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Crop simulation models serve as effective instruments for evaluating the management conditions of irrigation systems. This study aims to simulate maize production to identify optimal irrigation water management strategies under deficit irrigation and moisture conservation practices, utilizing the AquaCrop model. We conducted this research at Woleh irrigation schemes during the 2023/2024 irrigation season in the Wag-himra zone of northern Ethiopia. To check how well the model worked, we used statistical tests such as prediction error (PE), root mean square error (RMSE), index of agreement (D), goodness-of-fit (R2), and the Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (NCE). The model effectively simulated canopy cover, aboveground biomass, and yield across all treatments, evidenced by the high R2 (0.99) and NSE (0.99) values. Furrow-irrigated raised bed planting (FRBP) at 100% and 75% ETc with mulch exhibited the lowest predicted errors and deviations in yield and water productivity. The model effectively predicted maize yield and biomass under full irrigation in FRBP at 75% ETc with mulch. The AquaCrop model serves as a dependable measure of maize crop development and outcomes across different irrigation conditions and mulch types, potentially enhancing sustainable maize productivity in water-stressed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Egypt, wheat is the most consumed cereal grain, and its availability and affordability are important for social stability. Irrigation plays a vital role in wheat cultivation, despite intense competition for water resources from the River Nile across various societal sectors. To explore how grain and above-ground biomass yields respond to total seasonal water input from sowing to maturity in six bread wheat cultivars, eight field irrigation experiments were performed at four locations representative of three agro-climatic zones in two consecutive cropping seasons. A three-replicate strip-plot design was used with cultivars nested within the main plots featuring five irrigation treatments, ranging from six to two applications. Overall, irrigation treatment significantly affected nine agronomic traits. Compared with the six irrigation applications treatment (T1), the two irrigation applications treatment (T5) decreased the times to heading and maturity by 6.6 (7.3%) and 8.6 (6.3%) days, respectively. Similarly, T5 reduced the plant height by 14.9 cm (14.3%), flag leaf area by 12.0 cm2 (27.2%), number of spikes per square metre by 77.7 (20.1%), number of kernels per spike by 13.9 (25.2%) and thousand grain weight by 10.0 g (19.6%). T5 also decreased the overall mean grain yield and above-ground biomass yield by 2834.9 (32.0%) and 7910.4 (32.86%) kg/ha, respectively. The grain yield and above-ground biomass production were consistently greater for all six cultivars at Al Mataenah and Sids than at Nubaria and Ismailia in the two cropping seasons. All six cultivars showed significantly greater responses to total seasonal water input for the grain yield and above-ground biomass at Al Mataenah and Ismailia. These results emphasise the necessity for choosing regions with favourable soil and climatic conditions to grow wheat cultivars that respond better to irrigation to enhance the large-scale production of wheat in Egypt. The grain and above-ground biomass yields were mostly linearly and positively associated with the total seasonal water input for all six cultivars at all four locations. This suggests that maintaining the current irrigation schedule of six irrigations is valid and should be practised to maximise productivity, particularly in areas similar to the three representative agro-climatic zones in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the potential hazardous effects of NO3− concentration in drinking water on health, feed intake, rumen fermentation and microbiota, and nitrogen excretion of Holstein heifers fed a high-concentrate diet for a sustainable water use. Twenty-four Holstein heifers were individually allocated and assigned to one of four treatments with increasing drinking water NO3− concentration: CTR, without NO3−; LOW, with 44 mg NO3−/L; MOD, with 110 mg NO3−/L; and HIGH, with 220 mg NO3−/L. The entire study lasted 168 days. Fortnightly water NO3− concentration and daily feed and water intake were recorded. Blood parameters, rumen pH, volatile fatty acids, NO3− and NO2− concentration, microbiota, and apparent total tract digestibility were determined at the beginning and at the end of the study. Most of the analyzed parameters were similar among treatments. Denitrifying bacteria population, estimated as nosZ gene copies, were greater in HIGH animals than in CTR animals at the end of the study. In conclusion, drinking water NO3− concentration up to 220 mg/L has no detrimental effect on health, feed intake, rumen fermentation, nor N excretion in dairy beef cattle for periods up to 168 days; moreover, denitrifying bacteria population increased, which are related with the neutralization of the greenhouse gas N2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation of crops is one of the oldest measures applied in agriculture to increase agricultural production. The need to increase agricultural production is an increasingly pressing issue, not only to increase their incomes and households' food supply, but also to contribute to overall food security and poverty reduction. As agriculture is increasingly at risk from climate change and a growing population demanding aquatic resources, farmers need to adopt smarter practices for sustainable water use in agriculture. Climate shifting present a very big jeopardy to global farm work, impacting many parts of crop grow, include water sprinkle practice. Changes to these practices become very important in coping with these obstacles, focus on need for farm techs that smart with climate. Picking techs to adapt in farming must give importance to variety and long-lasting methods for better output amidst unsure climate future scenes. It is stresses on climate-smart farm methods in small farm set-ups, pushing for good rules and institution back up to put and copy these methods with success. The focus on tech, services, skill building and rules in climate-smart farm plans show the urgent need to mix changeable measures in farm methods, where farm work crucial to living means and food secure. With deep knowledge of climate changing impacts and taking right change steps, farm sector can aim for being tough and productive lasting amidst shifting environmental situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism on Gili Air, a small coral island in Indonesia, has increased significantly. Groundwater is the primary water source on the island. This study aims to estimate the sustainability of groundwater use on this small coral island. It conducts an initial assessment of the freshwater lens system using cost-effective methods to evaluate the available freshwater volume and sustainability of water withdrawals related to tourism. The results and methods can be transferred to other low-lying islands. The results show that Gili Air has a well-developed freshwater lens, estimated to contain 2 million cubic meters of water, with an annual recharge rate four times higher than the water demand of the island's inhabitants. However, our findings suggest that the rapid increase in tourism resulted in unsustainable water withdrawals between 2016 and 2019. Without proper groundwater monitoring and management, this could lead to seawater intrusion into the aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the evolving landscape of Industry 4.0, the convergence of peer-to-peer (P2P) systems, LoRa-enabled wireless sensor networks (WSNs), and distributed hash tables (DHTs) represents a major advancement that enhances sustainability in the modern agriculture framework and its applications. In this study, we propose a P2P Chord-based ecosystem for sustainable and smart agriculture applications, inspired by the inner workings of the Chord protocol. The node-centric approach of WiCHORD+ is a standout feature, streamlining operations in WSNs and leading to more energy-efficient and straightforward system interactions. Instead of traditional key-centric methods, WiCHORD+ is a node-centric protocol that is compatible with the inherent characteristics of WSNs. This unique design integrates seamlessly with distributed hash tables (DHTs), providing an efficient mechanism to locate nodes and ensure robust data retrieval while reducing energy consumption. Additionally, by utilizing the MAC address of each node in data routing, WiCHORD+ offers a more direct and efficient data lookup mechanism, essential for the timely and energy-efficient operation of WSNs. While the increasing dependence of smart agriculture on cloud computing environments for data storage and machine learning techniques for real-time prediction and analytics continues, frameworks like the proposed WiCHORD+ appear promising for future IoT applications due to their compatibility with modern devices and peripherals. Ultimately, the proposed approach aims to effectively incorporate LoRa, WSNs, DHTs, cloud computing, and machine learning, by providing practical solutions to the ongoing challenges in the current smart agriculture landscape and IoT applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources are becoming increasingly scarce in many parts of the world. The protection and the sustainable use of water resources is highly relevant to mitigate climate impacts. This article aims to investigate the activities of UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) in regard to ground and surface water resources. Using a mixed-methods approach, a questionnaire was administered and an international online workshop was held. The results show that there are various common fields of activities and common threats in regard to water resources. The identified topics are structured and discussed within a SWOT analysis. The article provides a starting point for UGGps to jointly promote water as a significant resource and to define common fields of activities that can be supported by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network (UGGpN). The article recommends the establishment of a new working group within the UGGpN. This will provide a platform to exchange best-practice experiences and develop guidelines on how to effectively integrate the protection and sustainable use of water resources into the management of UGGps.

Bursa ili, sürekli göç alan, sanayisi gelişen ve 3.147.818 kişilik nüfusu ile Türkiye’nin 4. büyük kenti olup, artan nüfus yoğunluğu ve sanayi faaliyetleri, içme ve kullanma suyuna duyulan ihtiyacı da gün geçtikçe arttırmaktadır. Tüm dünyada olduğu gibi Bursa ilinde de mevcut su kaynaklarının sınırlı olması suyun kontrollü ve sürdürülebilir bir şekilde kullanılmasını gerektirmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Bursa ili merkez kamu kurumları çalışanlarından 1405 personele, su kullanım alışkanlıkları, su tasarrufu, su kaynaklarının korunması ve suyun sürdürülebilir şekilde kullanımı konusundaki hassasiyetlerinin ölçülmesi amacı ile 30 kamu kurumunu içeren geniş katılımlı bir anket çalışması uygulanmış ve elde edilen veriler SPSS programı kullanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Yapılan değerlendirmeler neticesinde, merkez kamu kurumu çalışanlarının su kullanımında su kaynaklarının korunması yönünde alışkanlıklarını belirledikleri ve su tasarrufu konusunda son derece duyarlı oldukları ortaya konulmuştur.

This article presents a study of Hybrid Rainwater/Greywater Systems (HRGS), with the objective of perceiving the main factors that influence their performance and how they can be optimized. For this goal, a decision support tool, that makes their dimensioning and performs an economic and performance analysis, was used for four different types of buildings: a single-family house, a multifamily building and two service buildings. For each case, distinct scenarios were defined, considering different end-uses of non-potable water, in order to evaluate the performance of the systems using effectiveness and performance indicators. Results show that the effectiveness of "non-potable water consumption" is influenced by two main factors: the final uses considered for non-potable water and the storage volume. In most of the study cases, values of effectiveness (ratio between the volume of non-potable water used and non-potable water demand for the final uses considered) greater than 50% were obtained. In the case of domestic buildings, such as single-family house and multifamily building effectiveness values above 67%, were obtained. And for the case of service buildings, the effectiveness was between 42.8 and 65.6% in one case, and between 12.9 and 93.6% for the other. The best performance of the studied hybrid systems is achieved when the volume of non-potable water used in the building is maximized, resulting in greater savings of potable water. In addition, the larger the fraction of greywater reused, the lower the volume of wastewater produced and sent directly to the sanitation network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving citizens' water literacy level has gradually become one of the key elements to solve or alleviate water problems, which is of great significance in building a social water security system and promoting the harmonious development of man and nature. A fusion method—grounded systems analysis based on grounded theory and event systems theory is proposed in this study, which is used to explore the representation factors of water literacy and construct the main category chain through reverse tracking interview data and revealing each factor's mechanism. The research results show that: After encoding the original data, the water literacy characterization factor system including 4 main categories, 12 key categories, and 110 conceptualized sentences was obtained. The interaction between water knowledge and other main categories has a positive impact. There is no apparent direct relationship between water skills and water attitude, however, it can affect the implementation of water behavior. Water attitude can positively influence water behavior and has a moderating effect on each main category. The research conclusions can provide theoretical and decision‐making references for water literacy research, exploration, and practical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast rate of population growth and increased urbanisation has exacerbated the domestic water supply problem in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Nigeria. This study examines water use efficiency practices and the barriers inhibiting it among residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria using appropriated standard techniques. Data obtained shows that about 70% of respondents say they turn off the public tap whenever they see water dripping from them unattended, more than 50% admit to being agents advocating water use efficiency in their communities and more than 40% consider water-saving appliances when they make purchases of domestic appliances. The inhibitors to water-use efficiency in the study area, include a poor grasp of sustainability principles and cultural beliefs that promotes the idea of inexhaustible water resources; lifestyles that do not promote water use efficiency; and the inclination to only use water efficiently when it in short supply or when the price of water rises. Residents of the Federal Capital Territory should be made to understand their roles in efficient use of water and embrace sustainable water use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast rate of population growth and increased urbanisation has exacerbated the domestic water supply problem in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Nigeria. This study examines water use efficiency practices and the barriers inhibiting it among residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria using appropriated standard techniques. Data obtained shows that about 70% of respondents say they turn off the public tap whenever they see water dripping from them unattended, more than 50% admit to being agents advocating water use efficiency in their communities and more than 40% consider water-saving appliances when they make purchases of domestic appliances. The inhibitors to water- use efficiency in the study area, include a poor grasp of sustainability principles and cultural beliefs that promotes the idea of inexhaustible water resources; lifestyles that do not promote water use efficiency; and the inclination to only use water efficiently when it in short supply or when the price of water rises. Residents of the Federal Capital Territory should be made to understand their roles in efficient use of water and embrace sustainable water use.

Copyright of Uludag University Journal of the Faculty of Engineering (UUJFE) is the property of Uludag Universitesi, Muhendislik Fakultesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Many basins in the Cerrado biome already face increases in water disputes caused by agricultural expansion without long-term planning and monitoring of natural resources. The amount and timing of water availability are crucial for the socioeconomic development of agricultural activities and climate change resilience enhancement in the Cerrado. This study relied on a dataset developed for the Cerrado to characterize its climate and current water availability status. Different climate indices and hydrological signatures were adopted to describe the energy and water budget, climate seasonality, flow magnitude, flow dynamics, and average duration of low-flow events. Risk analysis was carried out to classify the monthly risk severity and identify periods and regions under a higher pressure regarding water availability in the Cerrado. Overall, the water availability is higher in the western and southern regions and lower in the eastern and northern regions, which experience a transition to a humid and semiarid climate, respectively. The water resources in the Cerrado occur under the highest pressure in September and October. We also identified regions with the potential to increase sustainable water use. These regions exhibit a low ratio between the flow equal to or exceeded 95% of the time and the mean flow (Q 95/Q), which indicates that sustainable water use may be improved with techniques related to flow regularization and rainwater/runoff harvesting.

The thermal mineral water of Peñón de los Baños spa (Mexico City) has been used for over 500 years starting in pre-Hispanic times and is famous for the treatment of various pathologies. It has a temperature of 45 °C, which is rich in HCO3−, and its main trace elements are B, Li and Fe, which confers healing effects. Concerns about the sustainability of this important spa have motivated this study to understand the thermal system, possible hydraulic and hydrochemical changes over time and its implications. Stable water isotope data indicate that the thermal water sources originate from local precipitation at Sierra de las Cruces with a recharge elevation of approximately 2770 m above sea level. The recharged water percolates through volcanic and carbonate rock formations and ascends via fault structure conduits, where it eventually is extracted 25 km downstream in Peñon de los Baños. During the gravity-driven deep circulation of up to 4.9 km, the groundwater is heated up to 136–160 °C. A comparison of past and current water levels and water chemical analyses indicates a water table drop and few variations in the chemical composition, confirming the presence of anthropic impact on water quality. Due to the heavy groundwater extractions in Mexico City, the spring water flow has ceased, and water must be pumped now from a 203-m deep well. In addition, the concentration of bicarbonate, sodium and chloride has been reduced by half since the onset of groundwater development. The therapeutic effects of this thermal mineral water are at risk due to the alteration of the chemical signature. However, new and different therapeutical uses may prevent a future deterioration or closure of this historically important thermal spa. It is crucial to establish a monitoring program of the thermal mineral water and reducing or minimizing nearby urban extractions which tap the regional flow component to preserve the properties of the thermal water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River water in industrial regions is a dynamic medium defined by random variables that cannot be described by linear equations. However, some water quality characteristics, e.g., pollutant concentrations, which look chaotically distributed are largely governed by deterministic laws resulting in periodic variations of water chemistry. Understanding this process will enable the researchers to analyse the history of the characteristics involved and to predict their future values. We provide further evidence of predictable, cyclic concentration behavior from the Iset River flowing through a heavily industrialized area in the Ob River basin, Ural Federal District, Russia. In particular, we found that the concentration of copper and nitrate can be characterized by pronounced fractals and quasi-cycles with predominant lengths of 7–8 and 4–5 months, respectively. Our results can improve forecast reliability and water use efficiency. Results from the Iset River could be potentially applicable to virtually any other river in the world, at least in temperate climate areas.

Nowadays, many major copper mining projects in desert areas with extremely dry climates, as in northern Chile and the southern coast of Peru, process sulfide ores at high production rates; in some cases over 100,000 metric tonnes per day (mtpd), generating large amounts of tailings, that are commonly managed and transported to tailings storage facilities (TSF) hydraulically using fresh water. Considering the extremely dry climate, water scarcity, community demands, and environmental constraints in these desert areas, the efficient use of water in mining is being strongly enforced. For this reason, water supply is recognized as one of the limiting factors for the development of new mining projects and for the expansion of the existing ones in these areas. New water supply alternatives, such as sea water desalinization, direct use of sea water, or water recovery from tailings, represent the strategy developed by the mining industry to deal with this growing scarcity. The focus of this paper is the possibility of applying different water supply technologies or a combination of these, implementing improved water management strategies that consider: environmental issues, technical issues, stringent regulatory frameworks, community requests and cost-effective strategies, that result in a reduction of freshwater make-up water requirements for mining (m3 per metric tonnes of treated ore). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzed the water use efficiency of China's staple grain productions (maize, rice, and wheat). This research calculated the water footprints of crop production using the CROPWAT model based on reported water use in 2000 and during 2015–2019, and both green and blue water footprints were calculated. The results showed that compared to 2000 water use efficiency of crop production for maize, rice and wheat during 2015–2019 were increased by about 12.4%, 10.8%, and 2.5% respectively. The current spatial structure of the stable grain industry that makes up grain production regions are concentrated in northern China, then grains are distributed across China (North-to-South Grain Transportation). This has advantages in the increase of agricultural water productivity. This research indicated that agricultural policies should further consider an advance of regional grain production, along with the optimization of transportation channels for stable grains to increase irrigation water use efficiency. The establishment of staple grain production in designated areas not only ensures China's food security, but also promotes the sustainable use of irrigation water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water footprint is a new tool for assessing sustainability in terms of water use. Researchers are devising new applications that use water footprint, one of which is focused on comparing the water requirements of individual diets. Systems have been proposed to suggest tailor-made recipes that use a lower water quantity in production. This system proposes alternative recipes with lower demands for water resources based on their water footprint. The water footprint consists of three components—blue, green, and grey water footprints. However, focusing only on a reduction in the total water footprint may lead to an increase in some of its parts, such as the blue water footprint, and subsequently to water scarcity in some river basins. Therefore, it is recommended to extend the food recommendations system with sustainability criteria in order to avoid the unsustainable management of water resources. The same criteria can be used in any system for selecting alternatives based on the water footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater use underpins much economic production. The unsustainable use of groundwater threatens environmental flows in surface waters, sustainable development, and future food security. The connection between agricultural trade and groundwater depletion has been recently highlighted, but how groundwater depletion supports the production of industrial and tertiary goods, trade, and consumption remains less well understood. Here, we present the first analysis of groundwater use and depletion embedded in the complete supply chain of China (including primary, secondary, and tertiary products). We use a multiregion input‐output analysis coupled with the high‐resolution groundwater use modeling to track groundwater depletion from production to end consumer. Our modeling results show that groundwater depletion occurred primarily in water scarce North China for agricultural production, but the depleted resource was then incorporated throughout the supply chain and dispersed across Chinese and international consumers. ∼64 billion m3 yr−1 (±1 billion m3 yr−1) groundwater was depleted in China, in which more than a half was from Xinjiang, Hebei, Henan and Heilongjiang Provinces. Approximately 40% of the groundwater depletion can be traced to interprovincial transfer (21 billion m3 yr−1) and export (4.8 billion m3 yr−1). The hot spots for final consumption of groundwater depletion were major cities in both North and South China. Importantly, over 60% of the groundwater depletion was embodied in industrial and tertiary products for final consumption, highlighting the importance of tracing groundwater through the full economy. Groundwater depletion represents a long‐term risk to supply chains, and policy‐makers can use this understanding to sustainably manage groundwater and diversify supply chains. Plain Language Summary: Groundwater is a critical resource that is under increased pressure due to unsustainable exploitation. Groundwater resources underpin both national supply chains and global trade, but how groundwater supports the full supply chain of a nation remains unresolved. This study traces the groundwater depletion incorporated in the complete supply chain (including industrial and tertiary products, not just primary goods) of China through interprovincial transfers and international exports. The results show how groundwater depletion, which is concentrated in North China, is distributed to domestic and international consumers of final goods. International importers receive China's groundwater in the receipt of industrial products. We highlight that groundwater depletion represents a long‐term risk to supply chains. Key Points: Groundwater depletion is traced using a multi‐region input‐output analysis coupled with the high‐resolution groundwater use modelingAbout 21 billion m3 yr−1 groundwater depletion, primarily from water scarce Northern‐China, is virtually transferred domesticallyGroundwater depletion supporting export to the Rest of the World is estimated to be 4.8 billion m3 yr−1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many basins in the Cerrado biome already face increases in water disputes caused by agricultural expansion without long-term planning and monitoring of natural resources. The amount and timing of water availability are crucial for the socioeconomic development of agricultural activities and climate change resilience enhancement in the Cerrado. This study relied on a dataset developed for the Cerrado to characterize its climate and current water availability status. Different climate indices and hydrological signatures were adopted to describe the energy and water budget, climate seasonality, flow magnitude, flow dynamics, and average duration of low-flow events. Risk analysis was carried out to classify the monthly risk severity and identify periods and regions under a higher pressure regarding water availability in the Cerrado. Overall, the water availability is higher in the western and southern regions and lower in the eastern and northern regions, which experience a transition to a humid and semiarid climate, respectively. The water resources in the Cerrado occur under the highest pressure in September and October. We also identified regions with the potential to increase sustainable water use. These regions exhibit a low ratio between the flow equal to or exceeded 95% of the time and the mean flow (Q95/Q), which indicates that sustainable water use may be improved with techniques related to flow regularization and rainwater/runoff harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment supply downstream of dams through control techniques of reservoir sedimentation is attracting attention for promoting both sustainable water use and river ecosystem restoration. Sediment sluicing is a sediment control technique expected to recover natural sediment regimes because it allows sediment from an upstream reservoir to pass through a downstream dam during high flows. However, only a few studies have evaluated the restorative effects of sediment sluicing. We evaluated the restoration effects of sediment sluicing on macroinvertebrate assemblages in a dammed river using a before–after control–impact design. After sediment sluicing operations, the taxa richness of macroinvertebrates increased at sites downstream of the dam under free-flow conditions, where the reservoir was completely lotic and large amounts of sediment were transported. Meanwhile, there were few changes in macroinvertebrate richness and composition at sites downstream of the dam without sluicing operations and at the dam where sluicing was operational but did not achieve free flow. The increase in taxa richness was probably due to sediment supply from sluicing operations. As most taxa that increased in response to sluicing operations were grazers, sediment supply could provide benefits through indirect impacts via food resources. Negative impacts were observed on macroinvertebrates because of the first flush of excess sediment supply during the first sluicing; however, the extent of impact was spatiotemporally limited. Sluicing operation would be better than other sediment control techniques. This study suggests that sediment sluicing is an effective restoration method for not only macroinvertebrate assemblages but also for ecosystem functions. [Display omitted] • Sediment sluicing restores the natural sediment regimes in dammed streams and rivers. • Sediment supply through sluicing increased macroinvertebrate assemblage diversity. • Grazers were a group of macroinvertebrates that appeared after sediment sluicing. • Negative impacts of excess sediment supply due to the first flush were noticeable. • Sediment regime recovery improved structures and functions in riverine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing sustainability of the wine industry requires improved characterization of its environmental impacts, namely in terms of water use. Therefore, quantification of water inputs and wastewater (WW) outputs is needed to highlight inefficiencies in wine production and related consequences for the environment. Water use and WW generation in irrigated viticulture and oenology remains insufficiently quantified for dry Mediterranean regions (e.g. South Portugal). This paper is focused on wine production under warm and dry climate conditions in the winegrowing region of Alentejo (South Portugal). This region experiences increasingly dry conditions, while the irrigated area keeps expanding, which puts exacerbates the pressure on existing local and regional water resources. Additionally, more erratic variation in climate conditions and the tendency for increasingly extreme climate events (e.g. heat waves) pose more challenges to Alentejo’s wine sector. We conclude that quantitative information on water use and management is not always easy to obtain or access, which hinders improved strategies and/or policies for water use at farm, winery and region-level. Up-to-date statistics and robust metrics can help to better characterize water use and WW flows for Alentejo’s wine region, while optimizing management in vineyards and wineries, in companies and region-wide. The paper is focused on a “Farm-Winery” scenario, which is the most common in South Portugal’s wine sector

Günümüzde teknolojinin hızla gelişmesi, yaşam kalite standartlarının yükselmesine katkı sağlamakla birlikte, teknolojik gelişmelerin etkisiyle nüfus da hızla artmaktadır. Bu durum, sınırlı olan su kaynaklarının amacına uygun kullanılmaması ve bilinçsizce kirletilmesi ile üzerindeki baskıyı giderek arttırmaktadır. Mevcut durumun iyileştirilmesi amacıyla, çevresel, sosyal ve ekonomik unsurları içeren plan ve projelerin yetkili kurumlarca hazırlanması ve uygulanması gerekmektedir. Bursa ilinin su kaynaklarının mevcut durumunun değerlendirildiği bu çalışmada, öncelikle su ve su kullanımının önemi vurgulanmıştır. Türkiye’nin 4. büyük ili olan ve 2017 yılı itibariyle 2 936 803 kişi nüfusa sahip Bursa’nın su ihtiyacı yüzeysel sular, yeraltı suları ve pınarlar olmak üzere üç ana kaynaktan karşılanmaktadır. Kaynakların kapasiteleri sırasıyla 1063, 275 ve 17,4 hm3/yıl olup, bu kapasitelerin ilin su ihtiyacını karşılar seviyede olduğu görülmektedir. Kentsel su yönetimi kavramı için su kaynaklarının sürdürülebilirliğinin temin edilmesine yönelik ilin çevre ve çevre koruma alanında hizmet veren 8 kamu kurumunda görevli 200 yöneticiye anket çalışması uygulanmıştır. Doğru ve bilinçli su kullanımı için farkındalık yaratılmasının hedeflendiği bu çalışma neticesinde, mevcut ve planlanan su kaynaklarında sürdürülebilir kentsel su yönetiminin kurumsal düzeyde uygulanabilirliğine dair bazı çözüm önerileri ortaya konmuştur.

Increased usage and non-efficient management of limited resources has created the risk of water resource scarcity. Due to climate change, urbanization, and lack of effective water resource management, countries like Pakistan are facing difficulties coping with the increasing water demand. Rapid urbanization and non-resilient infrastructures are the key barriers in sustainable urban water resource management. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address the challenges of urban water management through effective means. We propose a workflow for the modeling and simulation of sustainable urban water resource management and develop an integrated framework for the evaluation and planning of water resources in a typical urban setting. The proposed framework uses the Water Evaluation and Planning system to evaluate current and future water demand and the supply gap. Our simulation scenarios demonstrate that the demand–supply gap can effectively be dealt with by dynamic resource allocation, in the presence of assumptions, for example, those related to population and demand variation with the change of weather, and thus work as a tool for informed decisions for supply management. In the first scenario, 23% yearly water demand is reduced, while in the second scenario, no unmet demand is observed due to the 21% increase in supply delivered. Similarly, the overall demand is fulfilled through 23% decrease in water demand using water conservation. Demand-side management not only reduces the water usage in demand sites but also helps to save money, and preserve the environment. Our framework coupled with a visualization dashboard deployed in the water resource management department of a metropolitan area can assist in water planning and effective governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of News of Kazakhstan Science / Novosti nauki Kazahstana is the property of NCSTE (JSC National Center for State Scientific and Technical Evaluations) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A more objective assessment of the freshwater scarcity risk at a watershed basis scale contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in which water plays a key role in issues like safe and affordable drinking water, water-related disasters, forest management, biodiversity and ecosystems. Within the SDGs, water scarcity is assessed primarily by using the ratio of withdrawal to availability (WTA). This index has been developed to evaluate the average annual conditions on a broad scale, such as country or large basin. However, there are insufficient cases for assessing specific and detailed risk conditions by using this original WTA concept, due to seasonal and interannual variations of the river discharge and withdrawal volumes. For example, infrastructure (e.g. large dams) and its operation, can drastically change the available water and demand volumes at temporal scales finer than annual. Because recently many daily and monthly records of river discharge and water use have become publicly available, it is possible to conduct water scarcity risk assessments on a monthly basis. By employing these datasets, in this study, we propose to compare volumes of available water and demand by using a Sectoral and Statistical Demand to Availability (SS-DTA) index. The novelty of this index is marked not only by the use of monthly volumes of available and required water but also by how environmental water requirements are included and the statistical relevance of the evaluation. Usually, to determine the available water resources, existing methods deduct from the river discharge the volumes that are required to preserve the surrounding ecosystems. Our proposed method considers the environmental flow requirements as one of the water-demand sectors allowing a simultaneous evaluation of water use that is not possible with existing methods. We applied this method to three representative river basins, two located in Japan (the Tone and the Arakawa River basins) and the Brantas River basin in Indonesia. The results showed the variations of water scarcity risk level through the river operation in each river basin. In the Tone River basin, it was succeeded in a drought year to decrease its risk level from 1 to 0, and to transport sufficient volume of water to the Arakawa River basin through an artificial channel to meet the demands at the same time. In the Brantas River basin, the river operation changed the SS-DTA score from 3 to 2, which means the water scarcity risk level was alleviated, while the main impact of the operation was found in high-water season to decrease the flood risk. Because the number, type, and priority of water demands can be adjusted based on the local situation and all the timeseries data of each demand sector are visualized in parallel, the result includes not only the whole risk level of the river basin but also the practical and specific degree of the risk with demand sector information.

The over-extraction of groundwater from thin fresh groundwater lenses is a threat to the livelihood of farmers in the Lower Indus Basin (LIB). It is essential to monitor and regulate this pumping to sustain fresh groundwater lenses. In this study, we applied a modelling approach in combination with geostatistical analysis to identify the critical locations to monitor the groundwater levels for sustaining fresh groundwater in the LIB. Our approach included four steps: (i) simulating temporal heads using a calibrated hydrogeological model; (ii) sampling monitoring locations using a hexagonal pattern of sampling; (iii) applying principal component analysis (PCA) of the temporal head observations, and selecting high scoring locations from the PCA; and (iv) minimizing the observation points to represent the water level contours. The calibrated model was able to replicate the hydro-dynamic behavior of the study area, with a root mean square of 0.95 and an absolute residual mean of 0.74 m. The hexagonal pattern of spatial sampling resulted in a 195 point network, but PCA reduced this network to 135 points and contour classification reduced it even further to 59 points. The 195, 135, and 59 point networks represented the water levels with average standard errors of 0.098, 0.318, and 0.610 m, respectively. Long-term simulations with increased pumping showed that the water levels would best be assessed by 195 monitoring points, although 135 and 59 points would represent the depleting area but would not capture the water logging area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water pollution and scarcity pose significant challenges to sustainability in China. Grey water footprint (GWF) can assess water pollution degree since it represents the freshwater needed to dilute the pollutants load to meet surrounding water quality standard. We detect the real water pollution and sustainable water use situation in China based on GWF and a proposed composite framework during 2000–2020 when China experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization. The pollutants discharged into water have not overpassed the water environmental capacity in China, yet the water environment load has achieved a high level, 0.80. China's GWF intensity (GWFI) kept decreasing during 2000–2020, indicating increased economic output produced with reduced water pollution. Transformation from coupling to decoupling between economic growth and water pollution has occurred since 2012 driven by a serious of key reforms of environmental protection and ecological civilization construction. The local high-high clusters of water environment load index (WELI) consistently appeared in Jing-Jin-Ji and its surrounding regions with severe water shortage. Technology centers transitioned from the eastern seaboard to the central region, evident in the relocation of local low-low cluster of GWFI; Regions with high pollution levels per unit of GDP were identified in Qinghai and Tibet, highlighted by the presence of high-high clusters of GWFI. Sustainable water use exhibited higher levels in the southeast and lower levels in the northwest, with the regional disparities gradually narrowing over time. Both regional and national Sustainable water use levels showed an increasing trend, promoting Sustainable Development Goal 6 achievement. Our study provides policy recommendations and scientific basis for sustainable water use and management and sustainable development. • A comprehensive insight into China's water pollution and sustainable water use. • China's grey water footprint per GDP kept decreasing during 2000–2020. • The mean water environment load has achieved a high level, 0.80 • Economic growth has decoupled from water pollution since 2012. • Sustainable water use across China improves, promoting SDG 6 achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Over the last few decades, Morocco has been undergoing a strong and fast water demand increase due to demographic upsurge, irrigated agriculture expansion, flourishing foreign trade and changing standard of living and lifestyles. The continued increase of water demand has imposed a height pressure over national scare water resources. Despite this worrying situation, the imperative of sustainable water use and management has created a need for compulsory information to define and implement economic and water-saving policies in an integrated and informed manner. This paper uses an input–output model of water use to analyse the relationships between economic sectors and water resources use in Morocco (i.e. direct water use) as well as the intersectoral water relationships (i.e. indirect water use). The results show that, on the one hand, Agriculture, hunting and forestry sector exhibits high direct water use. On the other hand, secondary and tertiary sectors display low direct use and high indirect water use. Typical examples of sectors with high indirect water use are manufacture of food and tobacco products and hotels and restaurants sectors. Further by means of the impact analysis, we have demonstrated that the economic sectors whose indirect water use coefficients are high have a significant influence on water resources by means of their “drag effect” on water use of other sectors. The results highlight the added value of conducting an analysis of the intersectoral water relationships and suggest that it is important to take into account in the processes of policy definition not only the direct water use but also the indirect water use, because neglecting them could threaten our water resources.

Copyright of Journal of Viticulture & Enology / Ciência e Técnica Vitivinícola is the property of EDP Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Water is an essential natural resource and is even known to be the cause of many wars of history. While people depend on it to survive, they also use it for everyday activities and several other purposes. As for plants, water is an essential factor, one they need for growth. Although irrigation is really important for certain agricultural plants, many criticise its water consumption especially on scientific platforms and media. This naturally pushes the world to find alternative ways to decrease the water consumption where possible. Greywater (GW) use is one of these alternative ways. This study aims to focus on two different but ecologically useful recent phenomena; GW use and green roofs. GW use makes it possible to decrease water consumption by replacing irrigation water, while green roofs (GRs) are known to increase biodiversity in urban areas and to decrease heat island effect and as a result reduce the costs of air conditioning. Since the main purposes of this study are to evaluate the use of GW on GRs to examine if there might be an ecologically and economically more beneficial way to keep the roof green, we used a prepared greywater simulation (PGWS) to measure green roof plants’ responses to it. Two different greywater models, non-diluted prepared greywater simulation (N-D.PGSW) and 50% diluted prepared greywater simulation (%50-D.PGWS), were used for irrigation; while tap water (TW) irrigation and no irrigation (N-I) were the other two conditions to make the study more reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Water scarcity has received global attention in the last decade as it challenges food security in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. This research assesses the possible alleviation of water scarcity by reducing the water footprint in crop production through the application of soil mulching and drip irrigation. The study is the first to do so at catchment scale, taking into account various crops, multi-cropping, cropping patterns, and spatial differences in climate, soil, and field management factors, using field survey and local data. The AquaCrop-OS model and the global water footprint assessment (WFA) standard were used to assess the green and blue water footprint (WF) of ten major crops in the Upper Litani Basin (ULB) in Lebanon. The blue water saving and blue water scarcity reduction under these two alternative practices were compared to the current situation. The results show that the WF of crop production is more sensitive to climate than soil type. The annual blue WF of summer crops was largest when water availability was lowest. Mulching reduced the blue WF by 3.6% and mulching combined with drip irrigation reduced it by 4.7%. The blue water saving from mulching was estimated about 6.3 million m3/y and from mulching combined with drip irrigation about 8.3 million m3/y. This is substantial but by far not sufficient to reduce the overall blue WF in summer to a sustainable level at catchment scale. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • This is the first study on the water saving effect of mulching and drip irrigation at catchment scale. • Mulching and drip irrigation will reduce the blue water footprint in Upper Litani Basin (ULB) by 5%. • Additional measures will be needed to lower the water footprint in the ULB to sustainable level. • Mulching reduces the water footprint of crops more than drip irrigation, but combining is the best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)