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In arid and semi-arid regions, the quantitative understanding of the processes of runoff generation and prediction of the streamflow hydrographs and their transmission to the catchment outlet are among the most basic challenges of hydrology. To address these challenges, hydrological modeling has been used to gain understanding of the hydrological systems and to provide the required inputs needed for sustainable water resources management. Furthermore, coupling hydrological models with climatic models provides even more understanding of the influence of the climatic parameters on hydrological processes and systems, and hence on runoff generation mechanism. In this research, WRF-Hydro (the Weather Research Forecasting model coupled with the Distributed Hydrologic Modeling System) was used for streamflow forecasting in the Faria catchment. Faria (320 km2), located in the northeastern part of the West Bank, Palestine, is a gauged catchment where rainfall and streamflow data are available for more than ten years. This study aims to assess the functionality of the WRF-Hydro to predict reliable streamflow hydrographs at the upper part of the catchment. Additionally, a new channel loss function was incorporated into WRF-Hydro to model the amount of water lost in the ephemeral (loosing) streams of the catchment. Hence, the rainfall and streamflow data for the rainy season; 2017-2018. were utilized. Results indicate that WRF-Hydo model is well functioning, but model calibration and validation is still required to further improve the model performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few air pollution studies have been applied in the State of Palestine and all showed an increase in particulate matter concentrations above WHO guidelines. However, there is no clear methodology for selecting monitoring locations. In this study, a methodology based on GIS and locally calibrated low-cost sensors was tested. A GIS-based weighted overlay summation process for the potential sources of air pollution (factories, quarries, and traffic), taking into account the influence of altitude and climate, was used to obtain an air pollution hazard map for Nablus, Palestine. To test the methodology, eight locally calibrated PM sensors (AirUs) were deployed to measure PM2.5 concentrations for 55 days from 7 January to 2 March 2022. The results of the hazard map showed that 82% of Nablus is exposed to a high and medium risk of PM pollution. Sensors' readings showed a good match between the hazard intensity and PM concentrations. It also shows an elevated PM2.5 concentrations above WHO guidelines in all areas. In summary, the overall average for PM2.5 in the Nablus was 48 µg/m3. This may indicate the effectiveness of mapping methodology and the use of low-cost, locally calibrated sensors in characterizing air quality status to identify the potential remediation options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of rainfall data is essential for the prediction of extreme rainfall events, hydrological modeling, and the design of water resources systems. In Palestine, the limited available rain gauges and the available rainfall data are insufficient to precisely characterize the areal rainfall distribution over the entire area. Hence, it is essential to find proper methods to utilize the available rainfall data at the existing rain gauges to predict rainfall values at certain locations where rainfall measurements are not available. This study aims at identifying the most suitable interpolation method that can be used to produce interpolated rainfall surfaces at the Faria catchment, Palestine. Faria catchment (320 km²), located in the northeastern part of the West Bank, Palestine, is characterized by high temporal and spatial rainfall variations. Six, GIS-based, spatial interpolation methods have been tested by visual observation and cross-validation. These methods are: Inverse Distance Weighted, Spline completely Regularized, Spline with Tension, Ordinary Kriging, Universal Kriging, and Regression. Available seasonal rainfall data recorded at 16 locations for two rainy seasons; 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 were utilized. Results indicate that the Universal Kriging method has slightly a higher correlation coefficient and lower mean relative error than the other methods for the two seasons that make the method the most optimal one for mapping rainfall distribution in the Faria catchment. Moreover, the spatial distribution of raingauges between the two seasons affects the performance of different interpolation methods in the catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water bottling industry has negative environmental impacts due to exploitation and possible pollution of water resources and due to solid waste problems related to the use of plastic bottles. To mitigate these impacts, it is important to study the link between consuming bottled drinking water and the perception of its quality. The objective of the study is to assess the perception of Birzeit University students' of the bottled water marketed in the West Bank and its impact on the humans and the environment. Universities play an important role in providing awareness about environmental issues and sustainability, and university students are thought to be more environmentally conscious about these issues. A quantitative survey was used to analyze the behaviors and perceptions of Birzeit University students. The sample size was 375 students, distributed according to the college, gender, and the academic year at the university. The results show that the factors that affect the perception of the students are mainly the educational year at the university, the income, the family size, and the community type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is the main source of fresh water for domestic and agricultural uses in Palestine. Increased dependence on groundwater demonstrates the dire need to improve aquifer management in terms of understanding and controlling recharge and discharge issues. An artificial groundwater recharge feasibility study was proposed as one of the viable options to halt the decline of groundwater storage in Wadi Abu Al-Qamrah (WAAQ) area located in Hebron, south of the West Bank. Artificial recharge provides natural storage with minimum surface area requirements. It also minimizes evaporation loss, improves water quality, and utilizes surplus surface water runoff. The geology, soil, land cover, and natural streams were mapped using GIS and spatial analysis techniques. Geologic, hydrologic, and piezometric analyses were performed to support the decision. The geological investigation shows that there are two dominant geological formations in the study area: The Cenomanian formation at the foothills east and west, and the lower Cenomanian formation down in the valley. The hydrological analysis using the SCS-CN method indicates that the annual runoff generation in the catchment is estimated at about 0.33 MCM, among which, 70% comes from the upper urbanized part. The piezometric analysis obtained from monitoring the water level in thirty-three dug wells showed that in a short period of time, three months after the end of the rainy season, water table elevation was being declined at about 8 meters. This can be attributed to excessive abstraction. Based on the results of these analyses, several artificial recharge methods were proposed to check their suitability for the study area. The injection wells method was found to be the most suitable for WAAQ. This will enhance the sustainable groundwater management in the West Bank. To achieve this objective, a design well for the injection process is proposed. The potential locations the injection wells have been suggested based on the hydrological and geological analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-road vehicles have become a dominant source of air pollution and energy consumption in many parts of the world. As a result, estimating the amount of pollution from these vehicles and analyzing the factors affecting their emission is necessary to understand and manage ambient air quality. Traditionally, automobile emissions have been measured with dynamometer tests using representative driving cycles. A review of the related literature shows that there is a lack of real life, on-the-road testing of automobile emissions. Moreover, a few previous studies have directly discussed the impact of driver variability on emissions from the vehicles. This research analyzes the impacts of driver experience, gender, speed, and road grade on vehicle emissions through on-the-road testing experiment in Logan, Utah, USA during summer of 2016. The methodology of the research starts by selecting a representative car to perform the tests on. The next step was to choose test drivers representing four groups: young males, young females, experienced males, and experienced females. After that, the drivers were assigned a specified route that has different speed limits and grades. Emissions from the car exhaust (specifically carbon monoxide-CO, hydrocarbons-HC, and nitrogen oxides-NOx) in addition to the engines rotational speed (rpm), car speed, and exhaust temperature, were measured every second while driving on the specified route. Statistical analysis of the results shows that contrary to the common stereotypes, experienced drivers emitted 52% more HC and 49% more NOx than young drivers and female drivers, and male drivers emitted 14% more HC and 44% more NOx than female drivers. It also shows that CO emission is not significantly dependent on age, gender, nor driving conditions. Finally, driving through low-speed segments emits significantly higher HC (79%), while driving through uphill segments emits significantly higher (98%) NOx than driving through downhill segment. Implications: This study showed that there are significant differences in vehicular emissions among drivers from different genders and age. These differences should be taking into consideration in future emission modeling studies and regulatory scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hookahs, or water pipes, are ornate glass bowl structures used to smoke tobacco products, often in private or public social settings. Hookah smoking is believed to have originated in ancient India in the 16th century; however, it has seen rapid global expansion over the last two decades. A number of studies using high-cost, regulatory or research grade instruments have found respirable particulate concentrations in hookah lounges up to several hundred micrograms per cubic meter. In the summer of 2018, a study was initiated examining the PM 2.5 concentrations in several hookah lounges in Nablus and Tulkarm, Palestine (West Bank). However, rather than using the typical high-cost system, low-cost laser light scattering and detection systems were used. Observed PM 2.5 concentrations ranged from 84 to 371 μg/m3, concentrations considered to be of notable health concerns in the indoor environment and well within the range of hookah-related particulate matter reported in the literature. Further, examination of the 10-min average temporal PM 2.5 concentrations showed variable correlation with the number of active smokers and a seeming dependency on the type of building ventilation. The employed low-cost particulate systems proved capable of reliably quantifying PM 2.5 levels in a variety of hookah lounges, as well as being able to characterize the temporal nature of the PM 2.5 concentration changes. The results of this study suggest that these systems may be an economic and reliable alternative for particulate studies. • Low-cost systems were used to examin the PM 2.5 in hookah lounges in Palestine. • Observed PM 2.5 concentrations ranged from 84 to 371 μg/m3. • These concentrations considered to be of notable health concerns. • The concentrations averages showed dependency on the type of building ventilation. • The low-cost particulate systems proved capable of reliably quantifying PM 2.5 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]