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Amid the escalating frequency of climate extremes, it is crucial to determine their impact on agricultural water scarcity to preserve agricultural development. Current research does not often examine how different spatial scales and compound climate extremes influence agricultural water scarcity. Using an agricultural water scarcity index (AWSI), this study examined the effects of precipitation and temperature extremes on AWSI across secondary and tertiary river basins in China from 1971 to 2010. The results indicated a marked increase in AWSI during dry years and elevated temperatures. The analysis underscores that precipitation had a greater impact on AWSI than temperature variation. In secondary basins, AWSI was about 26% higher than the long-term average during dry years, increasing to nearly 49% in exceptionally dry conditions. By comparison, in tertiary basins, the increases were 28% and 55%, respectively. In hot years, AWSI rose by about 6.8% (7.3% for tertiary basins) above the average, surging to about 19.1% (15.5% for tertiary basins) during extremely hot periods. These results show that AWSI assessment at the tertiary basin level better captured the influence of climate extremes on AWSI than assessments at the secondary basin level, which highlights the critical importance of a finer spatial scale for a more precise assessment and forecast of water scarcity within basin scales. Also, this study has highlighted the paramount urgency of implementing strategies to tackle water scarcity issues under compound extreme dry and hot conditions. Overall, this study offers an in-depth evaluation of the influence of both precipitation and temperature variation, and research scale on water scarcity, which will help formulate better water resource management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on long-term observations of the water discharge (WD) from 1878 to 2018, the main trends and patterns of its change in the basin of one of the largest rivers in the east of the East European Plain, the Vyatka River, were revealed using a set of standard statistical procedures and a graphical analysis of the WD probability curves. Three main phases of the annual river WD were identified, corresponding to the periods 1878–1929, 1930–1977, and 1978–2018. The first and third periods were characterized by increased WD (by 22–23%) relative to the medium period, and the differences in the average annual WD characteristics between these periods were statistically significant. It is also noteworthy that the difference in the average annual WD between the first and last periods of increased WD was very small and statistically insignificant. A gradual increase in the share of the so-called normal annual WD and a decrease in the abnormal (including extreme) annual WD were noted from 1878–1929 to 1978–2018 in the predominantly northern half of the river basin. At the same time, in the predominantly southern half of the basin, according to the analysis of only the periods 1930–1977 and 1978–2018, the so-called normal and abnormal WD remained almost unchanged; only a slight increase in positive anomalies of the WD was noted. Increased intra-annual variability in the WD was characteristic of the period of its reduced average annual value. Between the three identified periods, a gradual reduction in the water runoff coefficient was observed during the warm (mainly summer) season in the Vyatka River basin. The specified long-term variability in the water discharge of the Vyatka River was chiefly due to long-term changes in climatic factors, primarily the ratio of the air temperature and precipitation, expressed as the De Martonne aridity index. The duration of the principal cycle of these changes was 82 years. An additional contribution could also have been made by the widespread reduction in cropland in the study region in recent decades. The obtained results can be preliminarily considered representative of the entire southern sector of the boreal forest zone (taiga zone) of the east of the East European Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Caspian region represents a complex and unique system of terrestrial, coastal, and aquatic environments, marked by an exceptional landscape and biological diversity. This diversity, however, is increasingly threatened by substantial anthropogenic pressures. One notable impact of this human influence is the rising concentration of pollutants atypical for the atmosphere. Advances in science and technology now make it possible to detect certain atmospheric pollutants using remote Earth observation techniques, specifically through data from the Sentinel-5 satellite, which provides continuous insights into atmospheric contamination. This article investigates the dynamics of atmospheric pollution in the southwestern part of the Caspian Sea basin using Sentinel-5P satellite data and the cloud-computing capabilities of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The study encompasses an analysis of concentrations of seven key pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), methane (CH4), and the Aerosol Index (AI). Spatial and temporal variations in pollution fields were examined for the Caspian region and the basins of the seven rivers (key areas) flowing into the Caspian Sea: Sunzha, Sulak, Ulluchay, Karachay, Atachay, Haraz, and Gorgan. The research methodology is based on the use of data from the Sentinel-5 satellite, SRTM DEM data on absolute elevations, surface temperature data, and population density data. Data processing is performed using the Google Earth Engine cloud-computing platform and the ArcGIS software suite. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the spatiotemporal variability of pollutant concentration fields in these regions from 2018 to 2023 and to identify the primary factors influencing pollution distribution. The study's findings reveal that the Heraz and Gorgan River basins have the highest concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and Aerosol Index levels, marking these basins as the most vulnerable to atmospheric pollution among those assessed. Additionally, the Gorgan basin exhibited elevated carbon monoxide levels, while the highest ozone concentrations were detected in the Sunzha basin. Our temporal analysis demonstrated a substantial influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on pollutant dispersion patterns. Our correlation analysis identified absolute elevation as a key factor affecting pollutant distribution, particularly for carbon monoxide, ozone, and aerosol indices. Population density showed the strongest correlation with nitrogen dioxide distribution. Other pollutants exhibited more complex distribution patterns, influenced by diverse mechanisms associated with local emission sources and atmospheric dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem service value is crucial for balancing economic growth and ecological preservation in ecologically vulnerable watershed areas. Although Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) has received significant attention, most existing studies have focused on how to measure it. Few studies have explored spatiotemporal variations in GEP and how land-use changes affect these variations regarding ecological restoration at the river basin level. Additionally, while many studies have examined the relationship between ecosystem service value and economic growth, there is little research on how components of GEP influence economic growth. Analyzing the spatiotemporal structure of GEP and its components could offer new insights into optimizing ecological restoration strategies and promoting sustainable development in vulnerable watershed regions. In this study, we used ArcGIS, InVEST, SPSS, and Python to analyze spatiotemporal variations in GEP in the Yongding River Basin within the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Economic Region from 1995 to 2020. Moran's Index and variance decomposition were applied to analyze the spatiotemporal structure. The grey prediction model forecasted GEP trends from 2025 to 2035. The random forest model was used to assess land-use changes' impacts on GEP. Paired T-tests were used to compare GEP and GDP, and a dynamic panel model was used to examine how ecosystem service value factors influenced economic growth. The results show the following: (1) Regarding values, GEP accounting and variance decomposition results indicated that ecosystem cultural service value (ECV) and ecosystem regulating service value (ERV) each contributed about half of the total GEP. Ecosystem provisioning service value (EPV) showed an upward trend with fluctuations. Regarding the spatial distribution, Moran's I analysis showed significant positive spatial correlations for EPV and ERV. The grey prediction model results indicated significant growth in GEP from 2025 to 2035 under current ecological restoration policies, especially for ERV and ECV. (2) In terms of the influence of land-use changes, random forest analysis showed that the forest land area was consistently the most influential factor across GEP, EPV, and ERV. Unused land area was identified as the most significant factor for ECV. (3) Before 2010, GEP was larger than GDP, with significant differences between 1995 and 2000. From 2010 onwards, GDP surpassed GEP, but the differences were not statistically significant. Dynamic panel regression further showed that the water conservation value significantly boosted GDP, whereas the water purification value significantly reduced it. This study highlights the importance of integrating GEP into ecological restoration and economic development to ensure the sustainability of ecologically vulnerable watershed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash floods are one of the most dangerous hydrometeorological events in the world. The current study investigates flash floods on the northern Black Sea Coast. The data about stochastic and relatively stable factors of flash flood formation (such as hydrological, meteorological, lithological, geomorphological, and anthropogenic parameters) were collected for 22 events. The main trigger of flash floods is heavy rainfall of high intensity in the region but in some cases flash flood occurrence is connected with combinations of several “non-critical” factors. The small watershed area (≤351 km2) of river basins experiencing flash floods promotes very rapid flow concentration. Analysis of extreme precipitation demonstrates significant increasing trends in river basins on the Crimean Peninsula and decreasing a maximum precipitation amount in 5 days (r5d) and 1 day (r1d) in river basins in the Caucasus Black Sea Coast in the 21st century as determined by processing of Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global precipitation measurement (IMEGR) satellite data. At the same time land network data indicates increasing r5d at the Anapa and r1d at the Tuapse meteorological stations in 1961–2020. More frequent occurrence of flash floods has been suggested in the area due to statistical analysis of the longest precipitation ranges. The main reason for significant social and economic damage is uncontrolled human activity in flooded areas on the northern Black Sea Coast.

Introduction: Investigating and assessing native fish diversity and conducting regional assessments of threats are vital for the conservation of aquatic biodiversity. For this specific study, the Daqing River basin in China was chosen as the research area. Field surveys were carried out between 2018 and 2019, supplemented by a review of pertinent literature and other records. Methods: To evaluate fish diversity, the following parameters are selected for analysis: Relative abundance (Pi), Frequency of occurrence (Fi), Margalef richness index (D), Shannon Wiener diversity index (H'), and Pielou evenness index (J').Relative abundance levels are categorized as follows: dominant species make up more than 10%, common species account for 1%--10%, and occasional species constitute less than 1%. Canoco 5.0 software was utilized to conduct Redundancy Analysis (RDA) on the fish species composition and environmental factors at 34 sampling sites. Results: The findings revealed that 85 fish species have been recorded in the basin, consisting of 78 freshwater species categorized into 8 orders, 17 families, and 59 genera, among which Cypriniformes comprised 64% of the total catch. The low proportion of threatened and endemic species was an important feature of the fish diversity of the Daqing River. Despite the theoretical presence of 85 species, field surveys managed to collect only 42 species, of which 33 were confirmed as naturally occurring within the basin. The average values of Margalef richness index, 22 Shannon Wiener diversity index and Pielou evenness index were 1.72, 2.04 and 0.80 respectively, signifying a low fish diversity with relatively uniform distribution across the sampled regions. Discussion: This study found that the community structure and diversity of fish were closely related to environmental factors, particularly water quality. Among these factors, ammonia nitrogen emerged as a significant determinant of fish diversity. High concentrations of ammonia nitrogen inhibit fish growth, endanger health, and can even lead to death. Additionally, dams and other water infrastructure also impact fish community structure and diversity. This baseline study can provide a basis for the protection and ecological restoration of fish resources in the Daqing River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish a sound ecological compensation (EC) mechanism in the Xin'an River Basin, this study suggested utilizing ecosystem service valuation to determine the compensation amount. In this study, the first step was to establish a reasonable watershed EC model using the ecological compensation supply coefficient (ECSC) based on the value spillover theory (VST) of the ecosystem services and the ecological compensation demand coefficient (ECDC). The second step was to classify the ecosystem services of the Xin'an River Basin into three categories, including supply service, regulating service, and cultural service, with 14 specific functions to determine the ecological compensation standard accounting scope in these services. Then, a case study on the Xin'an River Basin for EC standards was presented. The total ecosystem service value (ESV) in the Xin'an River Basin was estimated to be CNY 70.271 billion, with supply service accounting for 22.7%, regulating service accounting for 24.6%, and cultural service accounting for 52.7%. Based on the compensation scope, the ecosystem service values for the upper and lower limits of the EC were calculated as CNY 57.779 billion and CNY 17.292 billion. Combined with the results of the ECSC and ECDC, the upper and lower limits of the EC standard in the Xin'an River Basin were computed to be CNY 4.085 billion and CNY 1.438 billion, respectively. Therefore, the ESV-based EC model for the Xin'an River Basin can effectively address the challenge of inadequate EC in the watershed. It also facilitates balanced regional development and serves as a theoretical foundation and empirical evidence for the government to establish a unified national policy on cross-border river basin ecological compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling streamflow is essential for understanding flow inundation. Traditionally, this involves hydrologic and numerical models. This research introduces a framework using agent-based modeling (ABM) combined with data-driven modeling (DDM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). An agent-driven model simulates streamflow and its interactions with river courses and surroundings, considering hydrologic phenomena related to precipitation, water level, and discharge as well as channel and basin characteristics causing increased water levels in the Medio River. A five-year dataset of hourly precipitation, water level, and discharge measurements was used to simulate streamflow. The model's accuracy was evaluated using statistical metrics like correlation coefficient (r), coefficient of determination (R2), root mean squared error (RMSE), and percentage error in peak discharge (Qpk). The ABM's simulated peak discharge (Qpk) was compared with the measured peak discharge across four experimental scenarios. The best simulations occurred in scenario 3, using only rainfall and streamflow data. Data management and visualization facilitated input, output, and analysis. This study's ABM combined with DDM and AI offers a novel approach for simulating streamflow and predicting floods. Future studies could extend this framework to other river basins and incorporate advanced sensor data to enhance the accuracy and responsiveness of flood forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the main goal was to analyse the erosional hazards within the boundaries of the Kalaus River catchment area.The paper analyses the erosive state of the region's lands, for which industry and cadastral maps, a digital elevation model and satellite images were used. Official data of ministries and departments were used. Geographic information systems – QGIS and SAGA GIS – served as the basis for modelling. The article presents the results of GIS modeling of erosional hazards in the territory of the Kalaus River basin. Based on the (DEM) SRTM digital elevation model, the basic morphometric indicators of the relief were calculated: steepness of the slopes and vertical and horizontal dissection of the relief. Based on morphometric indicators, an integral calculation of the energy of relief and erosion hazard was carried out and a series of relevant thematic maps was created. The values of slope steepness obtained within the boundaries of the basin range from 0° to 51° with average values of 2.5°. The horizontal dissection varies in the range from 0 to 0.84 km/km2, and the erosion bases are characterized by a range of values from – 15.0 to 248.6 m, with an average value of 33.0 m. The formation of the erosional potential of the basin’s relief is facilitated by the location of a significant part of the region on the spurs of the Stavropol Upland, which have widely developed slopes. Based on the calculated raster of the integral energy index of the relief, 3 categories of erosional hazard are identified. Most of the basin of the Kalaus River (58.4 %) is characterised by a low erosion hazard, another 39.0 % of the territory presents an average erosion hazard, and the remaining 2.9 % belongs to territories with a strong erosion hazard. The classification of relief surface shapes based on the Iwahashi and Pike method, which was carried out on the basis of a DEM, shows a much greater prevalence of steep slopes with high convexity in the southern part of the Kalaus River basin.The identified features of the level of erosional hazard of the lands of the Kalaus River basin are recommended to be taken into account in preinvestment, pre‐design and urban project planning of the territories of administrative units located within the boundaries of the basin. Despite the fact that the results of GIS analysis cannot completely replace field erosion surveys, their value as a tool for planning rational land use is obvious. The results of the work can be used to carry out a similar assessment in other regions, primarily in the organisation of agricultural production.

Introduction. Considerable attention of scientists at the current stage of development of society is given to the theory of formation and assessment of the state of the nature reserve network and its ability to ensure biodiversity. The upper part of the Pripet River basin in the Volyn region is marked by various nature-reserved objects that belong to the pan-European, national and regional eco-networks. The objective of the work is the assessment and territorial distribution of NRF within the Pripet River basin in Volyn. Methods. The research used a complex and systematic approach, as well as mathematical, cartographic and comparative descriptive methods. Results. The river basin contains 314 objects of the nature reserve fund (NRF) with a total area of 164,735.7 hectares. The actual area is 149,186.4 hectares as a number of objects that are included in the total area of the nature reserve fund are actually located within the boundaries of other NRF objects, much larger in area. There are more than 40 such objects in the Pripet river basin. Such objects located within several river basins are also found within the basins of the main tributaries of the Pripet – the Vyzhivka, the Turia, the Tsyr, the Stokhid, the Styr rivers. In the upper Pripet River basin, there is an uneven distribution of protected areas across the territory, which indicates the need to increase their size in the Styr, Turia, Vyzhivka, and Korostyanka river basins to achieve an optimal ratio of areas and conserve species biodiversity based on a basin approach. The results of the calculation of the insularity index of the NRF of the Volyn region and of the degree of protection within the river basins are presented. The effectiveness of the nature reserve fund of the Pripet River basin was assessed, where the actual area of the protected area is 149,186.4 ha, the density of objects is 2.14 per 100 km2, the degree of protection (Spro) is 10.17%, and the insularity index (I) is 0.32. Twelve species of flora included in the International Red Lists were identified (Daphne cneorum L., Cypripedium calceolus L., Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., Salvinia natans (L.) All., Jurinea cyanoides (L.) Rchb., Tragopogon ucrainicus Artemczuk., Silene lithuanica Zapal., Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich., Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill., Saxifraga hirculus L., Galanthus nivalis L., Crataegus ucrainica Pojark.), the areas of distribution of which are protected areas located in the Pripet River basin. Conclusions. Prospectively, a successful expansion of the NRF area of the basin will make it possible to develop a national and pan-European eco-network, as well as to expand the area of wetlands of international importance.

The main goal of this research was to execute a systematic characterization of the landscape in the upland part of the Santo Domingo River basin - Venezuela based on an innovative methodology using a multilevel approach based on cartographic and qualitative analysis in which the concepts: Geosystem, Territory and Landscape were instrumentalized to delineate landscape units. The combination of cartographic analysis with different data sources, multitemporal documentary and photographic analysis, and perceptual, consultative, and evaluative analysis based on interviews to local people and experts, allowed us to define three landscape units with biophysical characteristics, geo-economic dynamics, and well-differentiated perceptual values. The territorial processes in each of the landscape units depend on the use of specific natural resources, structuring particular geo-economic networks, generating differentiated environmental and cultural impacts. This landscape differentiation must allow the design of strategies that guide productive activities within the approaches of land planning and sustainable tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has ability to intensify the magnitude of flood and drought episodes, as well as their amplitude; also it has the potential to exacerbate hydrological extremes. It is crucial to forecast changes to hydrological regimes and determine the level of uncertainty around them to increase resilience and prepare for future changes. In order to enlighten long-term estimates, an attempt has been made to sustain the available water resources through Calibration and Validation of river discharge data using SWAT model for Upper Yamuna River Basin. Spatial climatic data were further crystallized to forecast climatic projection scenarios for Base line period, Mid-Century and End Century considering RCPs 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5. Result reveals that the average annual minimum temperature is estimated to be increased 1.4 °C in Mid-Century and 2.2 °C in End Century from the Base line Scenario while the average annual maximum temperature is found to be increased 1.5 °C in Mid-Century and 2.1 °C in End Century from the Base line Scenario. Further, while analyzing the hydrological components, Soil water percentage is expected to be increased in Mid-Century, whereas Percolation rate is found to be increased for all scenarios other than BL-MC (4.5) which is an indication of rise in Ground water. In addition to it, Surface flow is observed as a considerable increase from 4.33 to 72.69% in all scenarios. Also the Surface flow is more in case of End Century as compared to the Mid-Century. The estimated Ground water flow is found to be increased except BL-MC (4.5 & 8.5). Overall water yield has been estimated as a relative change from 7.06 to 18.70% based upon the specified conditions. The prediction for Evapotranspiration values is found as decreased in all scenarios except BL-MC (4.5 & 8.5). The outcome of the present study is very useful for planning of development strategies in the project area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality assessment stands as a fundamental step in water resource management. In addition to substances and organisms present in the water, land use and land cover are two factors also affecting water quality. This study analyzed the correlation and influence between water quality and land use and land cover in the Miranda River Basin (MRB) and the natural wetlands in the Pantanal Biome. Using a watershed-wide approach, results suggested that water quality management policies can be considered in terms of sub-basins (smaller planning units). The Water Quality Index (WQI) was considered GOOD or EXCELLENT throughout the MRB. It was observed that the natural wetlands have the capacity to contribute to improving the WQI, with reductions in thermotolerant coliforms and turbidity; however, high values were found for thermotolerant coliforms, a temporal increasing trend of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and a reduction in dissolved oxygen and total phosphorus. Conversely, in these flooded areas, trends of a decrease in dissolved oxygen and an increase in BOD levels were found. Natural wetlands play important hydrological and ecological roles in water quality, storing, removing, and cycling nutrients. They are highly relevant areas for defining watershed management and conservation strategies, environmental protection, and providing ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Exploring the natural complementarity that exists between renewables is pivotal for optimizing clean electricity generation. Quantifying this complementarity can enhance electrical planning, reducing waste of natural resources and guiding investment decisions more effectively. To quantify the complementarity existing in Brazilian river basins, a methodology was proposed. Data on influent natural energy, irradiance, and wind speed are analyzed using Python. Through a comprehensive process, the most suitable correlation coefficient is identified. The subsequent calculation of coefficients for specific source combinations and periods, as well as the application of the Innovative Trend Analysis methodology, allow an understanding of the existing complementarity dynamics. The methodology was applied to the Capivari River basin, located in the state of Paraná, which included a monthly analysis of complementarity between hydraulic generation with wind and photovoltaic sources from June 2016 to April 2024. There was no discrepancy in the interpretations of the results obtained for Spearman’s Rho and Kendall's Tau, although the magnitude of Kendall's Tau is, on average, 30% lower for the combination of photovoltaic and hydraulic and 49% for the combination of wind and hydraulic. The combination of wind and hydraulics exhibited seasonal complementarity, demonstrating lesser advantages compared to photovoltaic generation, with around 61% of the acquired values of Spearman’s Rho being negative, approximately 28% of which were negligible. This percentage is lower than the over 82% of negative values observed for the photovoltaic and hydraulic combination, of which 12% are negligible. The results are consistent with the literature and validate the proposed methodology.

Since the development of Water Footprint environmental indicator, significant research on blue and green crop water use and the respective water footprint estimations has been published. Such research is commonly approached using different methodologies that leverage tabulated values for crop development characterisation, while studies based on remote sensing data are less abundant, despite crop monitoring using remote sensing-based vegetation indices having demonstrated great capabilities and operability. To help fill this gap, we present a methodology that uses a remote sensing vegetation index time series from Sentinel-2 satellite near infra-red and red spectral bands data to derive basal crop coefficient time series to subsequently be used under the Remote Sensing-based Soil Water Balance approach that follows the globally operative FAO56 procedure. It provides pixel-based temporal and spatially distributed estimations of net irrigation requirements and adjusted crop evapotranspiration, with the aim being to divide up the latter and estimate the remote sensing-based green and blue crop water use and the subsequent green and blue water footprint. This is all done under the Agricultural Water Footprint Assessment framework for a growing crop or tree. This methodology was applied over a large, crop-diverse Spanish river basin district (Júcar) and across two different climatological years (humid vs. dry). Its feasibility was demonstrated by the acceptable behaviour of the remote sensing-based blue crop water use estimation for different herbaceous and woody crops, against the official dataset for irrigation water accounting at two water management scales (of a relative mean absolute error of 15.4 % in the case of the largest water user association and of 17.1 % in the case of the river basin water authorities’ own estimations). The proposed approach, which we call Remote Sensing-based Agricultural Water Accounting and Footprint, aims to provide reliable and accurate spatially and temporally distributed thematic cartography about the remote sensing-based blue and green crop water use and water footprint. This information is essential for water managers with the goal of generating transparent and complementary information to incorporate into their own working scales.

Climate change poses significant challenges to water resources and streamflow in Ethiopia, a country highly dependent on agriculture and vulnerable to environmental shifts. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on climate change impacts on streamflow in Ethiopia, emphasizing factors driving these changes and drawing insights from relevant studies. The analysis encompasses hydrological responses to climate change, including alterations in precipitation patterns, temperature fluctuations, and changes in water availability. Additionally, the study examines the impact of land use changes on streamflow dynamics. Comparative insights from neighboring countries and river basins further illuminate the broader regional implications of climate change on water resources. According to the previous research reviewed in this paper, climate change, land use change, and increment in extreme events (drought) have affected the stream flow over the last decades. The findings underscore the urgent need for adaptive strategies and sustainable water management practices to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on streamflow and ensure water security in Ethiopia and beyond. HIGHLIGHTS The review paper provides localized insights into climate change impacts.; It contributes valuable information for water resource managers and policymakers.; It assesses the risks posed by climate change to Ethiopia's hydro-meteorological conditions.; It explores the socioeconomic consequences of hydro-meteorological changes induced by climate change.; The review contributes to the scientific knowledge base.;

This article presents the results of field research, as well as the results of the use of remote-sensing data in the geochemical study of the soil cover of the Yertis River basin. In the work, the content of the gross form of heavy metals in the soil of the river basin was investigated. The atomic absorption method determined the content of the Poor configuration of elements of elements in soils. Statistical processing of the obtained data from N. A. Plokhinsky was carried out using the Statistica program. Also, using the performed indices in the remote sensing of clay minerals, iron oxides, and carbonates, the spatial distribution and comparison of pollutants in the soil cover of the river basin were revealed. The methods and means of image processing tested in this study can be used to create maps of the distribution of pollutants. Also, the data obtained reflect the patterns of distribution of heavy metals in the soils of the basin and can be used to optimize landscapes and improve the organization of ecological and geochemical monitoring.

Based on long-term observations of the water discharge (WD) from 1878 to 2018, the main trends and patterns of its change in the basin of one of the largest rivers in the east of the East European Plain, the Vyatka River, were revealed using a set of standard statistical procedures and a graphical analysis of the WD probability curves. Three main phases of the annual river WD were identified, corresponding to the periods 1878–1929, 1930–1977, and 1978–2018. The first and third periods were characterized by increased WD (by 22–23%) relative to the medium period, and the differences in the average annual WD characteristics between these periods were statistically significant. It is also noteworthy that the difference in the average annual WD between the first and last periods of increased WD was very small and statistically insignificant. A gradual increase in the share of the so-called normal annual WD and a decrease in the abnormal (including extreme) annual WD were noted from 1878–1929 to 1978–2018 in the predominantly northern half of the river basin. At the same time, in the predominantly southern half of the basin, according to the analysis of only the periods 1930–1977 and 1978–2018, the so-called normal and abnormal WD remained almost unchanged; only a slight increase in positive anomalies of the WD was noted. Increased intra-annual variability in the WD was characteristic of the period of its reduced average annual value. Between the three identified periods, a gradual reduction in the water runoff coefficient was observed during the warm (mainly summer) season in the Vyatka River basin. The specified long-term variability in the water discharge of the Vyatka River was chiefly due to long-term changes in climatic factors, primarily the ratio of the air temperature and precipitation, expressed as the De Martonne aridity index. The duration of the principal cycle of these changes was 82 years. An additional contribution could also have been made by the widespread reduction in cropland in the study region in recent decades. The obtained results can be preliminarily considered representative of the entire southern sector of the boreal forest zone (taiga zone) of the east of the East European Plain.

The Caspian region represents a complex and unique system of terrestrial, coastal, and aquatic environments, marked by an exceptional landscape and biological diversity. This diversity, however, is increasingly threatened by substantial anthropogenic pressures. One notable impact of this human influence is the rising concentration of pollutants atypical for the atmosphere. Advances in science and technology now make it possible to detect certain atmospheric pollutants using remote Earth observation techniques, specifically through data from the Sentinel-5 satellite, which provides continuous insights into atmospheric contamination. This article investigates the dynamics of atmospheric pollution in the southwestern part of the Caspian Sea basin using Sentinel-5P satellite data and the cloud-computing capabilities of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The study encompasses an analysis of concentrations of seven key pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), methane (CH4), and the Aerosol Index (AI). Spatial and temporal variations in pollution fields were examined for the Caspian region and the basins of the seven rivers (key areas) flowing into the Caspian Sea: Sunzha, Sulak, Ulluchay, Karachay, Atachay, Haraz, and Gorgan. The research methodology is based on the use of data from the Sentinel-5 satellite, SRTM DEM data on absolute elevations, surface temperature data, and population density data. Data processing is performed using the Google Earth Engine cloud-computing platform and the ArcGIS software suite. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the spatiotemporal variability of pollutant concentration fields in these regions from 2018 to 2023 and to identify the primary factors influencing pollution distribution. The study’s findings reveal that the Heraz and Gorgan River basins have the highest concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and Aerosol Index levels, marking these basins as the most vulnerable to atmospheric pollution among those assessed. Additionally, the Gorgan basin exhibited elevated carbon monoxide levels, while the highest ozone concentrations were detected in the Sunzha basin. Our temporal analysis demonstrated a substantial influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on pollutant dispersion patterns. Our correlation analysis identified absolute elevation as a key factor affecting pollutant distribution, particularly for carbon monoxide, ozone, and aerosol indices. Population density showed the strongest correlation with nitrogen dioxide distribution. Other pollutants exhibited more complex distribution patterns, influenced by diverse mechanisms associated with local emission sources and atmospheric dynamics.

Diatom analysis, despite its existence in archaeological science for over seven decades, remains an underutilized technique. While diatoms are often employed in site-based palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, their application in pottery sourcing and typology is relatively limited. This study focuses on diatom analysis of pottery sherds collected from six Iron Age sites in the lower Kaveri River Basin, Tamil Nadu, India. Scanning Electron Microscopy was utilized to examine the diatoms in 78 samples from 26 pottery sherds across these sites. The analysis revealed the presence of aquatic diatoms, predominantly from freshwater environments, along with desiccation-tolerant taxa belonging to the genera Nitzschia, Hantzschia, Luticola, Stauroneis and Tryblionella. Notably, the dominant genera were Nitzschia (70.73%), Hantzschia (21.95%) and Luticola (4.87%). These findings confirm the presence of a lacustrine environment with mesotrophic to eutrophic conditions and suggest that the clay used in pottery originated from a freshwater source. Moreover, this study highlights the potential of diatom analysis in reconstructing local environments and shedding light on the palaeoenvironmental conditions underlying archaeological sediment deposition in a tropical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An environmental geographical study involves the relief aspects of the geographical unit. Relief analysis of a geographical unit includes relative relief, slope gradient, steepness, and drainage characteristics. The study area selected for the study is a part of the upper Jiadhal drainage basin consisting of 370.63 sq. km of area. It is a young river system (6th order) with lots of sediment carrying capacity and intensive flood frequencies. In this study, the relief morphology of the upper Jiadhal basin is undertaken observing its unique characteristic of large sediment supply causing flood problems in lower basin areas. Open source Landsat: L5135041_041200901113_MTL, TA6RFR_A012986-20,190,901 data from Bhuvan (ISRO) was accessed by ArcGIS tools. It focused that the upper catchment is more influential by environmental problems rather than human except deforestation activities, as there is very less settlement due to no communication route to the interior catchments of the basin. The mainstream of Sido occupies forth (4th) order stream, Sika and Siri are of fifth (5th) order and Jia of sixth (6th) order stream contained to drain the lower basin. The results revel that, the landscape is prone to erosion mainly due to physical and climatic factors and prominently dominated by human intervention due to agro-forestry and could be mitigated with certain specific measures on a location basis including structural engineering measures and watershed management techniques in the degraded areas for the sustainability of the basin. The early studies in this region include the lower basin of the river system, due to inaccessibility. The area is newly demarcated to a different administrative district of Arunachal Pradesh (Lower Siang) and thus in near future more anthropogenic activities would active in the upper catchment, which may influence the environment stability. So the upper catchment management would be a prime concern for the environmentalist in near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by using GNSS technologies, some features of the distribution and some morphometric parameters of dams and ponds created by the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) along ten rivers of the Volga-Kama region of European Russia were identified. Detected features depend on the geomorphological, lithological, and landscape features of these rivers and their basins. The significant role of river slopes, as well as landscape zoning, in the distribution of beaver dams and ponds along small rivers in the study region is shown. In the rivers under study, almost all beaver constructions are located on riverbed slopes of less than 3% (most often, less than 2%). In the south of the forest zone (the southern taiga of the Vyatka River basin), the majority of dams and ponds (about 90%) are located on slopes of less than 1%, while, within the uplands of the forest-steppe zone, this location varies depending on the length of the rivers. In general, the greater the average slope of the river (the greater the average elevation of the river basin), the lower, other things being equal, the degree of beaver transformation of such rivers. This feature is better expressed in the rivers of the forest landscape zone and less expressed in the rivers flowing in the forest-steppe zone. Analysis of the morphometric parameters of beaver dams shows statistically significant trends towards an increase in their average height, as the channel slopes increase. Statistically significant trends were also identified towards a decrease in the length of dams and the length of associated ponds, with an increase in channel slopes. It is noteworthy that the critical values of the slope for a statistically significant and relatively sharp change in these parameters are 1.45%, 1.07 (or 0.54)%, and 0.65 (or 0.47)%, respectively. The greatest average heights of beaver dams are confined to those rivers where their basins are composed of loamy rocks/soils (especially those that are poorly plowed), compared with "sandy" river basins. This may be due to the peculiarities of the ratio of surface and underground water runoff in these basins and, as a consequence, different intensities of snowmelt- and rainfall-induced flood flow. We assume that the above-mentioned features reflect the early stages of beaver expansion (population growth) in the studied rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modifications of wetland and forest areas are studied, in particular, to establish to what extent they are sensitive to natural changes (e.g., increased precipitation and/or temperature) in addition to human activities (e.g., advancing agricultural frontier, deforestation, channelizations). The San Francisco River Basin (SFRB; 1,789 km2) is located in the Northwest of Argentina in the Geological Province of Nortwestern Pampean Ranges (Sierras Pampeanas Noroccidentales), between 27°40'S and 28°25'S, and 65°15'W and 65°45'W). In recent decades, agricultural development and management in the middle and lower SFRB generated rural channelizations (the largest of 10 km at the basin outlet between 2005-2015), drainage of wetland forests, deforestation of native dry forest since 1995 and changes in land use. In addition, a 200 mm increase in mean annual rainfall since 1972 and an increase in extreme hydrological events, are registered. These modifications produced changes in local base level, erosive processes of retreat and the development of new river channels from upstream, increasing flow velocities, flow rates, and sediment discharge. The intensified erosive processes resulted in four new river courses in the middle and lower basin, incorporating the SFRB into the Marapa river basin, changing from arheic to endorheic behaviour, and generating the contribution of liquid and solid flows to the system of which it is now a part. The aim of this study is to examine the development of the new hydrographic network within the SFRB between 1990 and 2018 and to calculate the solid and liquid discharges generated by the new network. The hydrographic network formed by the rivers El Abra, Ovanta, San Francisco and Suncho creek, was digitized in the open-source software QGIS 3.18.3 on the basis of the visual interpretation of satellite imagery. The lengths of the rivers were automatically calculated and exported to a spreadsheet to determine the downstream expansion of the river network. Measurements and sampling of water discharge and sediment load were performed monthly in the lower section of the SFRB. The float and cross-section method was used to quantify the flow rates, and the sediment samples were filtered, dried in an oven for 24 h and weighed on a precision balance to obtain the sediment concentration (C in mg/l). The study determined the generation of 102 km of new river channels in a 28 yr period. The hydrographic network had an annual sediment production of 82,138 t/yr and an annual discharge of 21,96 hm3, contributing to the Marapa river basin and generating an acceleration in the silting of the downstream Río Hondo reservoir. This work provides a basis for management and mitigation of erosion and flooding problems in the area.

Abstract Similarly to other animal communities, the diversity of subterranean aquatic fauna is influenced by several factors and processes, such as habitat fragmentation, dispersion, environmental heterogeneity, and physical and chemical water characteristics. Here, we studied cave aquatic communities of the Alto Ribeira hydrographic basin, regarding troglobitic and non-troglobitic species, located in a single karst area to evaluate the influence of sub-basins in fauna differentiation. We investigated how abiotic variables (flow, electrical conductivity, temperature, pH, and substrate) influence the fauna composition and the contribution of beta diversity components (nestedness and turnover) in explaining communities’ dissimilarities. Fauna composition differed between sub-basins, as most species did not co-occur in different caves. Caves with higher flow and substrate diversity were the richest. In addition, each cave community was influenced by a unique set of abiotic variables. Dissimilarity among caves was mainly explained by turnover, and our findings suggest the restricted species distribution could be due to ecological (e.g., limited dispersion capacity, tolerance to abiotic variables), hydrogeological (e.g., dispersion barriers, isolation of sub-basins), and historical (e.g., colonization, paleoclimatic events) factors and processes. Therefore, different elements are responsible for determining the composition of cave aquatic communities in different sub-basins, reflecting the variability within a single karst area.

The relevance of the research lies in the fact that, in the context of the global concept of sustainable development, one of the leading tasks is to maintain the sustainability of natural ecosystems by finding optimal strategies for the development of socio-economic systems. The purpose of the research is to assess the environmental sustainability of the landscapes of the Prypiat River basin within the territorial communities of the Volyn Oblast in the current conditions of the region’s development. The methods used to achieve this goal included the calculation of the landscape ecological sustainability coefficient based on the systematization of statistical reporting data, followed by comparative geographical analysis and environmental mapping using ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro. The main results of the research show that the coefficient of ecological stability of landscapes in the Prypiat River basin is in the range of 0.22-5.39 and assesses landscapes from the level of “unstable with pronounced instability” to “stable, with pronounced stability”. The distribution of land areas in the territorial communities located in the Tsyr sub-basin determines the landscape characterization at the level of “stable, with pronounced stability”. Within the territorial communities of the Vyzhivka sub-basin and the upper reaches of the Prypiat River, the landscapes are “conditionally stable” – “stable”. Within the communities of the Turia sub-basin – from “unstable” to “stable, with pronounced stability”. Within the communities of the Stokhid sub-basin – from “unstable” to “stable, with pronounced stability”. The territorial communities of the middle part of the Styr sub-basin are represented by landscapes ranging from “unstable, with pronounced instability” to “stable, with pronounced stability”. In general, more ecologically stable landscapes are located in the northern part of Volyn Oblast, due to the large areas of forested land. Environmental instability of landscapes is typical for the southern part of the region due to large areas of ploughed land. The practical value of the work lies in obtaining regional variations in the assessment of ecological stability of landscapes, which is important to consider when developing coordinated concepts between communities and environmental management bodies on a basin basis to achieve sustainable development goals in socio-ecological systems

The relevance of the topic is determined by the increasing demand for forest recreational resources of the West Kazakhstan region. The forests of the West Kazakhstan region are under the influence of recreational activity, which is growing every year and leads to the transformation of the natural environment. The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of recreation on the processes of soil erosion in the forests of the West Kazakhstan region. An increase in the recreational load and the steepness of the slopes leads to degradation of the forest floor and grassy cover. The remnants of these materials move downhill under the influence of visitors, and the soil surface is compacted. The porosity coefficient of the upper soil layer decreases as recreational loads increase. This leads to a decrease in soil water permeability and an increase in surface water runoff. The study showed that the runoff coefficient, the air-dry mass of the forest floor and the porosity coefficient are closely related. These relationships characterize an increase in the water runoff coefficient with a decrease in the air-dry mass of the forest litter and the porosity coefficient. In the field in 2023, based on the morphological description of the profiles, the degree of soil erosion in the selected woodlands was determined.

Based on the framework of shared socio-economic pathways, this study predicts future population and economic conditions of the Zhanghe River Basin and combines with the water quota to predict future water demand. First, the localization parameter system is constructed. Furthermore, the water demand is calculated. The results show that (1) under regional competitive pathway, the population is the largest, while under uneven pathway, the population is the smallest. The largest economic forecast is obtained under fossil fuel development pathway, while the smallest economic forecast is obtained under regional competitive pathway. (2) The results for domestic and economic water use in the basin show that the annual water demand shows an increasing trend. Fossil fuel development pathway is the scenario with the highest socio-economic water demand, while regional competitive pathway is the scenario with the least. (3) The Zhanghe River Basin faces a high risk of water resource shortage in the future. Even under the situation of minimum socio-economic water demand, the total water demand is difficult to meet fully. The forecasting framework established in this paper has high application value and can provide a reference for water demand forecasting and prospective water demand management in river basins. HIGHLIGHTS Building watershed water demand scenarios using shared socio-economic pathways.; Forecasting watershed population and economy at the regional scale.; Combining the water-use quota method with population and economic projection data to calculate future water demand.;

The Lamongan Regency is an area in East Java, Indonesia, which often experiences drought, especially in the south. The Corong River basin is located in the southern part of Lamongan, which supplies the irrigation area of the Gondang Reservoir. Drought monitoring in the Corong River basin is very important to ensure the sustainability of the agricultural regions. This study aims to analyse the causal relationship between meteorological and agricultural drought indices represented by standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index ( SPEI) and standard normalisation difference vegetation index ( NDVI), using time series regression. The correlation between NDVI and SPEI lag 4 has the largest correlation test results between NDVI and SPEI lag, which is 0.41. This suggests that the previous four months of meteorological drought impacted the current agricultural drought. A time series regression model strengthens the results, which show a causal relationship between NDVI and SPEI lag. According to the NDVI–SPEI-1 lag 4 time series model, NDVI was influenced by NDVI in the previous 12 periods, and SPEI-1 in the last four periods had a determinant coefficient value of 0.4. This shows that the causal model between SPEI-1 and NDVI shows a fairly strong relationship for drought management in agricultural areas (irrigated areas) and is considered a reliable and effective tool in determining the severity and duration of drought in the study area.

Continued large-scale public investment in declining ecosystems depends on demonstrations of “success”. While the public conception of “success” often focuses on restoration to a pre-disturbance condition, the scientific community is more likely to measure success in terms of improved ecosystem health. Using a combination of literature review, workshops and expert solicitation we propose a generalized framework to improve ecosystem health in highly altered river basins by reducing ecosystem stressors, enhancing ecosystem processes and increasing ecosystem resilience. We illustrate the use of this framework in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) of the central United States (U.S.), by (i) identifying key stressors related to human activities, and (ii) creating a conceptual ecosystem model relating those stressors to effects on ecosystem structure and processes. As a result of our analysis, we identify a set of landscape-level indicators of ecosystem health, emphasizing leading indicators of stressor removal (e.g., reduced anthropogenic nutrient inputs), increased ecosystem function (e.g., increased water storage in the landscape) and increased resilience (e.g., changes in the percentage of perennial vegetative cover). We suggest that by including these indicators, along with lagging indicators such as direct measurements of water quality, stakeholders will be better able to assess the effectiveness of management actions. For example, if both leading and lagging indicators show improvement over time, then management actions are on track to attain desired ecosystem condition. If, however, leading indicators are not improving or even declining, then fundamental challenges to ecosystem health remain to be addressed and failure to address these will ultimately lead to declines in lagging indicators such as water quality. Although our model and indicators are specific to the MARB, we believe that the generalized framework and the process of model and indicator development will be valuable in an array of altered river basins.

Introduction. Considerable attention of scientists at the current stage of development of society is given to the theory of formation and assessment of the state of the nature reserve network and its ability to ensure biodiversity. The upper part of the Pripet River basin in the Volyn region is marked by various nature-reserved objects that belong to the pan-European, national and regional eco-networks. The objective of the work is the assessment and territorial distribution of NRF within the Pripet River basin in Volyn. Methods. The research used a complex and systematic approach, as well as mathematical, cartographic and comparative descriptive methods. Results. The river basin contains 314 objects of the nature reserve fund (NRF) with a total area of 164,735.7 hectares. The actual area is 149,186.4 hectares as a number of objects that are included in the total area of the nature reserve fund are actually located within the boundaries of other NRF objects, much larger in area. There are more than 40 such objects in the Pripet river basin. Such objects located within several river basins are also found within the basins of the main tributaries of the Pripet – the Vyzhivka, the Turia, the Tsyr, the Stokhid, the Styr rivers. In the upper Pripet River basin, there is an uneven distribution of protected areas across the territory, which indicates the need to increase their size in the Styr, Turia, Vyzhivka, and Korostyanka river basins to achieve an optimal ratio of areas and conserve species biodiversity based on a basin approach. The results of the calculation of the insularity index of the NRF of the Volyn region and of the degree of protection within the river basins are presented. The effectiveness of the nature reserve fund of the Pripet River basin was assessed, where the actual area of the protected area is 149,186.4 ha, the density of objects is 2.14 per 100 km2, the degree of protection (Spro) is 10.17%, and the insularity index (I) is 0.32. Twelve species of flora included in the International Red Lists were identified (Daphne cneorum L., Cypripedium calceolus L., Aldrovanda vesiculosa L., Salvinia natans (L.) All., Jurinea cyanoides (L.) Rchb., Tragopogon ucrainicus Artemczuk., Silene lithuanica Zapal., Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich., Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill., Saxifraga hirculus L., Galanthus nivalis L., Crataegus ucrainica Pojark.), the areas of distribution of which are protected areas located in the Pripet River basin. Conclusions. Prospectively, a successful expansion of the NRF area of the basin will make it possible to develop a national and pan-European eco-network, as well as to expand the area of wetlands of international importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The presence or absence of water can result in floods or droughts, potentially impacting agricultural productivity to a great extent. With advancements in remote sensing technology, the reliability of identifying water bodies has significantly improved, particularly in terms of distinguishing between water and land. This study introduced remote sensing methods to improve the accuracy of differentiating water within the Dawenhe River basin. Various water body scenarios were examined, and the performance of these methods was evaluated to determine the proper approach for water-land separation. In applying water body indices to Sentinel-2 images, it was found that the normalized difference water index (NDWI) outperformed the modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) in identifying water bodies. Consequently, histograms of frequency distribution for Sentinel-1 were generated, revealing that water and land were more distinguishable in VV polarization than in VH polarization. Using histogram thresholding on VV polarized images in Dongping Lake resulted in an overall classification accuracy of 97.58%, surpassing that of Otsu’s method at 97.36%. To address the persisting misclassifications, this study identified three leading causes and proposed corresponding solutions. These solutions included (1) employing the morphological dilation algorithm to expand the water area, mitigating pixel mixing issues at the water-land boundary that caused the water bodies to appear smaller; (2) utilizing incidence angles and digital elevation model (DEM) to locate and remove shadows; and (3) slightly lowering the thresholds and manually correcting misclassifications. As a result, the average accuracy of the four areas increased from 95.56 to 96.94%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Accurate data on the distribution and population status of threatened fish species are fundamental for effective conservation planning and management. In this work, in order to reassess the distribution of the globally threatened Evia barbel, Barbus euboicus, we undertook an environmental DNA (eDNA) survey coupled with conventional electrofishing, focusing on major river basins in Evia Island in proximity to its known occurrence in a single Evian basin (Manikiatiko stream). For comparison purposes, we conducted eDNA sampling in several locations in the geographically closest continental river basin, the Sperchios basin (Central Greece) which hosts the closely related Barbus sperchiensis. Our results expand the known range of the Evia barbel on Evia adding four new river basins, apart from its type locality (Manikiatiko stream (EV3)). In a single Evian River, where the species had never been located before, there was also a positive eDNA signal for Barbus sperchiensis within the same basin. The research confirms the occurrence of Evia barbel in a wider geographical area, highlighting however the sensitive conservation status of the species due to its still very narrow geographical distribution. The biogeographical implications of our study, as well as potential conservation interventions, are discussed.

Analysing the morphometric parameters is the most expedient and parsimonious way of representing the hydrologic and physiographic attributes of river basins. The present study attempts to measure the morphometric parameters for assessing the understanding of morphological, hydrological, and physiographic properties of the south-western part of the Ganges delta. Parameters were analysed from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission's (SRTM) maps and total of eight linear, six areal, eight relief, and five drainage texture parameters have taken with hypsometric analysis for the four major rivers and two tributary river basins. The values of linear parameter denote that most of the streams (82%) fall in first order, and other orders have homogeneous underline materials. The aerial parameters represent low peak discharge and the upper region is less vulnerable to flood. The relief parameter values show that the entire basin has low surface runoff and they are less erosional (slope < 3.97°). The drainage density indicates the coarser nature and circularity ratio (0.08) represents the elongated shape. The southern portion of the basin has a greater flood potential and hypsometric index (0.49) shows the entire basin is in mature stage of formation. These results would be helpful for reckoning the watersheds for drainage management and environmental planning for ecological management and sustainable development. HIGHLIGHTS Diversified hydro-geographic parameters were investigated for one of the major economic regions in Bangladesh.; Rho coefficient values denoting erosion repulsion and less flood potentiality via CR and ER.; Homogeneous baseline material and elongated shape of basins that are easy to control.; HI represents the mature stage where high-resolution DEM data would be effective to calculate the flood potential.;

Modeling streamflow is essential for understanding flow inundation. Traditionally, this involves hydrologic and numerical models. This research introduces a framework using agent-based modeling (ABM) combined with data-driven modeling (DDM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). An agent-driven model simulates streamflow and its interactions with river courses and surroundings, considering hydrologic phenomena related to precipitation, water level, and discharge as well as channel and basin characteristics causing increased water levels in the Medio River. A five-year dataset of hourly precipitation, water level, and discharge measurements was used to simulate streamflow. The model’s accuracy was evaluated using statistical metrics like correlation coefficient (r), coefficient of determination (R2), root mean squared error (RMSE), and percentage error in peak discharge (Qpk). The ABM’s simulated peak discharge (Qpk) was compared with the measured peak discharge across four experimental scenarios. The best simulations occurred in scenario 3, using only rainfall and streamflow data. Data management and visualization facilitated input, output, and analysis. This study’s ABM combined with DDM and AI offers a novel approach for simulating streamflow and predicting floods. Future studies could extend this framework to other river basins and incorporate advanced sensor data to enhance the accuracy and responsiveness of flood forecasting.

Water quality assessment stands as a fundamental step in water resource management. In addition to substances and organisms present in the water, land use and land cover are two factors also affecting water quality. This study analyzed the correlation and influence between water quality and land use and land cover in the Miranda River Basin (MRB) and the natural wetlands in the Pantanal Biome. Using a watershed-wide approach, results suggested that water quality management policies can be considered in terms of sub-basins (smaller planning units). The Water Quality Index (WQI) was considered GOOD or EXCELLENT throughout the MRB. It was observed that the natural wetlands have the capacity to contribute to improving the WQI, with reductions in thermotolerant coliforms and turbidity; however, high values were found for thermotolerant coliforms, a temporal increasing trend of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and a reduction in dissolved oxygen and total phosphorus. Conversely, in these flooded areas, trends of a decrease in dissolved oxygen and an increase in BOD levels were found. Natural wetlands play important hydrological and ecological roles in water quality, storing, removing, and cycling nutrients. They are highly relevant areas for defining watershed management and conservation strategies, environmental protection, and providing ecosystem services.

To quantitatively analyze the spatial distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) content and its main influencing factors in the Huangshui River Basin, Qinghai Province, China, a total of 13 factors including topography, climate, soil properties, and vegetation cover were selected. The influence of these factors on the spatial distribution of SOM content was analyzed using the geographical detector model and the Pearson correlation coefficient method. The results showed that the average SOM content in the cultivated soil layer of the Huangshui River Basin was 28.38 g·kg−1. The results of factor detection and Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the three dominant factors causing differences in the spatial distribution of SOM content were mean annual temperature, altitude, and soil pH. Furthermore, SOM content was negatively correlated with temperature and positively correlated with elevation. When the factors interacted, they exhibited a type of bi-enhance or nonlinear-enhance. The interaction between two factors improved the explanatory power of SOM, indicating the complexity of factors causing spatial distribution differences in SOM. This study provides a favorable basis for precision fertilization, soil improvement, and of soil quality improvement in the Huangshui River Basin.

Water quality in rivers is deteriorating in urban and rural areas due to natural and anthropogenic factors. Understanding how changes and factors affect river water quality is crucial for managing water quality in river basins. This review focuses on analyzing key factors affecting water quality, and the temporal and spatial variations of water quality in rivers flowing in rural and urban areas. Natural processes such as weathering of rocks, evapotranspiration, atmospheric deposition, climate change, and natural disasters cause changes in the quality of river water. Anthropogenic factors could stem from industrial effluents, domestic activities, and agricultural activities such as the application of fertilizers, manures, pesticides, animal husbandry activities, irrigation practices, deforestation, and aquaculture. The seasonal variations in river water quality are discussed, and land use or cover could affect water quality parameters in a negative or positive way. In addition to traditional contaminants such as biodegradable organic matter, heavy metals, and pathogens, emerging and persistent pollutants such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and phamaceutic active compounds (PhACs) has been found in many rivers, which could pose a threat to human and animal health. The comparison of key factors and parameters in urban and rural areas is also clarified, which provides authorities and policymakers with a deep understanding and supports decision-making in sustainable water management.

AbstractGroundwater resource problems are increasing development and planning challenges due to climate change and overexploitation, necessitating assessments of their potential and productivity. The study area has been facing a groundwater level decline problem for many years, and these results can help increase the groundwater level in the basaltic rock area. In this research, we have worked on the demarcation and suitability of groundwater potential zones using GIS and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) methods for the Urmodi River Basin. This research prepared eight thematic maps, that is, geomorphology, geology, drainage density, land use/land cover, elevation, lineament density and slope from satellite data and GIS methods, which play a primary factor in determining the proper groundwater potential zones. In this study, every thematic map was allocated weights depending on its specific characteristics and contribution to the groundwater potential capacity. The weights were determined using the AHP method, which considers the comparative significance of every layer about others. This weighting procedure allowed for a comprehensive assessment of the factors influencing groundwater potential in the Urmodi River basin. The resulting groundwater potential map was divided into four classes, that is, good, excellent, moderate, and poor. The study revealed that approximately 22.69% of the basin had excellent groundwater potential, 28.96% had good potential, 25.32% had moderate potential, and 22.92% had poor potential. These study findings suggest that a significant portion of the Urmodi River Basin exhibits good to moderate groundwater potential, indicating promising opportunities for sustainable groundwater utilization in the region. The groundwater potential zone map accuracy is 84% based on the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) method. These results can have implications for sustainable groundwater resources and provide a framework for conducting similar assessments in other regions. The results can be more important for sustainable development goals and helpful in increasing groundwater levels in the area.

In this research, the SWAT+ model was employed to elucidate hydrological dynamics within the Beas Basin. The primary objectives encompassed the calibration of the SWAT model for accurate water balance quantification, annual simulation of salient hydrological components, and a decadal analysis of trends in fluvial discharge and sediment transport. The methodology encompasses simulating hydrological data with the SWAT+ model, followed by calibration and validation using flow data from Larji and Mahadev hydroelectric plants. The model's efficacy in depicting streamflow and other hydrological components is corroborated by statistical measures such as the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and PBIAS. The water balance analysis delivers insights into the basin's hydrological characteristics, including surface flow, water yield, and evapotranspiration. The temporal analysis exposes intricate seasonal and interannual variability in flow and sediment discharge, while spatial distribution highlights heterogeneity across the basin. These findings have practical implications for water resource management, including optimizing water allocation, hydroelectric power generation, irrigation, and environmental concerns. Limitations, such as data quality and model simplifications, are acknowledged, and future data collection and observations are recommended for improved model performance. In essence, these researches enhance understanding of the Beas Basin's hydrology, setting a course for future investigations to integrate more data sources, refine model parameters, and consider climate and land-use changes for a richer comprehension of the basin's hydrological dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of the topic is determined by the increasing demand for forest recreational resources of the West Kazakhstan region. The forests of the West Kazakhstan region are under the influence of recreational activity, which is growing every year and leads to the transformation of the natural environment. The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of recreation on the processes of soil erosion in the forests of the West Kazakhstan region. An increase in the recreational load and the steepness of the slopes leads to degradation of the forest floor and grassy cover. The remnants of these materials move downhill under the influence of visitors, and the soil surface is compacted. The porosity coefficient of the upper soil layer decreases as recreational loads increase. This leads to a decrease in soil water permeability and an increase in surface water runoff. The study showed that the runoff coefficient, the air -dry mass of the forest floor and the porosity coefficient are closely related. These relationships characterize an increase in the water runoff coefficient with a decrease in the air-dry mass of the forest litter and the porosity coefficient. In the field in 2023, based on the morphological description of the profiles, the degree of soil erosion in the selected woodlands was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the fertile topsoil is constantly washed away and agricultural production is decreased, soil erosion is a serious environmental issue that affects the entire planet. All river basins experience changes in land use that affect sediment dynamics, soil erodibility, and hydrologic response. The main reason for the faster erosion rates is frequently attributed to those alterations. In the current study, the Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) model was used to estimate the sediment yield and maximum outflow from three river basins in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. Because the county is hilly and has significant erosion issues, it is essential to have a solid understanding of how soil erosion occurs in river basins. This will allow for more precise planning of soil conservation projects and will allow for more effective management of the severity of the erosion processes. The IntErO model offers quick, efficient, and feasible insight into how changing land use affects soil erosion processes. The testing of the procedures that have been put into place is an essential component of the ongoing development of watershed management strategies at the regional level. The relief characteristics and predominant land use of the three selected prototype river basins significantly influenced the resulting real soil losses. The application of the IntErO model in assessing soil erosion rates in the Transylvanian hills represents a novel approach. The findings of this study hold potential for informing policymakers in the formulation of more robust regulations pertaining to soil and water conservation. Consequently, the implementation of such measures is expected to contribute to the safeguarding of river basin soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of this study was to conduct an analysis of long‐term changes in the number of sturgeon populations and its relationship with the fishing regime and the current state of the Ural River basin, as well as develop measures for the conservation and restoration of their resources.Discussion. Six sturgeon species inhabit the waters of the Ural River basin: Huso huso Linnaeus, 1758; Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833; Acipenser persicus Borodin, 1897; Acipenser stellatus Pallas, 1771; Acipenser nudiventris Lovetsky, 1828 and Acipenser ruthenus, 1758. The degradation of the geosystems of the Ural River basin and the Caspian Sea due to changes in the hydrological regime, increased exploitation of oil and gas fields, as well as poaching has led to a decrease in the number of sturgeons. Moreover, the areas used for the development of petroleum hydrocarbons and the development of related infrastructure coincide with the main areas for feeding and migration of sturgeon and other commercial fish species. The Ural River is the only one in Europe with unregulated lower and middle reaches, thanks to which, until the 90s of the last century, favourable conditions were maintained for the natural reproduction of sturgeon and other fish species. In world practice, the development of commercial sturgeon breeding and reproduction of livestock in regional natural reservoirs provide a promising direction for the preservation of the unique sturgeon gene pool. At the same time, the principal role in the formation of the number and species composition of sturgeons, is given to natural reproduction. In the Ural River Basin, there are opportunities to restore the sturgeon population through a combination of natural reproduction and artificial farming.Conclusions. Despite a slight increase in the occurrence of sturgeons in recent decades, the state of their populations requires special conservation measures. It is necessary to develop joint measures for the protection and reproduction of fish stocks at the interstate level.

Morphometry helps in understanding the behaviour of drainage characteristics with respect to various hydrological processes including infiltration, runoff, erosion and sediment transport. Morphometric analysis of river basins is an essential technique to the study the response of drainage basin in response to topological characteristics. The river basins' morphometric analysis is an important technique to prioritize the watersheds for implementation of soil and water management strategies. In this study, the morphometric characteristics of the lower Sutlej River have been determined using the geo-spatial techniques. The river basin, having area of 8577 km2, was delineated into the fourteen sub-watersheds (WS-1 to WS-14) in the GIS environment. The ALOS PALSAR DEM and ArcGIS were utilized to evaluate the morphometric parameters of the delineated watersheds. The calculated morphometric parameters were used to rank the watersheds in terms of soil erosion potential. The priority ranks to the watersheds were assigned as per compound parameter, which was calculated by averaging the ranks designated to each morphometric parameter. Watersheds with the lowest compound parameter values were given the highest priority rating, and vice versa. Based on the results WS-7 was assigned the first rank whereas WS-13 was assigned the 13th rank. The principal component analysis was performed to determine the highly correlated morphometric parameters. Out of the 18 parameters, 13 were found be highly correlated. The compound parameter obtained based on these highly correlated parameters also prioritized WS-7 as the most vulnerable watershed. Therefore, WS-7 should be selected for the implementation of soil and water conservation strategies. It can be concluded that morphometric analysis along with PCA in combination with GIS can be helpful in prioritizing the watersheds in terms of soil erosion vulnerability and water management.

This article covers the trends in climate changes in the semiarid region of the Northeastern region of Brazil, with a spacial cutout to the sub-medium stretch of the São Francisco River Basin. As a methodology, the RClimdex software was used to calculate the climate extremes indices of precipitation for the period between 1964 and 2016. The results indicated changes in the rainfall patterns, denoting an increase in the number of consecutive dry days, a reduction of the total annual rainfall, and also exhibiting negative trends in the daily rainfall intensity, in the number of days with moderate, strong, and intense rain, in the number of very humid and extremely humid days, contributing to the recurrent droughts in the semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil.

Focusing on quantitative analysis and combining with qualitative analysis, this paper selects five benchmarking enterprises for quantitative evaluation of key production indicators, and completes the transverse and overall comparison of data at all levels of production management. It also carries out qualitative analysis by positioning research for Enterprise B, and points out directions of production management optimization. With benchmarking and targeted diagnosis and optimization, production and operation management level of the enterprise can be improved.