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In the late stage of underground brine mining in salt lakes, the method of injecting fresh water is often used to extract the salt from the brine storage medium. This method of freshwater displacement breaks the original water–rock equilibrium and changes the evolution process of the original underground brine. To explore the mechanism of salt release in saline water-bearing media under conditions of relatively fresh lake water dissolution, this paper analyzes the changes in the chemical parameters of brine from 168 sampling points in the Mahai salt lake in the Qaidam Basin at three stages (before exploitation, during exploitation, and late exploitation) by correlation analysis, ion ratio analysis, and other methods and investigate the variations in porosity and the evolution laws of brine. The results show that the changes in the main ion content and brine mineralization during the exploitation process are small. The changes in Ca2+ content are significant due to the low solubility of calcium minerals, the precipitation of gypsum during the mixing process, and the adsorption of cations by alternating with Ca2+. Primary intergranular pore skeletons are easily corroded to form secondary pores, which increase the geological porosity. Na+ and Cl- are the dominant ions in the brine in the study area, but the concentration of Ca2 + decreased significantly under the influence of mining, by 41.7% in the middle period and 24.5% in the late period. The correlation between Ca2+ and salinity changes significantly in different mining stages, and the reason for the decrease of Ca2+ may be due to the influence of mineral dissolution, mixing, and anion-cation exchange. The porosity of the layer in the study area showed the opposite trend of Ca2+, and the porosity increased first and then decreased. The innovation of this paper lies in analyzing the reasons and mechanisms of the disturbance of artificial dissolution mining on stratum structure by comparing the hydrochemical characteristics and porosity of underground brine storage media in three different mining stages. The research in this paper provides a theoretical basis for the calculation of brine resource reserves and the sustainable development of underground brine in salt lake areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainable economic development as the core promotes socio-economic progress and rapid economic development. Nevertheless, in the new era of China, the contradiction between socio-economic development and environmental sustainability is still prominent. In order to deal with the coordinated development relationship among regional economy, energy, and environment, this paper constructs an energy-economy-environment (3E) index system from the perspective of green development and ecological integrity. On this basis, the distance-based coupling coordinated degree (CCD) model and dynamically comprehensive coordination degree model were used to evaluate the coupling coordinated development levels of 11 provinces (cities) along the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2008 to 2017. Then, a spatial econometric model was used to explore the spatial effects of the regional 3E system of the YREB. The results indicated that (1) the overall coordination of the 3E system in the provinces (cities) along the YREB shows an increasing trend. However, change paths varied with the provinces (cities) due to the influence of regional policies; (2) the CCD of the 3E system in the YREB differed spatially significantly, showing a stepped distribution of "high in the east and low in the west"; (3) the 3E system in the YREB had a positive spatial correlation and showed the characteristics of aggregation, with Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces mainly showing "high-high" agglomeration and Sichuan showing "high-low" aggregation, while the rest of the provinces had the characteristics of random distribution in terms of spatial effects. The research process and results show that combining the ecological civilization concept and the CCD model can provide the vision and indicators for evaluating and researching the regional 3E system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conjunction with socioeconomic development in watersheds, increasingly challenging problems, such as scarcity of water resources and environmental deterioration, have arisen. Watershed management is a useful tool for dealing with these issues and maintaining sustainable development at the watershed scale. The complex and uncertain characteristics of watershed systems have a great impact on decisions about countermeasures and other techniques that will be applied in the future. An optimization method based on scenario analysis is proposed in this paper as a means of handling watershed management under uncertainty. This method integrates system analysis, forecast methods, and scenario analysis, as well as the contributions of stakeholders and experts, into a comprehensive framework. The proposed method comprises four steps: system analyses, a listing of potential engineering techniques and countermeasures, scenario analyses, and the optimal selection of countermeasures and engineering techniques. The proposed method was applied to the case of the Lake Qionghai watershed in southwestern China, and the results are reported in this paper. This case study demonstrates that the proposed method can be used to deal efficiently with uncertainties at the watershed level. Moreover, this method takes into consideration the interests of different groups, which is crucial for successful watershed management. In particular, social, economic, environmental, and resource systems are all considered in order to improve the applicability of the method. In short, the optimization method based on scenario analysis proposed here is a valuable tool for watershed management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental threats and progressive degradation of natural resources are considered critical impediments to sustainable development. This paper reports on a participatory impact assessment of alternative soil and water conservation (SWC) scenarios in the Oum Zessar watershed, Tunisia. The first objective was to assess the impact of three SWC scenarios on key social, economic and environmental land use functions. The second objective was to test and evaluate the applicability of the 'Framework for Participatory Impact Assessment (FoPIA)' for assessing scenario impacts in the context of a developing country, in this case Tunisia. The assessed scenarios included: the originally planned SWC policy implementation at 85 % coverage of arable land of the watershed, the current implementation (70 %), and a hypothetical expansion of SWC measures to the entire watershed (100 %). Our results suggest that implementation of the SWC policy at 100 % coverage of arable land achieves the maximum socioeconomic benefit. However, if stakeholders' preferences regarding land use functions are taken into account, and considering the fact that the implementation of SWC measures also implies some negative changes to traditional landscapes and the natural system, SWC implementation at 85 % coverage of arable land might be preferable. The FoPIA approved to be a useful tool for conducting a holistic sustainability impact assessment of SWC scenarios and for studying the most intriguing sustainability problems while providing possible recommendations towards sustainable development. We conclude that participatory impact assessment contributes to an enhanced regional understanding of key linkages between policy effects and sustainable development, which provides the foundation for improved policy decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatially explicit population data can play an important role in studies on environment and sustainability. Several gridded datasets on the present population exist, but global data on future populations are largely lacking. This paper presents a dataset covering three global population forecasts for the period 1990–2100 at 0.5-degrees resolution. The basis for these forecasts is the SRES scenarios developed for the IPCC climate-modeling framework. In addition, a gridded dataset of urban and rural populations for the period 1990–2050 is presented. To illustrate how the datasets can be used, future changes in population density and urbanization were analyzed for some of the world’s major river basins. This analysis shows that the population density in the Ganges basin, which is already very high, is likely to increase considerably. The highest future increase rates were found in some African and Middle-Eastern basins. The population dataset for 2015 was compared with one previously published gridded dataset. The comparison shows some differences in population density, mainly in small, highly urbanized coastal river basins, while for large basins, the two datasets agree fairly well. We hope that the datasets here presented will prove to be a useful resource also for other researchers of global environmental change and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the influence of climate alteration and human activities, the hydrological regime of rivers is changing dramatically, which has become a hot spot for water environment research. In this study, we quantitatively assessed the degree of hydrological variability of the Jialing River and the contribution of climate alteration and human activities to hydrological alterations using the ecohydrological indicator range of alteration (IHA-RVA) method and Budyko hypothesis formulations. The results showed that (1) The average annual runoff and the precipitation of Jialing River showed a decreasing trend, the potential evapotranspiration showed an increasing trend. (2) Compared with before the hydrological situation changed, the degree of alteration in the annual extreme streamflow is 31%, which is a low degree of alteration; the degree of alteration in monthly streamflow, annual extreme flow magnitude, extreme flow ephemeris, and streamflow alteration frequency are 51%, 43%, 54%, and 64% respectively, which are all moderate degrees of alteration; the overall hydrological alteration is 50%, which belongs to moderate alteration. (3) The contribution of precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and human activities to the runoff alteration is 61%, − 16%, and 55%, respectively. This study provides corresponding references for ecological restoration and sustainable development of the Yangtze River Basin in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Truths of the Riverscape refer to the use of geomorphological principles to inform sustainable approaches to nature-based river management. Across much of the world a command-and-control philosophy continues to assert human authority over rivers. Tasked to treat rivers as stable and predictable entities, engineers have 'fixed rivers in place' and 'locked them in time'. Unsustainable outcomes ensue. Legacy effects and path dependencies of silenced and strangled (zombified) rivers are difficult and increasingly expensive to address. Nature fights back, and eventually it wins, with disastrous consequences for the environment, society, culture and the economy. The failure to meet the transformative potential of nature-based applications is expressed here as a disregard for 'Truths of the Riverscape'. The first truth emphasises the imperative to respect diversity, protecting and/or enhancing the distinctive values and attributes of each and every river. A cross-scalar (nested hierarchical) lens underpins practices that 'know your catchment'. The second truth envisages management practices that work with processes, interpreting the behaviour of each river. This recognises that erosion and deposition are intrinsic functions of a healthy living river—in appropriate places, at appropriate rates. This premise underpins the third truth, assess river condition, highlighting the importance of what to measure and what to measure against in approaches that address the causes rather than the symptoms of unexpected river adjustment. The fourth truth interprets evolutionary trajectory to determine what is realistically achievable in the management of a given river system. Analysis of whether the river sits on a degradation or recovery pathway (i.e., condition is deteriorating or improving), alongside assessment of catchment-specific recovery potential, is used to foresight river futures. Viewed collectively, Truths of the Riverscape provide a coherent platform to develop and apply proactive and precautionary catchment management plans that address concerns for biodiversity loss and climate change adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work emphasizes the need for sustainable river basin planning and management, which is considered as a pre-requisite for socioeconomic and cultural development of a nation. Since the pollution and abstraction of riverine water resources for various purposes are inevitable, an effective decision-making and policy implementation are needed to strike a balance between the development and sustainability. Keeping these concerns in view, the study provides a novel decision-making approach for rejuvenating major river across the globe by trying to achieve following objectives: (a) providing a scientific in-depth discussion about the inter-related and complex threats and challenges; (b) assessing the success and limitations of earlier and recent programmes initiated by government for rejuvenating river basin; (c) developing strength–weakness–opportunities–threats matrix to derive policies; and (d) procuring the opinions of multiple stakeholders at all levels to suggest best strategies for reaching sustainability goals. A case study of one of the heavily polluted river basins of the world, namely Ganges, India, has been considered for demonstrating the decision-making approach. The study proposes certain modifications in the current policies, and also some innovative strategic policies are recommended to strengthen the task of achieving development of the river basin in an integrated and sustainable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and use of indicators is common practice in efforts to promote sustainable development of water use systems. Building on the balanced network structure derived from the analysis of ecological information, in this study, we proposed a conceptual model and the network structure index (NSI), a new indicator that includes network efficiency and resilience. Furthermore, considering the need to cover measures of the state of water use systems, we combined the NSI with conventional multi-dimensional indicators including economic, social, and environmental factors to form an aggregated index for a more thorough and practical sustainability measurement. Based on the proposed new indicators, we used the four sub-basins of China's Huaihe River as case studies. The goal of this study is to develop a new metric incorporating whole-system attributes for assessing the sustainability of water use systems. It represents the first attempt to provide a more reliable methodological tool to advance current assessments of sustainable water use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ecological Water Transfer and Rehabilitation Project in the arid inland area of northwest China is an important measure in restoring a deteriorated ecosystem. However, the sustainability of the project is affected by many socio-economic factors. This article examines the attitudes of the local populace toward the project, its impact on the livelihood of the people, and the positive effects of water-efficient agricultural practices in Ejina County. Related data were collected through questionnaire surveys and group discussions. The results identified three critical issues that may influence the sustainability of the project in the study area. The first issue relates to the impact of the project on the livelihood of local herdsmen. The potential for the sustainability of the project is compromised because the livelihood of the herdsmen greatly depends on the compensation awarded by the project. The second issue is that the project did not raise the water resource utilization ratio, which may undermine its final purpose. Finally, the compensation provided by the project considers losses in agriculture, but neglects the externalities and public benefit of eco-water. Thus, appropriate compensation mechanisms should be established and adopted according to local economic, environmental, and social conditions. Some recommendations for improving the sustainability of the project are provided based on the results of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the quality and suitability of waters in the Kor-Sivand river basin, 60 water samples from the Kor river and 90 water samples from wells in the basin were studied. Assessments were based on Piper's and Gibbs' diagrams for water quality, Food and Agricultural Organization's (FAO) guidelines, and US Salinity Laboratory diagram for water suitability. The results showed that the river water is of Ca-HCO type, while well water is of Ca-Cl and Na-Cl type. Based on Gibbs' diagram, the source of soluble ions in the river water samples is the weathering of stones over which water flows, while evaporation was found to be the dominant process in the ion concentration of the well samples. According to the FAO Guidelines, the salinity of surface water for irrigation did not cause great restrictions; however, many of these waters could create potential permeability problems. In the groundwater samples, a high salt concentration is more important than the infiltration problem. Mg hazard values at some sites limit its use for agricultural purposes. One third of the river water samples and two thirds of well waters had more than 50% magnesium. Saturation indices showed that 94% of the analyzed water samples are supersaturated with calcite, aragonite, and dolomite. Based on the US Salinity Laboratory diagram, river water samples were classified as CS and CS, while CS, CS, CS, and CS were the most dominant classes in well samples. Some management practices necessary for sustainable development of water resources in the study area were discussed briefly, including appropriate selection of crops, adequate drainage, leaching, blending and cyclic use of saline water, proper irrigation method, and addition of soil amendment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Barekese Reservoir is a facility for reserving water for treatment and subsequent consumption by the populace of the Kumasi conurbation and its environs. The reservoir provides over 80% of the total public water supply to the Kumasi locale and is plagued by persistent degradation through human activities throughout the catchment. This situation raises concern on the regional deterioration of water quality and quantity. We present the attitudes of local communities towards their involvement in river water management and the sustainable exploitation of natural resources. We administered both open ended and closed structured questionnaires in seven communities in the reservoir catchment. The results revealed that individual residents in these communities have not been involved in the management of the reservoir, adversely affecting goals of sustainable management. Our study concludes with direct policy recommendations and applications in four specific areas to arrive at sustainable management of the facility by involving affected communities through their inclusion in: ongoing and proposed project development as shareholders; the review of existing environmental legislation; adopting of indigenous knowledge in management institutions; and the re-introduction of norms and traditions within the communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable land cover changes have occurred in the Luvuvhu catchment in northeastern South Africa in the past two decades. These changes are associated with human population growth and may be contributing to observed reductions in winter river baseflows and increased episodes of river drying within Kruger National Park. Six-class land cover maps of the catchment were created from 1978 (MSS) and 2005 (TM) Landsat imagery using an iterative technique. Results indicate a 1,000 km2 (12%) increase in Bare Ground between 1978 and 2005, with a concomitant decrease in shrubland and indigenous forest cover. Overall classification accuracy in the 2005 image was 80%. Classification was most accurate for Water and Pine classes (100 and 92%) and least accurate for Indigenous Forest (46%), primarily due to misclassification as Shrubland. These maps are suitable for land cover change and landscape modeling analyses, and can serve as baseline data for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban and suburban areas, stormwater runoff is a primary stressor on surface waters. Conventional urban stormwater drainage systems often route runoff directly to streams and rivers, thus exacerbating pollutant inputs and hydrologic disturbance, and resulting in the degradation of ecosystem structure and function. Decentralized stormwater management tools, such as low impact development (LID) or water sensitive urban design (WSUD), may offer a more sustainable solution to stormwater management if implemented at a watershed scale. These tools are designed to pond, infiltrate, and harvest water at the source, encouraging evaporation, evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, and re-use of stormwater. While there are numerous demonstrations of WSUD practices, there are few examples of widespread implementation at a watershed scale with the explicit objective of protecting or restoring a receiving stream. This article identifies seven major impediments to sustainable urban stormwater management: (1) uncertainties in performance and cost, (2) insufficient engineering standards and guidelines, (3) fragmented responsibilities, (4) lack of institutional capacity, (5) lack of legislative mandate, (6) lack of funding and effective market incentives, and (7) resistance to change. By comparing experiences from Australia and the United States, two developed countries with existing conventional stormwater infrastructure and escalating stream ecosystem degradation, we highlight challenges facing sustainable urban stormwater management and offer several examples of successful, regional WSUD implementation. We conclude by identifying solutions to each of the seven impediments that, when employed separately or in combination, should encourage widespread implementation of WSUD with watershed-based goals to protect human health and safety, and stream ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure on the world’s water resources is increasing, restraining social and economic development in many countries, and threatening ecological values in others. In order to manage water resources in a more sustainable manner, new planning methodologies/processes for river basin management need to be developed. This study attempts to construct a set of useable normative criteria for the analysis and evaluation of such processes. The criteria were designed as a response to the lack of deductive approaches in the evaluation of methodologies and working procedures used in the context of river basin management, making it possible to highlight their potential for sustainable development. The criteria are based on the twin concepts of participation and integration. These concepts function as well-established dimensions of both sustainable development and sustainable river basin management, and they are of significant methodological relevance. A synthesis of the key aspects connected to the two concepts is undertaken, based on a broad literature review. Focus is laid on how in methodological terms, and in relation to regional water management, to achieve participation and integration in a decision-making or planning process. The criteria are concerned with how knowledge and values are integrated into the planning process and how commitment, legitimacy, or acceptance for the resulting plan is generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in demand of building stones and construction-grade sand has resulted in aggressive hard rock quarrying in many parts of the world. The problems are to be evaluated in detail for the judicious use of resources on the one hand and ensuring health of the ecosystems on the other. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of hard rock quarrying on one of the important twin - river basins in SW India, the Netravati–Gurpur river basin, which hosts the fast developing urban centre, the Mangalore city. A total of 64 hard rock quarries are located in the basin which together extracts about 6.75 million t y−1 of rocks/rock products for different purposes. An assessment of the impacts of quarrying using the rapid impact assessment matrix (RIAM) reveals marginal, short-term positive impacts in economic-operational components but major negative impacts on all the other environmental components. The study indicates that the present intensity of quarrying is unsustainable with a sustainability index of − 0.25. Therefore, hard rock quarrying in the study area is to be strictly regulated for bringing down the river basin degradation to the barest minimum level and maximizing the ecosystem benefits to its full potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed at assessing tourism potential of a place to meet requirements of sustainable development policies. We studied the Haraz watershed because of its particular environmental characteristics and a high potential for ecotourism. The required data for this descriptive-analytical research were collected by combining field and desktop studies. First, the ecotourism capability assessment of the area was done using Arc GIS 10.3 software based on the Hyrcanian Forest Tourism Development Model for concentrated tourism and extensive tourism. Next, the most important effective indices included (i.e., 19 indices) were determined by Delphi questionnaire and SPSS 17. Finally, AHP technique was applied to analyze the body mass of the indices in order to verify the validity of the model. The results show that 0.0044, 01.3, 3.52, and 37.71% of the study area is suitable for concentrated ecotourism (grade 1), concentrated ecotourism (grade 2), extensive ecotourism (grade 1), and extensive ecotourism (grade 2), respectively. Based on the model applied, slope, direction, and fundamentals (infrastructure) with the body masses of 0.232, 0.116, and 0.115 were identified as the first priorities. Comparing the results of this model and AHP confirms the validity of the model. To strengthen the tourism development potential of the watershed and protect its ecosystems and biodiversity, it is necessary to choose a proper development model. Failure to identify the existing capacities and the field’s sensitivities can cause dissatisfaction of local residents and also damage to the ecosystem of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]