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This study used the Best-Worst Method (BWM) and the Game Theory Algorithm (GTA) to prioritize and determine critical sub-watersheds based on flood generation potential in the Sehezar and Dohezar Watersheds, Iran. The necessary information was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with stakeholders. Based on their indigenous, technical, and political knowledge, stakeholders prioritized the sub-watersheds in flood generation potential. Then, BWM and Condorcet Game Theory algorithms were used to prioritize the sub-watersheds based on stakeholders' voting. Finally, the sub-watersheds were classified into high, moderate, and low potential based on flood generation. Based on BWM in the Sehezar Watershed, sub-watershed 9, and in the Dohezar Watershed, sub-watershed 10, respectively, with weights of 0.253 and 0.283, had the highest flood generation potential. The prioritization pattern in the policymakers' group was similar to that of residents, but the difference between the two groups was that policymakers prioritized sub-watershed 12. The difference between the stakeholders' opinions of executive experts and policymakers was 33.3 and 50%, respectively. In the Dohezar Watershed, approximately 33% had a high flood generation potential. Meanwhile, in the Sehezar Watershed, 22% of the area showed a high potential for flood generation. In conclusion, based on field observation and anecdotal evidence, sub-watersheds 9 and 1 needed to be in better condition in terms of vegetation. Also, glacial floods in summer have made these two sub-watersheds based on flood generation to be the priority. Finally, the results of the BWM confirmed that this method provided better prioritization based on the consensus of stakeholders than GTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paddy field dam (PFD) is a type of nature-based solution to flooding that is centered on a green infrastructure approach to flood control. PFDs have attracted a considerable amount of attention in Japan, with several studies evaluating their effectiveness. However, the perceptions of PFDs among stakeholders are unclear. In this study, we examined attitudes about PFDs via a questionnaire survey. We found that awareness of PFDs was low among beneficiaries and farmers who had not implemented this approach, and these farmers had significantly lower expectations regarding PFDs compared with beneficiaries and farmers who had implemented them. In addition, our data indicated that increasing the level of awareness could narrow the gap in expectations among stakeholders. Furthermore, a comparison of expectations regarding the PFD with quantitative estimations suggested that greater awareness is needed regarding this strategy. This could be achieved via the dissemination of correct information, including on the limitations of the PFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Erosion-based prioritization using a comprehensive approach is vital. • The Shazand sub-Watersheds, Iran, were prioritized using the game theory. • The Shazand sub-watersheds were prioritized differently in various scenarios. • The game theory-based Condorcet approach holistically and successfully ranked sub-watersheds. The soil erosion of the watershed is different in temporal and spatial scales due to complex climatic and environmental conditions and their dynamic state over time. Accordingly, it is necessary to prioritize sub-watersheds based on their dynamic conditions to reduce the destructive effects of soil erosion. However, this issue has to be sufficiently reported on the scale of the watershed. Towards that, a game theory-based prioritization approach was planned concerning changes in vegetation cover and rainfall in the Shazand Watershed of the Markazi Province, Iran. To achieve the purpose of the study, the amount of soil erosion was first estimated in different scenarios resulting from the changes in rainfall erosivity and vegetation cover using the RUSLE model. Next, pairwise comparisons between 24 sub-watersheds in all scenarios were made based on the sub-watersheds' ranks in soil erosion in each scenario. Considering all scenarios, the priority of the sub-watersheds was assessed using the Condorcet approach. The results showed that the mean soil erosion in the watershed ranged from 5.4 and 36 t ha−1 y−1 while applying various scenarios. It is worth mentioning that the prioritization results obtained from the Condorcet algorithm and the current soil erosion rate are highly similar. On the other hand, sub-watersheds 2 and 9 were selected as the first and last priority, providing an appropriate roadmap for managers and relevant departments to adopt appropriate soil erosion inhibition measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A research gap exists in the understanding of multi-level governance for watersheds in Kenya under the current devolved framework. This paper uses the Migori River watershed as a case study to elaborate on the institutional arrangement in the management of the watershed and how it influences the nature and level of coordination among the actors involved. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and content analysis of secondary data. The target institutions were selected based on existing policy and legal frameworks, press releases, and published administrative reports. Respondents for the semi-structured interviews were identified through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The qualitative data was then analysed through content analysis. After analysis of the nature of coordination, a panel of experts rated each coordination dimension based on a comparison between the findings and the baseline indicators. The results on the structure and roles of institutions revealed adequate representation of the river basin management actors, but the associations among actors are weak due to overlapping mandates and gaps in the administration processes of river basin management programs. Coordination exists, but it is not all-encompassing; whereas efforts to collaborate were noted, they were inconsistent and tended to be on a per-need basis due to a lack of a common forum for stakeholder interactions and a common management plan for a clear vision and direction of actors' activities. There is an unclear delineation of roles in the institutional structure and thus causing institutional complexity, which further undermines coordination. To address the coordination gaps, the paper recommends the creation of a management council for the watershed to provide a central forum for the stakeholders' interaction, with a designated lead agency that organizes and facilitates meetings, oversees communications, and manages any emerging challenges, gaps and opportunities in collective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, watersheds have changed under the influence of various environmental and human factors, and their expected performance has decreased in terms of meeting human needs, providing natural responses, and reducing environmental risks. However, evaluating health status and its impact on various factors has not been given enough attention. To this end, an attempt has been made to evaluate the health and ecological security of the subwatersheds of the Sharghonj Watershed using the pressure‐state‐response approach emphasizing flood‐related issues in the region. Toward that, 21 preliminary hydrological, anthropogenic, natural, and climatic criteria were selected. The preliminary variables were then finalized based on the results of the collinearity test and the data availability. The final variables were appropriately allocated to pressure, state, and response (PSR) indices, and associated health and ecological security indices were determined at the subwatershed scale. The results showed that the PSR ranged from 0.56 to 0.86, 0.46 to 0.84, and 0.35 to 0.96, respectively. Health and ecological security also varied from 0.53 to 0.83 and 0.27 to 1.01 in different subwatersheds. Eventually, the weighted mean PSR indices for the Sharghonj Watershed were 0.72, 0.67, and 0.73, respectively. The weighted mean health and ecological security indices were 0.70 and 0.68, respectively. The research results indicated that the dynamic of various variables related to floods considerably affects the health of the Sharghonj Watershed. It could be concluded from the results that the Sharghonj Watershed is highly flood‐susceptible, whose health and ecological security status was mainly controlled by the damages due to the destruction of residences and orchards by floods in the past few years. The results of the current study provide an appropriate roadmap to the decision makers and planners for the better management of the watershed resources in the region through allocating adequate financial support and implementation measures to priority subwatersheds. Highlights: Flood‐based health of the Sharghonj Watershed, Iran, was levied using 21 criteria.Barberry orchards played an essential role in determining watershed health.Proper land‐use and floodplain management affected watershed health positively.The health and security changes of the Sharghonj Watershed were dissimilar.Flood damages mainly controlled the health and ecological security status. Recommendations for Resource Managers Determining the determinant factors on flood‐related issues in the study watershed to accordingly implement appropriate flood control measures.A problem‐oriented approach and in‐depth conceptualization of pressures and management policies applied to watersheds are essential in integrated watershed management.Designating the subwatershed‐specific best management scenarios based on the health and ecological security conditions in a technically productive and economically efficient strategy.Focusing on priority subwatershed to shortly adopt appropriate measures before worsening the governing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Previous experiences play a multifaceted role in shaping current perspectives in integrated natural resource management. We used qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey to study the similarities and differences in terms of the links between the diverse actors' previous experiences and their current perspectives on the various issues to be resolved in a real‐world integrated watershed management project. We found that the quantity and quality of experiences in past projects including water management, participation and politics are dissimilarly linked to the information, mental models and beliefs of perspectives regarding present issues. More experienced actors generally have broader perspectives than less experienced actors. Less experienced actors are particularly curious about approaches to water management. Actors with more experience in water management are more focused on ecological issues due to positive experience. Actors with more experience in participation are more sceptical about constructive solutions due to negative experience. Actors with more experience in politics emphasise the importance of agriculture and learning processes due to positive or negative experience. Actors with more negative experience in water management, participation and politics can nevertheless be motivated for participatory processes and integrated natural resource management. We conclude that previous experiences are critical factors that should be considered when designing participatory processes in integrated natural resource management. It could be valuable to include mixed compositions of actors with different types of previous experiences and different aspects of current perspectives to benefit from their complementary strengths. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The present investigation has centered on examining the imp act of vegetation-based management strategies on the socio-economic, physical, and ecological aspects of the Aghsu watershed in Golestan province, with a particular emphasis on mitigating soil erosion and flooding issues. This study implemented four biological interventions (namely contour furrows with seedling planting, reforestation, channel terraces with tree planting, and agroforestry) and identified 16 management scenarios based on the managerial issues of the area. To establish a hierarchy of management scenarios, the techniques of TOPSIS, SAW, linear assignment, and VIKOR were employed, in conjunction with four distinct weighting methodologies (namely, Shannon Entropy, AHP, ANP, and adjusted weight). The Borda method has been employed to amalgamate the ranking of the suggested technique. Based on the results obtained from all proposed methods for prioritizing scenarios, it has been confirmed that "Scenario 1" holds the lowest priority. The findings indicate that "Scenario 3" (Agroforestry) and "Scenario 6" (Agroforestry and Contour furrows with planting of seedling) represent the optimal scenario groups. The findings indicate that the amalgamation of two scenarios and scenarios that incorporate Agroforestry exhibit superior outcomes. The implementation of agroforestry is a noteworthy endeavor that warrants heightened attention, with other management pursuits being regarded as secondary priorities. Moreover, it can be asserted that the precise weighting of evaluation criteria plays a crucial role in prioritizing management scenarios. The precise computation of weights is imperative. The utilization of a scenario-based methodology in this study facilitates the prediction of the potential outcomes of biologic management interventions. The utilization of this methodology is postulated to enable watershed planners and stakeholders to select the optimal scenario from the proposed set of management scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous experiences play a multifaceted role in shaping current perspectives in integrated natural resource management. We used qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey to study the similarities and differences in terms of the links between the diverse actors' previous experiences and their current perspectives on the various issues to be resolved in a real‐world integrated watershed management project.We found that the quantity and quality of experiences in past projects including water management, participation and politics are dissimilarly linked to the information, mental models and beliefs of perspectives regarding present issues. More experienced actors generally have broader perspectives than less experienced actors. Less experienced actors are particularly curious about approaches to water management.Actors with more experience in water management are more focused on ecological issues due to positive experience. Actors with more experience in participation are more sceptical about constructive solutions due to negative experience. Actors with more experience in politics emphasise the importance of agriculture and learning processes due to positive or negative experience. Actors with more negative experience in water management, participation and politics can nevertheless be motivated for participatory processes and integrated natural resource management.We conclude that previous experiences are critical factors that should be considered when designing participatory processes in integrated natural resource management. It could be valuable to include mixed compositions of actors with different types of previous experiences and different aspects of current perspectives to benefit from their complementary strengths. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental planning facilitates decision‐making to achieve sustainable development goals and provides a crucial way to achieve integrated watershed management (IWM). However, such systematic planning has not been adequately conducted worldwide. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop an IWM framework using SWOT (i.e., strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) model for the Cheshmeh–Kileh Watershed, Mazandaran Province, Iran. The input components were comparatively weighted using different multicriteria decision‐making (MCDM) techniques, including Game Theory Algorithm (GTA), Best–Worst Method (BWM), VIekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje (VIKOR), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and Simple Additive Weighting (SAW). Semistructured interviews with stakeholders, including watershed residents, executive experts, and policymakers, were used to identify the SWOT factors. The number of interviewees in subgroups of local users, policy‐making institutions and executive organization were 75, 13, and 6 respectively. Five different MCDM techniques were then used to calculate the overall weight of SWOT factors. According to the results, the groups of SWOT factors of abundant water resources, severe floods, promotion of environmental conservation culture, and increasing migration of young age groups with respective weights of 0.298, 0.298, 0.372, and 0.279 scored higher than other factors. Based on the overall weights, it can be said that positive factors scored more points than negative factors. Therefore, according to the opinions of the stakeholders, the Cheshmeh–Kileh Watershed was in a good condition based on strengths and opportunities compared to weaknesses and threats, and for this reason, GTA and SAW, which had included the watershed status in the growth and development strategy, were selected as the best method. BWM and TOPSIS provided relatively acceptable results, and the weakest result was associated with VIKOR, which showed the watershed status in the defensive strategy. The present study results can help managers in optimal decisions for planning and optimal management in the Cheshmeh–Kileh Watershed to create ecological balance and increase the welfare of watershed residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of water quality along with water supply can be considered as a very important step in consumption optimization of water in all sectors including agricultural purposes, industries and even drinking water supply. Generally, recognition of water resources quality and quantity and its temporal and spatial changes are considered as a key element in management of water supplies. Natural and human-made manipulations in every region can change water resources quality physically, chemically and even bacteriologically. Due to the importance of water quality, a vast range of researches and analysis are being in process or have been done before. Iran have been suffered from long and intense droughts in recent decades. Drought is a creeping phenomenon with a huge annual damage. Iran has suffered a variety of droughts in recent years and annually significant losses have been inflicted on different parts of the country These have affected the country’s resources socially and politically such as immigrations. The studied area is a part of Kashkan basin, which covers an area of ​​9560 square kilometers. In this research, by measuring the chemical parameters out samples taken from surface water and determining the occurrence periods of meteorological drought, the relationship between these events and the quality of surface water in Lorestan province was investigated in a 30-year period in hydrometric stations. The main objective of this research was analyzing the chemical parameters and their changes and trends considering droughts and dry spells in Kashkan basin. For this purpose, the chemical quality of the rivers with quality data of the basin was studied and analyzed. The results of this research showed that the contribution of each formation in the way of stream bed and also the role of droughts on surface water quality and how the quality of surface waters in each sub-basin has changed. Data analysis shows that chemical parameters in surface water have been degraded through the years although the geologic formations in the way of the stream are consonant but the water quality dropped a lot in quality which can be attributed to the droughts occurred during the study periods (e.g. EC rate has been increased from 382.52 μm/cm to 570 μm/cm). Finally, it was shown that surface water is still suitable (C2S1) for irrigation in agriculture despite qualitative decline.

IntroductionChoosing an optimal decision-making method for watershed management is a problem that has always attracted the attention of researchers, and various methods have been used to achieve this goal. Participatory management is a collaborative process to participate in gathering information, making decisions, and carrying out projects that lead to solving complex social and environmental problems. As it is known, the integrated watershed management approach is a method to achieve sustainable development. Considering the existence of challenges such as floods, one of the useful approaches to solve the existing challenges is to use the approach of integrated watershed management, which is agreed upon by most of the scientific and executive community. The multidimensionality of the watershed system, its integration with socio-economic systems, and the involvement of stakeholder opinions are one of the most important components in the watershed operation and conservation. Therefore, the present study seeks to investigate the necessity of using inter-sectorial management and benefit from the consensus of the main stakeholders using game theory algorithms in 15 sub-watersheds of the Cheshmeh-Kileh Watershed in Tonekabon City. Sehezar and Dohezar rivers are the most important rivers of the Cheshmeh-Kileh Watershed which originate from the Takht-e-Soliman, Alamut, and Khashchal mountain regions. The high capacity of the riverside lands and the limitation of suitable lands in the watershed have caused many agricultural activities to be concentrated along the river, which is severely affected by floods. Materials and MethodsIn the present study, semi-structured interviews were used to collect information about the flood generation potential. The stakeholders included local stakeholders, policy makers, and the executive organization. Game theory algorithms including the Condorcet algorithm, Borda scoring, and Fallback bargaining were used to prioritize the sub-watersheds. First, the prioritization of each of the three groups was analyzed, and then the results of the consensus of the group and their comparison with the sectional decisions were examined. In this connection, first, the sample size was determined using Cochran and the opinion of the stakeholders was asked regarding the flood generation potential of the sub-watersheds. The number of interviewees in subgroups of local users, policy making institutions, and executive organizations were 75, 13, and 6 respectively. It is worth mentioning that in order to eliminate the effect of the number of interviewees in the final results; the priorities were standardized and dimensionless. In order to prioritize by the stakeholders, first, various maps of sub-watersheds, roads, and even the location of villages were prepared with appropriate quality. Then, they were asked to prioritize the sub-watersheds in terms of flood generation potential based on their personal experiences, local knowledge, technical and policy. In the group of local watershed users and residents, random sampling was done from 21 Cheshmeh-Kileh Watershed villages in Tanekabon city and Mazandaran province. Results and DiscussionBased on the study findings, by comparing the two priorities of the stakeholders and the differences between the popular, institutional and policy-making sectors, it can be said that in the Condorcet algorithm, the rate of differences in the voting of local users with policy-making institutions, local users with the executive organization and policy-making institutions with executive organization is 33.33, 66.67, and 80 %, respectively. These differences based on Borda scoring algorithms and Fallback bargaining are 53.33, 66.67, and 93.33 %, respectively. According to the local operators, in all three algorithms based on game theory, Takht-e-Soleiman, Garmarood, and Selajanbar sub-watersheds have the highest flood generation potential in the Sehezar River. Meanwhile, Ketehroud, Holian, and Yandasht sub-watersheds have a low flood generation potential in this river. Regarding the Dohezar River, it can be said that the results of all three algorithms based on the theory of games were almost the same, and Niardareh, Khashchal, and Nosha have the highest potential, and Miankooh, Daryasar, and Golestan-Mohalleh sub-watersheds have the lowest flood generation potential. The second group of interviewees was the executive organization that used the opinions of technical and watershed management experts of the General Department of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of West Mazandaran-Nowshahr. The opinions of this department were different from those of local users. Also, in the Dohezar River, the Niardareh, Khashchal, and Nosha sub-watersheds were given the highest priority, and the Miankooh, Daryasar, and Golestan-Mahalleh sub-watersheds were the lowest priority. ConclusionDue to the fact that in the watershed system and in optimal decision-making, there is a wide variety of opinions and differences of opinion, on this basis, the conceptual basis of the application of multi-objective decision-making methods such as game theory algorithms appears. Therefore, the game theory provides an optimal compromise mode based on different opinions, at the same time, the opinions of different interest groups are considered to an acceptable extent without mixing. This basis clearly confirms the necessity of using participatory management. Because when the number of votes and interest groups increases, it becomes difficult to make a decision, and in this regard, by using multi-objective decision-making methods, a general consensus can be reached to identify the optimal pattern of prioritizing sub-watersheds. The first point is that the amount of differences in voters was the same based on two algorithms, Borda and Fallback, which, of course, the Condorcet algorithm has provided more balanced and acceptable values ​​in terms of comparison. Another point was that in all three algorithms, the amount of differences between the two local user groups and the policy-making body was less, and somehow their opinions were close to each other, and they had high differences with the executive organization. In all three algorithms, the amount of disagreement between the two local user groups and the policy-making institution was less, and in a way, their views were close to each other and had high differences with the executive organization. Also, a different prioritization was observed between the final consensus and the inter-sectorial and inter-institutional views. In general, it can be said that using the opinions of stakeholders in the watershed is fundamental for optimal and efficient decision-making and integrated watershed management, and this framework can be used in various issues in the watershed.

The accurate measurement of geomorphometric parameters is crucial for assessing the condition of watersheds, particularly in mountain ecosystems and extensive areas where it can be challenging to obtain precise measurements. In this study, drainage density was used to evaluate soil erosion in the Sarbari Khad watershed located in the lesser Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, India, using Geographical Information System (GIS) and remotely sensed digital data. The analysis of drainage density indicated that the Sarbari Khad watershed is susceptible to surface erosion and soil degradation. The watershed was classified into low, moderate, severe, and very severe erosion categories based on the drainage density values, which revealed that about 50 percent of the area suffers from very severe erosion. The findings of this study suggest that drainage density can be used as an effective indicator for estimating erosion status of watersheds. This information can be used to prioritize watershed areas for soil and water conservation measures, which are critical for ensuring the sustainability of the watershed. Overall, this research work highlights the significance of using GIS and remotely sensed data along with direct survey-based topographical maps for assessing soil erosion in mountain ecosystems and extensive areas. The results of this study can be used to guide conservation efforts and inform policy decisions aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of soil erosion on the environment and local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining the problems and prioritization of various parts of the watershed is one of the essential factors for presenting programs and action plans for the adaptive management of the watershed. In other words, presenting executive measures should be based on specific problem-dependent variables, determinant criteria, and effective indicators in the watershed. However, the spatial prioritization of watersheds using a problem-based health assessment approach has yet to be described. Understanding the challenges of the watershed is thus an inescapable requirement for good planning and implementation of natural resource projects, which leads to the prevention of degradation in constantly changing ecosystems and, ultimately, successful natural resource management. The health assessment of the watershed would be the best framework to identify problems and effective variables leading to sustainable watershed management, so that, at the watershed scale, a health assessment is a valuable method for assessing and identifying effective human, ecological, and environmental resource management strategies. It leads to a proper classification of effective elements and the assessment of degrees of controllability, allowing watershed managers to focus their efforts on priority sub-watersheds to efficiently address current challenges. However, such a comprehensive approach has seldom been considered. The current study, therefore, employed the health analysis initiative for the prioritization of sub-watersheds of the Mikhsaz Watershed, Mazandaran Province, Iran. The watershed health was conceptualized and consequently outlined based on various effective and problem-oriented criteria using the pressure–state–response (PSR) framework. Toward that, the PSR framework was customized and corresponding watershed indicators of pressure (P), state (S), and response (R) were conceptualized according to 17 climatic, hydrologic, physical, and anthropogenic factors. The results showed that biologic density and ratio of the number of permitted to unauthorized livestock contributed to pressure indicator at the tune of 36.54%. Hydrologic factors controlled state and response statuses at a contribution rate of 56.07 and 80.11%, respectively. Accordingly, pressure, state, and response indices were found to be 0.68, 0.61, and 0.75 leading to a dominant relatively healthy status of the watershed health (i.e., 46%) with an overall index of 0.68. Besides, pressure, state, response indices were calculated, and associated effective variables were recognized for each sub-watershed led to a prioritization zoning map. The sub-watershed prioritization map can be utilized for designating optimal strategy for the sustainable and of course problem-oriented management of the study watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The aims of this study focus on the influence of extreme rainfall events on sediment connectivity of slope-gully system in small watershed, and further provide theoretical basis for comprehensive watershed management. [Methods] The farmland watershed in Caijiachuan watershed in Ji County of the Loess Plateau was taken as the research area. UAV and remote sensing images were used to carry out aerial survey and field survey on slope and gully system before and after the extreme rainfall event in Shanxi in October 2021. The landscape pattern changes before and after extreme rainstorm were analyzed, the sediment connectivity of slope-gully system was quantified, and the spatial distribution and topographic features of landslide points were identified, the responses of typical engineering measures to extreme rainfall were evaluated. [Results] The rainfall event lasted for 84 hours, with a cumulative rainfall of 160.4 mm, a rainfall intensity of 1.9 mm/h and a rainfall frequency of 0.16%. It was an extreme rainstorm that occurred once in a hundred years. After the rainstorm, the number of patches increased, the landscape shape index increased, the Contag index decreased, and the Shannon diversity index decreased. Sediment connectivity unevenly distributed in the watershed before the rainstorm, but it increased after the rainstorm. After the rainstorm, the sediment connectivity of landslide site decreased, and the landslide mainly occurred on the slopes with 0°～10° and 40°～50°, accounting for 29.11% and 17.74%, respectively. [Conclusion] Landslides induced by extreme rainfall events affect sediment connectivity, and the sediment connectivity index can be used to identify landslides sites thus can be used to assess the response of typical soil and water conservation engineering measures to extreme rainfall. The results of this study can provide support for integrated watershed management and ecological restoration after extreme precipitation events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the health and security of natural ecosystems is unavoidable to regulate and manage deterioration and prioritize management and conservation activities. As a result, the current study was conducted to assess the health and ecological security of the Galazchai Watershed in Oshnavieh Township, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, utilizing criteria linked to various hydrologic, anthropogenic, and climatic aspects. In the conceptual pressure–state–response (PSR) method, 26 criteria with acceptable variance inflation factor and Durbin–Watson statistics were chosen. The Galazchai Watershed's ecology's health and security status and spatial differences were also chosen and analyzed at 17 subwatersheds. The contributions of the pressure (P), status (S), and reaction (R) indices to the watershed health index were 38.3, 30.1, and 31.6%, respectively, according to the findings. The health index for the watershed ranged from 0.388 to 0.688. Almost 64% of the watershed's area was in relatively healthy conditions. Additionally, the maximum and the minimum values of the ecological security index were 0.608 and 0.236, allocating 58% of the area to moderate ecological security. The northern part of the watershed had healthier and moderately desirable ecological security than the southern part, with unhealthy and relatively undesirable conditions. In this sense, the main problems of the study area were primarily related to anthropogenic factors followed by hydrologic ones. The procedure used in the current study based on health and ecological security status can be applied as a practical guideline by local managers for efficient and adaptive watershed management. Highlights: Watershed health was assessed using the pressure–state–response (PSR) framework.The Galazchai Watershed had a relatively and moderately healthy status.Anthropogenic and hydrologic factors mainly influenced watershed health.The initiative watershed security was examined by integrating PSR indices.Mismatching watershed health and security zoning necessitates adaptive management. Recommendations for Resource Managers: Designating managerial developmental strategies appropriate to watershed health and ecological security conditions. Prioritizing executive measures in accordance with the dynamics of determinant factors of the watershed health. Adjusting plans based on watershed adaptive management approach through monitoring changes in the watershed health and ecological security status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objective: The present study was conducted to conceptualize and evaluate the health of the Asiabrood Watershed in Chalus Township, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Material and Methods: The existing regional data, including climatic, hydrologic, erosion, sedimentation, and economic and social data, were collected and analyzed. In addition, several field visits were also made to make a general assessment of the ecological, economic, and social situation of the region and to complete the information on the study watershed. Then, the watershed health was assessed using the conceptual model of pressure, state, and response at the sub -watershed scale. Accordingly, the pressure index was first investigated by analyzing the driving forces of human activities and climate change over the study watershed. Then, the current state of the natural environment and the watershed performance to the pressures was analyzed as the status index. Further, the response index of the Asiabrood Watershed was calculated as a criterion for expressing the degree of community response or different outcomes of the watershed to the changes and concerns imposed on the watershed system. Results: The results showed that the total health index of the Asiabrood Watershed with respective and relative contributions of pressure, state, and response indices of 18, 39, and 43% and an overall health index of 0.50 has a moderate health condition. Conclusion: Although the health status of the Asiabrood Watershed is in moderate condition, the health status of the study watershed may decline, and, of course, adverse responses are possible if appropriate management policies are not adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Choosing an optimal decision-making method for watershed management is a problem that has always attracted the attention of researchers, and various methods have been used to achieve this goal. Participatory management is a collaborative process to participate in gathering information, making decisions, and carrying out projects that lead to solving complex social and environmental problems. As it is known, the integrated watershed management approach is a method to achieve sustainable development. Considering the existence of challenges such as floods, one of the useful approaches to solve the existing challenges is to use the approach of integrated watershed management, which is agreed upon by most of the scientific and executive community. The multidimensionality of the watershed system, its integration with socio-economic systems, and the involvement of stakeholder opinions are one of the most important components in the watershed operation and conservation. Therefore, the present study seeks to investigate the necessity of using inter-sectorial management and benefit from the consensus of the main stakeholders using game theory algorithms in 15 sub-watersheds of the Cheshmeh-Kileh Watershed in Tonekabon City. Sehezar and Dohezar rivers are the most important rivers of the Cheshmeh-Kileh Watershed which originate from the Takht-e-Soliman, Alamut, and Khashchal mountain regions. The high capacity of the riverside lands and the limitation of suitable lands in the watershed have caused many agricultural activities to be concentrated along the river, which is severely affected by floods. Materials and Methods In the present study, semi-structured interviews were used to collect information about the flood generation potential. The stakeholders included local stakeholders, policy makers, and the executive organization. Game theory algorithms including the Condorcet algorithm, Borda scoring, and Fallback bargaining were used to prioritize the sub-watersheds. First, the prioritization of each of the three groups was analyzed, and then the results of the consensus of the group and their comparison with the sectional decisions were examined. In this connection, first, the sample size was determined using Cochran and the opinion of the stakeholders was asked regarding the flood generation potential of the sub-watersheds. The number of interviewees in subgroups of local users, policy making institutions, and executive organizations were 75, 13, and 6 respectively. It is worth mentioning that in order to eliminate the effect of the number of interviewees in the final results; the priorities were standardized and dimensionless. In order to prioritize by the stakeholders, first, various maps of subwatersheds, roads, and even the location of villages were prepared with appropriate quality. Then, they were asked to prioritize the sub-watersheds in terms of flood generation potential based on their personal experiences, local knowledge, technical and policy. In the group of local watershed users and residents, random sampling was done from 21 Cheshmeh-Kileh Watershed villages in Tanekabon city and Mazandaran province. Results and Discussion Based on the study findings, by comparing the two priorities of the stakeholders and the differences between the popular, institutional and policy-making sectors, it can be said that in the Condorcet algorithm, the rate of differences in the voting of local users with policy-making institutions, local users with the executive organization and policy-making institutions with executive organization is 33.33, 66.67, and 80 %, respectively. These differences based on Borda scoring algorithms and Fallback bargaining are 53.33, 66.67, and 93.33 %, respectively. According to the local operators, in all three algorithms based on game theory, Takht-e-Soleiman, Garmarood, and Selajanbar sub-watersheds have the highest flood generation potential in the Sehezar River. Meanwhile, Ketehroud, Holian, and Yandasht sub-watersheds have a low flood generation potential in this river. Regarding the Dohezar River, it can be said that the results of all three algorithms based on the theory of games were almost the same, and Niardareh, Khashchal, and Nosha have the highest potential, and Miankooh, Daryasar, and Golestan-Mohalleh sub-watersheds have the lowest flood generation potential. The second group of interviewees was the executive organization that used the opinions of technical and watershed management experts of the General Department of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of West MazandaranNowshahr. The opinions of this department were different from those of local users. Also, in the Dohezar River, the Niardareh, Khashchal, and Nosha sub-watersheds were given the highest priority, and the Miankooh, Daryasar, and Golestan-Mahalleh sub-watersheds were the lowest priority. Conclusion Due to the fact that in the watershed system and in optimal decision-making, there is a wide variety of opinions and differences of opinion, on this basis, the conceptual basis of the application of multi-objective decisionmaking methods such as game theory algorithms appears. Therefore, the game theory provides an optimal compromise mode based on different opinions, at the same time, the opinions of different interest groups are considered to an acceptable extent without mixing. This basis clearly confirms the necessity of using participatory management. Because when the number of votes and interest groups increases, it becomes difficult to make a decision, and in this regard, by using multi-objective decision-making methods, a general consensus can be reached to identify the optimal pattern of prioritizing sub-watersheds. The first point is that the amount of differences in voters was the same based on two algorithms, Borda and Fallback, which, of course, the Condorcet algorithm has provided more balanced and acceptable values in terms of comparison. Another point was that in all three algorithms, the amount of differences between the two local user groups and the policymaking body was less, and somehow their opinions were close to each other, and they had high differences with the executive organization. In all three algorithms, the amount of disagreement between the two local user groups and the policy-making institution was less, and in a way, their views were close to each other and had high differences with the executive organization. Also, a different prioritization was observed between the final consensus and the inter-sectorial and inter-institutional views. In general, it can be said that using the opinions of stakeholders in the watershed is fundamental for optimal and efficient decision-making and integrated watershed management, and this framework can be used in various issues in the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science. It discusses the challenges faced by water and environmental sustainability in watersheds due to climate change and human interference. The editorial emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary research to understand the dynamics of watershed hydrology, water quality, and ecology. It also highlights the importance of adaptive management approaches to address the complexity and uncertainty associated with environmental changes. The document concludes by presenting recent research papers that explore watershed environmental changes and sustainable management worldwide. [Extracted from the article]

Identifying priority management areas (PMAs) through assessing integrated eco-environmental risk (IER) of watersheds is vital for efficient integrated watershed management (IWM). However, there is a lack of effective tools to support IWM. A novel framework, which couples the analytical network process with the mean-square deviation decision method to quantify reciprocal feedbacks between ecosystems and socio-economic systems for assessing IER, was developed to identify PMAs for IWM through a case study in the upper Beiyun River watershed, China. The results show that water pollution, water resources, soil loss, hazards (i.e., floods, debris flows, collapses, and landslides), and vegetation degradation are noticeable environmental problems in the watershed. Water pollution, floods, and vegetation degradation risks are high in the southeast plain areas and low in the northwest mountainous areas of the watershed, while the other eco-environmental risks are opposite that of the three risks. The soil loss is mainly dominated by negligible class with a mean of 10.87 (t·km−2·yr−1). The weights of water pollution risk and socio-economic indicator for IER are 0.2906 and 0.1837, respectively. It indicates that water pollution control is crucial for IWM, and socio-economic systems have a significant impact on IER. The PMAs, which are identified as zones with extremely high IER values, account for 6.46 % (72.91 km2) of the watershed. They are centrally distributed in the southeastern areas with high risks of both water pollution and vegetation degradation caused by large population density. The framework provides an effective tool to assess IER and identify PMAs for IWM.

Assessment of the watershed health and associated ecological security is crucial for the proper land resources management, notably when sufficient money and time have lacked. The present study aimed to prepare health and ecological security for the Pishkuh Watershed in Yazd Province, central Iran. To prepare the health atlas of the Pishkuh Watershed, the conceptual framework of pressure, state, response (PSR) was employed. The pressure index was investigated by analyzing the driving forces of natural and human-induced factors. Then, the existing conditions of the natural environment and the watershed performance were analyzed using the state index. Besides, the response index was also calculated as a criterion for expressing the degree of community response or different watershed outcomes to the driving forces imposed on the watershed system. The study results revealed that some 91 and 9% of the watershed were classified as moderately healthy and relatively unhealthy. The results of the ecological security index further showed that some 41% of the area was categorized as relatively poor status. The results of the current study can be used by local managers and decision-makers to adaptively designate appropriate, economic, and goal-targeted solutions for the resources management in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of the watershed health and associated ecological security is crucial for the proper land resources management, notably when sufficient money and time have lacked. The present study aimed to prepare health and ecological security for the Pishkuh Watershed in Yazd Province, central Iran. To prepare the health atlas of the Pishkuh Watershed, the conceptual framework of pressure, state, response (PSR) was employed. The pressure index was investigated by analyzing the driving forces of natural and human-induced factors. Then, the existing conditions of the natural environment and the watershed performance were analyzed using the state index. Besides, the response index was also calculated as a criterion for expressing the degree of community response or different watershed outcomes to the driving forces imposed on the watershed system. The study results revealed that some 91 and 9% of the watershed were classified as moderately healthy and relatively unhealthy. The results of the ecological security index further showed that some 41% of the area was categorized as relatively poor status. The results of the current study can be used by local managers and decision-makers to adaptively designate appropriate, economic, and goal-targeted solutions for the resources management in the region.

Climate change due to anthropogenic induced land degradation is a real challenge to the Ethiopian ecosystem. Hence, Landscape Restoration also called Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) was practiced to rehabilitate the degraded lands. However, its contribution to climate change adaptation and mitigation was not well studied. Hence, this work has examined the role of IWM on improving climate change adaptation and mitigation, taking SOC stock as an indicator. IWM impact time series (1999, 2009 and 2018) data on land use and land cover (LULC) and total soil organic carbon changes were collected at Sero Watershed of northern Ethiopia. Soil samples (84 disturbed and 84 undisturbed) were collected from three soil depths (0–30, 30–60 and 60–90 cm) for soil carbon, bulk density, gravel content analysis and for overall SOC stock estimation. Research findings indicated that vegetation cover increased by 37.2% from 1999 to 2018 at the expenses of bare land and cropland. Thus, in turn has resulted to an overall increase in total SOC stock by 8.5%. It can be concluded that IWM has a significant role to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change through increased soil carbon stock in addition to its contribution to landscape restoration.

One of the important tools for watershed management and optimal decision making is the prioritization of sub-watersheds which can be effective in soil and water conservation and flood management. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate different methods of prioritization of sub-watersheds based on flood generation potential using physical, hydrological and co-managerial approaches in the Cheshmeh-Kileh Watershed, Mazandaran province, Iran. To do this, three approaches including physical criteria (i.e., application of game theory based algorithms), hydrological modeling (i.e., using HEC-HMS model) and co-managerial approach (i.e., employing the opinions of local residents, technical experts and policy makers) were used to prioritize sub-watersheds. Finally, the sub-watersheds were classified into three categories based on flood generation potential. The results showed that there is a difference between the results of co-managerial approach with physical and hydrological modeling approaches. According to the research findings, in physical and hydrological modeling approaches, prioritization of sub-watersheds depends on physical factors such as greater slope, area and less time of concentration. But in Integrated Watershed Management (IWM), in addition to the physical and technical aspects, economic, social, political and legal issues must be considered in decision making, which indicates the necessity of the application of co-managerial approach. Based on field observations, sub-watersheds that have been given first priority by co-managerial approach have a significant annual contribution in flood generation due to low vegetation density. In general, it can be said that physical and hydrological approaches consider only physical and geo-environmental parameters and cannot prioritize important issues such as economic, social and political factors that require the views of local stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the feasibility offlood management based onthe concept of Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) via a literature review and field surveys. The investigationfocused on the primary industry of oil palm plantations in Malaysia. Although the country is promoting the palm oil industry, the impact of oil palm plantations on the local environment has been relatively disregarded because of the benefits and opportunities, such as subsidies, jobs, and amenities,which the local companies/people can obtain. Effective flood management inoil palm plantations entails the local peoples’ understanding and participation in the management activities, such as removing fallen leaves and weeding an area. Theflood management strategiessuggested inthis research provide new insights into local flood management, which usually focuses on the hydrologic aspects, by promoting the integration of the actual-local environment and local people’s actions for their environment within the framework of IWM.

Natural resources of Iran is critically facing various threats including climate change, droughts, pollution (water, soil and air) and land degradation induced by inappropriate land management, i.e. unsustainable development practices, particularly on sloping tracts in mountainous areas. The Hable-Roud Basin conditions are the same as those of the entire country without exception. Therefore, to overcome these maleficient activities, development of various management options seems inevitable. After drawing up a preliminary list of proposed management options for the Goursefid Sub-watershed of the Hable-Roud (river) Basin through participation of local communities and experts’ input, selection and prioritization of the options were modeled using the participatory approach and application of the multi-criteria decision making methods within the mDSS software. Ultimately, suitable locations for an implementation of the selected options were identified and positioned across the study area with the participation of representatives of the local communities and experts. The results indicated that the main category of “land management and planning” options were preferred using all of the group decision making methods. Moreover, “development of an integrated watershed/water resources management plan”, “development of landuse plan at different scales” and “identification and training of new job opportunities and alternative livelihoods” were ranked first to third, respectively. Therefore, more attention should be paid to land management and planning options to better administer the watershed.

Watershed as a complex and dynamic system is considered to be a functional unit for planning and management strategies. It is important to take all technical, social, economic, physical, ecological and administrative aspects in the process of watersheds planning and management into account. Deciding in the watershed management is quite intricate due to existence of diverse agents and indices there. Therefore, this study focused on the socioeconomic, ecological and physical impacts of management scenarios targeting on water and soil resources management issues in the Hable-Rud River Basin, Tehran Province, Iran. Also provide the best scenario for watershed management to achieve integrated management of resources in the catchment using Improved Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (Improved TOPSIS) approach and Best Worst Method (BWM). The study area covers an area of 3269 Km2. In this study, according to managerial problems of the region, four management actions (rangeland exclusion, pitting, contour furrow and pile seeding) and 16 management scenarios were taken into consideration. Also, four standards of social (social acceptance), economic (benefit/cost), ecological (Weighted Average of Patch Size Index (WMPSI) and Weighted Land Cover Area Index (WLCAI)), and physical (runoff and soil erosion) indices are applied. Then, using the Best Worst Method, the weight of each index is met. Following the formation of decision matrix with 16 options (management scenarios) and 6 criteria (evaluation index), the Improved TOPSIS method was used to prioritize management scenarios. The research results showed that the social acceptance index (0.304) has the highest weight and the WLCAI index (0.072) has the lowest weight. The results of the prioritization of the scenarios using the weights estimated by the BWM method showed that the scenario 13 (rangeland exclusion, pitting and pile seeding) and scenario 5 (pile seeding) and scenario 16 (rangeland exclusion, pitting, contour furrow and pile seeding) perform best, respectively. In this research, a novel and logical approach of multi-criteria decision-making processes, i.e., Improved TOPSIS and Best Worst Method, was adopted to prioritize management scenarios for planning and watershed management. Given the results, the Improved TOPSIS method can be used as a suitable technique in prioritizing management scenarios, especially when the decision maker faces contradictory or even conflicting objectives and cannot decide on the best alternative(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of watershed problems and their consequences based on causal models is a fundamental step in the implementation of integrated watershed management plans and achieving watershed health. In this study, the DPSIR framework was used to analyze watershed health and cause-effect relations among its components, as well as structuring information in the Chehel-Chay Watershed, Golestan Province, Iran. For this purpose, first, items of each component were identified by library studies and literature reviews, and also discussion with NGOs and members of the village council. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed by, respectively, a group of experts and Cronbach's alpha method. The sample size of the watershed residents was calculated by Cochran's formula. Then, the items were prioritized using the Friedman test based on the Likert scale, from the viewpoints of 28 experts and 94 residents. The matrix of relations between the items of the main components and their prioritization was determined according to the perspective of both groups. The results showed that the compliance rate of common priorities among 40% of the top priorities was 73% for the component of Pressure, 60% for the components of State and Impact, and 58% for the component of Response. Also, the most important managerial responses were identified and prioritized. Due to the presence of various stakeholders, applying these responses in the framework of integrated watershed management is crucial to improve watershed health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While governments in Canada have a duty to act honourably in the development of legislative actions that may affect Aboriginal or treaty rights, Indigenous peoples' input and knowledge have largely been excluded from the process. The Ontario provincial government recently sought to remedy this failure by engaging with Indigenous groups in the development and implementation of the Great Lakes Protection Act. Using qualitative data, this article explores the successes, challenges and lessons learned during Crown–Indigenous engagement in the development of this Act. The article concludes with recommendations on ways to strengthen processes of engagement between government and Indigenous groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introducing a new approach to weighting SWOT and PESTEL factors using game theory. • Integrated and multi-objective indices were used to monitor the management status. • Environmental strengths were better than other factors based on the comanagement. • The status of the watershed was in the invasion, growth and development strategy. Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) is an essential concept in water resources, soil, and vegetation management emphasizing economic, social, and environmental issues. This study consisted of main and secondary goals. The main purpose of this study was focused on the use of strategic planning models in explaining the IWM. To implement this goal, the comanagement approach and stakeholders' opinions were used to collect strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T). Also, management strategies for the optimal management of soil and water resources and improving the living conditions of the stakeholders were presented based on strategic planning analysis. Towards that, semi-structured interviews were conducted with local stakeholders, technical experts, and policymakers to gather and formulate S, W, O, and T, briefly known as SWOT, for the Cheshmeh-Kileh Watershed in Iran. The PESTEL (i.e., political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) model was also used to examine the comprehensive indicators. The factors of the SWOT model were studied and analyzed from political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal aspects. In both strategic planning models, the Condorcet algorithm was used to weight the factors. Based on the opinions of local stakeholders, 55 factors were identified to examine comprehensive and problem-oriented management. By comparing the results of the SWOT evaluation matrix and the combined SWOT and PESTEL evaluation matrix developed based on the comprehensive indicators, it was concluded that the status of the evaluation matrix was in the best state and the growth and development strategies. In addition, the studied watershed was at a medium to high level based on management status and had strengths and suitable opportunities for growth and development. Considering that in the studied area, an integrated governance structure for the watershed management has not been developed and the different sectors management is not done in an integrated manner. Therefore, the results of the current study, which were compiled from the consensus of various stakeholders, can have a significant impact in providing optimal and comprehensive watershed management patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Water-Energy-Food nexus (WEF) has been initially introduced in the international community as an adaptive management approach in response to climate change. This study aims to review and analyze the existing literature on WEF nexus approach at different scales and to suggest supplementary ideas for better applicability of WEF nexus framework in integrated watershed management. In terms of geographical distribution, the study covers Asia (Central, South, Southeast, and East), Australia, Africa (North, South, and East), North America (USA, Mexico, and Canada), South America (Brazil), Europe (UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Greece), and Oceania.For this, 203 articles and documents were found dealing with WEF nexus. Interest over time in WEF nexus was examined from 2011 to 2019 in these regions. The review showed 10 articles had a close linkage with water–food, 49 with water-energy, 119 with water-energy-food, six with water-food-energy-ecosystems, five with water-energy-land-food, three with food-energy-environment, three with water-soil-waste and eight with climate. We propose ecosystem services and other important commodities like soil be considered in future nexus relevant studies. Towards this, the soil-water-energy-food (SWEF) nexus is introduced as a useful approach towards higher sustainability and adaptive management at the watershed scale.

Human activities mostly impact the trend and direction of rainwater, groundwater, and other river basin resources in the watershed in Africa. These activities alter river flows and the quality of usable water supplies at both highlands and lowlands. A watershed is indeed a conserved area of land that collects rain, sleet and snow, and empties or penetrates groundwater sources. The act of managing the activities around the watershed is integrated watershed management, which considers the social, economic, and environmental issues in tandem with the human, institutional, natural, and sustainability systems, which are the key drivers as identified in this study, as well as community interests and participation, to manage groundwater resources sustainably. These watersheds, river basins, and groundwater resources provide important services for communities and biodiversity. This paper reveals that the best way to protect groundwater resources is on a watershed basis using sustainable management measures. This technique enables us to handle a variety of concerns and objectives while also allowing us to plan in a complicated and uncertain environment. Sustaining a regional and sub-regional watershed involves cooperation and participation from a wide range of community interests and water users, including municipalities, companies, people, agencies, and landowners, for stakeholders’ input to be successful. All of the strategies and plans are produced with regard to one another, as well as the overall conditions of the watershed, local land uses, and specific regional transboundary issues.

Remote sensing is widely used and plays an irreplaceable role in integrated watershed management and watershed science. This paper focuses on the definition, progress and prospective of watershed remote sensing, and provides a systematic summary of relevant watershed remote sensing data products. Watershed remote sensing studies the analysis capabilities for underlying structure, water cycle, water resources, water hazards and watershed ecology and provides related remote sensing data products. These products are gradually becoming continuously updated public products and services that can meet the requirements for timeliness, completeness, continui ty and high accuracy of monitoring information for integrated watershed management. The combination of Watershed remote sensing and cloud computing could reduce the bottleneck of the generation of watershed remote sensing data products. Combined with and cloud services, the difficulty and cost of watershed remote sensing data products application can be reduced, which will be the mainstream direction of watershed remote sensing towards practicality, thus providing comprehensive information support for integrated watershed management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing of human activities has negative effects on the sustainability of environmental resources. Economic development aimed land use change decissions are negative pressure on sensitive ecosystems. However, planning activities within administrative boundaries where natural thresholds are not taken into consideration are not effective in providing protection-utilization balance of sensitive ecosystems. Drinking water basins are indispensable ecological units for urban settlements. In Turkey drinking water basin planning process carried out based on euclidean distance measurement system. Therefore unique conditions of the region can not be evaluated sufficiently. Within the scope of this study; firstly, the land use changes of the drinking water basin of the Kırklareli City are going to be evaluated for different years by using Corine Land Cover Data. Secondly, a variety of data have produced as an effective decision support tool in the provision of ecosystem services approach and protection-utilization balance of the basin. Finally, primary, secondary and tertiary conservation areas will be determined in the light of the topography of the basin, geological structure, land use situation, vegetation diversity etc. The study will be tried to integrate the euclidean distance measurement system and unique features of the region to create sustainable drinking water basin conservation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Watershed management initiatives are designed to conserve essential soil, water, and vegetation resources while ensuring production and agricultural sustainability. As a result, assessing watershed management projects is a must for future executive planning and natural resource management. However, there has yet to be a quantitative performance evaluation of alternative watershed management techniques on the watershed's overall health. The current study used the pressure-state response (PSR) conceptual framework to assess watershed health in the current scenario and identify the related functional criteria and indicators at the sub-watershed level. Field surveys and reviews of available information were used to identify and characterize current watershed concerns and challenges. The PSR framework was used to assess the impact of conventional watershed management measures and a problem-oriented adaptive management strategy on watershed health in the Mikhsaz Watershed in northern Iran. The influence of changes in the contribution of the study criteria to the health and corresponding scenarios on modifying the watershed health was evaluated. A health index score of 0.68 revealed a healthy class in the current circumstances. The health index was somewhat enhanced after adding the typical or conventional measurements in the research area (i.e., 0.69). Adaptive management techniques in response to the identified issues improved the watershed's health index by 7.2% (i.e., 0.74) in a more efficient, technically acceptable, and ecologically benign manner. As a result, the adaptive management measure increased economic productivity by 61% compared to the conventional measures. The study's findings call for a global revival in watershed management policy, focusing on developing nations. [Display omitted] • The pressure-state-response framework (PSRF) was employed at the watershed scale. • The watershed health (WH) was assessed using PSRF under various policy scenarios. • The effect of conventional and adaptive management approaches on WH was compared. • Scenarios performance on WH was assessed in the Mikhsaz Watershed, Iran. • Adaptive management was economically (≈7%) and technically (≈61%) outperformed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The importance of water to life is unquestionable. Most of the fresh water we use for daily activities comes from the aquifers, which in many cases due to misuse are overexploited and at risk. This article studies the aquifer that appeared in Laguna de Santiaguillo basin; it should be noted that the most important economic activity in the basin is agriculture. Methods By analyzing vector and demographic information, using GIS and with some field trips, the impact and risk on the level of disposition in every micro-basin that forms the basin were determined. Results The different modeling scenarios demonstrate that the basin and sub-basins that conform Santiaguillo are overexploited. Discussion The volumes concessioned are of such magnitude that they generate a condition of vulnerability to the activities of the basin and sustain the overexploitation conditions of the aquifer.

Background: The importance of water to life is unquestionable. Most of the fresh water we use for daily activities comes from the aquifers, which in many cases due to misuse are overexploited and at risk. This article studies the aquifer that appeared in Laguna de Santiaguillo basin; it should be noted that the most important economic activity in the basin is agriculture. Methods: By analyzing vector and demographic information, using GIS and with some field trips, the impact and risk on the level of disposition in every micro-basin that forms the basin were determined. Results: The different modeling scenarios demonstrate that the basin and sub-basins that conform Santiaguillo are overexploited. Discussion: The volumes concessioned are of such magnitude that they generate a condition of vulnerability to the activities of the basin and sustain the overexploitation conditions of the aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Mar Menor is the largest lagoon along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It suffers from eutrophication and algal blooms associated with intensive agricultural activities and urban pressure in the surrounding Campo de Cartagena plain. A balanced discharge of groundwater, carrier of algal nutrients such as nitrate, is essential to ensure the integrity of the coastal lagoon and the availability of groundwater resources inland. We here present a 3D hydrogeological model of the unconfined Quaternary aquifer that discharges into the lagoon. The model couples both surface water balance and groundwater dynamics and has been calibrated to available data in the period 2000–2016. The calibrated model allows understanding of the current state of the aquifer and its link to the lagoon. The potential discharge has been quantified in both space and time and falls between 69.5 and 84.9 hm3/yr during dry and wet periods, respectively (with values of nitrate discharge of 11.4–11.8 Mkg/yr in the absence of aquifer sink terms, e.g., leakage to deeper aquifers and pumping from groundwater wells). The predictive capabilities of the calibrated model can be used to test the impact of different integrated management scenarios on the surface-groundwater dynamics of the catchment. Three plausible management scenarios are proposed that include localized and distributed groundwater pumping (drains and groundwater wells, respectively). Results show the effectiveness of the scenarios in reducing the groundwater and nitrate discharge into the lagoon. The disadvantages of the proposed scenarios, including potential seawater intrusion, need to be balanced with their relative merits for the sustainable development of the region and the survival of the Mar Menor ecosystem. The modelling approach proposed provides a valuable tool for the integrated and holistic management of the Campo de Cartagena-Mar Menor catchment and should be of great interest to similar hydrological systems with high ecological value. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Mar Menor coastal lagoon is a key example of eutrophication by agricultural activity. • The sustainable development of Mar Menor must be considered as a land-sea continuum. • A numerical model tests the effectiveness of groundwater management strategies. • The model provides a decision support tool for policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated watershed management is considered as a new principle for development planning and management of water and soil resources emphasizing on socio-economic characteristics of the region to sustainable livelihoods without vulnerability for plants and the residents of an area. This research, in line with the objectives of integrated management, has been carried out for modelling and evaluating the effects of ecological, socio-economic consequences resulting from the implementation of the proposed management plans on the vegetation changes with a focus on the problems in Simindasht catchment, located in Semnan and Tehran Provinces. After standardization of indices by distance method and weighing them, the scenarios were prioritized using multi-criteria decision-making technique. Trade-off analysis of the results indicates that in the integrated management of Simindasht catchment more than one single management solution, covering all aspects of the system can be recommended in different weighting approaches. The approach used herein, considering the results of different models and comparing the results, is an efficient tool to represent the watershed system as a whole and to facilitate decision making for integrated watershed management.

Barbuda is one of two major islands that comprise the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda. The island is known for its secluded pink and white sand beaches and, more recently, for Hurricane Irma (September 2017). The category five mega-storm decimated much of the island’s landscape and infrastructure, and the physical damage was widely publicized. Three years after Hurricane Irma, many challenges related to humanitarian aid, fiscal resources, and materials to rebuild remain. There are many natural resource commodity and human social challenges including those related to water resources, agriculture, marine ecosystems, feral animal populations, human health, tourism, and economics. This article includes some of Barbuda’s historical context and identifies a number of current critical challenges and recommendations for activities (approaches) that may advance a number of management practices. For example, the Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) and/or One Health approach(es) include social and fiscal mechanisms to implement programs, policies, legislation, and research in which multiple sectors of Barbuda could communicate and work together to achieve sustainable outcomes. Context is provided to substantiate humanitarian aid, scientific engagement, scientific progress, and political support for a semi-closed cultural socio-ecological island ecosystem at the precipice of change.