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Abstract In arid and semiarid regions of northwest China, there are abundant shallow coal reserves throughout the region, yet during the mining process, the shallow water resources available are typically depleted due to the formation of fractures in the shallow subsurface. Water-preserved mining is the only option for coal mining in arid regions of northwest China. Based on the geological and hydrogeological conditions of the study area, this paper investigates the basic conditions and mechanisms of goaf water storage. A time series model for goaf water storage is proposed, along with a method for estimating the quantity of goaf water storage. Finally, hydrochemical characteristics of mine water and water quality characteristics after purification in the study area were analyzed. As indicated by the analysis results, after simple purification, the goaf water can meet industrial, ecological and agricultural water consumption standards. In the end, combined with current monitoring results of goaf water pressure and the status of goaf water utilization in the study area, this paper describes the quantity and the effect of utilizing goaf water storage. Goaf water storage can effectively alleviate the scarcity of local production and domestic water, and provides the most effective approach of large-scale water-preserved mining of shallow coal seams in the arid regions of northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient reallocation and conjunctive operation of existing water supplies have been receiving increasing attention as the competition among water users are intensified in worldwide. In this paper, a market-based stochastic optimization model is developed to address inherent uncertainties and complexities in water resources planning in arid regions. This model can be used not only to explore the water conservation potential via three strategies as cropping pattern optimization, irrigation infrastructure improvement and water trading, but also to help generate related water policy that promote the local welfare and facilitate local cleaner production. A real case study of the pumping irrigation system located in Yellow River basin is conducted to demonstrate applicability of the proposed model. Our findings indicate that the adjusted cropping pattern significantly increases the irrigator's income by growing economic crops such as herb and wolfberry; meanwhile, it does not sacrifice the food production. With the efficient infrastructural development, substantial water resources are saved and traded to other industries, thereby stimulating the local economy. Optimum subsidization policy is identified to increase the local welfare by allowing seasonal water trading while lessening the financial burden of the local government. Image 1 • Bridged water market and irrigation management through mathematical programming. • Drought resiliency improved through various water conservation strategies. • Seasonal water trading was promoted through government subsidization policies. • Provided a sustainable and cleaner approach for arid-region agricultural production. • Several water policy scenarios were analyzed for decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water intensity, or environmental footprints, of global primary copper production have been estimated. The primary data have been collected from the sustainability reports published by copper producing mines, operations and companies. The mines analysed in this paper are from Australia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Laos, Papua New Guniea, South Africa, Turkey, Finland, the USA and Canada. The typical range of energy intensity was found to be 10–70 GJ/t Cu, with an average of 22.2 GJ/t Cu. The range of GHG emissions was 1–9 t CO2-e/t Cu, with an average of 2.6 t CO2-e/t Cu. The large variation exists largely due to the form of copper produced, ore grade, sources of fuel and electrical energy, and to a lesser extent the reporting methods and procedures used by the companies. The water footprint averages 70.4 kL/t Cu but can range from several kilolitres to up to 350 kL/t Cu. Variation in water intensity is generally due to inconsistencies in reporting method, the geographical location of the mining operations, limited economies of scale of production site, and the climate type (i.e. arid regions in Australia and Chile or temperate to sub-arctic climates in Canada or Finland). It is recommended that company sustainability reports should clearly specify fuel use by type for vehicles, heat or electrical energy, sources of electricity and their mixes (including GHG emissions factors), and the boundaries of the operation for meaningful use in life cycle assessment (LCA). Sustainability reports should be published at regular intervals so that improvements towards more sustainable performance can be measured, and an LCA of mining activities can be developed for primary copper production more readily. The paper provides a valuable insight into the strong value of sustainability reporting for an industrial sector such as copper mining and how such data can be linked to LCA studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is diffusely applied to areas with uniform precipitation distribution and gentle slopes. However, the SWAT has apparent defects in the process of ecohydrological simulation in mid-high latitudes and arid regions. This model can merely be used in agricultural catchments with gentle slopes and uniform rainfall, and the simulation is not suitable for high-altitude alpine catchment. To this point, this paper makes appropriate improvements to the runoff module, and specifically corrects the key sensitive parameters. The global sensitivity and performance assessment of the model's parameters were carried out before and after the improvement using the monthly data of runoff and evaporation from 1990 to 2018 in the Kaidu River basin in northwestern China. It is indicated that the Modified SWAT simulates the performance of monthly runoff and evapotranspiration better than the original SWAT, which overestimates the runoff volume throughout hydrological changes in different periods. Compared with the monthly water production under different land use/cover conditions, the highest water production was found in forest and grassland. By modifying the SWAT algorithm, the structural non-determinacy of the Modified SWAT is significantly reduced, and the adaptability of the model is improved. Thus, the Modified SWAT shows a better simulation performance in arid areas with considerable terrain variation and scarce rainfall data. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding spatiotemporal urbanization is one of the key questions related to sustainable urbanization in the drylands of northern China (DNC). However, urban expansion in the DNC has not been quantified and assessed effectively due to a lack of reliable data and methods. In this paper, we investigate urban expansion in the DNC at multiple scales, ranging from the whole region to four dryland subtypes, and six urban agglomerations in the DNC from 1992 to 2015. We also simulate urban expansion in the DNC from 2015 to 2050 by coupling the scenario framework of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) with the Land Use Scenario Dynamics-urban (LUSD-urban) model. Despite of the uncertainty in the research, our findings provide useful insight into the past and the future urban expansion in the DNC. The results indicate that the urban land in the DNC expanded rapidly from 4110 km 2 in 1992 to 20,969 km 2 in 2015. Furthermore, the urban land in the DNC will continue to expand from 20,969 km 2 to 22,987–36,622 km 2 by 2040, with an annual growth of 80.72–403.48 km 2 under all SSPs. Thus, it is suggested that effective measures are urgently needed to facilitate sustainable urban development in the DNC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are located in one of the most arid regions in the world with very less freshwater resources, and hence depending on desalination plants to tackle the water scarcity and satisfy the increasing water demand. However, several adverse effects are associated with the desalination process and thus many technologies are being implemented to reduce their environmental effects. In this paper, the GCC desalination plants, their capacities, socio-economic costs, the nature of the brine discharged, the energy demand and water production costs have been discussed. The review also features the different desalination policies in the GCC countries, their potential environmental impact, the emerging techniques, which reduces the negative impact of the desalination plants on the environment. Also, the different mitigation strategies to lower the environmental impacts of different conventional desalination techniques are analysed. This study has confirmed that the environmental impact assessment should be carried out before building a new desalination plant or prolonging the capacity of the prevailing one for limiting the adverse impact of the facility. The use of renewable energy in the desalination sector is recommended as an impressive idea to reduce the environmental impacts and huge energy costs associated. • GCC desalination policies reviewed. • Emerging desalination techniques in GCC discussed. • Examined the different strategies to lower its environmental impact. • Analysed different case studies based on desalination in GCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates the environmental sustainability and competitiveness perceptions of small farmers in a region in northern Brazil. The main data collection instruments included a survey questionnaire and an analysis of the region's strategic plan. In total, ninety-nine goat and sheep breeding farmers were surveyed. Data analysis methods included descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and chi-squared tests. The main results relate to the impact of education, land size, and location on the farmers' perceptions of competitiveness and environmental issues. Farmers with longer periods of education have higher perception scores about business competitiveness and environmental sustainability than those with less formal education. Farmers who are working larger land areas also have higher scores than those with smaller farms. Lastly, location can yield factors that impact on farmers' perceptions. In our study, farmers located in Angicos and Lajes had higher perception scores than Pedro Avelino and Afonso Bezerra, despite the geographical proximity of these municipalities. On the other hand, three other profile variables did not impact on farmers' perceptions, namely: family income, dairy production volume, and associative condition. The authors believe the results and insights can be extended to livestock farming in other developing countries and contribute generally to fostering effective sustainable development policies, mainly in the agribusiness sector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The determination of spatiotemporal variation in ecosystem service value and its drivers is fundamental to ecosystem service management and decision-making. This paper selects a typical oasis irrigation district in the arid regions of northwest China as the research object. Using the benefit transfer method to evaluate the ecosystem service value variation caused by land use and land cover change and characteristics of its spatial distribution based on multi-temporal land use and land cover data sets (1977, 1987, 1997, 2007, 2017). Meanwhile, the contributions of factors driving ecosystem service value and their interactions were explored using geographical detector. The results showed the following: 1) The land use and land cover structure was stable from 1977 to 2017, and the overall ecosystem service value increased slightly. The services provided by the oasis ecosystem dominated the fluctuations in ecosystem service value throughout the study region. 2) Ecosystem service value exhibited a strong positive spatial autocorrelation. The high values were concentrated in the oasis area in the north of the study area, while the low values mainly appeared in the desert ecosystem. 3) The land use degree and human activity intensity index of human factors are the main factors leading to the differentiation of ecosystem service value. Synergized interactions among human activities, changes in landscape patterns, and natural factors produced the spatial differentiation in ecosystem service value of the study region. The results suggest that in future decision-making for ecosystem management, the direction of human activities within the ecological environment should be controlled. Improve the diversity of patches, reduce the degree of landscape fragmentation, improve the ecosystem service function of LULC, optimize the allocation of ecological landscape resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability and change coupled with small landholdings, low land productivity and water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions contribute to environmental degradation, reduced agricultural productivity, and increased vulnerability to the rural communities. With the aid of the fuzzy cognitive maps constructed by 427 community groups with 4–5 members in each group, drawn from 96 villages in 12 districts of arid and semi-arid India, the paper evaluates the effectiveness of various adaptation pathways. The ongoing adaptations in arid and semi-arid India face adaptation deficits. The FCM-based simulations revealed that integrated adaptation measures that embrace nature-based solutions, including integrated water resource management, natural farming-assisted soil rejuvenation, and improved agricultural productivity are most likely to enhance the resilience of small and marginalised farming communities to climate variability and change. Facilitation of such adaptation measures requires inclusive and adaptive local institutions, sufficient financial assistance, and climate information services. Besides, gender-nuanced, inclusive, and adaptive governance and processes would be helpful for the implementation of appropriate adaptation interventions in arid and semi-arid drylands worldwide. Hence policy-makers must enable polycentric and adaptive governance, and inclusive institutions and processes. The emphasis on multiple factors in a socio-ecological system often makes it difficult to understand the critical role of a particular factor. However, the FCM-based simulations in this study helped us overcome such limitations. Image 1 • FCM-based simulations used to examine the effectiveness of current adaptations. • Current adaptations face adaptation deficit and provide limited resilience. • Integrated adaptations embracing nature-based solutions could provide resilience. • Lack of finance, technology, and locally relevant information are the key barriers. • Polycentric-adaptive governance and inclusive institutions & processes are crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the rapid development of economy, hydropower, as a kind of cleaner energy, is bringing in huge economic benefits, leading to the appearance of a great many of hydropower plants. Decades after the hydropower plants operation, series of quite serious ecological problems were brought in due to the changes in the natural flow. To restore the river ecosystem, this paper is making efforts on seeking series of operation schemes to balance the socio-economic and ecology benefits. Therefore, a simulation (Model-I) and an optimization (Model-II) operation model are established to provide a feasibility and a reasonable scheme for the multi-objective long-term and mid-term hydropower plant operation. To resolve the complex model, large-system coordinated decomposition method and an idea that efficiently narrows down the search space are used. The Irtysh River basin in China is selected as the study area to apply the model and make a trade-off to balance the water supply for socio-economics and ecology. The results show that the average annual power generation of hydropower plant group in Model-I is 2.5% more than that in Model-Ⅱ, both more than that of practical operation. In Model-I the water supply in dry year is far less than the minimum need (50%), but the Model-II provided a reasonable solution that the water supply in dry year is close to the median need (80%). Besides, the water supply for ecology in Model-II is obviously increased compared with Model-I, and the ratio increases from 56% to 86%, at the same time, the ratios to socio-economics are from 92% to 98%. Specially, the ratio of agricultural irrigation increases from 84% to 94%. In a word, the scheme meets the water requirements for socio-economics and ecology under considering the hydropower plants benefits, providing a scientific theoretical basis for water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating photovoltaic systems could be used to mitigate water supply issues by reducing the evaporation rate of water bodies such as weirs. This paper aims to estimate the potential evaporation prevented and the potential electrical energy generated by the installation of floating photovoltaic systems in specific weirs of the Brazilian semiarid region. Moreover, an economic feasibility analysis is carried out regarding energy and water supply. A net present value approach was used to conduct this analysis. The software System Advisor Model was employed to simulate and compare the performance of two photovoltaic systems in the region: floating and ground-mounted. Three scenarios of the surface cover are considered for the weirs: 1) the average area occupied by dead storage of all weirs; 2) 50% of the total area of weirs; 3) 70% of the total area of weirs. Results show that the installation of floating photovoltaic systems over weirs of the Apodi/Mossoró basin would potentially preserve 20.6 Mm³ of water in scenario 1, 83.3 Mm³ in 2 and 124.3 Mm³ in 3. The annual electricity generation estimated in scenarios 1, 2, and 3 is 2.3 TWh, 8.6 TWh, and 12 TWh, respectively. Financial results show that when energy and water cash flows are considered together, payback time diminishes, and the project becomes more economically feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing multiple ecosystem services (ESs) to facilitate synergy benefits is a crucial but challenging task for sustainable development, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In this paper, the Inner Mongolia was used as a case study to systematically analyze the spatial trade-offs and synergies between 12 ESs consisting of 88 counties using the framework of ecosystem service bundle. We mapped ES distribution and then analyzed the relationships between ESs using Spearman correlation and hotspot/coldspot overlay analysis. In addition, ES bundles were identified using a self-organizing mapping network and the socio-ecological variables that drive the different ESs were explored using redundancy analysis. The results revealed complex spatial interactions between various ESs in Inner Mongolia due to water limitations. ES distribution and ES relationships correlated with gradients in biophysical and socioeconomic factors such as slope, precipitation, temperature, soil properties, and population density, and formed five types of ES bundles. These findings not only promote a clear understanding of the complex relationships among regional ESs, but lay a foundation for exploring win-win management strategies of ecological conservation and social-economic development in arid and semi-arid regions. • 12 ecosystem services were assessed at the county scale in Inner Mongolia. • Complex spatial interactions occurred between pairwise ecosystem services. • Self-organizing map method identified five types of ecosystem service bundles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In remote communities of the Brazilian semiarid, water obtained from groundwater wells is brackish and usually non-potable. Solar photovoltaic reverse osmosis (PVRO) system has been proposed as a viable alternative to produce clean water for isolated communities in different areas around the world. This paper presents the techno-economic feasibility of using small-scale PVRO systems in Brazilian semiarid communities. Detailed design model and economic analysis are provided to assess PVRO system performance. The results of the techno-economic analysis are integrated into a Geographical Information System (GIS) to provide maps of potential water production, levelized water cost, and energy consumption based on available brackish water salinity and solar input data. The model predicts that a 10 m3/day proposed system capacity can produce water at a levelized cost ranging from 1.44 to 1.65 US$/m3. This is enough to sustain the basic water needs of 250 people for 2 days. Moreover, land required for the solar PV panels ranges from 26 to 33 m2. The outcomes of this research integrated with the GIS maps are a powerful tool to demonstrate the techno-economic feasibility to implement this system for remote communities in the Brazilian semiarid. Designing small-scale PVRO systems for the Brazilian semiarid. Image 10398 • Solar photovoltaic reverse osmosis desalination system is a feasible option for Brazilian semiarid region. • Levelized water cost in the region is less than 1.65 $/m3. • The photovoltaic panels require a land footprint in the range of 26–34 m2. • The 10 m3 produced freshwater capacity is enough for 250 people for 2 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization of the urban landscape composition and configuration through initiative planning is important to sustainable development of the drylands of northern China (DNC). Taking the agro-pastoral transitional zone of northern China (APTZNC) as an example, this paper developed an approach of sustainable urban landscape planning (SULP) under the stress of climate change in the DNC. First, we quantify the amount of water resources under the future climate change impacts (CCI). Then, we adjust the urban land area based on water resources carrying capacity constraints. Finally, we use the LUSD-urban (Land Use Scenario Dynamics-urban) model to adjust the configuration of the urban landscape to avoid occupying important natural habitats and corridors, prime croplands, and floodplains. We find that the SULP can effectively mitigate the comprehensive effects of regional urban landscape dynamics on water resources, food security, ecological security, and flood risks. By performing the SULP, prime croplands, floodplains, and important natural habitats and corridors occupied by urban land will decrease by 2,187 km2, 750 km2, and 130 km2, respectively, during the period of 2015–2050 in the APTZNC. We also find that the proposed approach can effectively manage the impacts of climate change on water resource capacity and reduce water stress of the entire APTZNC and its sub-regions. Thus, the proposed SULP approach and the experiences from the case study in the APTZNC are helpful for guiding urban landscape planning to achieve sustainable development of cities in the DNC and even in the drylands around the world. • Sustainable urban landscape planning under the stress of climate change was performed. • Urban land area was adjusted based on water resources carrying capacity constraints. • Urban landscape configuration was adjusted to avoid occupying important areas. • The planning can mitigate the comprehensive effects of urban landscape dynamics. • Addressing the climate change impacts should be incorporated into urban landscape planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]