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Chinese megacities face significant challenges in reducing carbon emissions while balancing economic growth and social welfare. This study constructs an innovative multi-objective optimization model, the SD-NSGA-III model, integrated with a System Dynamics (SD) model and using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III (NSGA-III) to optimize resource allocation in Beijing. The model targets environmental, economic, and social goals by establishing a water–land–energy–carbon (WLEC) nexus for analyzing resource allocation strategies and carbon reduction pathways under various constraints. Scenario simulations under the efficiency-oriented scenario indicated a potential reduction in energy carbon emissions of 81.4% by 2030. The fairness-oriented scenario revealed significant trade-offs between equity and emission reductions, emphasizing the need for balanced strategies. Introducing constraints on resources and economic growth significantly reduced median energy carbon emissions to 80 million tons by 2030. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the SD-NSGA-III model in providing actionable strategies for achieving carbon neutrality and sustainable development in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to traditional soil cultivation, yellow sand substrate cultivation can reduce the probability of soil-borne diseases and secondary salinization in Gobi facility agriculture. However, traditional equipment for water and fertilizer integration faces problems of slow response speed, low control precision, and poor stability, making it challenging to meet requirements for water and fertilizer saving in the yellow sand substrate cultivation mode. Considering the mentioned problems, this study designed a water and fertilizer integration system for a solar greenhouse based on a fuzzy Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control strategy. First, according to the nonlinearity characteristic and time delay of water and fertilizer concentration, a fuzzy PID control strategy was designed by combining fuzzy control with traditional PID control. Then, based on the water and fertilizer concentration variation model, the water and fertilizer integration system and equipment with a water and fertilizer supply unit, a mixing unit, and a control unit were designed as a core. Finally, the applicability and accuracy of the proposed equipment were verified by simulation and field tests. The simulation results demonstrate that, the average overshoot of the proposed fuzzy PID control strategy is 11.07 % and 7.99 % lower than that of the traditional PID control strategy when the mother liquor concentration is 7.2 mS/cm and 10.0 mS/cm, and the steady-state time is 39.05 s and 2.37 s earlier, respectively. Moreover, the results of the field experiments reveal that the steady-state performance of the proposed fuzzy PID control strategy is better than that of the traditional PID control strategy. In addition, the water and fertilizer concentration fluctuation in the control process is small, the time required to reach a steady state is relatively short, and the steady-state error is approximately ± 0.1 mS/cm. Furthermore, the water and fertilizer equipment using the proposed fuzzy PID control strategy can significantly improve the speed and stability of mixing fertilizer. Finally, the ratio error of water and fertilizer solution does not exceed 5 %, the temperature and humidity test errors are within 3 %, the stability is good, and the accuracy is high. The proposed algorithm provides evidence for the development of integrated water and fertilizer equipment for the yellow sand substrate cultivation mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessment of runoff abundance and depletion encounter characteristics in the basin under runoff non-consistency conditions in multiple temporal dimensions (year-round, flood season and non-flood season) and multiple spatial dimensions (different hydrological stations) is of great significance to the regional flood and drought resistance, and the integrated development and utilization of water resources. We propose a method to analyze the runoff abundance and depletion encounters in a watershed considering the runoff non-consistency. Taking the mainstem of Weihe River as an example, we analyze the runoff evolution of the mainstem of Weihe River at Linjiacun, Xianyang and Huaxian stations from 1960 to 2020 through the sliding average method and Mann-Kendall method, and construct the Copula joint distribution function among different stations from the watershed scale in different time periods, and the abundance and depletion encounter characteristics of the Weihe River mainstem under runoff non-consistency conditions are analyzed. The results show that: (1) The runoff of the main stream of the Weihe River has obvious characteristics of wet and dry evolution, and there was a sudden change around 1978, and the runoff sequence after the sudden change showed a significant downward trend. (2) The synchronism of the run-off in the main stream of the Weihe River decreases with the increase of the distance between the stations. The synchronism of the run-off in the main stream of the Weihe River is the highest at Linjia Village - Xianyang Station, and the synchronism of the run-off in the main stream of the Weihe River is the lowest at Linjia Village - Huaxian Station; Among the different wet and dry encounter combinations, the most likely occurrence of two sites is the flat-flat combination, and the least likely occurrence is the wet and dry combination. (3) After the runoff variation, the synchronization of wet and dry encounters between different stations has changed significantly. The synchronization of wet and dry encounters between Linjiacun Station and Xianyang Station has decreased significantly, and the synchronization of wet and dry encounters between Xianyang Station and Huaxian Station has increased significantly. Before the variation, the synchronization between the stations in the non-flood season is the strongest, and the synchronization between the stations in the whole year is the weakest. After the variation, the synchronization between the stations in the non-flood season is the weakest, and the synchronization between the stations in the flood season is the strongest. The research results can provide a reference for the characterization of runoff abundance and depletion encounters in the main stream of the Weihe River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-flow hydrological features are crucial for efficient development and integrated water resources management. Among others, the Base- Flow Index ‘BFI’ is one of the most important low-flow indices. Many studies have demonstrated that it is related to several topographic parameters, climate, vegetation and soil types and to catchment geology. With the aim to enhance the knowledge about the climate and catchment properties’ relative control on the ‘BFI’, an approach consisting of an empirical analysis, applied to a large area located in Southern Italy, characterized by a typical Mediterranean environment, is followed by a simulation experiment, considering climate settings, at the pan- European scale, typical of temperate to dry climate regimes. Main findings have revealed that (i) the correlation structure between the ‘BFI’ and the precipitation volume, at the annual scale, is affected by both climate variability and catchment properties; (ii) the ‘BFI’ variability is strongly conditioned by climate intra- and inter-annual variability; (iii) the major role is, however, assigned to the geological catchment features, with poorly and well-drained catchments behaving differently in response to similar climate forcing variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality index (WQI) and irrigational indices for surface water and groundwater in the southeastern part of Manipur Valley in north‐east India has been examined. The water samples were collected during the pre‐monsoon season in the year 2016. Geologically, the Manipur Valley occurs as an intermontane piedmont‐alluvial plain filled with Quaternary alluvium of fluvio‐lacustrine origin. The basic chemical parameters of pH, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, total hardness, Cl−, HCO3−, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe, Mn, and Zn were considered for computing water quality index for drinking water. Irrigational indices such as sodium absorption ratio, sodium percentage, Kelly's index, magnesium hazard, and residual sodium carbonate were calculated for determining the suitability for irrigational use. WQI, SAR, %Na+, KI, MH, RSC suggest that majority of the water samples are suitable for drinking and irrigational uses. They exhibit positive relations among them suggesting that these parameters are dependent over one another. About 20% of the piedmont zone groundwater are unsuitable for both drinking and agricultural purposes. The encrustation of gypsum, halite, and evaporite into the Disang shales enhances the dissolution process of ions such as Cl−, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+ in the piedmont water leading to quality deterioration. Gibb's plots suggest that the chemical origin of water dominates with rock‐weathering process, while hydrochemical facies evolved from the initial stage to intermediate stage. Therefore, proper integrated management and development of water resources is necessary for the effective utilization water resources particularly around the piedmont zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated water resource scheduling is a key strategy for controlling river floods as well as for promoting the benefits and abolishing the harmful aspects of water conservancy projects. It is necessary to explore an effective development mode to address the current issues of long development times and poor outcomes for integrated water resource scheduling models. Drawing on the concept of software reuse, a development mode for an integrated water resource scheduling model is offered based on "platform system + model plug-in", the cores of which are plug-in modules and interface integration. The boundaries and connection relations of each plug-in module are formed based on the logical analysis of the model plug-in. A web application mode is used to implement a standardized interface, which can be quickly and seamlessly connected to the system platform. The model is explored and applied in the Wudu diversion and irrigation area in China. The generated model is eventually verified using data obtained from two flood periods. According to the simulation results, the gate operation will be convenient, and the target water level will be attained in the allocated time with a satisfactory peak-clipping effect. It shows both good coordination and great utilization value of the plug-in modules. The concept of designing a plug-in database is eventually taken into consideration for combining and generating an optimization model of each river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater resources provide ecosystem services that support human prosperity and development. Future changes in climate, land-use, and population could lead to detrimental impacts on freshwater quality and quantity, threatening drinking water, irrigation and energy production. To increase resilience there is the need to better understand the possible impacts of future changes on freshwaters. We use Scotland – and its legislative agenda 'Scotland: The Hydro Nation' – to understand the knowledge needs of water stakeholders as a first step in building freshwater resilience. By interviewing water stakeholders across Scotland, we found an overarching 'knowledge need' for a greater understanding of the cumulative impacts on freshwaters associated with the interactions between multiple climatic and socio-economic drivers and their associated pressures. Stakeholders also identified five specific 'knowledge need' themes; large-scale land-use change, future water demands, water value, integrated development planning and water asset conditions. We identify a willingness of stakeholders to participate in systems-thinking approaches to address these 'knowledge need' themes. The 'knowledge needs' can be used to inform research priorities to support water-related policy in Scotland. We propose that participatory methods should be applied following the Driver Pressure State Impact Response (DPSIR) framework to address 'knowledge need themes' to identify and appraise adaptive management and policy options. Our methods used to identify stakeholder knowledge needs are a time, cost and environmentally effective way for collecting rich data. Methods can be replicated in other regions and water policy contexts to understand where increased knowledge is required to help build future resilience. • Stakeholder 'knowledge need' findings can be used to inform research priorities and water related policy. • Identified stakeholder desire for improved holistic systems-thinking approaches to address identified 'knowledge needs'. • Participatory approaches can be applied to support the identification of adaptive management and policy options. • Methods to elicit stakeholder 'knowledge needs' can be replicated as a first step in building resilient water policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping purpose and targeted end-users in perspective, several water quality indices have been developed over the past decades to summarily convey water quality information to decision-makers and the general public. Industrial water quality is often analyzed based on the corrosion and scaling potentials (CSPs) of water. The commonly used CSP index parameters are chloride–sulfate mass ratio, Langelier index, Larson-Skold index, aggressive index, Ryznar stability index, and Puckorius scaling index. Simultaneous application of these index parameters often classifies a sample into multiple water quality categories, thereby introducing bias in assessment and decision-making. No previous numerical model integrated the CSP indices to provide a single, composite index value for a more unbiased interpretation of industrial water quality. Therefore, this paper proposes an integrated industrial water quality index (IIWQI) that integrates the six CSP index parameters for direct and concise assessment of industrial water resources. To achieve its aim, this research incorporated information entropy theory and soft computing techniques. The developed IIWQI was applied to water samples from southeastern Nigeria. Different classification groups were observed based on the six CSP indices. However, the IIWQI summarized the classifications of the water samples into three categories: Class 1 (28.57%, slight-medium corrosivity, significant scaling potential); Class 2 (46.43%, medium–high corrosivity, no scaling); and Class 3 (25.00%, high-very high corrosion, no scaling). Correlation analysis revealed the relationships between the physicochemical variables, CSP index parameters, IIWQI, and the entropy-based variability of the IIWQI. The spatiotemporal water quality groups were revealed by Q-mode hierarchical dendrograms. Multiple linear regression and two multilayer perceptron neural networks accurately predicted the IIWQI. The findings of this paper could help in better evaluation, interpretation, and management of industrial water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the optimal design of a Heat-Integrated Water Network (HIWN) is a complex task due to the existence of highly nonlinear relationships when considering concentrations, mass and heat balances. Due to that complexity, the solution is usually obtained by a sequential approach. In this approach, the minimum fresh water and utility consumption is firstly determined. Then, the exact design of the HIWN is synthesised with the fixed minimum fresh water and utility consumption. Another way to obtain the HIWN design is by using a simultaneous approach. However, such a model can be highly nonlinear requiring the application of a special solution strategy. In this work, a two-step approach was developed and applied. In the first step, a targeting Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) model with a high share of linearity was applied estimating also the HEN investment. In this way, the solutions are steered towards an optimal solution by establishing appropriate trade-offs between investment and operating costs during the targeting step. Based on the results of the first step, a reduced superstructure and MINLP model are used in the second design step to select promising matches for heat exchangers. By excluding the non-promising matches that previously led to an unnecessary increase in the complexity of the synthesis model, the second step MINLP model performs much better and enables synthesizing the entire HIWN simultaneously. The aim of this work was to verify whether the two-step approach is suitable for solving the HIWN problem. The obtained solution for case study considered in this work indicated the applicability of the proposed approach, which will be also applied in further research on large-scale HIWN problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A water poverty index (WPI) is a multi-criterion indicator that assesses water stress and scarcity that integrates the physical estimates of water availability with the socioeconomic drivers of poverty. However, the decisionmaking process can be a participatory, iterative process that is characterized by uncertainty due to ambiguity, impreciseness, or incomplete information. This study focuses on the development of a fuzzy ranking index based on the T-Spherical Fuzzy Set under a multi-criteria framework. An illustrative case study on measuring the WPI is presented in the ranking of the vulnerability of a municipality, in tLuzon Island, Philippines. In this assessment, the main contributors to water poverty in the area include water availability, lack of access to safe water and capacity to manage the development of water sources. This linguistic approach to score indicators was found appealing and took into consideration the uncertainty in assigning linguistic assessments by participants. There remain other aspects of the decision-making process that can be improved such as compositing several sub-indicators of each WPI; building consensus among multi-stakeholders and using the same process to rank alternatives to reduce water poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Interventions aimed at improving dietary intake and feeding practices have alone proven insufficient for combatting stunting resulting from poor nutrition and repeated infections. Objectives To support the development of an integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition, social, and behavior change strategy aimed at reducing stunting, formative research was conducted in 2 program sites in western Kenya. Methods Twenty-nine key informant interviews were conducted with community leaders, health workers, and project staff, and 24 focus group discussions with caregivers of children under 2 y on topics related to feeding, sanitation, and hygiene behaviors. Three frameworks informed the study design and analysis of our formative research: the Capabilities, Opportunities, and Motivations model for behavior change, which identifies what needs to change in order for behavior change interventions to be effective; the Grandmother Project's Change Through Culture Approach, which values the important role of influential household and community members in producing household health; and Starr and Fornoff's approach to Theory of Change development. Results Caregivers exhibited sufficient psychological capabilities (knowledge and skills) for many of the key maternal and infant nutrition behaviors. However, reflective motivation to perform optimal behaviors was undermined by limitations in physical and social opportunities, including limited time and competing priorities for mothers, limited accessibility and availability of diverse foods, low self-efficacy for exclusive breastfeeding, and fears of negative consequences related to specific foods and recommended practices. Conclusions Interventions that aim to improve maternal and child diets should address the underlying social, cultural, and environmental determinants that contribute to motivations and opportunities to perform recommended practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality evaluation is an important step in water environment control and management. The water quality index (WQI) is considered to be an effective method for water quality evaluation. However, when constructing the WQI, the contribution of the lower threshold limits of water quality parameters to water quality has received little attention. The principle of the modified integrated water quality index (IWQI) is that the concentration of any water quality parameter below the lower threshold limits as well as above the upper threshold limits will lead to an increase in the overall index value. Based on the concentration of water quality parameters, the modified IWQI classified water quality into five categories, i.e., bad (> 8), poor (5–8), medium (2–5), good (1–2), and excellent (< 1). Tuo River plays a crucial role in potable and irrigation water sources of Sichuan Province, and the assessment result of modified IWQI reveals that 67.8% of samples were classified as "medium," 29% "poor," and 3.2% "bad." The high concentrations of N and P from agricultural activities and industrial wastewater are the main contributors to the deterioration of water quality in the Tuo River. Additionally, the Tuo River presents the characteristics of worse water quality in the midstream. The evaluation results of the modified IWQI are consistent with that of the conventional WQI, which proves the accuracy of the modified IWQI as a surface water quality evaluation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological modeling is a technique for understanding hydrologic characteristics and estimation of the water balance of watersheds for integrated water resources development and management. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used for modeling the hydrological behavior of the Nashe watershed in the north-western part of Ethiopia. The spatial data, daily climate, and stream flow were the required input data for the model. The observed monthly stream flow data at the outlet and selected sub-watersheds in the catchment were used to calibrate and validate the model. The model performance was assessed between the simulated and observed streamflow by using sequential uncertainty fitting-2 (SUFI-2), generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation, parameter solution (Parasol) and particle swarm optimization. The sensitivity of 18 parameters was tested, and the most sensitive parameters were identified. The model performance was evaluated using p and r- factor, coefficient of determination, Nash Sutcliffe coefficient efficiency, percent bias during uncertainty analysis, calibration and validation. Therefore, based on the set of proposed evaluation criteria, the SUFI-2 algorithm has been able to provide slightly more reasonable outcomes and Parasol is the worst compared to the other algorithms. An analysis of monthly and seasonal water balance has been also accomplished for the Nashe catchment. The water balance parameters were distinct for the three seasonal periods in the catchment. The seasonal water budget analysis reveals that the watershed receives around 19%, 69%, and 12% of rainfall through the short rain, long rain and dry seasons, respectively. The received precipitation was lost due to evapotranspiration by 29%, 34% and 37% for each season respectively. The surface runoff contributes to the catchment by 5%, 86% and 9% of the water yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of an integrated approach for water pipe network calibration and lea quantification. The proposed approach provides a practical procedure that merges field measurements and mathematical modeling for leak quantification and network calibration. The use of Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) using both Genetic Algorithms (GA) and Shuffled Complex Evolution – University of Arizona (SCE-UA) to calculate the pinpointed leak outflows well as to identify any faulty meters. Also, by treating pinpointed physical leaks as junction points, the model, via EPAnet connection, calibrates the network and calculates their demands (which is equivalent to physical losses) and estimating pipes roughness factor (CHW) for better network calibration. Besides, throughout the process, the developed model uses GA and SCE-UA but departs from traditional use in using floating-point representations and introducing a new self-adaptive constraint handling function, which yields optimal results in fewer generations (model runs). Two pilot networks are selected, a well-known hypothetical network (Hanoi network) to present the general mathematical model, while a real network (Faisal city network) is used to test the integrated approach. The model integrates EPAnet for the required hydraulic modeling during the simulation and GIS for input data integration and output representation during the whole procedure. The results prove the approach's accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Basin Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan ("DCP"), signed May 2019, was created to maintain sufficient Lake Powell storage levels for consumptive water demand and for hydropower generation. One of the most important requirements of the DCP is the obligation for Upper Basin states to explore the feasibility of demand management programs for their respective states. This exploratory process is ongoing for Upper Basin states. The DCP exploratory process, as well as the potential implementation of demand management programs, offer unique opportunities for water professionals to increase the role of public engagement in the implementation of a particular type of demand management known as water-smart growth planning. These opportunities create an improved relationship between what some have referred to as an historical divide between urban and rural water users. Public engagement is crucial for implementing the integration of water-smart growth planning with large scale, multisectoral needs. Water-smart growth planning represents a strategy of conserving water for urban areas which can consequently improve the urban-rural relationship by encouraging cities to shoulder a proportionate responsibility for conserving water, limiting unsustainable growth, and, consequently, diverting less water from agricultural areas. This article proposes three mechanisms meant to enhance the integration between a public engagement which links water-smart growth planning with multiregional water needs in order to cultivate better relationships between urban and rural water users. These include: (1) water-smart growth updates to San Juan Basin municipal development codes, their integration with the next Regional Water Plan update, and its public outreach process; (2) the interrelated mechanism of expanding water market transactions in order to integrate greater engagement between regional municipalities who have adopted water-smart growth planning and San Juan River users such as the Navajo Nation; and (3) the development of Colorado State University's collaborative framework, "Atlas of Collaborative Conservation in Colorado," in order to generate information on water use, including associated pricing, and assign implementation capabilities to environmental organizations within Colorado's eight major river basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of an integrated approach for water pipe network calibration and quantifying leaks. The approach merges both field measurements and linear programming to pinpoint pipe leaks (physical losses); then applies Genetic Algorithms (GA) to identify faulty meters and meter thefts (apparent losses). Besides; throughout the process, GIS is used for input data integration and output representation. The developed model is based on GA but is different in its representation, introducing a new adaptive constraint handling function and a new mutation function. Also, the use of floating-point representation enables the calibration of a large number of unknown parameters without compromising the accuracy and precision of the solutions. While the newly introduced constraint handling function robust the solution towards a near level of agreement between real and calculated values. A pilot site is used to test the model and approach, comparing before and after field results to ensure accuracy. The model integrates EPAnet for the required hydraulic modeling during the simulation. The results prove the approach's accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water temperature in rivers is a crucial environmental factor with the ability to alter hydro-ecological as well as socio-economic conditions within a catchment. The development of modelling concepts for predicting river water temperature is and will be essential for effective integrated water management and the development of adaptation strategies to future global changes (e.g. climate change). This study tests the performance of six different machine-learning models: step-wise linear regression, random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), feed-forward neural networks (FNNs), and two types of recurrent neural networks (RNNs). All models are applied using different data inputs for daily water temperature prediction in 10 Austrian catchments ranging from 200 to 96 000 km 2 and exhibiting a wide range of physiographic characteristics. The evaluated input data sets include combinations of daily means of air temperature, runoff, precipitation and global radiation. Bayesian optimization is applied to optimize the hyperparameters of all applied machine-learning models. To make the results comparable to previous studies, two widely used benchmark models are applied additionally: linear regression and air2stream. With a mean root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.55 ∘ C, the tested models could significantly improve water temperature prediction compared to linear regression (1.55 ∘ C) and air2stream (0.98 ∘ C). In general, the results show a very similar performance of the tested machine-learning models, with a median RMSE difference of 0.08 ∘ C between the models. From the six tested machine-learning models both FNNs and XGBoost performed best in 4 of the 10 catchments. RNNs are the best-performing models in the largest catchment, indicating that RNNs mainly perform well when processes with long-term dependencies are important. Furthermore, a wide range of performance was observed for different hyperparameter sets for the tested models, showing the importance of hyperparameter optimization. Especially the FNN model results showed an extremely large RMSE standard deviation of 1.60 ∘ C due to the chosen hyperparameters. This study evaluates different sets of input variables, machine-learning models and training characteristics for daily stream water temperature prediction, acting as a basis for future development of regional multi-catchment water temperature prediction models. All preprocessing steps and models are implemented in the open-source R package wateRtemp to provide easy access to these modelling approaches and facilitate further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of paddy rice ploughing techniques on water use and the yield of rice crop, as well as water use efficiency for rice growing in small-holder irrigation schemes. The study was conducted at a farmer's field in Powo B sub-block of Maugo Irrigation Scheme. The period of study was from July 2019 to January 2020, which is the rice season. The experimental site was located in the vicinity of Olare Shopping Centre, Kamenya Sub-location, Kochia East Location, Kochia Ward, Rangwe Sub-County, Homa Bay County, Nyanza Region, Kenya in Maugo rice scheme in Kenya. In the study, four irrigation tillage practices were applied: ox-plough, conventional ox-plough, hand hoe and tractor ploughing. The results showed that conventional ox-ploughing consumed the highest amount of water at 1240 mm. The highest water use efficiency of 0.49 kg/m³ and highest yield of 5.7 tons/ha were observed for hand hoe ploughing. Use of the hand hoe ploughing technique increased yields by 20 percent, as compared to the conventional ox-ploughing. Therefore, the use of water for ploughing is not necessary in the study area. Future research will be needed to see how farmers are adopting the technology before scaling up to full mechanization, as partial mechanization was not profitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the implementation of the Wadi concept by the BAIF Development Research Foundation, which aims to empower smallholder farmers by transforming degraded or underused lands into profitable assets through an agroforestry-based integrated farming system.

Existing studies on water resource issues focus on water scarcity while largely lacking an integrative water balance health assessment and ignoring the combined impacts of water quality, water transfer, and unconventional water resources on water balance. Here, we proposed a novel framework for assessing regional water balance health considering three dimensions of water problems about imbalances: water scarcity, water inequality, and systems incoordination. This paper first quantified the levels of water balance health at multiple geographic and temporal scales in China, and then investigated the critical components and the impacts of improved surface water quality, inter-basin water transfer, and unconventional water use on the local water balance health. Results showed that China was under an unhealthy water balance due to multiple imbalances based on the annual average assessments during 2014–2018. More than 45% of the national population (∼615 million people) was affected by an unhealthy water balance. Hotspots with unhealthy water balance exhibited spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability, with Northern China experiencing unhealthy water balance throughout the year, while Southern China usually faced this issue during the winter. Unhealthy water balance in Northern China was primarily driven by water scarcity, while in the west of the Hu-Huanyong Line, water inequality exacerbated the situation. Southeastern China faced systems incoordination, particularly vulnerable during extreme events, such as severe droughts. More than 400 and 150 million people benefited significantly from improved surface water quality and inter-basin water transfer, respectively, relieving unhealthy water balance. However, the effectiveness of unconventional water use was found to be limited. This study contributed to a better understanding of water balance health and facilitated the development of policies for integrated water resources management in China. [Display omitted] • A novel method is proposed to quantify water balance health level at a basin scale. • China is experiencing an unhealthy water balance with multiple imbalances. • Over 45% of the national population is affected by an unhealthy water balance. • Geographic patterns of the critical components responsible for unhealthy water balance are determined. • Effectiveness of multiple measures in improving water balance health level is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategies for sustainable water resources management require integration of hydrological, ecological and socio-economic concerns. The "Water for all" project has sought to develop a multi-disciplinary science case for innovative management of water levels and flows in a lowland catchment in Scotland. Water demands of arable agriculture, protection from flood risk and conservation needs of lowland mesotrophic wetlands needed to be considered. Water management strategy focused on the outlet zone of Balgavies lake in Eastern Scotland, where the Lunan Water discharges into a partially confined common channel (lade). Water releases to a mill, to the downstream river, and to floodplain wetlands (Chapel Mires) are partially controlled by an existing weir. Based on observations of management of this weir, we postulated that upgrading hydraulic management in this zone could reduce upstream flood risk, help protect mesotrophic wetlands and facilitate downstream water supply at low flows. We considered potential for: (a) installing a remotely operated tilting weir, for improved management of release and routing of flows from the common lade; (b) dredging of the common lade in combination or instead of the tilting weir. Rapid ecological assessment and mixing analysis of the Lunan Water with waters in Chapel Mires showed a gradient of trophic status across the wetlands linked to impact of river-borne nutrients. Stage-discharge relationships, derived from steady-state approximations of the in-channel hydraulics, showed that the proposed tilting weir had potential to divert seasonal nutrient rich water from the upstream Lake away from Chapel Mires. Significant impact of the proposed weir on upstream flood risk was not demonstrated, but carrying out dredging of the channel reduced the current observed probability of upstream flooding. The proposed weir could help to maintain these dredging benefits. Survey and interviews with catchment stakeholders and residents showed constructive interest in the scheme, with half of the respondents willing to pay to support its implementation. The survey also revealed concerns about the proposed project, especially its long-term governance. The lessons learned have wider relevance to development of an integrated approach to water ecosystem services provision, especially where benefits are uncertain and thinly spread across a range of users. • Flooding and wetland eutrophication in the Lunan water are affected by weir gates. • A proposed tilting weir diverts polluted water from sensitive floodplain wetlands. • Channel dredging is more effective than the tilting weir to alleviate rising levels. • Survey of willingness to pay/governance options showed mixed response to proposals. • Interviews showed a clear perceived presence of governance gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This work presents a systematic optimization framework that integrates graphical insights with mathematical modelling to reduce both model complexity and computational time. The graphical technique adopted in this work is Composite Table Algorithm (CTA), which is improved to determine an optimal regenerator removal ratio (RR) that simultaneously minimizes the freshwater requirement and wastewater generation within the water network. The improved CTA is demonstrated using literature examples for both fixed load and fixed flowrate problems. It is further adapted to solve a multiple contaminant problem using the reference contaminant approach. The mathematical model developed includes a detailed design of a reverse osmosis (RO) unit to allow for simultaneous optimization of water and energy used by the regenerator. This provides accurate cost estimation of the water network rather than the linear cost functions associated with the use of blackbox representations in graphical targeting. Upon integrating the graphical and mathematical techniques in this study, results show that there was a reduction of about 85% in CPU time. This implies that the model converges faster and therefore favours the use of insight-based techniques as a preprocessing step for mathematical modelling. Highlights • A hybrid method that combines graphical and mathematical approaches. • The method uses the graphical technique as a preprocessing step that improves the detailed mathematical model. • Noticeable decrease in CPU time. • The method is very promising for large scale problems. • The method takes advantage of both graphical and mathematical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Water Quality Index gives a comprehensive picture of water quality. • Use of least required number of parameters ensures economic viability of the index. • Parameters are selected on bases of data availability. • Principal Component Analysis provides statistical base for parameter reduction. Abstract Water Quality Index (WQI) is one of the most widely used concepts for representation of the quality of a water resource. This concept has wide acceptance among policy makers and other stakeholders as this gives a clear and comprehensive picture of the status of the pollution of a water body. The standard step of development of a WQI are – parameter selection, assignment of weights, development of sub-index functions and final aggregation of weighted sub- index values. Out of these, the current study focusses on the first step, i.e. parameter selection. The results of this study shall play a crucial role in the development of Ganga Water Quality Index in the future. For the current study, the initially available data has been subjected to Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and this led to reduction of number of parameters from 28 to 9. This has been done to make the process more feasible and economic as this would drastically reduce the time, effort and cost required to monitor samples for a large number of parameters. The finally shortlisted 9 parameters were- Dissolved Oxygen (DO), pH, Conductivity, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Coliform (TC), Chlorides, Magnesium, Sulphate, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). PCA utilizes the variance in the entire data set and projects it in new dimensions, thereby reducing the number of parameters but retaining maximum variance. The use of statistical techniques in WQI development makes it less biased and more objective in nature and forms the basis of development of a Ganga Water Quality Index (GWQI) in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Water resource management exemplifies many resource challenges in a 'full world'. • Reversing socio-ecological degradation resulting from overexploitation is essential. • Ecosystem service assessment exposes benefits, externalities and mitigation options. • Hybridising engineered & ecosystem-based approaches can rebuild catchment functions. • A new integrated water resource stewardship (IWRS) paradigm includes regeneration. Abstract The need to adapt human resource demands to the renewable capacities of ecosystems is widely acknowledged and has been transposed into multiple international and national commitments and strategies. This need is intensified by the contemporary öfull world' and increasing human numbers, urbanisation and climate change. However, resource exploitation models, markets and legacy regulations still tend to perpetuate an öempty world' model, separating societal demands from environmental capacity. Water resource management exemplifies many natural resource challenges. Choice of water management technologies still tends to maximise the efficiency of resource extraction and diversion to areas of high demand and economic influence, without necessarily prioritising the sustainability of the foundational natural capital of catchment ecosystems and the multiple benefits they provide to a diversity of co-dependents. Setting the impacts of technology choices within the conceptual framework of catchment ecosystem services forms a novel basis for recognising the often overlooked or disregarded externalities of differing types of water management techniques. It also provides insights into means to mitigate and sustainably hybridise qualitatively differing water management approaches to safeguard, and ideally to rebuild where degraded, the capacities of catchments to meet human needs on an enduring and equitable basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of existing component-based modeling frameworks for integrated water resources modeling is currently hampered for some important use cases because they lack support for commonly used, topology-aware, spatiotemporal data structures. Additionally, existing frameworks are often accompanied by large software stacks with steep learning curves. Others lack specifications for deploying them on high performance, heterogeneous computing (HPC) infrastructure. This puts their use beyond the reach of many water resources modelers. In this paper, we describe new advances in component-based modeling using a framework called HydroCouple. This framework largely adopts the Open Modeling Interface (OpenMI) 2.0 interface definitions but demonstrates important advances for water resources modeling. HydroCouple explicitly defines standard and widely used geospatial data formats and provides interface definitions to support simulations on HPC infrastructure. In this paper, we illustrate how these advances can be used to develop efficient model components through a coupled urban stormwater modeling exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the current high failure rate of warship equipment field programmable gate array (FPGA) software, fault detection is not timely enough and FPGA detection equipment is expensive and so on. After in-depth research, this paper proposes a warship equipment FPGA software based on Xilinx integrated development environment (ISE) and ModelSim software. Functional simulation and timing simulation to verify the correctness of the logic design of the FPGA, this method is very convenient to view the signal waveform inside the FPGA program to help FPGA test engineers to achieve FPGA fault prediction and diagnosis. This test method has important engineering significance for the upgrading of warship equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As time progresses, water issues get more importance over global and local agenda of the world. As is known Water issues associate with Geographical Science especially in terms of Water Resource Management, Demography and National Water Policy. From the outset, Statistics has been one of main disciplines supporting Geographical Sciences. The fact that recently Sub-branches of Statistics involves spatial properties, such as distance and contiguity, makes explanatory and descriptive power of statistics increased in geographical sciences. In this regard, Spatial autocorrelation is an useful tool to measure interaction among the adjacent units. In the study provincial water use in Turkey between 2004 and 2014 is examined by applying spatial autocorrelation. Moreover the change of water use between these years is analyzed. Thus the spatial characteristics of Water Use and its decennary change is determined. It is observed that Central Anatolia and its neighboring provinces encounters evidential water scarcity and East Anatolia gets its water resource into use between 2004 and 2014. This fact makes Integrated Water Management considerable method in order to sustain water use in reasonable level. National Water Policy ought to be constructed in accordance with this result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, politics of scale and rescaling processes in relation to water have been debated by several scholars, especially by geographers and political ecologists, who emphasized their socio-political nature and their interactions with the environment. By contributing to this debate, this paper analyses rescaling processes in water governance in relation to the implementation politics of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Uzbekistan. IWRM and related initiatives were promoted worldwide, especially in the "Global South". These initiatives proposed the shift in water governance from administrative to hydrographic, or river basin, units. Empirically, the analysis focuses on the Middle Zeravshan valley in Uzbekistan, where IWRM was promoted as a part of post-Soviet water reforms. The analysis demonstrates that rescaling water governance towards IWRM and hydrographic units is inherently political. The evidence shows that the process is deeply interlinked with interests and power of Uzbek hydraulic bureaucracies at multiple scales. Firstly, the IWRM sponsored establishment of hydrographic units coincided with a recentralization of water management, supported by national hydraulic bureaucracies. Secondly, the design of the hydrographic unit and related boundaries in the Middle Zeravshan valley was driven by controversial multi-scalar power dynamics and relations between national and province levels, which emphasized the complexity and the multi-scalar nature of rescaling processes rooted in Post-Soviet political transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order for the Indian government to maximize Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), the Brahmaputra River has played an important role in the undertaking of the Pilot Basin Study (PBS) due to the Brahmaputra River's annual regional flooding. The selected Kulsi River-a part of Brahmaputra sub-basin-experienced severe floods in 2007 and 2008. In this study, the Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) hydrological model was used to simulate the recent historical flood in order to understand and improve the integrated flood risk management plan. The ultimate objective was to evaluate the sensitivity of hydrologic simulation using different Digital Elevation Model (DEM) resources, coupled with DEM smoothing techniques, with a particular focus on the comparison of river discharge and flood inundation extent. As a result, the sensitivity analysis showed that, among the input parameters, the RRI model is highly sensitive to Manning's roughness coefficient values for flood plains, followed by the source of the DEM, and then soil depth. After optimizing its parameters, the simulated inundation extent showed that the smoothing filter was more influential than its simulated discharge at the outlet. Finally, the calibrated and validated RRI model simulations agreed well with the observed discharge and the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-detected flood extents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrated water resources management (IWRM) constitutes the current paradigm of worldwide water administration, becoming explicit in national policies at global level. The integrated management of water resources looks for guiding the development of public policies regarding water resources, through conciliation between socio-economic development and protection of ecosystems. This concept has evolved running through various development stages; however, the elaboration of a universally consensual proposal of its definition and conceptualization keeps on unresolved. This paper presents the main lines of action which are being worked internationally and in Cuba to reach the goals proposed in this new model of water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of historic and ongoing California Indian resistance to displacement at the headwaters of California's immense State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project, we foreground Native land histories to unsettle the logic and perceived permanence of contemporary neocolonial water institutions. Centering California Indian voices on the histories and futures of the headwaters, we disrupt the imperial narrative of these waters and lands as American territories needing development and conservation, replacing it with the reality of these sites as Native Californian lands requiring restitution, protection, and recognition. Beginning with an overview of the history that led to the development of quasi-public projects on Native lands, we offer three case studies of Indigenous resistance and re-framing: the Winnemem Wintu struggle to stop the proposed raise of Shasta Dam; the Maidu Summit's work to regain ownership of former Pacific Gas & Electric company lands established within their homeland; and the Pit River Tribe's decades-long struggle to protect the sacred Medicine Lake Highlands from government-approved corporate exploitation of geothermal resources. Holding the Headwaters directly challenges embedded injustices in natural resource policymaking and offers alternative visions for a future that addresses historic injustices and centers California Indian relationships to place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to project future variability of reference evapotranspiration (ET0) using artificial intelligence methods, constructed with an extreme-learning machine (ELM) and support vector regression (SVR) in a mountainous inland watershed in north-west China. Eight global climate model (GCM) outputs retrieved from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) were employed to downscale monthly ET0 for the historical period 1960-2005 as a validation approach and for the future period 2010-2099 as a projection of ET0 under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. The following conclusions can be drawn: the ELM and SVR methods demonstrate a very good performance in estimating Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-56 Penman-Monteith ET0. Variation in future ET0 mainly occurs in the spring and autumn seasons, while the summer and winter ET0 changes are moderately small. Annually, the ET0 values were shown to increase at a rate of approximately 7.5 mm, 7.5 mm, 0.0mm(8.2 mm, 15.0 mm, 15.0 mm) decade-1, respectively, for the near-term projection (2010-2039), mid-term projection (2040-2069), and long-term projection (2070-2099) under the RCP4.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. Compared to the historical period, the relative changes in ET0 were found to be approximately 2%, 5% and 6% (2%, 7% and 13%), during the near, mid- and long-term periods, respectively, under the RCP4.5 (RCP8.5) warming scenarios. In accordance with the analyses, we aver that the opportunity to downscale monthly ET0 with artificial intelligence is useful in practice for water-management policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides the precise information on spatial-temporal distribution of water vapour that was retrieved from Zenith Path Delay (ZPD) which was estimated by Global Positioning System (GPS) processing over the Malaysian Peninsular. A time series analysis of these ZPD and Integrated Water Vapor (IWV) values was done to capture the characteristic on their seasonal variation during monsoon seasons. This study was found that the pattern and distribution of atmospheric water vapour over Malaysian Peninsular in whole four years periods were influenced by two inter-monsoon and two monsoon seasons which are First Intermonsoon, Second Inter-monsoon, Southwest monsoon and Northeast monsoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at how knowledge has been communicated within a multi-layered water governance structure in order to manage non-point source (NPS) pollution in South Korea. Since 28,300 ha of wetlands were reclaimed in Saemangeum, on the western side of the country, in 2006, the artificial lake created has suffered from chronic pollution. For the purposes of integrated water management, a water governance structure was formed linking organisations ranging from local to national scales. Despite institutional efforts to implement integrated water management and a governance approach, knowledge of NPS pollution and its management was produced and communicated among certain stakeholders only, such as policy and technical experts. In-depth interview and archival analysis of this research attempt to explain why and how the loss of knowledge communication occurred in this context. The first result of this research illustrates that, while knowledge communication has been smooth at the national and provincial layers, it has not taken place efficiently through to the local layer. When it comes to local farmers and governmental organisations and experts in particular, knowledge nodes have not functioned. Second, the research suggests that non-communication of knowledge has been mobilised as a professional strategy. Actors at the local layer have prioritized their professional interests and intentionally avoided knowledge communication with other department or ministries. Local and community actors have chosen not to provide farmers information. We conclude by discussing policy implications for knowledge communication and inclusive water governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater, which is renewable under current climatic conditions separately from other natural sources, in fact is a finite resource in terms of quality and fossil groundwater. Researchers have long emphasized the necessity of exploiting, operating, conserving and managing groundwater in an efficient and sustainable manner with an integrated water management approach. The management of groundwater needs reliable information about changes on groundwater quantity and quality. Environmental isotopes are the most important tools to provide this support. No matter which method we use to calculate the groundwater budget and flow equations, we need to determine boundary conditions or the physical boundaries of the domain. The Groundwater divide line or basin boundaries that separate the two adjacent basin recharge areas from each other must be drawn correctly to be successful in defining complex groundwater basin boundary conditions. Environmental isotope data, as well as other methods provide support for determining recharge areas of the aquifers, especially for karst aquifers, residence time and interconnections between aquifer systems. This study demonstrates the use of environmental isotope data to interpret and correct groundwater basin boundaries giving as an example the Yeniçıkrı basin within the main Sakarya basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In integrated urban water systems, energy consumption, and consequently the amount of produced CO2, depends on many environmental, infrastructural, and management factors such as supply water quality, on which treatment complexity depends, urban area orography, water systems efficiency, and maintenance levels. An important factor is related to the presence of significant water losses, which result in an increase in the supply volume and therefore a higher energy consumption for treatment and pumping, without effectively supplying users. The current European environmental strategy is committed to sustainable development by generating action plans to improve the environmental performance of products and services. The analysis of carbon footprints is considered one such improvement, allowing for the evaluation of the environmental impact of single production phases. Using this framework, the aim of the study is to apply a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to quantify the carbon footprint of an overall integrated urban water system referring to ISO/TS 14067 (2013). This methodology uses an approach known as "cradle to grave" and presumes to conduct an objective assessment of product units, balancing energy, and matter flows along the production process. The methodology was applied to a real case study, i.e., the integrated urban water system of the Palermo metropolitan area in Sicily (Italy). Each process in the system was characterized and globally evaluated from the point of view of water loss, energy consumption, and CO2 production, and some mitigation strategies are proposed and evaluated to reduce the energy consumption and, consequently, the environmental impact of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An algorithm is proposed for making charts of the distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere based on multispectral images of the earth by the Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) on board of the European research satellite Sentinel-3. The algorithm is based on multiple regression fits of the spectral brightness coefficients at the upper boundary of the atmosphere, the geometric parameters of the satellite location (solar and viewing angles), and the total water vapor content in the atmosphere. A regression equation is derived from experimental data on the variation in the optical characteristics of the atmosphere and underlying surface, together with Monte-Carlo calculations of the radiative transfer characteristics. The equation includes the brightness coefficients in the near IR channels of the OLCI for the absorption bands of water vapor and oxygen, as well as for the transparency windows of the atmosphere. Together these make it possible to eliminate the effect of the reflection spectrum of the underlying surface and air pressure on the accuracy of the measurements. The algorithm is tested using data from a prototype OLCI, the medium resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS). A sample chart of the distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere over Eastern Europe is constructed without using subsatellite data and digital models of the surface relief. The water vapor contents in the atmosphere determined using MERIS images and data provided by earthbound measurements with the aerosol robotic network (AERONET) are compared with a mean square deviation of 1.24 kg/m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By following the steps of the Integrated Water Management (IWM) approach in the European Union, Brazil has moved from a top-down approach to water management to a participatory one that involves different segments of society. Since decisions regarding water affect all economic activities, the environment and life in communities, it is important that society takes an active part in opportunities to discuss and collectively decide on water issues. When this is done, multiple perspectives can be taken into consideration such that the sustainability of water management and planning is more likely to be maintained. Nevertheless, many conflicts arise from society having to share water, a limited resource, for multiple uses. The volume of water needed and the way it is used for certain activities, such as by agriculture and industry, can negatively impact its availability and quality for other uses. This paper proposes an integrative negotiation model to assist watershed committees (WSCs) to deal with conflicts regarding water pollution. In a pre-negotiation phase the decision-makers (DMs) use the Strategic Options Development Analysis (SODA) method to structure the problem and to identify the relevant factors of the decision problem. DMs evaluate the problem from a multi-attribute perspective. Additionally, a post-negotiation phase is proposed with evaluation criteria to monitor how the compromise solution chosen is affecting the quality of water and if the actors are fulfilling their parts of the agreement. A virtual case study is presented to illustrate the applicability of the model, where three DMs are considered as part of a WSC, namely a representative of civil society, a representative of the public sector, and a representative of water users. The WSC has used social, economic and environmental attributes to evaluate proposals and counter proposals. They have arrived at a balanced agreement, taking into consideration their interests. The model helps reduce conflicts between the DMs and it is flexible in the sense that it can be applied in different conflicts and contexts. It is also easy to implement in most WSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient control of water usage is one of the core goals of the strictest water resources management system in China. Therefore, the objective and reasonable evaluation of the effects of implementing this system is crucial. Based on the natural and social water cycle theories and the mechanism of the influence of agricultural, industrial, domestic and ecological water utilization, this paper proposes an evaluation index system through the qualitative and quantitative analysis of external and internal factors affecting the efficiency of water usage. Then, a matter-element model is developed on the basis of game theory weight to evaluate the effects of the implementation of efficiency control measures for regional water usage. By calculating the comprehensive correlation, this model can directly indicate the level of regional water use efficiency control. The model is applied to water usage in Jiangxi Province for the period 2011–2014. The results indicate a gradual improvement in the efficiency of water usage in this province. The matter-element extension evaluation model is simple and practical, and the evaluation results are in agreement with the facts. In summary, this method can provide a new theoretical basis for controlling the efficiency of regional water usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the "water-centric" perspective that is common within the world's large and diverse water community, water is of central importance, and improving water governance is self-evidently essential. Some water problems can be addressed using watercentric approaches such as watershed management. Unfortunately, evidence is mounting that suggests that many other water problems cannot because their causes and drivers, at scales from local to global, are partly or wholly external to those traditionally considered within the water sector. Water governance in these cases needs to better account for a range of external connections that strongly influence water-related outcomes of concern and contribute to governance failures. These connections frequently manifest through external actors, drivers, and institutions. We address this issue by critically reflecting on the limitations of water-centric perspectives; surveying the water governance literature to identify external connections that can influence water governance; examining the extent to which four major approaches address actors, drivers, and institutions that connect water governance to other sectors and decision making situations (Integrated Water Resources Management, water security, water-energy-food nexus, water resilience); and considering key conceptual and practical challenges of moving beyond water-centric approaches where this is warranted. Building on emerging thinking within the water community, we propose that key open questions requiring urgent attention relate to reconciling water-centric and non-watercentric approaches, thinking critically about boundary judgments, and re-thinking conceptual and practical approaches to water governance to better account for external connections. The article contributes to emerging conversations about the future of water governance in an increasingly complex, connected and rapidly changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As many water related disasters occur frequently around the world, proper assessment of future climate change impact on floods and droughts is essential. In this study, we focused on basin-scale climate change impact assessment as necessary information for studying adaptation measures on the basis of integrated water resources management. We used Meteorological Research Institute-Atmospheric General Circulation Model (MRI-AGCM) 3.2S (20 km grid super high resolution model) and a series of simulation methods for climate change analysis. We conducted a comparative study on changes in precipitation, flood discharge and inundation in the future during the wet and dry seasons for five target river basins in the Asian monsoon area. We found that regional precipitation outputs from the high resolution model in this study were in good agreement in the point of tendency of their changes in wet and dry monsoon seasons with the regional precipitation analysis in the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of Working Group 1 (WG1) of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2013). This study illustrated that the proposed methodology can make more detailed descriptions of climate change possible. The study also found the importance of basin-scale runoff and inundation analysis with downscaling especially for basins where floods occur for a short period, suggesting potential differences between flood change and precipitation change from General Circulation Model (GCM) outputs such as maximum 5-day precipitation index in a basin. As a result, this paper confirms the importance of basin-scale discharge and inundation analysis for climate change considering basin characteristics from the viewpoint of river management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is a diverse country in terms of culture and natural environments. For this reason, the delimitation of homogeneous basins with similar environmental, social, and economic attributes is important in order to facilitate the elaboration of high-impact regional development strategies. However, this represents an ongoing challenge due to the complexity of the interactions that occur within socio-ecological systems at a regional scale. In the present study, the main objective was to identify the interrelationships among different aspects of the socio-ecological system located within basins, with the goal of utilizing this information to promote the region-specific sustainable development of an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Therefore, in this study, environmental, social, economic, and institutional variables, relevant to water management and with the capacity to be expressed spatially, were utilized to identify regions with similar characteristics and to regionalize the urban sub-basins of Mexico based on a principal component analysis (PCA) and the k-medoids clustering algorithm. The identification of the most adequate number of regions at the national level was determined by the silhouette method. As a result, five distinct regions for Mexico were generated, which forms the first step in the design of integrated water resources management strategies for these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water developments have been considered a fundamental tool for dispersing livestock and reducing livestock impact on riparian and aquatic habitats associated with perennial streams. Quantifying the efficacy of water developments has been difficult because of the need to continuously monitor water sources for the timing and intensity of use. The advent of global positioning system (GPS) tracking technology has largely overcome this hurdle and presented new research opportunities. We conducted a five-year study to quantify and evaluate the relative use of existing water developments by cattle on three extensive study areas in northeastern Oregon, United States. Ten randomly selected beef cows from herds grazing each study area were fitted with GPS collars recording animal positions at five-minute intervals throughout the grazing season. Cattle occupancy in 60 m (196.9 ft) buffers around water developments was determined monthly and annually. Use of water developments was contrasted with that of riparian zones. Cattle use of water developments varied substantially from site-to-site, month-to-month, and year-to-year. In some months, cattle watered exclusively from off-stream developments, and in others, cattle watered nearly exclusively from streams. Substantial differences in the relative use of individual water developments were also seen by season and year. Some developments received no use at all during the five-year study while others were visited frequently. Our results suggest off-stream water development is a useful managerial strategy, but careful placement is required to improve the likelihood that cattle will find and use these water sources and thus decrease their dependence and use of permanent streams and associated riparian areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous commentators have highlighted the criticality of improving water governance to help address current and future water challenges. But whose job is it? In water governance, what should we expect from our governments? What should commercial water users expect from each other? What changes should environmental and social advocates expect as a result of their representations on behalf of stakeholders who have little or no voice? And what should governments expect from the communities they serve? This article briefly examines the rights and responsibilities of various actors in water governance through a selection of key water issues. We suggest that discussions about water are often unbalanced, overemphasizing the rights of large water users and underemphasizing the responsibilities all parties have toward achieving effective and efficient water governance. Among all the responsibilities in water governance, none is more fundamental than our shared responsibility toward intergenerational equity. This shared responsibility can and should be the rallying point around which we gather to improve water decisions at all scales, from local streams to national policies and global agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Dakota's Bakken region has surged to become an important oil-producing region. One of the key concerns for ensuring sustained growth in this region is the availability of water. This paper will review current water management practices and review alternative policies with special attention to the needs of North Dakota's rural communities. Although the region is semi-arid, there is an abundance of water available in the Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea. Efforts to utilize available water have been impaired by the US Army Corps of Engineers' reservoir management polices as well as difficulties in constructing infrastructure during boom drilling. North Dakota was fortunate to dedicate oil revenue for water development. In addition, the expansion of regional water systems has been partially funded by sales to drilling operations. These water systems will benefit both industry and local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]