Search

Disintegration potential of toilet grade tissue paper is one of the most important parameter keeping in mind the worldwide water scarcity faced by human race in current decade. The aim of this experimental study is to improve the disintegration potential of toilet tissue. Softener is used as debonding material. The right amount dry strength required by Toilet tissue is maintained by controlled fiber refining. High fiber bonding would lower the disintegration potential of the tissue paper, thus hampering the aim of study. The initial freeness of the pulp slurry was found 16°SR. It was then further refined in controlled manner to various degrees of freeness (i. e. 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30°SR). Bulk, Strength properties along with disintegration time and softness of 15GSM hand sheets prepared from each set of pulp slurry was investigated. Turbidity test was done to check the cloudiness. Upon analysing, it was found that the paper developed at 24°SR freeness having bulk 4.85 cc/gm, breaking length 750 meter, softness 80 Hand feel units, and disintegration time 08 seconds was most suitable having the better softness, optimum strength and higher disintegration potential as compared to the benchmarked samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper addresses the global issue of water scarcity and the need for sustainable development by exploring eco-friendly desalination technology – solar still. Although solar still has lower productivity compared to conventional fossil-fueled desalination technologies, much research is being conducted to enhance its productivity. Most studies focus solely on optimizing water mass in solar still, neglecting other correlated factors. Hence, this paper presents mathematical modeling and experimental studies on the impact of water mass, initial temperature, and solar insolation on solar still performance in Polish weather conditions. The findings reveal that solar still productivity ranges from 215 mL/m2/day to 5079 mL/m2/day between June and October in Poland. It is observed that solar still productivity decreases with increasing water mass beyond the critical threshold of solar insolation on the glass cover plane, which is 2.676 kWh/m2/day. However, below that threshold, the effect of water mass on the solar still productivity strongly depends on its initial temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of solar vapor generation for water purification plays a pivotal role in addressing the severe water scarcity crisis. However, it poses challenges due to inefficient light trapping and absorption limitations in solar thermal energy conversion. Here, we have strategically developed an array structured light trapping system with vertically grown, leaf-like zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-L) nanosheets on flexible air-laid paper, accompanied by the catalytic effect of Co ions that result in oxidative polymerization of dopamine (DA) into pleated polydopamine (PDA) layers. This novel solution extends the propagation path of light in the trapping system through multiple scattering. Upon optimization, the P/ZIF-L@PDA-3 evaporator boasts an evaporation rate of 1.48 kg m−2 h−1 at 1 sun (1 kW m−2) irradiation and achieves an impressive solar vapor conversion efficiency of 94.5 %. In practical settings, the evaporation rate can reach 2.22 kg m−2 h−1 after 9 h with an average outdoor light intensity of 0.995 kW m−2. Our study presents an innovative approach to constructing a flexible evaporator with a light-trapping structure, providing immense potential for practical solar applications. [Display omitted] • Flexible evaporator with array light trapping system for solar steam generation • The modification of polydopamine on ZIF-L to boost scattering and absorption • The evaporator shows superhydrophilic properties for self-dissolution of salts. • The evaporator shows excellent desalination and wastewater treatment capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of the potential threat posed by drought necessitates the implementation of appropriate procedures to enable effective and systematic actions aimed at mitigating, or at least partially limiting, the impacts of drought events. This paper seeks to analyze the spatial and temporal changes of atmospheric drought in the period 1961–2020 and assesses drought hazards in southwest Bulgaria, which is a region susceptible to periodic water shortages. In this study, the standardized precipitation evaporation index (SPEI), accounting for both precipitation and temperature changes, was used to analyze drought characteristics. The analysis reveals significant temporal changes and spatial differences in drought patterns across southwest Bulgaria. The northeastern part of the region, including the Sofia district, exhibits the lowest risk of drought, while the central part of the region shows a tendency toward moderate and occasional low drought events. Some stations, particularly in the southern part of the region, consistently experienced more severe drought conditions (Blagoevgrad and Sandanski), as indicated by negative SPEI values in different time scales (3, 6, and 12 months). Results indicate an increased frequency of droughts during 1990–2020 compared to 1961–1990, which was driven by climate change and human activities. Across all stations and in both SPEI time scales, the period from the early to mid-1990s was characterized by significant droughts. The study of drought hazards using short-term and long-term SPEI analysis reveals different levels of drought risk and increased hazard from the northern to southern parts of the study area. The share of areas with a high drought hazard exceeds 40% of the territory in the areas with a transitional and continental-Mediterranean climate. Based on the results, the paper highlights the need to integrate drought risk assessments with regional planning to improve agricultural resilience and water resource management in response to anticipated droughts, especially in drought-prone areas such as southwest Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Special issue on the impact of biological factors on hydrological processes, edited by the authors of this Foreword, brings together 11 full-text papers on these complex interactions, ranging in scale from storing the water by lichen species to competing the nations for increasingly scarce water resources in securitized transboundary watersheds. In addition to these "boundary-scale" biohydrology papers, 4 papers assess the impact of land use on soil properties, 3 papers estimate the effect of biological factors on the downward and upward movements of water in the vadose zone of soil, and 2 papers evaluated the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculturally utilized soil and forest fires. We would like to conclude by expressing our hope that the papers published in the present special issue will act as a stimulus for initiating new research projects and contribute to finding solutions to the global threats of water scarcity and soil degradation. It is absolutely crucial to increase our chances of surviving the current climate change and to reach a more sustainable society in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Watermelon production has rapidly increased in Morocco over the last 15 years. Since its independence in 1956, Morocco has promoted the production of early-season fruits and vegetables for European supermarkets to boost the national economy and improve rural livelihoods. Today, the expansion of watermelon production in arid regions of the country has had profound impacts on local land and water resources. In Zagora, a pre-Sahara oasis region in the southeast of the country, watermelons have contributed to the overuse of aquifers, trapping farmers in cycles of accumulating debt, and increasing conflict over land. Drawing on interviews and participant observation with residents and officials from 2021-2023, this paper demonstrates how a pastoral community embraced watermelon production in an effort to engage with the agro-export sector that drives the country's agricultural growth. Yet rather than contributing to the overall development of the region, watermelon production has deepened gender and economic disparities within the community and privileged a small group of farmers with access to capital. Although authorities restricted watermelon production in 2023, larger investors simply moved production, leaving small farmers to confront the volatile market while trying to sustain land, water, and collective identity in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of molasses-based wastewater generated in yeast and sugar industries is a major environmental concern due to its high chemical oxygen demand and other recalcitrant substances. Several strategies have been used to reduce the inland discharge of wastewater but the results are not satisfactory due to high operating cost. However, reuse of molasses-based wastewater irrigation in agriculture has been a major interest nowadays to reduce the freshwater consumption. Thus, it is crucial to monitor the impacts of molasses-based waste water irrigation on growth, metabolism, yield and nutritional quality of crops for safer consumer's health. In present study, carrot seeds of a local cultivar (T-29) were germinated on filter paper in Petri dishes under controlled conditions. The germinated seeds were then transplanted into pots and irrigated with three different treatments normal water (T0), diluted molasses-based wastewater (T1), and untreated molasses-based wastewater (T2), in six replicates. Results revealed that carrot irrigated with untreated molasses-based waste water had exhibited significant reductions in growth, yield, physiology, metabolism, and nutritional contents. Additionally, accumulation of Cd and Pb contents in carrot roots irrigated with untreated molasses-based waste water exceed the permissible limits suggested by WHO and their consumption may cause health risks. While, diluted molasses-based waste water irrigation positively enhanced the growth, yield of carrot plants without affecting the nutritional quality. This strategy is cost effective, appeared as most appropriate alternative mean to reduce the freshwater consumption in water deficit regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, food systems are undergoing major transformations to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there are a lack of comprehensive reviews on this topic in developing countries. This work highlights food systems' transition towards sustainability, focusing on Morocco. It was carried out through searching, selecting, evaluating, and synthesizing existing relevant scholarly and gray literature. In Morocco, a meaningful transition towards sustainability is being guided and carried out on several levels, despite numerous challenges, e.g., inability to cope with the detrimental effects of climate change and escalating water scarcity constitute fundamental problems. However, there are conflicting views on the outcomes of food system transformation. Some studies showed that Morocco has increased its agri-food export and reduced poverty to less than 5% of the population over the past decade; the proportion of wasted and malnourished children has declined from 25 to 15% and 4 to 3%, respectively, and the 2023 Global Hunger Index (GHI) showed a score of 9.0. Other studies showed that North Africa has entered a food security crisis; specifically, food inflation has reached unprecedented levels in Morocco. This paper provides valuable insights for policymakers and planners to design evidence-based policies and strategies to boost sustainable development in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional engineering approaches are often inefficient and vulnerable, and cities face increasing challenges due to population growth, consumption rates and persistent inequalities. This paper aims to identify Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for water-sensitive European cities, categorising interventions according to their essential ecological functions for urban resilience. Through analysis of 77 projects in 46 cities, with interventions at three spatial scales, it examined a variety of actions that impact urban water management, addressing key challenges and their environmental impacts at the urban scale. The study concluded the importance of four categories of blue infrastructure and three categories of green infrastructure, highlighting their contribution to flood protection, water quality improvement and stormwater management. In Mediterranean regions facing water scarcity and extreme weather events, NbS represent a paradigm shift towards urban resilience and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Interest is growing in potable reuse in response to water scarcity and the desire for sustainable supplies. While potable reuse systems must control a variety of physical, chemical, and microbiological contaminants, human enteric viruses are particularly concerning and drive process performance objectives due to their often‐high occurrence in source waters, small size, potential resistance to treatment, and laborious methods to determine infectivity. This paper reviews the alignment of online monitoring practices with the mechanisms and time scales of the various barriers for enteric viruses. While there are numerous studies and reviews of individual barriers, no other review has been identified that covers operational monitoring of the entire potable reuse system. This paper also provides a critical assessment of the efficacy of current practices for operational and verification monitoring of the integrity of barriers to enteric viruses in potable reuse systems. The prevalence of human enteric viruses in wastewater and associated challenges of quantifying them through treatment are discussed within the risk management frameworks currently in use or under development for potable reuse systems. Monitoring approaches are then reviewed throughout the potable reuse water cycle. Current monitoring practices are compared with treatment process mechanisms and time scales, for the treatment barriers of biological wastewater treatment, membrane bioreactors, microfiltration/ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet irradiation/advanced oxidation, ozonation, granular media/biologically active filtration, and chlorination. Monitoring and pathogen removal mechanisms are also reviewed for both environmental and engineered buffers. Implications are then discussed for future areas of research in potable reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the effects of climate change, rapid urbanization, and the burdens of economic development have confronted cities with challenges in urban water management. This has resulted in mounting pressures on water resources and contributed to water scarcity and extreme flood events. Water-sensitive cities (WSCs) are cites that are resilient, sustainable, and livable and that offer a range of social, economic, and environmental benefits through water-sensitive urban design (WSUD). This paper bridges the gap between theoretical research and practical applications in stormwater management, presenting new methodologies that can be integrated into current engineering practices. By explicitly defining the concepts of WSC and WSUD, this study provides a clear framework for practitioners and engineers to enhance urban water resilience. The research establishes a set of environmental, social, policy, and economic (ESPE) indicators to evaluate the performance of WSUD projects within urban areas to achieve WSCs. Such indicators apply in three specific phases of WSUD projects: planning and design, implementation, and management and maintenance. The data were collected using a survey that received global responses from 388 water management experts from the aforementioned sectors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to identify the key factors in achieving WSCs. The outcomes of this analysis provide insights to enable water authorities, academics, and practitioners to evaluate the ability of WSUD projects to achieve sustainable water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government intervention has become an important measure to restrain groundwater overexploitation. This paper analyzes the effect of three types of government intervention measures, namely, guidance, incentive and constraint, on farmers' groundwater utilization behavior, from the perspective of scale-heterogeneity, using general quantile regression model, by survey data of 1122 households in well irrigation area of north China. The results showed that: (1) the incentive and guiding measures have negative effects on farmers' groundwater usage, while the effect of restrictive measures is not obvious. The guided policy is superior to the incentive measure as to governance effect. (2) With the increase of farmers' land scale, the influence of incentive measures shows a trend of weakening, and the effect of guided measures on groundwater demand reduction of farmers is stronger. When it comes to the different point of water consumption, when at the point level of 0.25, the incentive measures have the most obvious inhibitory effect. With the increase of water consumption of farmers, the guided measures begin to play a core role. The effect of restrictive measures is not obvious with the increase of water consumption. (3) In addition, farmers' irrigation water consumption also is affected by gender, cognition of water resources shortage, ecological cognitive level, acquisition ability of disaster information, village rain conditions, the degree of water rights market development, feelings of water fee increase, irrigated disputes in the village, collective economic level of village. The selection of policy tools is flexible according to the farmers' land scale for groundwater over-extraction control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crisis is a recurrent motif in discussions of the environment in the Middle East. Concerns about water scarcity, food insecurity, climate disasters, and resource degradation play into common associations of the region with conflict, malfunction, and despair. Yet this single story obscures as much as it illuminates. In this paper, I draw examples from my work on Nile water politics, climate change, and bread in Egypt to illustrate the power of this dominant narrative and its limitations. I reflect on the multiple stories that emerge when we shift our starting point or scale of analysis. I argue for the need to move beyond thinking about the environment just as a problem space to consider it as the space in which people are living their daily lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have called for increased attention to the practices through which residents of southern cities create and use infrastructure. The failures and disruptions of many particular artefacts have meant that people often develop multiple ways to access water, electricity, or transportation, even if all of them have limitations. For sanitation, thinking through heterogeneous infrastructure configurations can help us to see connections between toilets, and the reasons for maintaining access to different types of toilets, given their different risks and benefits. In this paper, we focus on plots in Lilongwe with both indoor flush-toilets and backyard latrines, and the lived experiences of people as they navigate choices about the use of these toilets. The presence of on and off-grid toilets is rooted in colonial urban form, yet is perpetuated – and proliferates in new places – as residents face a number of constraints, including most recently recurrent water shortages due to droughts. We consider both how this configuration challenges official imaginaries of urban sanitation, and how it helps residents to address different risks and sanitation needs. Drawing on the experience of Lilongwe, we reflect on what can be learnt from this heterogeneous infrastructural configuration in terms of planning for more resilient water and sanitation services in Global South cities and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the situation of water scarcity and security in Mexico, with a focus on the drinking water supply issue in rural communities and the challenges posed by assessment methodologies. We conducted a comprehensive literature review to update the available information on the water crisis in Mexico and its impact on rural communities in the country, as well as the methodologies employed to assess water security and the methodological challenges associated with them. Among the most noteworthy findings is the persistent challenge in evaluating water scarcity and its implications for communities, due to the lack of consensus on the most precise methodology. Nevertheless, current methodological approaches suggest the integration of physical models with pertinent social, economic, and political data. The literature broadly agrees on the severity of the water scarcity crisis and the clear link between rural poverty and inadequate access to drinking water. Water scarcity is both a contributing factor to and a consequence of poverty, stemming from a complex interplay of socioeconomic pressures, inadequate institutional responses, and deficient water management. The paper concludes that water scarcity involves intricate interactions among various factors, encompassing physical water scarcity, pollution, and the impacts of climate change on the water cycle, and most critically, the complexities inherent in water management and regulatory frameworks. Therefore, the integration of well‐informed policies, effective management practices, and collaborative efforts is crucial for ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future. Effective water management can effectively mitigate the challenges of water scarcity and alleviate poverty. This article is categorized under:Engineering Water > Water, Health, and SanitationHuman Water > Rights to WaterScience of Water > Water and Environmental Change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water exhibits various politico-economic dynamic. Water scarcity can lead to conflicts, and it lies at the core of Iran's environmental crises. The literature on Iran's water crisis indicates the effects of this issue in terms of multidimensional environmental degradation, community disintegration, and state-society and intercommunal conflict. Approximately 28 million of Iran's 85 million residents reside in water-stressed areas, a situation identified as 'water bankruptcy'. The water shortage is experienced differently across the country. The plateau's central regions, home to Iran's major industries, are where the worst water deficit is occurring. However, regions with abundant water resources have also been impacted. These regions – known as 'donor basins' – due to intensive and disproportional inter-basin water transfer and other engineering interventions deployed by the Government to deal with the water shortage of the central regions, suffer from a different form of water crisis. A condition of asymmetrical and conflictual power relations between the state and subaltern communities in Iran's peripheral regions has been created. This paper argues that this constitutes environmental racism, characterised by multilayered impoverishment and unsustainable development among communities in the donor regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the Hybrid desalination and power generation through parabolic trough collectors. This study aims to examine the feasibility, performance optimization, and economic viability of power-generation plant and hybrid-desalination using multi-stage flash (MSF) and reverse osmosis (RO) technologies assessed by using the parabolic trough collectors (PTC). The objective is to discover the posibilities of this innovative approach in addressing water scarcity and clean energy demands. The studies usually focus on several key aspects. Firstly, it resolves the technical feasibility of integrating MSF and RO technologies with parabolic-trough-collectors to optimize energy efficiency and freshwater production. This involves evaluating the system design, heat transfer mechanisms, and operational parameters.Secondly, performance optimization is a key area of investigation. By optimizing these parameters the aim is to maximize freshwater production while minimizing energy consumption. Thirdly, the economic viability of the hybrid plant will be assessed. This involves considering capital investment, conducting a comprehensive cost analysis, maintenance costs, and operational expenses. The study also evaluates the potential for revenue generation through the sale of excess electricity produced by the system. The potential outcomes of this research include demonstrating the technical-feasibility as well as economic-viability of the hybrid desalination and power generation plant. The findings may indicate that this approach can effectively address water scarcity challenges while contributing to clean energy production. The study may also highlight the environmental benefits of integrating renewable energy sources (RESs) and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional desalination methods.The proposed method is executed in MATLAB platform and compared to various existing approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a modified conditional value‐at‐risk interval two‐stage stochastic programming coordination model (MCITSP) for water allocation and illustrates its advantages in risk aversion and pollution control. We analyze its performance in maintaining the equity of water use in various sectors, which is specifically reflected in the water satisfaction of multiple users. In this paper, the MCITSP model and original ITSP model are applied to the case of the Hanjiang River Basin, and three scenarios of water availability are set up to provide theoretical support for water allocation. Our results show that the MCITSP model with a higher risk coefficient has a stronger ability to avoid risks. The MCITSP model simultaneously controls pollutant discharge and guarantees economic benefits, making it superior to the ITSP model under different scenarios. Water shortages primarily affect the agricultural sector, due to its high water demand and low economic value, and the MCITSP model plays a positive role in maintaining equity and coordinating water conflicts among multiple users. Managers can choose appropriate model parameters according to their preferences to formulate more reasonable decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal water supply infrastructure systems (CWSISs) are exposed to saltwater intrusion (SWI) exacerbated by sea level rise (SLR) stressors. However, most existing definitions of CWSIS resilience are confined to the system's global severity, while uncertainties from SLR are not considered. In this paper, we develop a CWSIS model considering uncertainties from SLR and define a new formula for resilience based on three components of system severity, i.e., social severity (SevS) affected by water shortages to end users, regional severity (SevR) caused by water shortages in water treatment plants (WTPs), and technological severity (SevT) considering water shortages in wells. A case study in Xingcheng is designed to (1) examine the resilience response of CWSISs to future SLR, (2) identify vulnerable components, and (3) compare the cost-effectiveness of different measures for enhancing resilience using scenario analysis with full consideration of future uncertainties from SLR. This paper contributes to the development of sustainability assessments for urban water systems subject to future sea level change. Finding response measures with high adaptiveness across a variety of future scenarios is crucial for establishing a sustainable urban water system in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce an optimal control approach to Richards' equation in an irrigation framework, aimed at minimizing water consumption while maximizing root water uptake. We first describe the physics of the nonlinear model under consideration, and then develop the first-order necessary optimality conditions of the associated boundary control problem. We show that our model provides a promising framework to support optimized irrigation strategies, thus facing water scarcity in irrigation. The characterization of the optimal control in terms of a suitable relation with the adjoint state of the optimality conditions is then used to develop numerical simulations on different hydrological settings, that support the analytical findings of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The advantages of degradable resins in the recycling process of CFCs are highlighted. • The application of WCFs in cement-based materials, lithium-ion battery materials, and other functional fields is analyzed. • The possible problems of carbon fiber recycling methods are added, and future directions for improvement are proposed. Carbon fiber composites (CFCs) are widely used in modern industry with their excellent properties. However, a large amount of CFCs waste has been produced because of the limitations of the processing technology and service life. And in the next 20 years, the amount of waste will increase dramatically, resulting in environmental pollution and waste of resources. How to efficiently recycle and reuse CFCs is a common problem faced by mankind. Facing the shortages of traditional recycling technology, this paper focuses on the recycling of CFCs by various new degradable resins, including degradation conditions, degradation mechanism and degradation effect. Meanwhile, the application of waste carbon fibers (WCFs) in cement-based materials (Mechanical and electrical conductivity, etc.), lithium-ion battery materials, thermoelectric materials, and other functional fields (Fillers, electromagnetic shielding, and parts manufacturing, etc.) are described in detail. The recycling of WCFs is imperative, but the traditional resin is not easily degradable, which is the biggest obstacle to the recycling of WCFs. Degradable resin-based CFCs has huge application prospects in the future. With appropriate recycling techniques, the strength of WCFs will be lost by 5 % to 50 %, but it still meets the requirements for use in construction materials and some industrial fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coal-based carbon nanomaterials (CCN) with a diameter of 30 nm have been exploited. • The multiscale CCN/filler paper evaporators are fabricated for solar-driven interface desalination. • High evaporation rate of ∼1.40 kg m-2h−1 and efficiency of ∼90.1% achieved under one sun irradiation. • Clean water meeting the WHO standard for freshwater is produced at the evaporation rate of ∼6.48 kg m−2 day−1. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is considered as an effective and environmental-friendly pathway to address the issues of water shortages and pollution. Small-size evaporators with high evaporation rates based on expensive materials and complex preparation processes have been widely reported. However, attentions have rarely focused on the methods for continuous mass production of photo-thermal active materials, with which to develop a low-cost, efficient, and simple production evaporator with high performance. Herein, using low-cost materials such as coal-based carbon nanomaterial (CCN) based on wet ball milling and commercial filter paper, the CCN/filter paper evaporators are fabricated via solution impregnation method for solar-driven interface desalination. As a result, the CCN/filter paper evaporator under optimized conditions can achieve an evaporation rate of 1.40 kg m-2h−1 and conversion efficiency of 90.1%, even works in a 10% wt% NaCl solution, as well as stably working 10 h with an evaporation rate of 1.35 kg m-2h−1 without salt accumulation. Importantly, the large-scale evaporator developed for outdoor experiment can produce freshwater that meets the drinking water standard of WHO at an evaporation rate of about 6.48 kg m−2 day−1. The work demonstrates a simple and effective strategy for producing membrane evaporator with high-performance solar steam generation and superior salt rejection capability at low cost from a laboratory scale to an industrial scale, which can potentially be utilized in efficient, long-term and stable seawater desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Solar steam generation has proven to be a sustainable method to handle water shortage. Various materials for solar steam generation have been introduced in the past few years. However, the utilization of tedious and complicated synthesis to generate a photoactive layer is a matter of concern in the fabrication solar steam generation devices. Thus, improved methods toward cost‐effectiveness by exploring economical materials with simple manufacturing process are urgently and essentially needed. In this study, we first report on manufacturing hybrid membranes using commercially accessible materials, that is, cellulose paper and pencil graphite. The proposed method is to trace and coat a cellulose paper directly with a pencil without the use of solvents and chemicals, and it is possible to create an ecofriendly photoactive layer without a complicated process. The formed pencil graphite‐traced membranes were successfully utilized in solar steam generation and showed excellent steam generation rate of 4.32 kg/m2h which is almost 3.5 times more than that of pristine membrane at solar intensity of 3 Sun. The developed method could be widely utilized in the field of solar steam generation, since it is very facile and simple, and can be integrated to other commonly used materials for solar steam generation such as fabric and wood. In addition, on‐site production is possible, so it has a potential to be utilized in remote and resource‐limited areas for steam generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying sound strategies to manage climate risks requires understanding complex systems, characterised by; a large number of potential factors that interact; multiple stakeholder constituencies with diverse values, deep and dynamic uncertainties. This paper assesses the general understanding and dominant narrative regarding climate change in particular societies in order to track the trends regarding the management of climate risk. In this regard, this paper considers climate risk from a Zimbabwean perspective between 1980 and 2021. The assessment of climate risk in Zimbabwe took cognisance of the fact that climate change is a subject that has received a considerable amount of attention in Zimbabwean focused literature. As such, secondary data were used to understand the dominant narratives regarding climate risk in Zimbabwe. The climate risk discussion in Zimbabwe has significantly grown over past four decades nonetheless, it is evident that the dominant narrative is biased towards climate change adaptation particularly on aspects of agricultural and livelihoods sensitivity from a water scarcity perspective. Other adaptation components such as the exposure to hazards, indigenous knowledge systems, ecological and infrastructure vulnerability, communication and gender dimensions of climate change also form the bulk of issues that dominate the adaptation centred narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation, evolution and regeneration of water resources follow the general laws of nature. However, in recent years, with the increasing social and economic activities of human beings, the hydrological cycle of nature has undergone significant changes, which has led to a prominent contradiction in the water supply-demand. It has also led to a series of serious environmental and ecological problems, which have caused certain areas, such as the Tarim River Basin (TRB) to face severe conditions of water shortage, downstream river channel cutoff, vegetation degradation and ecological environment deterioration. The lack of water is the main problem to solve these problems, and the water resource reproducible ability, now and in the future, is the key to solving the core problem of water shortage. Through collecting data of precipitation, runoff and temperature of representative hydrographic stations of the Tarim River, as well as the data of geographical location and human activities, this paper studies the factors affecting the water resource reproducible ability in the TRB. The paper draws the following conclusions: (1) The water resource reproducible ability in the source flow area of TRB is increasingwhen the temperature and precipitation is increasing. (2) The water resource reproducible ability in the west of TRB is greater than that in the east. (3) With the elevation of the topography, the water resource reproducible ability in the TRB is stronger. (4) Human activities weaken the water resource reproducible ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice has a high water requirement, but water use efficiency (WUE) in rice has always been low, and the status of rice WUE and the factors influencing it in various countries around the world is currently unclear. Therefore, this paper collected 56 articles from 2000 to 2022, through which WUE data from different countries and different provinces in China were collated, and the effects of various water‐saving irrigation technologies on WUE of rice and irrigation water use were analysed using the method of Meta‐analysis. The results of this paper show that rice WUE is low in most countries, with the lowest WUE of 0.28 kg/m3 in Thailand and the highest WUE of 1.25 kg/m3 in Bangladesh among the countries included in this study, and flood irrigation is used in most countries. Compared to flood irrigation, all water‐saving irrigation involved can increase rice WUE and reduce irrigation water input, alternate wet and dry irrigation (W1), and controlled irrigation (W2) were able to increase the WUE of rice by 49.86%, 84.74%, and reduce the irrigation water input by 36.55%, 39.55% respectively. Among the six types of water‐saving irrigation input, dry cultivation (W3) had the most significant effect on increasing WUE and reducing irrigation water, reaching 2.02 times and 67.53%, respectively. Based on the annual rainfall (R) and the application of water‐saving irrigation in Asia, sub‐regionally applicable water‐saving irrigation technologies are recommended. W3 is recommended when R <200 mm, W2 is recommended when 200 mm < R < 800 mm, and W1/W2/shallow alternate wet and dry irrigation (W5) is recommended when R >800 mm. According to the data collected in this paper, W1, W2, W3, and W5 can save 3.40 × 1011 m3, 3.78 × 1011 m3, 2.52 × 108 m3, 2.22 × 1011 m3 of irrigation water, respectively. Based on the calculations in this paper, different water‐saving irrigation techniques can save 3.50 × 1011 m3 of water in Asia according to the recommendations. To promote water‐saving irrigation technology, countries need to formulate policies to ensure the development of water‐saving irrigation technology, raise farmers' awareness of water conservation, and provide training and financial support. Promoting the use of different water‐saving irrigation technologies for different regions can significantly reduce irrigation water and increase the WUE of rice, which is important in addressing the challenges of global water scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including disaster prediction and risk assessment, crop risk insurance, and Variable Fuzzy Set Assessment Model to assess water shortage risks in Yangtze River Delta, China.

Millions of urbanites across the Global South receive intermittent water supply (IWS). This paper examines how discretionary action by street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) in everyday water supply planning in IWS systems redistributes water quantities and service quality to alleviate unequal scarcity burdens. Ethnographic findings from the small city of Tiruppur, India, reveal that SLBs' supply plans aim to distribute water volumes equitably within the network. However, SLBs' communicative strategies to manage socio-material uncertainties and improve supply predictability, a critical dimension of service quality, reinforce existing socio-spatial inequalities. Rethinking SLBs' contradictory discretionary actions in everyday water supply plans is crucial for managing water scarcity equitably in the IWS systems of Global South cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal water supply through truck-to-cistern systems is common in northern Canada. Household satisfaction and concerns about water services likely impact user preferences and practices. This case study explores household perspectives and challenges with regard to domestic access to water in a decentralized truck-to-cistern system. A case study was conducted in the Northern Village of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik (Quebec, Canada). A paper-based questionnaire was completed by 65 households (one quarter of the population). Many households (37%) reported not drinking tap water from the truck-to-cistern system. Chlorine taste was a frequently reported concern, with those households being significantly less likely to drink water directly from the tap (p = 0.002). Similarly, households that reported a water shortage in the previous week (i.e., no water from the tap at least once) (33%) were more likely to express dissatisfaction with delivered water quantity (rs = 0.395, p = 0.004). Interestingly, 77% of households preferred using alternative drinking water sources for drinking purposes, such as public tap at the water treatment plant, natural sources or bottled water. The study underscores the importance of considering household perspectives to mitigate the risks associated with service disruptions and the use of alternative sources for drinking purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, high resolution (HR) remote sensing images have brought significant changes to land cover monitoring. Monitoring water resources, a vital and scarce commodity for human survival, is a crucial aspect of land cover monitoring and forms the foundation for water resource allocation in regions facing shortages. Hence, a universal method is necessary to address this problem and handle large-scale water resources monitoring. We explore the network structure via improving the interpretability to reduce the network layers and propose a lightweight pixel-wise semantic segmentation model, which achieves waterbody extraction from GF-1 remote sensing images with high accuracy and high speed. The proposed model structure addresses both semantic segmentation for large and small waterbodies, extracting fine-grained edge and contour information from high-resolution feature maps. Additionally, it efficiently extracts multi-scale high-level semantic information using residual convolutional blocks and dilated convolutional blocks. The multi-scale feature maps are fused, and binary classification is predicted through Support Vector Machines (SVM). Furthermore, the paper introduces a model training method with an adaptive learning rate, reducing the overall training time. To validate the model's performance, remote sensing images from GF-1 are utilized to construct a dataset. Experimental results, compared with five models, demonstrate that the proposed method achieves the highest accuracy and least training time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of urban household water demand (UHWD) is significant to water resources' management, since it helps alleviate a city government's water scarcity burden. Uncertain time series analysis is a set of statistical techniques that use uncertainty theory to predict future values based on the previously observed values. This paper presents an uncertain time series model to predict the UHWD based on annual series data. The case of Handan, a Chinese city, is then analyzed to predict the local UHWD. The results show that the prediction accuracy of uncertain time series model is higher than that of the traditional UHWD prediction models. Meanwhile, uncertain time series model is easy to use for the data like UHWD series. Therefore, this study concludes that uncertain time series analysis is suitable for describing the UHWD series of cities similar to Handan city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy model is based on the 4R framework—reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover. While recycling was the primary focus in the past, the shortage of raw materials and the desire to reduce carbon footprints have led to a change in focus: end-of-life materials are now considered resources rather than waste. When discharged, end-of-life materials still possess properties that can be exploited. For this reason, a comprehensive characterization of reusable materials is mandatory to reduce waste and increase material availability. The reuse of waste materials, such as surgical masks, is of particular interest in giving people in disadvantaged contexts the opportunity to self-produce and self-install panels within their homes, with the dual result of improving indoor comfort and increasing human capital. This paper focuses on the identification of a possible second application for surgical face masks through experimental characterization. Panels made of masks were tested for water vapor permeability, thermal conductivity, and fire resistance and their use as insulating material in the building sector was discussed. Based on the results, surgical face masks are suitable as thermal insulating materials, do not pose safety concerns, and can reduce energy consumption and improve thermal comfort when installed indoors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water stays critical to global economic growth and human survival. Balochistan the largest Province of Pakistan is facing drought, water scarcity, and quality problems, which have adversely impacted the life of the community. The cause for conducting research across the province on water scarcity across the province was limited due to the accommodation, transportation, time constraint, and data collection. Primary and secondary data both data as collected. The primary data was based on questionnaire and the secondary one was taken from the literature. The results indicated that the water level has reached alarming levels, mainly due to subsidy on electric tube wells, indiscriminate installation of tube wells, violation of tube well spacing norms, high delta cropping, population increase, and poor drought management. The paper describes social and environmental consequences of water shortage issues and analyzes the causes of water scarcity including the mismanagement issues of water resources which has intensified over the years. To address the challenges of water scarcity and resource management, this study purposes to find out the reasons plus effects of water scarcity in Quetta city. Additionally, it will also suggest solutions to overcome the water scarcity problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is a sustainable and green desalination method with great prospects for development in today's severe water shortage problem. In this paper, a novel composite aerogel was prepared by hydrothermal method with sodium alginate (SA) and Cu2+ in the preparation process using reduced graphene oxide as photothermal material and cellulose nanofibers as substrate. The good hydrophilicity of nanocellulose makes the composite aerogel have strong capillary action and continuous water transport. The gel formed by ion exchange between SA and Cu2+ greatly improves dry and wet mechanical strength of the composite aerogel and ensures the stability of the evaporator for multiple recycling. Copper is doped by reduction of copper ion complexes and reduced graphene oxide have a synergistic effect to increase the photothermal response rate of the composite aerogel of 1.446 kg m−2 h−1 with evaporation efficiency of 84.87% under one standard solar irradiation. In addition, the purification of heavy metal ions, dye wastewater as well as acid and alkali solutions also has excellent results. It is expected that this study will provide some new ideas for the fields of seawater desalination and wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of climate change and the rapid growth of societies often lead to water scarcity and inadequate water quality, resulting in a significant number of diseases. The digitalization of infrastructure and the use of Digital Twins are presented as alternatives for optimizing resources and the necessary infrastructure in the water cycle. This paper presents a framework for the development of a Digital Twin platform for a wastewater treatment plant, based on a microservices architecture which optimized its design for edge computing implementation. The platform aims to optimize the operation and maintenance processes of the plant's systems, by employing machine learning techniques, process modeling and simulation, as well as leveraging the information contained in BIM models to support decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]