for the undisturbed system and as a tool for the quantification of additional nutrient production. Our results indicate that the forest disturbance by windthrow results in a significant increase of DIN production lasting 3.7 years and exceeding the pre-disturbance average by 2.7 kg ha-1 a-1 corresponding to an increase of 53%. There were no significant changes of DOC concentrations. With simulated transit time distributions we show that the impact on DIN travels through the hydrological system within some months. But a small fraction of the system outflow (< 5%) exceeds mean transit times of > 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gathering, analyzing and synthesizing large and complex sets of hydraulic, terrestrial, atmospheric, biological and socio-economic data are critical for any decision making process in the water sector. This paper aims to propose a practical approach for increasing the effectiveness of sustainable management of water resources within Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) framework and climate change context. The article advocates that the designed Decision Support System (DSS) is a prerequisite in proper IWRM. In fact, it offers a dedicated management system, to assist decision makers and policy makers of water in providing timely, well informed and reproducible answers to important questions, as well as transforming data into knowledge and understandable results through innovative techniques. However, to provide a Decision Support System allowing both access to geographic data needed for IWRM and steering business processes through reliable indicators, it is imperative that the system must be able to combine the geographic information system technology with Business Intelligence, so called Geo-BI (Geo-Business Intelligence). To this end, this paper presents a study that revolves around the concept of Geo-BI and aims to model a Multidimensional Decision Support System, which is a part of an extensive process of spatial data warehouse construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessment of water resources at the watershed level is crucial for effective integrated watershed management. While semi-distributed/distributed models require complex structures and large amounts of input data, conceptual models have gained attention as an alternative to watershed modeling. In this paper, the performance of the GR4J conceptual model for runoff simulation in the Gambia watershed at Simenti station is analyzed over the calibration (1981–1990) and validation period (1991–2000 and 2001–2010). The main inputs to conceptual models like GR4J are daily precipitation data and potential evapotranspiration (PET) measured from the same catchment or a nearby location. Calibration of these models is typically performed using the Nash–Sutcliffe daily efficiency with a bias penalty as the objective function. In this case, the GR4J model is calibrated using four optimization parameters. To evaluate the effectiveness of the model's runoff predictions, various statistical measures such as Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, coefficient of determination, bias, and linear correlation coefficient are calculated. The results obtained in the Gambia watershed at Simenti station indicate satisfactory performance of the GR4J model in terms of forecast accuracy and computational efficiency. The Nash–Sutcliffe (Q) values are 0.623 and 0.711 during the calibration period (1981–1990) and the validation period (1991–2000), respectively. The average annual flow observed during the calibration period is 0.385 mm while it increases with a value of 0.603 mm during the validation period. As for the average flow simulated by the model, it is 0.142 mm during the calibration period (i.e., a delay of 0.142 mm compared to the observed flow), 0.626 mm in the validation period (i.e., an excess of 0.023 mm compared to the observed flow). However, this study is significant because it shows significant changes in all metrics in the watershed sample under different scenarios, especially the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios over the period 2021–2100. These changes suggest a downward trend in flows, which would pose significant challenges for water management. Therefore, it is clear that sustainable water management would require substantial adaptation measures to cope with these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper describes seaside renewable energy resources. The motivation and need behind this work are to give background literature on the use of climate change effects as a resource support for shallow geothermal-energy (seaside energy solutions) production. This leads to combating and mitigating climate change by using its effect to our advantage. As a part of my literature review as a report series, this report gives some background about seaside energy solutions relating to water quality and climate change. This review paper addresses all aspects of renewable energy. The methodology implemented in this review paper and other series was a systematic literature review process. After searching and collecting articles from three databases, they were evaluated by title, abstract and whole article then synthesized into the literature review. The key conclusion is that seaside renewable energy is mainly shallow geothermal-energy and most of the methods use climate change effects to their advantage such as sediment heat energy production. The main recommendation is to use the effects of climate change to combat and mitigate its causes and further consequences. The overall conclusions are built on the relationships between different aspects of the topics. The paper contributes a precise current review of renewable energy. It is the last part of a series of four review papers on climate change, land uplift, water resources, and these seaside energy solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a participatory approach to assess the level of understanding of the Water-Energy-Climate Change (WECC) nexus in South Africa. The aim is to initiate the development of well-coordinated, systematic, and holistic strategies to promote efficient management of the WECC and its implications in the country. The assessment follows the learnings from the Integrated Water Resource Management framework, which promotes a participatory approach in the administration of water resources. The paper reveals that, despite the reasonable level of understanding of WECC, it is still insufficient to promote an integrated approach mainly in policy development and planning for water and energy resources while averting climate impacts. This is exacerbated by limited coordination and consultation among various stakeholders. However, minimal efforts to promote an integrated approach in the management of the WECC sectors is observed. Despite these developments, the paper proposes that the participatory approach is feasible to promote holistic strategies and collaboration among stakeholders mandated to manage WECC sectors. Until approaches such as this are adopted within the institutional framework, this nexus will continue to impede the country's sustainable development endeavours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is exacerbating in many regions across North America because of climate change compounded by population growth, overexploitation of freshwater resources, and lack of proper management. Considering the regional urgency, there is an immense need to find more equitable solutions for water management. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the climatic factors impacting the hydrological regime in North America, including changes in surface runoff, groundwater storage, and the forested watershed, based on current trends and future projection scenarios. Moreover, this paper critically overviews need-based solutions for effective water management at a regional scale. The study shows that many areas of North America are exposed to extreme events such as prolonged droughts, devastating floods, wildfires, and altering precipitation patterns. Consequently, these changes are triggering wide-ranging impacts on water resources, leading to water supply deficiencies and influencing water flows and quality in the Southwestern United States, prairie provinces in Canada, and Mexico. The projection of warming around the region experiences spatial and seasonal variations because of the diversity in climatic conditions. Overall, in North America, winter is expected to warm more than other seasons causing earlier runoff and a decline in snowmelt. Given the physical and economic constraints that limit the development of new utilities, emphasis should be placed on strengthening nature-based solutions such as green infrastructure. Thus, the findings suggest an integrated water resource management approach is required, along with climate-induced innovative technologies, to secure the water resources while preparing for the forecasted challenges of tomorrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean basin is particularly prone to climate change and vulnerable to its impacts. One of the most relevant consequences of climate change, especially for the southern Mediterranean regions, is certainly water scarcity as result of a reduction of surface runoff and groundwater levels. Despite the progress achieved in recent years in the field of climate change and its impact on water resources, results and outcomes should be treated with due caution since any future climate projection and derived implications are inevitably affected by a certain degree of uncertainty arising from each different stage of the entire modeling chain. This work offers a comprehensive overview of recent works on climate change in the Mediterranean basin, mainly focusing on the last ten years of research. Past and future trends on different components of the hydrological balance are discussed in a companion paper (Noto et al. 2022), while the present paper focuses on the problem of water availability and water scarcity. In addition, the work aims to discuss the most relevant sources of uncertainty related to climate change with the aim to gain awareness of climate change impact studies interpretation and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between climate change and internal migration in the Americas. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review type of research synthesize the state of knowledge; it was searched through the Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, among other databases, for articles that focused on climate migration, gender, water stress and models for predicting movement. Findings: Decreased water availability and increased prevalence to water-related disasters causes internal migration. Also, male out migration is quite prevalent in South American nations with women being left to take care of the families. Research limitations/implications: There is a need for further primary research to analyse what actions the Americas are taking to carve out a large policy-making space for themselves in climate change and internal migration. Originality/value: The 32 papers explored in the discussion section present a novel insight into climate change, water usage, gender and internal migration. The papers also elucidate that cultural and ideological conflicts are bound to occur as the communities move with the receiving society finding it hard to accommodate the needs of the climate migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most recent studies confirm a decreasing trend in water resources availability in the northern African region; the high competition between the sectors that use this vital resource, and the changing climate are considered as the main factors behind this situation. Under such very dynamic interactions between the natural resources, climate and the socioeconomic sectors, scientists from different perspectives have a challenging task to provide up-to-date and reliable insights to guide potential sustainable management strategies. Through the case of the Souss-Massa, the present study aims to provide state of the art scientific research on water resources. It is based on data from publications in the two databases Scopus and Web of Science, unpublished papers and reports as well as various theses. The Vosviewer data visualization tool was used to analyze different aspects of the publications, including the time distribution of water resources related research, the research topics as well as the different approaches adopted by the authors. In addition, this review summarizes results of previous research investigations carried out on the quantity and quality of water resources in relation to agriculture as well as to climate change and variability. The study showed that the period 2016–2021 was the most significant in terms of the number of research papers published. The maps of publications analyzed showed that researchers working in the area focus more on the study of the quality, chemical processing and the impacts of climate change on the availability of water resources. The results showed that Souss-Massa is a region where an important amount of research on climate and water has been carried out. Hence, to keep up with the rapid evolution of land use and other anthropogenic actions in the basin there remain several gaps in knowledge and constraints to address. In order to provide potential research opportunities in the Souss-Massa basin, in terms of scope and methods, this review identifies several gaps in research namely data quality and availability, as well as gaps in water resources modelling. A detailed discussion has been provided on the possibilities to develop and address the research gaps in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This editorial introduces the Special Issue titled "Water Resources and Sustainable Development," underscoring the critical need for sustainable management of water resources in light of increasing demand, climate change impacts, and pollution. The issue delves into the intricate relationship between water availability, quality, utilization, and the socioeconomic determinants shaping these aspects, highlighting the necessity for novel, balanced strategies that cater to societal, economic, and environmental requirements. The research within this Special Issue is segmented into four key areas: understanding hydrochemical properties and water quality; evaluating anthropogenic effects on water resources; strategizing water resource management; and applying technological innovations in water resource management. Collectively, these studies broaden our comprehension of water resources and sustainable development, stressing the importance of continuous research in this sphere. As we look ahead, this editorial accentuates the importance of ongoing exploration and innovation in these pivotal areas, focusing on understanding climate change implications, mitigating human-induced impacts, refining water management strategies, and harnessing technological advancements. Its overarching aim is to propel worldwide initiatives towards achieving comprehensive water security and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a significant environmental challenge that affects water resources, agriculture, health, and other aspects of human life. Bivariate modeling is a statistical method used to analyze the relationship between variables such as rainfall and temperature. The Pearson correlation coefficient, Kendall's tau, or Spearman's rank correlation are some measures used for bivariate modeling. However, copula functions can describe the dependence structure between two or more variables and can be effectively used to describe the relationship between rainfall and temperature. Despite the literature on bivariate modeling of rainfalls and temperature being extensive, finding flexible and sophisticated bivariate models is sometimes difficult. In this paper, we use rotated copula functions that can arrange any type of dependence that is empirically detected, especially negative dependence. The methodology is applied to an Italian municipality's bivariate daily time series of rainfall and temperature. The estimated rotated copula is significant and, therefore, can be used for simulating the effects of extreme events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on climate actions through water activity and energy synergies supporting a water public operator—Canal de Isabel II—to fight against climate change in the region of Madrid. Actions for its mitigation such as the generation of electricity through water treatment activity are undoubtedly a great tool to face climate change and mitigate CO2 emissions. Led by the Strategic Plan of Canal, a water & energy cycle has been designed that, taking advantage of the different processes carried out, and thanks to the appropriate technologies, allows the generation of 100% renewable electrical energy. Through its solar energy plan, Canal is making an important technological effort to reduce energy consumption, taking advantage of the extensive area the water company has for its operations. At the same time, wastewater solutions ans possibilities are becoming more attractive. This paper explains how the Canal is transforming biogas from wastewater treatment plants into fuel for vehicles. On adaptation, this document describes measures for increasing the availability of resources, reducing water consumption, and preparing for new challenges, provided that water remains an essential resource affordable and accessible to all. In this sense, Canal's main contribution and responsibility is to ensure its availability in the event of water scarcity and to avoid the effects of extreme weather phenomena. In addition, the paper presents important projects related to such adaptations as the tariff structure to discourage high superfluous uses of water or the water reclaimed production. This integrated approach to water and energy production and consumption represents an unbeatable strategy that is recommended for dealing with this global problem in a sustainable way. Canal's activities prove that a water company can aspire to be more sustainable through the implementation of integrated projects on the water and energy nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims at simulating streamflow using Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrological Modelling System (HEC-HMS) under different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP's) to access the impact of climate change on hydrological regime of Bhagirathi River at Tehri Dam. The input for the study is precipitation and temperature which are obtained from remote-sensing data. The temperature and precipitation data daily products are obtained from Tropical Rain Monitoring Mission (TRMM) and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) missions and the respective future anomalies were obtained from World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (CCKP). The streamflow simulation is done for RCP's 4.5 and 8.5 under the models csiro_mk3_6_0, bcc_csm1_1, ccsm4 and mri_cgcm3. The study found that the combination of remote-sensing data and HEC-HMS model has been successful in simulating streamflow in the region. The region will experience an increase in streamflow discharge under changing climate over the next coming years. The simulation also indicates that there will be a change in temporal distribution pattern of the discharge. Amidst these uncertainties, the predictions also give an insight into the planning and management of constructed or to be constructed hydraulic structures in the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change leads to the extreme occurrence of events, water-related disasters, and pressure on existing water resources. The water resource is important for the ecosystem to create resilient and sustainable settlements. The imbalance between evaporation and precipitation creates either shortage or excess of water in the ecosystem. The shortage leads to water stress whereas excess causes flooding. Out of 28 states in India, Bihar is the most vulnerable state with 16.5 percent of the entire flood-prone area and 22 percent of the total flood-affected population of the country. The paper examines water stress and its relationship with flood damage in north Bihar. The paper's novelty is to identify critical districts facing water stress, flood damage and formulate intervention strategies to create a water-secure region. Using Water Poverty Index (WPI), water stress is estimated for five key components i.e. resource, access, use, capacity, and environment. WPI score is less than 0.35 in 14 districts depicting severe water stress conditions. Flood Damage Index (FDI) estimates the severity of the flood and it's impact considering three parameters i.e. population affected, area affected, and economic loss due to crop damage. Darbhanga district has a maximum FDI score of 0.84 and the least WPI score of 0.22, making it the most critical district. The analysis of WPI and FDI shall be used to devise water and disaster-related policies to alleviate water stress and promote flood-resilient development in flood-affected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the Rocky Mountains in the US to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico, the Colorado River is one of the most managed and monitored rivers in the world. As decreasing river flows from drought and climate change continue to impact the Colorado River Basin, the US federal government, seven US states, and Mexico have signed agreements that would reduce deliveries, including a Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), an agreement among the US states and the Bureau of Reclamation, and Minute 323 (a treaty agreement between the US and Mexico). As part of the DCP, the US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) committed to increasing conservation efforts to augment storage in Lake Mead. This paper presents an analysis of Reclamation's Decree Accounting Reports that record water deliveries and conservation savings from 1964 to 2019. Overall, this analysis illustrates that (1) the agency has implemented significant conservation actions over the last three decades, (2) the agency has responded to increased accounting needs as dictated by national and international management agreements, (3) some actions have resulted in environmental costs, and (4) future actions could be designed to avoid environmental harms while also augmenting Lake Mead levels. As climate change continues to constrain Colorado River water supply, detailed accounting may help reveal areas for potential efficiencies or demonstrate where the greatest levels of savings have been reached while ensuring that environmental and social benefits are preserved. Over the last 100 years, humans have changed the path and personality of the Colorado River by distributing water to cities, communities, and agricultural fields to support over 40 million people. Throughout the twentieth century, the US federal government, seven US, and Mexico signed agreements enabling development of Colorado River water. By the early 21st century, as it became evident that water demands and climate change were reducing available supplies, these same governments signed agreements to reduce pressure on the river. All these agreements have, in part, been tracked by the US federal agency that manages the river, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), through Decree Accounting Reports. Since 1964, these reports have recorded how water is or is not accounted for that might be important to the future of the river. This paper examines those reports and reveals four main findings: (1) Reclamation has implemented numerous water conservation projects, (2) they have responded to new management agreements, (3) some of their actions have impacted the environment, and (4) there are proactive ways they can reduce environmental impacts and bolster water supplies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper reviews the national environmental agenda of Arab countries in the Middle East and Africa in an attempt to determine coherence of local efforts with the international environmental commitments these countries have made by signing and ratifying the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework and Convention on Climate Change. The paper succinctly summarizes the impacts of climate change on the countries of the region and the responses of individual countries to the eminent environmental threats. Using country specific data, the paper identifies the mitigation and adaptation measures that individual governments communicated in their initial Nationally Determined Contributions to combat climate change and support concomitantly the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals pertinent to climate impacts. Furthermore, this paper evaluates the overall environmental commitment and performance of the Arab countries and compares them to the average global performance. The findings indicate that most of the Arab countries are heading toward severe water shortages due to deteriorating water supply and growing water demand. The paper concludes that the Arab countries, individually and collectively embrace the Paris Agreement and engage in necessary measures to combat and/or adapt to climate change. Furthermore, the paper presents supporting evidence to show that the Arab countries are at par with the rest of the world when dealing with climate change issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mass‐conserving method to downscale precipitation from global climate models (GCMs) using sub‐grid‐scale topography and modeled 700‐mb wind direction is presented. Runoff is simulated using a stand‐alone hydrological model, with this and several other methods as inputs, and compared to runoff simulated using historical observations over the western contiguous United States. Results suggest the mitigation of grid‐scale biases is more critical than downscaling for some regions with large wet biases (e.g., the Great Basin and Upper Colorado). In other regions (e.g., the Pacific Northwest) the new method produces more realistic sub‐grid‐scale variability in runoff compared to unadjusted GCM output and a simpler downscaling method. The presented method also brings the runoff centroid timing closer to that simulated with observations for all subregions examined. Plain Language Summary: Due to limitations in computing power which necessitates coarse spatial resolution, climate models do not include many details on mountains and their impact on precipitation. For this reason, it is difficult to estimate the impact of climate change on the availability of water for human consumption in places like the western United States, where mountain snowpack is an important source of water. This paper presents a way to adjust precipitation estimates from climate models by using some simple statistics about nearby mountains and valleys. The adjusted precipitation is then used in a hydrologic model to calculate the runoff that is simulated with different precipitation inputs. Results show that in most cases, the precipitation adjustment improves estimates of the resultant runoff relative to simulations with observed precipitation. The main exceptions are in very dry areas where the climate model produces far too much precipitation. With further work, the proposed adjustment may be integrated into the climate model itself to make it easier for those managing water resources (e.g., controlling reservoir levels) to use the model output to plan and adapt to climate change. Key Points: A mass‐conserving method for downscaling orographic precipitation improves modeled runoff from the CESM2Considering upwind topography further improves modeled runoff compared to simpler adjustmentsNot tuning to individual model grid points makes this method more generalizable than many existing statistical downscaling methods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictions for the future indicate that climate change may worsen the water problem in Iraq. The impact of climate change on water supplies, the environment, and the economy, particularly the agricultural sector, is one of the region's most significant challenges. This paper analyzes the impact of climate change on water parameters and the implications for station operation and performance. The data was taken from the Al- Al-Qadisiya water treatment plant in Baghdad city for 2022. This research is the only one that discusses the design of water treatment plants using the GPS-X to design and simulate the plants and show the effect of climate change on plant operation. The results of evaluating the operational performance of water treatment plants indicate that the concentrations of all contaminants in the effluent water have consistently followed the established Iraqi standards in all scenarios. Some consequences of these variables (pH, turbidity, TDS, color, alkalinity, and hardness). The modeling and simulation of the water treatment plant, conducted using GPS-X, confirmed an acceptable level of performance characterized by a high degree of efficiency. The model was subjected to three scenarios, which showed that the concentrations of the pollutant parameters in the treated water stayed within the allowed limits [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview of publications on the hydrological consequences of climate change in the context of the ongoing and projected threats to water security is presented. Two hydrological indicators of water security are considered both at the global and regional scales: mean river flow regime as an indicator of the provision of the territory with surface water resources, as well as the flood regime, as an indicator of flood hazard. The paper is structured as follows. The first section briefly discusses the current understanding of the mechanisms of the influence of anthropogenic climate change on water resources and flood hazard. The second section considers the methodological aspects of constructing assessments of the ongoing changes in the river regimes, and reviews some of the estimates of changes in water resources and high river flow in the world and Russia. The third section is devoted to the global and regional assessments of future changes in the river runoff regime in the twenty-first century and discusses the methodological challenges of carrying out such assessments. The fourth section evaluates socio-economic consequences of the current and forecasted hydrological changes and their influence on water security. The paper is finalized by several summarizing remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arid endorheic basin of northwest China is characterized by rich land resources, water shortage, and a fragile ecological environment. The establishment of a credible coupling model of groundwater and surface water based on multi-source observation data is an effective means to study the change in basin water cycles and the sustainable utilization of water resources in the past and future. Based on the latest understanding of hydrogeological conditions, hydrology and water resource utilization data in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin (HRB), this paper constructs an up-to-date coupling model of surface water and groundwater to study the water balance change of the basin. The water resources data series under historical replay and CMIP5 climate model prediction are constructed to predict future changes in water resources. The study shows that, under the joint influence of natural conditions and human activities, the average annual recharge of groundwater in the study area from 1990 to 2020 is 17.98 × 108 m3/a, the average annual discharge is 18.62 × 108 m3/a, and the difference between recharge and discharge is −0.64 × 108 m3/a. The total groundwater storage is −19.99 × 108 m3, of which the groundwater storage from 1990 to 2001 was −17.52 × 108 m3 and from 2002 to 2020 was −2.47 × 108 m3. Abundant water from 2002 to 2020 in the basin significantly improved the loss of groundwater storage. Under the prediction of historical reappearance and the CMIP5 CNRM-CM5 model RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 pathways, the groundwater level of the Heihe River–Liyuanhe River inclined plain falls first because the HRB has just experienced a wet season and then rises according to future climate change. The groundwater level of the inclined plain east of the Heihe River and Yanchi basin decreases continuously because of the change in water cycle caused by human activities. The erosion accumulation plain is located in the groundwater discharge zone, and the water level is basically stable. Under the conditions of water resource development and utilization, the runoff of Zhengyixia hydrological station cannot meet the requirements of the "97 Water Dividing Plan" of the State Council in most years in the future, and the ecological and production water in the lower reaches of HRB cannot be effectively guaranteed. With the implementation of water-saving irrigation under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, the runoff of Zhengyixia can meet the "97 Water Diversion Plan". It is suggested to further improve the level of agricultural water savings in the middle reaches of the HRB and control the reasonable scale of cultivated land in order to reduce water consumption in the middle reaches of the HRB and implement sustainable utilization of water resources in the HRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing agricultural and domestic demand exacerbates water shortages globally, creating substantial environmental challenges, especially in lakes and wetlands ecosystems. This paper presents a stationary policy to restore and sustain the water level in natural lakes using a new version of hedging rule that accounts for time-dependent environmental demand and the water allocation to the agricultural and municipal sectors under different climate change projections. The proposed framework is demonstrated via operational policy derived to rehabilitate Lake Urmia in Iran. To simplify the modeling process, all reservoirs in the basin are replaced with an equivalent reservoir (ER) to allocate the available water between potential users. The ER is then operated using the set of hedging rules derived for staged restoration and sustainability of the lake level while meeting other stakeholder objectives. A system dynamics-based model is used to simulate the multi-sectoral system of the basin while using a built-in optimization algorithm to develop the most desirable multi-period operational policy. The lake-level condition is investigated by producing lake-level duration curves, while the reservoir performance indices (reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability) are used for assessing water supply in the basin. The results indicate that the proposed framework is highly effective in restoring lake level while meeting agricultural and municipal water demand in the basin. The proposed model provides a stationary policy for the lake restoration accounting for the dynamic variation of the lake level and fluctuations of the reservoirs inflow due to climate variability and change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate emergencies, water stress, and fast-growing populations, many cities around the world are adopting wastewater reclamation and reuse to improve the water supply for their residents. The purpose of the paper was to investigate the effectiveness of expanding wastewater reclamation and reuse as a solution to water supply challenges for future cities. It used a systematic review of the literature to evaluate and synthesize the available evidence in support of wastewater reclamation and reuse for future cities. A model known as PRISMA was used to identify the most appropriate articles for inclusion in the study. Out of the 105 studies, a total of 46 articles were selected for analysis based on their relevance, content validity, and strength of evidence. The findings indicate that wastewater reclamation and reuse create additional sources of water for both domestic and industrial use, reducing the overall pressure on the natural water sources. Wastewater reclamation and reuse effectively increase water supply for future cities while minimizing pressure on natural resources and promoting environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement presents new fields of research related to the adaptation strategies to climate change. A challenge for future research consists in developing context-specific guidelines to support adaptation. This Special Issue on "Adaptation strategy to climate change for water resources" is born in this context. It contains 15 scientific studies facing a diversity of issues inherent to the adaptation strategies for water resources. This editorial analyses how the authors of this collection of papers decided to develop and present their research in order to identify criteria to contribute defining, in a near future, standardized approaches and practices for adaptation studies. Papers have been categorized in two major fields: "Studies for the development of adaptation scenarios" and "Studies for the development of adaptation solutions". Papers belonging to both categories are generally found missing to treat the 'uncertainty' issues arising and the implementation of the proposed adaptation strategies. Studies investigating future adaptation scenarios are generally found to be unbalanced in favor of the assessment of future impacts on water resources and less towards the provision of adaptation scenarios. When these studies do not provide elements to manage the specific uncertainty related to the proposed adaptation solutions, at least exploring the uncertainty related to the climatic and impact scenarios is strongly recommended. Studies providing methodological and/or procedural examinations on adaptation solutions are recommended to suitably report the climatic, environmental, and social context for which the action has been developed. A reduction of uncertainty and an easier implementation of proposed measures could be induced from this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About eighty percent of wastewater is discharged into the environment untreated. Many challenges are decelerating solving the global sanitation problem, such as the financial limitations and lack of technical capacities. Parallel to this, many countries are facing a growing demand on their limited water resources. Higher water demand and limited availability leads to over-abstraction and deterioration in the availability and quality water resources. In this situation, wastewater can be a new water source. Therefore, there is a growing interest in finding low-cost, easy-to-operate and sustainable sanitation solutions. Constructed wetlands (CWs) in recent years have proved their capability in the sanitation sector as an appropriate sanitation system in different contexts, CWs have proved their ability to treat several types of wastewaters for several decades. Several benefits and facts, such as the low construction and operational costs of CWs, low-energy, and less operational requirements, have raised the interests in CWs as a treatment technology. Several studies have investigated CWs suitability based on different sustainability indices (technical, social, environmental, etc.). In this paper, a comprehensive review covers the definition, types, treatment processes, sustainability criteria, limitations, and challenges of CWs. The paper also focuses on climate change resilience and circular economic approach under the technical and financial criteria, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate of Sri Lanka has been fluctuating at an alarming rate during the recent past. These changes are reported to have pronounced impacts on the livelihoods of the people in the country. Water is central to the sustainable functioning of ecosystems and wellbeing of mankind. It is evident that pronounced variations in the climate will negatively impact the availability and the quality of water resources. The ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) approach has proved to be an effective strategy to address the impact of climate change on water resources in many parts of the world. The key aim of this paper is to elaborate the wide range of benefits received through implementation of EbAs in field level, watershed scale, and urban and coastal environments in the context of Sri Lanka. In addition, this paper discusses the benefits of utilizing EbA solutions over grey infrastructure-based solutions to address the issues related to water management. The wide range of benefits received through implementation of EbAs can be broadly classified into three categories: water supply regulation, water quality regulation, and moderation of extreme events. This paper recommends the utilization of EbAs over grey infrastructure-based solutions in adaptation to climate change in the water management sector for the developing region due its cost effectiveness, ecofriendliness, and multiple benefits received on long-term scales. The findings of this study will unequivocally contribute to filling existing knowledge and research gaps in the context of EbAs to future climate change in Sri Lanka. The suggestions and opinions of this study can be taken into account by decision makers and water resources planning agencies for future planning of actions related to climate change adaptation in Sri Lanka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is one of the foremost climate-responsive businesses, with open-air production systems sensitive to temperature and rainfall. This paper reviews recent literature and assesses the impact of climate change on the accessibility of water resources for irrigation. The paper critically reviews recent research findings on climate change effect on the potential of surface water and groundwater for irrigation in Ethiopia's south rift valley (Abaya-Chamo) Sub-basin. Surface water in the south rift valley Ethiopia sub-basin, including the Abaya and Chamo lakes, is estimated to be just over 5,718 million m3yr-1. Finally, the implications for future study and development are emphasized. The effect of climate change (rainfall and temperature) on the water in the Abaya-Chamo lakes feeder Rivers is different for the near future (2021--2050) and extreme future (2071--2100) time using the RCP 8.5 scenario. Overall, findings show that the availability of water resources for irrigation purposes in the south rift valley Ethiopia sub-basin will be more vulnerable to changes in rainfall and temperature. In conclusion, Stream flow future projection (%) for each feeder river Bilate, Kulfo, Gidabo, and Hare are -9.07, -11.24, 3.89, 4.135, - 0.95, - 1.5, 13.4, and 15.4% respectively [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder irrigation schemes (SISs) have been portrayed as a panacea to climate change adaptation. However, there is an emerging discourse that established schemes are becoming vulnerable to increased climate variability and change, particularly increased water stress. This paper reviews the existing knowledge on risks of climate change and variability in water supply in smallholder irrigation farming in Zimbabwe. In addition, this paper highlights adaptation options to climate change in SISs. Data for this review were collected systematically from peer-reviewed and published literature. The literature used for this study showed that SISs in Zimbabwe are beset with water stress, competing water needs and the outbreak of pests and diseases, which have been related with climate change and variability. Climate change is making Zimbabwe more arid through decreasing precipitation and warming. Droughts and floods are increasing in frequency and severity. Damage by floods is increasing exponentially, impacting environments, ecological systems and national economies. Climate change affects SISs' productivity and decimates the livelihoods of scheme farmers. The review suggests that there is a need for increased adsorptive, adoptive and transformational capacity for SISs to obtain a new state of resilience from adverse effects of increased climate variability and change. This review recommends understanding and prioritizing solutions to vulnerability to climate change in SISs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many areas of the world, maintaining grapevine production will require adaptation to climate change. While rigorous evaluations of adaptation strategies provide decision makers with valuable insights, those that are published often overlook major constraints, ignore local adaptive capacity, and suffer from a compartmentalization of disciplines and scales. The objective of our study was to identify current knowledge of evaluation methods and their limitations, reported in the literature. We reviewed 111 papers that evaluate adaptation strategies in the main vineyards worldwide. Evaluation approaches are analyzed through key features (e.g., climate data sources, methodology, evaluation criteria) to discuss their ability to address climate change issues, and to identify promising outcomes for climate change adaptations. We highlight the fact that combining adaptation levers in the short and long term (location, vine training, irrigation, soil, and canopy management, etc.) enables local compromises to be reached between future water availability and grapevine productivity. The main findings of the paper are three-fold: (1) the evaluation of a combination of adaptation strategies provides better solutions for adapting to climate change; (2) multi-scale studies allow local constraints and opportunities to be considered; and (3) only a small number of studies have developed multi-scale and multi-lever approaches to quantify feasibility and effectiveness of adaptation. In addition, we found that climate data sources were not systematically clearly presented, and that climate uncertainty was hardly accounted for. Moreover, only a small number of studies have assessed the economic impacts of adaptation, especially at farm scale. We conclude that the development of methodologies to evaluate adaptation strategies, considering both complementary adaptations and scales, is essential if relevant information is to be provided to the decision-makers of the wine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil and water resources represent some of the great wealth with which nature has endowed our planet. The purpose of the paper is the study of these resources (soil and water), from Zăvoi commune, Caraș Severin county, considering the recent climate changes, which tend to negatively influence this area as well, with repercussions on the entire evolution plant development. The health of the soil and the purity of the water are essential to be able to talk about the quality of life, environmental factors (soil, water, climate, air, etc.) can influence the well-being and health of people. For the preparation of the paper, data obtained both from observations in the field and data taken from previous researches, including OSPA Caraș Severin, were used. The town of Zăvoi has a total area of 39600 ha, of which 53.66% (21249 ha) are agricultural land and 43.30%, i.e. 17145 ha, is forest. The diversity of the relief units made the area divided: the area of the hills, where luvosol and eutricambosol soils are found and which offer the possibility of a more varied agriculture and obtaining large productions; the hilly floor, which includes a mixed agricultural area, thanks to various soils, represented by regosols, lithosols, districambosols, prepodzols and antrosols, here the largest area of land is forested and the meadow area, where we find alluvial soils, along with stagnosols and gleosols, the most common being soils with excess phreatic moisture and requiring drainage improvement works. In this area, a number of plants are cultivated such as: wheat, corn, sunflower, oats, orzoaica, up to vegetables, potatoes and beets. The general capacity of these soils in terms of agricultural production capacity is medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia has committed to the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), and one of the commitments includes its efforts to enhance South-South Cooperation (SSC). Within those SSC sectors, one of the most promising sectors is the Climate change aspects such as Agriculture, disaster risk reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency, forestry, transport, water resources, and waste management. Notably, countries are increasingly recognizing the utility of SSC as a strategic tool for addressing climate change and achieving their National Determined Contributions (NDCs). This paper employs qualitative research methods, drawing insights from existing literature and data, to analyse Indonesia's SSC efforts as part of its AOIP commitment. The study sheds light on Indonesia's endeavours to provide SSC within the Indo-Pacific region, considering the political, economic, and strategic benefits of assisting countries in this area. Additionally, it underscores the significance of technological exchange, particularly with countries sharing similar geo-climatic, cultural, and socio-economic conditions, in fostering effective cooperation, particularly within the Climate Change agenda. The study proposes a potential framework for cooperation by aligning each host countries specific needs with an analysis of their NDCs, complemented by the expertise of contributing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspiring to India's COP26 pledge of attaining 500 gigawatts of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030 will entail nothing short of a colossal transformation of rural spaces. Solar park development has already disrupted the lives and livelihoods of marginalized peasants through land dispossession, uneven provisioning of electricity and water resources, dislocation of fuelwood and grazing access, and the diminution of labor opportunities. However, it remains unclear how affected peasants internalize the burdens of decarbonization. The aim of the paper is to address the following questions: How are the geographies of solar energy transitions embodied? How do dispossessed peasants respond affectively? Drawing on feminist political ecology literature and fieldwork that included household surveys and semi-structured interviews, the author finds that the dispossessed embody a range of affective responses, including emotional geographies and embodied resistance, that enable or constrain the place-making of equitable alternative sites of solar energy generation. The author concludes that as India rapidly erects large-scale solar infrastructures—indisputably imperative efforts to confront the climate crisis—the embodiment of injustices suffered by the dispossessed will haunt low-carbon futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic effects of global warming have gained considerable attention in the recent economic literature. While the relationship between rainfall and agriculture is well known, precipitations alone do not capture the soil water availability, which depends on the evaporation of the water (potential evapotranspiration [PET]). This paper presents evidence of the relationship between aridification and agricultural productivity. We show that areas that have experienced increased precipitations have become arider due to increased PET. We then project future aridification patterns. We find that the global arid area will increase by 3.9 per cent by 2040. This implies a global loss of about 20 million tons of maize, 19 million tons of rice, 8 million tons of soybeans and 21 million tons of wheat until 2040 if no action to combat desertification is taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A water crisis is an alarming issue in Balochistan. The persistent crises lead towards catastrophic future condition. Water is essential for human livelihood and other types of economic developments. A province that is situated in an arid zone where due to low rainfall is scarcity of water. The qualitative research methodology will be applied on this research paper. The data collection will take place through secondary sources i.e. books, magazines, journals and internet websites etc. The major causes for water crisis are shortage of rainfall, climate change, misuse of water, over-urbanization, global warming, non-availability of sufficient dams in Balochistan. There are severe implications and repercussions of water crisis in Balochistan. It leads towards agricultural crisis, loss of biodiversity, migration, drought condition, poor quality life and low income etc. There is a need to adopt a proper strategy that how to overcome the water crisis in Balochistan. The construction of dams, the public awareness, the re-cycling of water, aqueducts, desalination of water, improvement in sewerage system, rain water harvesting can enable us to overcome the water crisis. The sustainable water management approach will be applied to treat reuse and to control the wastage of water. The research will be conducted by keeping in view the socio-economic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to actualize the challenges faced by Ukrainian agriculture in the context of climate change and the impact of the economic activity of enterprises on the state of natural resources, as well as to consider the ways and mechanisms of the post-war transition of Ukrainian agriculture to sustainable development. In the study, we used monographic, comparative analysis, empirical, abstract, and logical methods. The first consequences of climate change in agricultural sectors of the planet are characterized. Increasing temperatures to a maximum level, longer periods of extreme heat, more intense droughts, increased moisture deficit during the growing season, winter thaws, the spread of pests and diseases, and other manifestations of climate change have a negative impact on agricultural production. In the context of climate change, as highlighted in the paper, these negative processes will significantly intensify, requiring an immediate transition from ecologically and socially destructive monoculture to agroecological agriculture, which is recognized as one of the most affordable, low-cost, socially oriented, and environmentally relevant ways to transition to sustainable development of the industry. The principles and institutional support for such a transition are revealed, taking into account the expected climate change and post-war consequences for Ukrainian agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is impacting people's lives, with management of water resources and food security being major concerns for the future of many countries. In this paper, future water availability, crop water needs, yields, market costs and returns of current crops in a case study area in Australia are evaluated under future climatic conditions. The predictive methods on which the work is based have the advantage of being robust—they are able to simultaneously consider many climate change models—giving greater confidence in determining what the future will hold in this regard. The results indicate business as usual, in terms of the quantity and types of crops that can be grown presently, will not be sustainable in the medium and long term future. Instead, modelling indicates that changes in production and land use to maximise revenue per megalitre of water will be needed to adapt to future conditions and deliver climate-smart agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holding a lasting balance between the water resources and water demands has become a challenging task for water resources managers, especially in recent years with the looming global warming crisis and its resulting climatic change effects. This paper focuses on modeling the optimized operation of the Zayandehrud Reservoir, located in west-central Iran, under two fifth-generation climate change scenarios called RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. A novel variant of the gravitational search algorithm (GSA), named the adaptive accelerated GSA (AAGSA) is proposed and adopted as the optimizer of the reservoir operation in this paper. The major advancement of the AAGSA against the original GSA is its high exploration capability, allowing the proposal to effectively tackle a variety of difficulties any complex optimization problem can face. The goal of the optimization process is the maximization of the sustainability of supplying the downstream water demands by the reservoir. The optimal results obtained by the original GSA and the proposed AAGSA algorithms suggest that the AAGSA can achieve much more accurate results with much less computational runtime, such that the proposed AAGSA is able to achieve the reservoir operation sustainability index of 98.53% and 99.46%, under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. These figures are higher than those obtained by the original GSA by 23.5% and 16% under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively, while the runtime of the proposal is reduced by over 80% in both scenarios, as compared to the GSA, suggesting the high competence of the proposed AAGSA to solve such a high-dimensional and complex real-world engineering problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]