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The response of evapotranspiration (ET) to drought is essential for understanding water availability under drought conditions, which has received increasing scientific attention but remains highly uncertain. An unprecedented extreme drought sweeping the whole Yangtze River Basin during the summer and autumn of 2022 provides a novel opportunity to explore the ET response to drought within large river basins. Here, we apply multiple ET products to investigate the spatiotemporal variation of ET during the 2022 extreme drought and analyse the response of ET to drought in the Yangtze River Basin. The results show that this drought, characterized by widespread substantial precipitation deficit and high level of atmospheric evaporative demand (AED), leads to evident abnormal ET. Over the whole basin, ET exhibits a notable increase in the initial 2 months of this drought, which can significantly reduce water availability. However, despite continued high AED, the increase in ET fails to remain in the following months due to limited moisture supply. This suggests that ET response to drought varies as drought progresses. Among other drought events from 2003 to 2022, the response of ET is similar to that in the 2022 extreme drought. Specifically, for most sub‐basins, ET typically shows positive anomalies in the early stage of drought, followed by negative anomalies in the late stage. Generally, our findings improve the understanding of the dynamic response of ET to drought at the basin scale, which is crucial for basin water security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to assess the drinking water quality in the selected urban areas of Lahore and to comprehend the public health status by addressing the basic drinking water quality parameters. Total 50 tap water samples were collected from groundwater in the two selected areas of district Lahore i.e., Gulshan-e-Ravi (site 1) and Samanabad (site 2). Water samples were analyzed in the laboratory to elucidate physico-chemical parameters including pH, turbidity, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), total hardness, magnesium hardness, and calcium hardness. These physico-chemical parameters were used to examine the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Synthetic Pollution Index (SPI) in order to characterize the water quality. Results of th selected physico-chemical parameters were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to determine the quality of drinking water. A GIS-based approach was used for mapping water quality, WQI, and SPI. Results of the present study revealed that the average value of temperature, pH, and DO of both study sites were within the WHO guidelines of 23.5 °C, 7.7, and 6.9 mg/L, respectively. The TDS level of site 1 was 192.56 mg/L (within WHO guidelines) and whereas, in site 2 it was found 612.84 mg/L (higher than WHO guidelines), respectively. Calcium hardness of site 1 and site 2 was observed within the range from 25.04 to 65.732 mg/L but, magnesium hardness values were higher than WHO guidelines. The major reason for poor water quality is old, worn-out water supply pipelines and improper waste disposal in the selected areas. The average WQI was found as 59.66 for site 1 and 77.30 for site 2. Results showed that the quality of the water was classified as "poor" for site 1 and "very poor " for site 2. There is a need to address the problem of poor water quality and also raise the public awareness about the quality of drinking water and its associated health impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya, 5,311 handwashing stations were distributed by the National Business Compact Coalition (NBCC) to help combat the virus. This study evaluated 316 of these stations across five counties, assessing functionality, usability, and accessibility. Quantitative data, including spot checks and surveys, revealed that 83.9% of the evaluated stations were functional, with paid caretakers, which is associated with higher functionality rates. Qualitative insights underscored challenges such as inadequate signage and limited soap and water availability, particularly affecting individuals with disabilities. Despite initial success, only 61% of stations remained functional 6–8 months post-distribution, often due to relocation by caretakers. Future distributions should prioritize long-term support for caretakers to sustain station functionality. This study highlights the importance of ongoing monitoring and support for public handwashing facilities in pandemic response efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges posed by environmental pollution, water scarcity, and energy limitations resulting from industrialization and modernization pose significant threats to human habitats. Consequently, assessing ecological livability and delineating pathways for improvement carry considerable practical importance. Leveraging panel data encompassing 288 cities in China from 2010 to 2021, this study establishes an evaluation system for ecological livability, encompassing three dimensions: natural greenery level, residential comfort level, and environmental governance level. Subsequently, the study measures the ecological livability level and investigates the impact of "sponge city" pilots on ecological livability and their underlying mechanisms using a multi-period difference-in-differences model. Our findings underscore the substantial role of "sponge city" pilot projects in bolstering ecological livability, with robustness observed across various models and specifications. Specifically, human capital concentration and green technology innovation emerge as pivotal pathways through which "sponge city" pilots augment ecological livability. Moreover, the effectiveness of "sponge city" pilots varies across regions due to disparities in drought severity and water supply, with more pronounced effects observed in arid areas and cities facing water supply shortages. This research furnishes comprehensive theoretical and empirical underpinnings for comprehending the influence of "sponge city" pilots on ecological livability, offering valuable insights and recommendations to inform future efforts aimed at enhancing ecological livability and fostering sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The climatic changes crossing the world menace the green life through limitation of water availability. The goal of this study was to determine whether Moringa oleifera Lam. trees cultivated under Tunisian arid climate, retain their tolerance ability to tolerate accentuated environmental stress factors such as drought and salinity. For this reason, the seeds of M. oleifera tree planted in Bouhedma Park (Tunisian arid area), were collected, germinated, and grown in the research area at the National Institute of Research in Rural Engineering, Waters and Forests (INRGREF) of Tunis (Tunisia). The three years aged trees were exposed to four water-holding capacities (25, 50, 75, and 100%) for 60 days to realise this work. Results: Growth change was traduced by the reduction of several biometric parameters and fluorescence (Fv/Fm) under severe water restriction (25 and 50%). Whereas roots presented miraculous development in length face to the decrease of water availability (25 and 50%) in their rhizospheres. The sensitivity to drought-induced membrane damage (Malondialdehyde (MDA) content) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) liberation (hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content) was highly correlated with ROS antiradical scavenging (ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and (2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyle (DPPH)), phenolic components and osmolytes accumulation. The drought stress tolerance of M. oleifera trees was associated with a dramatic stimulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities. Conclusion: Based on the several strategies adopted, integrated M. oleifera can grow under drought stress as accentuated adverse environmental condition imposed by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a heavily glaciated region, the Eastern Pamir plays a crucial role in regional water supply. However, considerable ambiguity surrounds the distribution of glacier ice thickness and the details of ice volume. Accurate data at the local scale are largely insufficient. In this study, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) was applied to assess the ice thickness at Muztagh Glacier No.16 (MG16) in Muztagh Ata, Eastern Pamir, for the first time, detailing findings from four distinct profiles, bridging the gap in regional measurements. We utilized a total of five different methods based on basic shear stress, surface velocity, and mass conservation, aimed at accurately delineating the ice volume and distribution for MG16. Verification was conducted using measured data, and an aggregated model outcome provided a unified view of ice distribution. The different models showed good agreement with the measurements, but there were differences in the unmeasured areas. The composite findings indicated the maximum ice thickness of MG16 stands at 115.87 ± 4.55 m, with an ice volume calculated at 0.27 ± 0.04 km3. This result is relatively low compared to the findings of other studies, which lies in the fact that the GPR measurements somewhat constrain the model. However, the model parameters remain the primary source of uncertainty. The results from this study can be used to enhance water resource assessments for future glacier change models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the depletion of surface water resources within the Lake Urmia Basin (LUB), Iran, has emerged as a significant environmental concern. Both anthropogenic activities and climate change have influenced the availability and distribution of surface water resources in this area. This research endeavors to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on surface water resources across the LUB. Various critical climatic and anthropogenic factors affecting surface water bodies, such as air temperature (AT), cropland (CL), potential evapotranspiration (PET), snow cover, precipitation, built-up areas, and groundwater salinity, were analyzed from 2000 to 2021 using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform. The JRC-Global surface water mapping layers V1.4, with a spatial resolution of 30 m, were employed to monitor surface water patterns. Additionally, the Mann–Kendall (MK) non-parametric trend test was utilized to identify statistically significant trends in the time series data. The results reveal negative correlations of −0.56, −0.89, −0.09, −0.99, and −0.79 between AT, CL, snow cover, built-up areas, and groundwater salinity with surface water resources, respectively. Conversely, positive correlations of 0.07 and 0.12 were observed between precipitation and PET and surface water resources, respectively. Notably, the findings indicate that approximately 40% of the surface water bodies in the LUB have remained permanent over the past four decades. However, there has been a loss of around 30% of permanent water resources, transitioning into seasonal water bodies, which now account for nearly 13% of the total. The results of our research also indicate that December and January are the months with the most water presence over the LUB from 1984 to 2021. This is because these months align with winter in the LUB, during which there is no water consumption for the agriculture sector. The driest months in the study area are August, September, and October, with the presence of water almost at zero percent. These months coincide with the summer and autumn seasons in the study area. In summary, the results underscore the significant impact of human activities on surface water resources compared to climatic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial for a special issue of the journal "Remote Sensing" that focuses on monitoring terrestrial water resources using satellite sensors. The editorial acknowledges the increasing demand for water resources and the importance of accurately evaluating and tracking them. It discusses the advantages of using satellite technologies for monitoring water resources and highlights studies in the special issue that cover topics such as water body extraction, flood mapping, and coastal wetland dynamics monitoring. The editorial also mentions the use of specific satellite sensors, like satellite altimeters and satellite imagery, for acquiring surface water information. It addresses the challenges of acquiring 3D information about surface water and emphasizes the need to combine satellite observation with model simulation to improve monitoring and understanding of the water cycle. The authors suggest incorporating newly released satellite data, such as SWOT, to enhance the acquisition of information on inland areas, coastal areas, and oceans. [Extracted from the article]

The increasing temperature in the Yellow River Basin has led to a rapid rise in the melting level height, at a rate of 5.98 m yr-1 during the cold season, which further contributes to the transition from snowfall to rainfall patterns. Between 1979 and 2020, there has been a decrease in snowfall in the Yellow River Basin at a rate of -3.03 mm dec-1, while rainfall has been increasing at a rate of 1.00 mm dec-1. Consequently, the snowfall-to-rainfall ratio (SRR) has decreased. Snowfall directly replenishes terrestrial water storage (TWS) in solid form until it melts, while rainfall is rapidly lost through runoff and evaporation, in addition to infiltrating underground or remaining on the surface. Therefore, the decreasing SRR accelerates the depletion of water resources. According to the surface water balance equation, the reduction in precipitation and runoff, along with an increase in evaporation, results in a decrease in TWS during the cold season within the Yellow River Basin. In addition to climate change, human activities, considering the region's dense population and extensive agricultural land, also accelerate the decline of TWS. Notably, irrigation accounts for the largest proportion of water withdrawals in the Yellow River Basin (71.8%) and primarily occurs during the warm season (especially from June to August). The impact of human activities and climate change on the water cycle requires further in-depth research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower dam projects in the Lower Mekong Basin are part of long-term and interactive land and water transformations, displacement, and violence. Within these ongoing processes, dams represent intense and adverse episodes of disruption that escalate nature-society transformations. Drawing on research at Cambodia's Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Dam (LS2 Dam), we examine how such episodes of nature-society rupture catalyze new waves of frontier-making and mobility that further intensify land and resource struggles. In this ethnically diverse landscape, the abrupt hydrological changes caused by the LS2 Dam have escalated land struggles among various ethnic groups, especially migrants intent on claiming land and water resources, and Indigenous/minority groups displaced by the dam. We show how historical relations with land and socio-political marginalization by the state have produced differentiated opportunities, risks, and frictions among the four main ethnic groups present in this landscape: Indigenous Bunong, Lao, Cham, and Khmer. The LS2 Dam case shows how nature-society rupture reifies frontier dynamics by disrupting existing land/water relations, which precipitates in-migration, new resource claims, and associated conflict along ethnic lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the vicious cycle of Israel's control of water resources in Jordan and the Palestinian territories, the development of a one‐state reality in the region, and geopolitical changes driven by the Israeli occupation and the war in Gaza. Israel no longer suffers from water shortages, but its domination of Palestine and the conflict sparked by Hamas have increased the yawning water deficit. This has played a role in the decades‐long move away from the two‐state solution promised by the Oslo peace process. This article examines regional security through the lens of water resources. It shows that Jordan is left with few options but to accept its dependence on Israel and muddle through. In addition, the Palestinian territories, which face not just Israeli military rule but also the expansion of settlements, experience major water shortages. The article concludes that the increasing water hegemony reduces Israeli incentives for a comprehensive peace with the Palestinians that could resolve the resource crisis and enable two states to live side by side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how plant fitness varies along natural gradients is critical for predicting responses to environmental change. However, individual vital rates are often used as fitness proxies without knowing how other vital rates vary along the same gradients.We investigated how canopy cover, plant–plant interactions, water availability and soil properties influenced the emergence, survival, seed production and population growth rates of eight annual plant species in semi‐arid Western Australia. We sowed seeds into sun‐exposed and shaded blocks across a reserve, removed all neighbouring plants from half of the interaction neighbourhoods, and used rainout shelters to reduce and increase precipitation relative to ambient plots.Canopy cover had strong negative effects on emergence, but few direct impacts on other vital rates and population growth rates. Direct competitive effects on survival and seed production were rare, although evident for population growth rate for 3/8 species. Competition was stronger in open than shaded plots for half of the species. Canopy cover also interacted with the watering treatment to influence survival of half of the species, but watering alone had few direct impacts on species' vital and population growth rates. We found only positive significant correlations between pairs of rates, and survival and seed production were far more frequently correlated with population growth rate than emergence.Synthesis. Our study illustrates that vital rates can respond to the same local‐scale environmental variation in different ways that are likely not driven by life history trade‐offs. We caution against using emergence as a proxy for population growth rate and emphasise that no single vital rate was a reliable fitness proxy overall. Interactions among abiotic and biotic factors were important drivers of vital and population growth rates for some species, highlighting the need to account for plant–plant interactions when predicting population responses to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disturbances drive large changes in plant composition and ecosystem functioning in drylands, but current understanding of how recovery following disturbance depends on the environment is limited due to challenges in analysing effects of disparate disturbances across abiotic gradients.We combined remote sensing and field observations across 5600+ km of natural gas pipeline corridors and adjacent undisturbed vegetation to investigate how recovery from a uniform, severe disturbance varied with factors that influence water availability in drylands.We found that recovery of net primary production (NPP) often remains incomplete, with only 42% of our sites projected to fully recover within 100 years. NPP recovery was quicker and more complete in regions that receive most of their annual precipitation at low temperatures and have fine‐textured soil; recovery of total shrub cover (median timing of 81 years) was faster on fine‐textured soils in locations that receive most of their annual precipitation at high temperatures. Locations with quick recovery of shrub cover were linked with a shift in dominant shrub species and incomplete NPP recovery.Synthesis. Recovery of NPP and shrub cover in drylands were driven by different environmental factors. For both NPP and shrub cover, locations with high pre‐disturbance values required more time to recover to adjacent undisturbed levels than locations with low pre‐disturbance values. Quick recovery of shrub cover or productivity was generally linked with a shift in dominant plant species or functional group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Safe drinking water and closed sanitation are fundamental to health and are assumed in the United States, however, gaps remain, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. We sought to describe household sanitation access for children in rural Alabama and local health provider knowledge of sanitation related health concerns. METHODS: Data were collected from self-administered surveys obtained from children enrolled in a larger cross-sectional study to determine soil transmitted helminthiasis prevalence in Alabama, from a survey of health providers from local federally qualified health centers and from a baseline knowledge check of Alabama health providers enrolled in an online sanitation health course. RESULTS: Surveys completed on 771 children (approximately 10% of county pediatric population) revealed less than half lived in homes connected to centralized sewers; 12% reported "straight-pipes," a method of discharging untreated sewage to the ground outside the home, and 8% reported sewage contamination of their home property in the past year. Additionally, 15% of respondents were likely to use well water. The local health providers surveyed did not include routine screening for water and sanitation failures or associated infections. Regional healthcare providers have limited knowledge of soil transmitted helminthiasis. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of children from rural counties of Alabama with high rates of poverty reside in homes with water and sanitation challenges that predominantly affect African American families. This is an under-recognized health risk by local health providers, and its contribution to well-documented health disparities in this region is poorly understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving decision making in urban water supply systems under a wide range of changing human-environmental scenarios represents a challenging issue, especially when there is a high level of uncertainty and the available information is limited or scarce. To address this concern, the present study applied a decision aiding process to evaluate long-term planning solutions for the Port-au Prince Metropolitan Region’s water supply in Haiti, which is recognized for having a low coverage of water services and great lack of monitoring data. The methodological framework assessed pre-specified alternatives to face uncertain future conditions, with the main emphasis of being aware of how these uncertainties can be framed in the water management practices. To discover the most robust management solutions, a tradeoff analysis and multi-objective optimization allowed to explore the performance of alternatives across many future states of the world and multiple criteria. The results highlighted that human factors associated with the increase of per-capita water use and population growth posed a greater risk on water supply coverage than climatic factors. In addition, the decision support can offer a comprehensive representation of potential supply/demand futures, and provides decision-makers with the opportunity to discuss a posteriori the most appropriate water supply solution under an extensive variety of information with severe uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many states in the Eastern U.S. have limited water withdrawal regulations, posing significant risks to water supply management during periods of low flows. While these states require water withdrawal permits, exemptions for grandfathered withdrawals that allow unregulated access to surface water are common. Such permit exemptions present a challenge to water supply management, as full utilization of allowable withdrawals by permit‐exempt users could pose risks to maintaining adequate water supplies for current and projected demand. This study used reported permit exemption data in Virginia to understand the extent, volume, and potential impact of permit‐exempt withdrawals on 30‐ and 90‐day low flows. The permit‐exempt withdrawal values used in this study were obtained from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Maximum permit‐exempt withdrawal volumes were significantly higher than projected future demands in permitted users. The impacts of these withdrawals on drought flows were compared with the impacts presented by climate change and demand growth. Widespread reduction in flows was observed with the "dry" future climate change scenario, while impacts were more localized in the exempt users and the demand growth scenarios. The impacts of exempt users exceeded the impact of climate change and demand growth scenarios in many regions during low‐flow periods. Therefore, more comprehensive water planning, policy and research is needed to address the impact of permit exemptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Himalayan water tower provides crucial water resources for Asia. Permafrost degradation is deemed to exert important impacts on streamflow in the Himalayan rivers. Yet, the magnitudes of such impacts remain poorly quantified. Here, we established a robust hydrological model that incorporated active layer deepening and ground ice melt for the drainage basin of the largest river in the northern Himalayas-the Yarlung Zangbo River (YZR). We estimated that permafrost degradation led to ∼0.65 km3/yr decrease in surface runoff and ∼0.35 km3/yr increase in baseflow and ground ice melt contributed ∼0.25% to the annual streamflow in the YZR for the period 2001–2022. The "fill-and-spill" mechanism helps explain the seeming contradiction of observed increasing versus decreasing baseflow in different permafrost regions worldwide. We propose that the dilution of riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations by baseflow may lead to the riverine DOC hysteresis patterns. This study not only lays solid scientific basis for water resources management in the Himalayas, but also yields new insights into how to interpret measured river discharge and nutrient flux in permafrost regions over the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water infiltration can cause softening of compacted structural fill and a reduction of the shear strength from the peak compacted strength to the fully softened strength (FSS) with an accompanying reduction in drained factor of safety (FoS). This study presents two-dimensional (2D) and 3D stability analyses of a compacted fill slope failure that occurred 6 years after construction due to water leaking from a connection between the main and lateral water pipes in the water supply system. The compacted fill material primarily consists of high plasticity fine-grained soil. The 3D FoS at the end of construction is 2.44 using the peak compacted strength envelope. However, the 3D FoS is close to unity (1.0) when the FSS is assigned to the compacted fill material with the appropriate piezometric surface, which means the 2 H:1 V compacted fill slope softened to the FSS within 6 years. This is an interesting FSS case because the failure surface is 4 m deep and semi-circular, which differs from infiltration cases that exhibit a shallower and more planar surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physicochemical properties of the cellular environment impact on the biochemical and molecular functions of plant cells. Osmotic stress conditions cause severe changes in intracellular macromolecular crowding that plants must adapt to for survival. Recent work has demonstrated that plant cells have mechanisms to sense changes in macromolecular crowding, including plasma membrane and intracellular osmosensors. Tools to dynamically track changes in macromolecular crowding will further contribute to the identification of plant osmosensors. Osmotic stress conditions occur at multiple stages of plant life. Changes in water availability caused by osmotic stress induce alterations in the mechanical properties of the plasma membrane, its interaction with the cell wall, and the concentration of macromolecules in the cytoplasm. We summarize the reported players involved in the sensing mechanisms of osmotic stress in plants. We discuss how changes in macromolecular crowding are perceived intracellularly by intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in proteins. Finally, we review methods for dynamically monitoring macromolecular crowding in living cells and discuss why their implementation is required for the discovery of new plant osmosensors. Elucidating the osmosensing mechanisms will be essential for designing strategies to improve plant productivity in the face of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative comparisons of different reservoir operation schemes can provide valuable suggestions for decision making and help to promote new planning tools under changing environments. The full spectrum of reservoir operation schemes (rule-curve-based setup (RBS), single-objective optimisation setup (SOS), bi-objective optimisation setup (BOS) and many-objective optimisation setup (MOS)) was considered in this work. A large reservoir in the southwest of China (Qinshitan reservoir) was used as a case study. The four reservoir operation schemes were established using similar formulations and were evaluated quantitatively under typical hydrological years. For the considered optimisation problem, progressive improvement on the solution was obtained from RBS to SOS, then BOS and finally MOS. Among the models, the MOS provided a comprehensive perspective on reservoir operation and achieved the best performance in terms of offering the most options for decision making. The MOS also discovered a step-wise operational scheme that had not been captured by the RBS, the SOS or the BOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analyse the evolution of 40 Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs) health-related indicators in Brazil and Ecuador from 1990 to 2019. Epidemiological study of long-term trends in 40 SDGs' health-related indicators for Brazil and Ecuador from 1990 to 2019, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Forty SDGs' health-related indicators and an index from 1990 to 2017 for Brazil and Ecuador, and their projections up to 2030 were extracted from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease website and analysed. The percent annual change (PC) between 1990 and 2019 was calculated for both countries. Both countries have made progress on child stunting (Brazil: PC = −38%; Ecuador: PC = −43%) and child wasting prevalences (Brazil: PC = −42%; Ecuador: PC = −41%), percent of vaccine coverage (Brazil: PC = +215%; Ecuador: PC = +175%), under-5 (Brazil: PC = −75%; Ecuador: PC = −60%) and neonatal mortality rates (Brazil: PC = −69%; Ecuador: PC = −51%), health worker density per 1000 population (Brazil: PC = +153%; Ecuador: PC = +175%), reduction of neglected diseases prevalences (Brazil: PC = −40%; Ecuador: PC = −58%), tuberculosis (Brazil: PC = −27%; Ecuador: PC = −55%) and malaria incidences (Brazil: PC = −97%; Ecuador: PC = −100%), water, sanitation and hygiene mortality rates (Brazil and Ecuador: PC = −89%). However, both countries did not show sufficient improvement in maternal mortality ratio to meet SDGs targets (Brazil: PC = −37%; Ecuador: PC = −40%). Worsening of indicators were found for violence, such as non-intimate partner violence for both countries (Brazil: PC = +26%; Ecuador: PC = +18%) and suicide mortality rate for Ecuador (PC = +66%), child overweight indicator for Brazil (PC = −67%), disaster mortality rates (Brazil: PC = +100%; Ecuador: PC = +325%) and alcohol consumption (Brazil: PC = +46%; Ecuador: PC = +35%). Significant improvements are necessary in both countries requiring the strengthening of health and other policies, particularly concerning the prevention and management of violence and alcohol consumption, and preparedness for dealing with environmental disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the significant momentum of developing water quality models to simulate water quality variables and support decision-making, the literature recognizes the importance of addressing uncertainties embedded in the water quality models, such as inherent, parametric, and hydrological uncertainties. However, previous studies have not extensively examined the magnitude of hydrological events in terms of their intensity. Therefore, this paper aims to propose an adjusted Monte Carlo event-based scenarios framework that considers four scenarios (1- 35 years of flow rate records, 2- events with ARI ≤ 10 years, 3- events with ARI ≤ 5 years, 4- events with ARI ≤ 1) to evaluate hydrological variabilities and quantify embedded uncertainties. The study employs a Qual2k model that simulates five water quality variables in the Zaroub River, Iran, as a case study. The model's uncertainty boundaries are quantified using five statistical metrics: Plevel, ARIL, SU, CU, and EU. The study's findings reveal that when considering the flow rate time histories during extreme hydrological events, there is a significant increase in uncertainty in the water quality model, highlighting the challenge of incorporating various scenarios within the framework such as high computational demand, integrating different scenarios, sparse data, and its temporal resolution. On the other hand, reducing the ARI values of hydrological events not only minimizes the uncertainty boundaries but also improves the accuracy of the model simulations. These results underscore the critical importance of selecting hydrological scenarios based on the water quality variable under investigation. Furthermore, the proposed framework can be applied to any water quality model and water body. The study's outcomes suggest that the presented methodology reduces uncertainty and provides more reliable simulations for decision-making in water resources conundrums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid rise in the use of MTBE in automotive gasoline in the U.S. in the early 1990s was matched only by its rapid decline in the early 2000s, the latter stemming from its unsettling and detrimental impact on groundwater and drinking water supplies following gasoline leaks and spills. Its decline was promulgated through implementation of numerous legislated, state-level bans, which along with the Energy Policy Act of 2005's elimination of a minimum oxygen requirement for reformulated gasoline, effectively ended the "MTBE era" by the Spring of 2006. Despite the bans, most of which only prohibited the intentional use of MTBE, opportunities remained for its incidental occurrence in gasoline. In this study, we report on the existence, concentration, and frequency of incidental MTBE and other oxygenates (TAME, ETBE, DIPE, and TBA) in an ad hoc suite of 76 "post-ban" gasolines collected from retail service station dispensers in multiple states between 2004 (in states with early bans) and 2020. These results are compared to those for 75 "pre-ban" (oxygenated, reformulated, and conventional) gasolines. Using GC/MS full scan data with a method detection limit of 10 mg/kg, the results confirm the incidental occurrence of MTBE in 34% of the "post-ban" gasolines at concentrations between 980 and 17 mg/kg (avg. ± σ; 209 ± 307 mg/kg), which generally decreased between 2004 and 2020. MTBE's origin(s) in "post ban" gasolines is reasonably attributed to cross-contamination with neat MTBE or MTBE-laden gasoline destined for U.S. export, and/or its otherwise lingering presence within the gasoline distribution system. Although less frequently detected, low concentrations (mostly < 1,000 mg/kg) of TAME, ETBE, DIPE and TBA were also found in 17, 14, 13 and 4% of the "post-ban" gasolines studied, respectively. The forensic implications of these results on constraining the "age" of gasoline-derived NAPL containing MTBE or of MTBE-impacted groundwater, which are equally applicable to the other oxygenates measured, are discussed. Of overriding relevance is that any presumption that MTBE completely disappeared from the U.S. gasoline pool after the implementation of the state-level bans and Energy Policy Act is false. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to water supply is still a problem in African cities. This has sparked discussions about how small-scale private actors could collaborate with the state to improve water supply. However, scholarly discussions on water supply have hardly examined the role of such actors in maintenance and repair. This paper shows how water infrastructures are maintained and repaired through hybrid labor relations between private and public actors where formal and informal practices are combined. These findings allow us to shift conceptualization in maintenance and repair beyond the state and explain how private actors enact and challenge the state's power through maintenance and repair practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the processes by which "stakeholder" status is constructed, and the importance of sense of place to that construction in collaborative water resource governance processes. Water management often involves collaborative governance, but there can be differences between who has an interest in the outcome, and who is formally invited to participate as a "stakeholder." We examine a case study of a collaborative water governance process in Central Oregon, and found that existing models of stakeholder formation present in scholarly literature did not fully explain the dynamics of stakeholder participation. We propose a two-step "Interest-Participation" model of stakeholder formation: to be considered stakeholders, a group must not only have an interest in the outcome but must actively navigate barriers to participation. We moreover argue that collaborative engagement is an embodiment of sense of place, emphasizing the importance of competing place meanings in resource governance processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the stem anatomy and development of cambial variants in 10 species of Merremia and related genera (Convolvulaceae) were compared histologically. Among them, Camonea kingii, C. umbellata, Distimake aegyptius, D. quinquefolius, D. vitifolius and M. hederacea increased their stem diameter by initiating successive cambia. In contrast, remaining species showed regular secondary growth. These species also demonstrated inversely oriented vascular elements, phloem wedges, intraxylary cambia, parenchyma proliferation and development of radial vascular cylinders in the large rays of xylem. Phloem wedges developed by the differential activity of regular cambium in small segments by depositing only unlignified parenchyma internally whereas nearby sectors of the cambium behaved regularly. After the development of intraxylary protophloem from procambial derivatives, additional phloem was formed from the pith cells and by initiating intraxylary cambium. Initially, intraxylary cambium was unifacial in all species, but eventually became bifacial (except M. emarginata) and deposited both xylem and phloem. In conclusion, Merremia species use all feasible methods to generate new vascular elements to compensate for the supply of water, nutrients and photosynthate. Inter-and intraxylary phloem development appears to provide an additional and safe conduit for long-distance vertical conduction, whereas radial vascular cylinders facilitate radial conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial biodiversity is fundamental to maintain ecosystem functioning in seasonally variable ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how alterations in water availability caused by episodic drying compromise the ability of stream microbes to maintain multiple functions simultaneously (e.g., primary production and carbon cycling). Using data from 32 streams, we investigated how the phenology of annual drying influences stream sediment microbial biodiversity and their capacity to sustain multifunctionality. Our results showed that stream multifunctionality and most bacteria did not respond to changes in drying phenology. Only two bacterial groups, the drying‐resistant Sphingobacteriia and the drying‐sensitive Acidobacteria_Gp7, exhibited positive associations with multifunctionality; whereas, bacterial diversity showed a negative correlation with functions. Among these biodiversity aspects, Sphingobacteriia showed the strongest capacity to maintain multifunctionality at low and moderate performance levels. Our findings will help to better understand the mechanisms through which biodiversity sustains the functioning of seasonally variable streams and their responses to global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel seismic robustness computational methodology is proposed for community building portfolio (CBP) coupled with lifeline networks based on probability‐cloud model. This method consists of three interrelated submodels, respectively, the building fragility analysis model of the main subsystem CPB, the water supply network (WSN) hydraulic simulation analysis model of the secondary subsystem WSN, and the probability‐cloud model. The proposed method can be used to predict the seismic robustness of hierarchical systems. The computational methodology uses a joint probabilistic model combined with building fragility analysis and WSN hydraulic simulation analysis to evaluate the robustness of CPB coupled with WSN. Due to the uncertainty in robustness analysis, a probabilistic‐cloud model procedure considering the uncertainty in seismic robustness is proposed. The procedure enables a qualitative and quantitative integrated analysis of the robustness of CBP coupled with WSN. Finally, a community with 1406 buildings in China is simulated to illustrate the method. The research outcomes can provide a useful reference for the seismic robustness analysis of CBP coupled with WSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autogenic feedbacks can produce large‐scale, organized stratigraphic patterns in alluvial fans, but autogenic depositional signatures of specific upstream boundary conditions remain challenging to interpret. Here, a combination of theory, experiment and field application is used to explore how autogenic lithofacies changes can be interpreted as stratigraphic indicators of upstream boundary conditions. Six experiments were conducted to test the effects of sediment supply and water discharge rates on autogenic advance and retreat of the lithofacies boundary (grain‐size transition) in an alluvial fan with two dominant grain sizes. Migration of the grain‐size transition caused a short‐term zigzag pattern in the grain‐size transition position in the dip‐directional deposit section. For each experiment, time‐lapse images and laser topographic scans of the fan surface and stratigraphic cross‐sections of the final deposits were used to quantify characteristic timescales of autogenic processes. Timescales for fan‐margin migration, surface wet‐fraction change and grain‐size transition migration generally shorten as sediment supply rate increases and water discharge rate decreases. Increasing the sediment supply rate shortens the duration of the fluvial sediment storage and release cycle, producing higher frequency zigzags in the grain‐size transition trajectory. Increasing the water discharge tends to widen channels and lengthens the duration of the fluvial sediment storage and release cycle, constructing lower frequency zigzags in the grain‐size transition trajectory. Increasing the water discharge also enables more sediment to transport further downstream during release events, leading to higher magnitude zigzags in the grain‐size transition trajectory. These relationships between upstream boundary conditions and the grain‐size transition trajectory demonstrate how autogenic stratigraphic signals could be used as a tool to infer relative changes in boundary conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are no studies investigating the association of chlorinated drinking water with the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among young and middle-aged adults. This study was aimed to assess the associations between trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water and the risk of CVDs in in the target group in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan. 448 dwellers of Petropavlovsk were asked about their demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, behavioural characteristics, and drinking water preferences. THMs exposure was assessed to each participant based on their residence address. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to assess the risk of CVDs in young and middle-aged adults. The results showed that the risk of hypertension in the adjusted logistic regression model was increased by 68% and a 2.7-fold in the second and third THM tertiles, respectively. Participants in the second and third THM exposure tertiles had a 2.3-fold and a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of arrhythmia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban areas facing water stress, rainwater harvesting is essential. This paper proposes a passive rainwater harvesting system as a viable alternative for ensuring a clean water supply. The study introduces an innovative and original design for rainwater harvest. The presentation of the system is performed by analysis of efficiency and reliability of the system analytically. The optimal storage volume is determined through a 22-year precipitation data analysis using the mass balance method, ensuring high efficiency. Payback periods for various consumptions and tank sizes are calculated, showing shorter periods compared to active systems since the proposed system does not use electrical energy. The results demonstrate that 350 m3 of storage volume can assure 99% efficiency when potable water consumption is 0.01 m3/person/day. The payback period of the system was calculated to be between 5 and 10 years. The proposed system can be considered as an appropriate rainwater harvest alternative for existing buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the effectiveness of infiltration-based Low Impact Development (LID) techniques and augmented infiltration LIDs (such as recharge shaft) in a coastal urban catchment in India using a semi-coupled approach between numerical models VS2DI and Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Site specific VS2DI modelling indicated that the infiltration LIDs resulted in more saturation excess runoff due to the soil's insufficient hydraulic conductivity and increased lateral flow. Catchment-scale modeling indicated that LIDs significantly improved water retention (p ≪ 0.05), with a 35% reduction in total runoff volume. The recharge shafts were shown to be more efficient in reducing runoff volume and peak runoff, particularly for high runoff rates (more than 22 mm/hr). The study suggests that direct recharge to the aquifer through recharge shafts could be a suitable solution to manage runoff and meet the demand for domestic water supply during times of water scarcity in coastal urban catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Water conservation is of particular importance for arid regions, including many Muslim-majority countries. With the added pressures of human population growth and expansion and global climate change, water conservation efforts are imperative to extending the life of current water supplies as well as to sourcing water treatment methods that are religiously congruent. We review Qur'anic verses that address water usage and conservation. We searched the English translations of the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur'an and the King Saud University Electronic Moshaf Project for Qur'anic scripture related to water and water conservation. A total of 25 verses were found that related to creation, water usage for agriculture and food provision/production and as a common resource for humanity. Qur'anic scripture encourages gratitude for water and wise stewardship of this resource. Specific prohibitions against the reuse of water (e.g., treated water) were not found, and recent Islamic literature supports the use of cleansed greywater. Treated greywater may thus be an additional source for agricultural needs, thus reducing the stress placed on already limited water supplies. Water conservation falls within Qur'anic scripture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, irrigation using groundwater has increased significantly. It has significant effects on local to regional climates as well as terrestrial energy fluxes, food production, and water availability. High cost of metering equipment installation as well as maintenance, privacy concerns, and existence of unregistered or illegal wells make it difficult to monitor irrigation water use on a large scale. This study suggests a unique approach to DL-based feature extraction and categorization for ecosystem-based water management in agricultural fields. Agriculture field water analysis data were used as the input in this instance, which was subsequently processed for noise removal, smoothing, and normalisation. Particle swarm-based convolutional architecture has been used to extract the processed data feature. Back regressive propagation based on incentive Q-learning is used to classify the extracted features. Experimental analysis has been carried out in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F-1 score, RMSE and mAPE. Proposed technique obtained accuracy of 92%, precision of 78%, recall of 83%, F_1 score of 76%, RMSE of 55% and MAPE of 57%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to determine the variations in the prevalence of childhood anemia according to the ethnic group before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru. Secondary analysis of the Demographic and Family Health Survey during 2016–2021. The outcome variable was anemia, and the exposure variable was maternal ethnicity. Also, we included sociodemographic and clinical confounding variables. We constructed generalized linear models of the Poisson family with a logarithmic link function. We evaluated 85,905 records; 30.34% had anemia, 50.83% were mestizo, 25.98% were Quechua, and 2% were Aymara. Compared with mestizos, Quechua children (PR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.07–1.15; p < 0.001), Aymara (PR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.27–1.44; p < 0.001), natives of the Amazon (PR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.12–1.28; p < 0.001) and those who belonged to other indigenous peoples (PR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.05–1.57; p = 0.013) had a higher prevalence of childhood anemia. On the contrary, compared to mestizos, white children had a lower prevalence of anemia (PR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89–0.99; p = 0.019). During the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to mestizos, only Quechua (PR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.08–1.23; p < 0.001) and Aymara (PR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.23–1.55; p < 0.001) had a higher prevalence of childhood anemia. Except for Afro-descendants, children from 6 to 59 months of age who belong to an ethnic minority had a higher probability of having childhood anemia than mestizos. However, only Quechua and Aymara children had higher odds of anemia during the COVID-19 pandemic than mestizos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand-side management (DSM) programs are essential to accommodate larger shares of distributed, variable, renewable energy generation. These programs can be used by water utilities to foster a more sustainable operational management. In this work, an integrated DSM strategy is adopted for the optimal control of pumping loads to reduce energy costs in a water supply system (WSS). For this purpose, the participation in demand response programs, namely, using time-of-use (TOU) and real-time pricing (RTP), as well as on-site renewable energy generation, are explored. A gradient-based method was used to optimize the pump scheduling based on a nonlinear programming model integrating hydraulic simulation with optimization tools. The main original contribution of this work is the development of a thorough optimization model integrating available supply and demand energy resources into WSS operational management, as well as presenting a novel approach to formulate the pump operation problem. The Anytown WSS benchmark is used to validate the proposed model. The results show a decrease of 11%–52% in the cost of WSS operation when considering an integrated optimization of the available energy resources in a time-differentiated tariffs context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective action arrangements have been successful in allocating scarce resources in small communities around the world. As these arrangements are being used to address broader resource allocation issues, it is critical to understand the context and factors impacting outcomes in larger institutional settings. South Carolina historically has benefited from abundant water supplies, but disputes between various water interests have become more common due to increasing demand for water resources. To address projected demand, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) initiated a process of river basin water management planning, facilitated through formal institutions referred to as River Basin Councils (RBCs), for the eight major river basins of South Carolina. RBCs are tasked with reviewing surface and ground water availability and formulating an implementable consensus-based river basin plan and identifying possible policy recommendations for an updated state water plan. Thirteen of 22 representative stakeholders of the Edisto RBC, the first RBC to start the planning process, participated in semistructured interviews. We found that as stakeholders transitioned to the Edisto RBC, stakeholder goals were informed largely by beliefs about water problems and solutions that originate from large subsystem coalition groups. Furthermore, we found that stakeholders are motivated to compromise with opposing coalition members in an effort to minimize stakeholder sector losses and/or maximize coalition group policy gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]