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Evaluation of Rainwater Harvesting and Bio-pore Infiltration Holes for Flood Mitigation and Soil Conservation
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Soil compaction is generally viewed as one of the most serious soil degradation problems and a determining factor in crop productivity worldwide. It is imperative to understand the processes involved in soil compaction to meet the future global challenges of food security. In this work, we used co‐occurring keyword analysis to summarize 3491 papers on soil compaction over the past 40 years, elaborating on the main research focuses such as the causes, influencing factors, and effects of soil compaction on crops, and the mitigation and prevention of soil compaction. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of the effects of soil compaction, including altering soil structure, increasing bulk density (BD) and penetration resistance (PR), and reducing porosity and soil hydraulic properties. Notably, based on the 387 data points of 11 papers about BD, our results demonstrated soil compaction on average, increased BD by 7.6%, 6.9%, and 3.2% in the medium‐, coarse‐, and fine‐textured soils, respectively. Based on the 264 data points of 18 papers, in the 0–30 cm soil layer, compaction increased penetration resistance (by 91% in the coarse‐textured, 84.2% in the medium‐textured, and 8.8% in the fine‐textured soils). Compacted soil limits the access of crop roots to water and nutrients, leading to poor root development and reduced crop productivity. There was a difference in soil compaction sensitivity between the different crops, but crop growth and yield showed an overall worsening trend with increasing degrees of compaction. This review collected data points on 142 crop yields and found that wheat, barley, corn, and soybean yields decreased by an average of 4.1%, 15.1%, 37.7%, and 22.7%, respectively, in the BD range of 1.1–1.8 Mg/cm ³ after compaction. Additionally, the effectiveness of different compaction mitigation measures, including natural, tillage, and biological, is systematically discussed. Compared with soil compaction mitigation measures, prevention should be the top priority although there is still a lack of practical prevention methods. Soil conditions and agricultural machinery type are the main factors affecting the risk of soil compaction in the process of soil compaction. Therefore, it is particularly important to optimize the soil working conditions in the field and the type of farm machinery used to reduce the risk of soil compaction. This initiative is pivotal for ensuring sustainable systems for food production and recovering crop productivity from compacted soil.
Floods are one of the most common natural disasters, with a disproportionate impact in developing countries that often lack dense streamflow gauge networks¹. Accurate and timely warnings are critical for mitigating flood risks², but hydrological simulation models typically must be calibrated to long data records in each watershed. Here we show that artificial intelligence-based forecasting achieves reliability in predicting extreme riverine events in ungauged watersheds at up to a five-day lead time that is similar to or better than the reliability of nowcasts (zero-day lead time) from a current state-of-the-art global modelling system (the Copernicus Emergency Management Service Global Flood Awareness System). In addition, we achieve accuracies over five-year return period events that are similar to or better than current accuracies over one-year return period events. This means that artificial intelligence can provide flood warnings earlier and over larger and more impactful events in ungauged basins. The model developed here was incorporated into an operational early warning system that produces publicly available (free and open) forecasts in real time in over 80 countries. This work highlights a need for increasing the availability of hydrological data to continue to improve global access to reliable flood warnings.
The adjusted porosity/cement index η/(Civ)a has proved its effectiveness in modeling the strength and stiffness of a variety of artificially cemented soils, being a useful tool for the dosage of soil–cement mixes. In this regard, an analogous mechanical response is expected by establishing a specific η/(Civ)a value, either by increasing the cement content and decreasing the density (or the opposite). Still, the role of this sort of dosage change has not yet been verified for triaxial testing. Particularly, the effect of different dosages assembled at the same η/(Civ)a value has not yet been evaluated considering the effective peak stress parameters. Thus, the present research fulfills this gap by conducting a series of CID triaxial tests in cemented clayey sand. Complementary small strain stiffness tests and unconfined compression strength tests were also carried out. This research comprehended five η/(Civ)a values, considering, at least, three different dosages assembled within each η/(Civ)a. The test data have revealed that both the stiffness and the strength outcomes could be properly correlated to the η/(Civ)a, regardless of the dosage type, resulting in power-type relationships having R² greater than 98%. Yet, the effective peak stress parameters (ϕ´peak and c´peak) could not be related to the η/(Civ)a index owing to the dosage dependence of the strength mobilization mechanisms. That is, within the same η/(Civ)a, the most cemented and most porous samples presented a cement-dominant response whereas the least cemented and least porous exhibited a density-controlled behavior.
The District of Besuki is one of the regions in Tulungagung Regency which has karst morphology. The high quantity of rainfall and unpredictable weather in the karst area can increase the risk of natural disasters such as floods and landslides. The technology of making biopore infiltration holes can be used as one of the solutions in flood disaster mitigation efforts. These infiltration holes generally used in dense areas of settlements or regions that have minimal water catchment areas. This study aims to determine the use of biopore to prevent flood in Gambiran, Besole Village, district of Besuki, Tulungagung Regency. This type of research is an experiment. The measure water absorption was utilizing a variety of tools such as double-ring infiltrometer, stopwatch, special ruler measuring the water speed. The results showed that the use of biopore is effective in reducing the impact of flooding in karst topographic areas, especially in Gambiran Hamlet, Besole Village, Besuki district, Tulungagung Regency. This was proven by experiments conducted by making comparisons between treated soils with biopore infiltration holes and soils without any treatment. During one month, with four times the treatment of water absorption can increase more than doubled. If the point without treatment is only able to absorb water as deep as 23 cm / 30 minutes or an average of 0.7 cm/minute, then the treatment point can absorb water as deep as 57cm / 30 minutes or with an average value of 1.9 / minute. With the increasing absorption of groundwater, the use of biopore infiltration holes can reduce the impact of flooding in karst areas, especially in Gambiran Village Besole Village Besuki District Besuki Tulungagung Regency.
In the Alo sub-watershed, the study compares the rates of various types of land use. The Alo sub-watershed is 7,959.98 areas in total. Measurement of infiltration rates for various land uses in the Alo sub-watershed and analysis of differences in infiltration rates for various land uses in the Alo sub-watershed are the problems at hand in this study. The Horton method was used in this study's infiltration measurements. This approach uses a model of time-dependent empirical equations. It is known that multiple infiltration categories exist for plantations, villages, vacant land, bushes, and woods in the infiltration rate class for the kind and usage of dry land used in this study's Alo sub-watershed. It has classes for Fast, Moderate, and Moderate infiltration rates. For the type of land use and paddy field, the infiltration rate falls into the category of being fairly slow. This is due to the high water content of paddy fields, which makes the infiltration process take a while to complete. As a result, the infiltration rate in the Alo sub-watershed, Tibawa District, Gorontalo Regency, and Gorontalo Province reveals that the medium class dominates in the Alo sub-watershed. The cumulative infiltration rate or total amount of infiltrated water is 123,899 mm/hour at point 14 types of vacant land, and 8,476 mm/hour at point 16, which is the smallest cumulative value. The infiltration rate class in the Alo sub-watershed, Tibawa District, Gorontalo Regency, and Gorontalo Province reveals that the Medium Class dominates the sub-watershed.
Floods are one of the most frequent and costly natural hazards worldwide, causing significant damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and livelihoods. The Lancang-Mekong River is a major river in Southeast Asia, but the basin is prone to flood disasters that may be exacerbated by climate change. Therefore, to better understand disaster risk and tailor disaster risk reduction measures, this study conducted multiscale flood disaster risk assessments at the watershed and community levels using indicator-based and hydrodynamic model-based methods. Both methods adopted open data with the supplement of local survey data. The results of the study showed that the flood risk is generally higher in the lower reach of the river due to high levels of both hazard and vulnerability. However, the community-scale risk assessment revealed that high flood-risk communities exist in low-risk zones, and vice versa, when the flood risk was assessed at the watershed scale. Such phenomena can lead to inadequate community preparedness for flooding or unnecessary allocation of resources for flood mitigation measures. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of disaster risk reduction strategies, policies, and plans based on an understanding of the risks. Furthermore, they offer a basis for prioritizing and targeting resources, particularly in areas with high population density or vulnerable communities.
With the gradual advancement of urbanization, urban hardened roofs and pavements are increasing, and the rainwater cycle is being seriously damaged; sponge city construction has become an inevitable trend to address this problem. The analysis of the infiltration and storage performance of recycled brick aggregate, which is highly absorbent and can be used as a permeable paving material in sponge cities, is of great significance. The study firstly designed a simulated rainfall test device, then carried out tests in terms of aggregate gradation, aggregate type, and aggregate grade, and finally analyzed its effect on the void structure and infiltration and water storage performance of recycled brick mix aggregates. The outcomes demonstrate that the particle size of recycled brick concrete aggregate is positively related to the water storage capacity, and the volume water storage rate of recycled sand is close to 26%. The fitting result of 1 h water storage rate under different dosage is 0.984. After 1 h of rainfall, the water storage rate is 3 times that of natural aggregate, and the volume water absorption rate is 2.5 times that of natural aggregate. This indicates that recycled brick concrete aggregate has strong permeability and water storage properties and has great potential for application in sponge city construction, and the study provides a reference for the optimal design of subsequent cities.
The heterogeneity of infiltration has a strategic influence on the hydrological process in the watershed, and one of the factors affecting its rate and soil compaction is land use. Therefore, this study aims to compare infiltration rates in three land-use areas, namely secondary forest, agroforestry, and moor. A survey method was used, where field data observations were carried out at three locations. The infiltration rate measurement was performed using a double-ring infiltrometer with five repetitions at each sampling site. The results showed that the lowest value of 4.72 cm h-1 was recorded on the moorland, while agroforestry had the highest of 12.87 cm h-1. These findings indicate that land use has a significant role in changing soil physical properties and compaction, hence, sustainable soil and water conservation strategies are needed.
One of the appropriate strategies to evaluate watershed health is by determining peak discharge. The influence of frequent floods and landslides due to forest destruction, and land degradation, especially the upstream, can affect watershed health and the carrying capacity. This study aims to determine the estimated peak discharge the Gumbasa Watershed performance, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia to monitor and evaluate the performance of the main watershed. This was conducted using a rational method with a combined and average flow coefficient approach. The rainfall intensity was calculated based on the concentration-time, which is highly dependent on the characteristics of the flow area. The results showed the flow coefficient in the Palolo and Gumbasa downstream areas was 0.45 and 0.57, which means that 45% (Palolo) and 57% (Gumbasa) of the falling rain will become surface runoff classified as high. Conversely, flow coefficient was low (0.12) for Lindu, meaning that some of the rainwater is flowing on the land surface, thereby causing high peak discharge, especially in the downstream, whereas in the upstream part of the sub watershed Lindu has a high land cover density, which causes a small runoff coefficient. Therefore, it is necessary to conserve and restore land through reforestation and rehabilitation to minimize the flow coefficient and peak discharge.
Natural hazards are processes that serve as triggers for natural disasters. Natural hazards can be classified into six categories. Geophysical or geological hazards relate to movement in solid earth. Their examples include earthquakes and volcanic activity. Hydrological hazards relate to the movement of water and include floods, landslides, and wave action. Meteorological hazards are storms, extreme temperatures, and fog. Climatological hazards are increasingly related to climate change and include droughts and wildfires. Biological hazards are caused by exposure to living organisms and/or their toxic substances. The COVID-19 virus is an example of a biological hazard. Extraterrestrial hazards are caused by asteroids, meteoroids, and comets as they pass near earth or strike earth. In addition to local damage, they can change earth inter planetary conditions that can affect the Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere. This entry presents an overview of origins, impacts, and management of natural disasters. It describes processes that have potential to cause natural disasters. It outlines a brief history of impacts of natural hazards on the human built environment and the common techniques adopted for natural disaster preparedness. It also lays out challenges in dealing with disasters caused by natural hazards and points to new directions in warding off the adverse impact of such disasters.
This paper provides an overview of the implementation and obstacles of watershed management, and the alternative solutions based on a synoptic review of related studies and experiences across Indonesia. The review found that problems in the institutional aspect were hierarchical confusion, discrepancy, and asynchrony among regulations, and weak (participation, synchronization, and coordination) among watershed management stakeholders. The weaknesses in the planning stage are integration among sectors, a lack of community participation, and limited readiness to integrate watershed planning into regional planning. Stakeholders’ involvement is also a critical factor in successful implementation of degraded watershed rehabilitation, including in peatland and mangrove areas. Failure should be minimized by providing adequate information on degraded watershed characteristics, appropriate species choices, and effective mechanical construction for soil and water conservation. Community participation as the main factor in driving watershed management should be achieved by strengthening public awareness of the importance of a sustainable watershed and providing access for the community to be involved in each stage of watershed management. Another problem is data gaps which are essential to address from the planning to evaluation stages. The gaps can be bridged by using remotely sensed data and by applying hydrological-based simulation models. Simplified criteria for watershed assessment may also be required, depending on site-specific issues and the watershed scale.
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is generally perceived as a promising cost-effective alternative water resource for potable and non-potable uses (water augmentation) and for reducing flood risks. The performance of RWH systems have been evaluated for various purposes over the past few decades. These systems certainly provide economic, environmental, and technological benefits of water uses. However, regarding RWH just as an effective alternative water supply to deal with the water scarcity is mistaken. The present communication advocates for a systematic RWH and partial infiltration wherever and whenever rain falls. By doing so, the detrimental effects of flooding are reduced, groundwater is recharged, water for agriculture and livestock is stored, and conventional water sources are saved. In other words, RWH should be the heart of water management worldwide. The realization of this goal is easy even under low-resource situations as infiltration pits and small dams can be constructed with local skills and materials.
Urban flood-related issues are substantial in China, arising from rapid construction of megacities over decades with insufficient flood control, all being made worse by climate change. Since Sponge City (SC) options are primarily effective at maintaining the water balance at the surface, flooding continues. In response, the One Water concept is used to demonstrate the need to respond to dimensions beyond SC and shown herein to have potential to reduce the impacts of major storms (e.g., suppress 100-year flooding to a 25-year flooding equivalent). However, climate change causes more intense storms, indicating the intensity of the 100-year storm will increase by ~0.23% annually over the next 70 years. Hence, given sufficient SC options, the 100-year storms may only be effectively reduced to a 50-year storm, at best by SC options. “One Water” is utilized as a concept to demonstrate structured thinking about how each dimension of the hydrologic cycle can be employed to consider the degree of interconnection, allowing improved assessment of various components of the hydrologic cycle and SC options. Examples are used to demonstrate how the concept of One Water links the array of components of the hydrologic cycle together, generating a holistic view of urban water resource security.
The 2030 Agenda of the United Nations comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 sub-targets which serve as a global reference point for the transition to sustainability. The agenda acknowledges that different issues such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, environmental degradation, among others, are intertwined and can therefore only be addressed together. Implementing the SDGs as an ‘indivisible whole’ represents the actual litmus test for the success of the 2030 Agenda. The main challenge is accomplishing a more integrated approach to sustainable
development that encompasses new governance frameworks for enabling and managing systemic transformations. This thematic issue addresses the question whether and how the SDGs set off processes of societal transformation, for which cooperation between state and non-state actors at all political levels (global, regional, national, sub-national), in different societal spheres (politics, society, and economy), and across various sectors (energy, transportation, food, etc.) are indispensable. In this editorial, we first introduce the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs by providing an overview of the architecture of the agenda and the key challenges of the current implementation phase. In a second step, we present the eleven contributions that make up the thematic issue clustering them around three themes: integration, governance challenges, and implementation.
The paper presents the comparison of soil particle size distribution determined by standard pipette method and laser diffraction. Based on the obtained results (542 soil samples from 271 sites located in the Nitra, Váh and Hron River basins), regression models were calculated to convert the results of the particle size distribution by laser diffraction to pipette method. Considering one of the most common soil texture classification systems used in Slovakia (according to Novák), the emphasis was placed on the determination accuracy of particle size fraction <0.01 mm. Analysette22 MicroTec plus and Mastersizer2000 devices were used for laser diffraction. Polynomial regression model resulted in the best approximation of measurements by laser diffraction to values obtained by pipette method. In the case of particle size fraction <0.01 mm, the differences between the measured values by pipette method and both laser analyzers ranged in average from 3% up to 9% and from 2% up to 11% in the case of Analysette22 and Mastersizer2000, respectively. After correction, the differences decreased to average 3.28% (Analysette22) and 2.24% (Mastersizer2000) in comparison with pipette method. After recalculation of the data, laser diffraction can be used alongside the sedimentation methods.
The changes in land use systems result in remarkable variations in SOC and its dynamics which subsequently govern soil biochemical processes, microbial and metabolic indices in soil. The detail understanding about the responses of different C pools to land uses is essential for maintaining the soil quality. The present study was undertaken in six rainfed land use systems of north eastern Punjab, India comprising of agriculture, horticulture, agri-horticulture, forestry, agroforestry and barren lands. The soil samples (0–15 cm) were collected and analyzed for soil carbon fractions and biochemical activities. The oxidisable carbon fractions i.e. very labile carbon, labile carbon, less labile carbon, recalcitrant carbon and total organic carbon contents in soil varied significantly from 0.09%–0.22%, 0.09%–0.23%, 0.02%–0.15%, 0.15%–0.72% and 0.83%–4.68%, respectively. The soil dehydrogenase activity, soil microbial biomass carbon, metabolic and microbial quotients showed significant variations and ranged from 5.4 –10.9 µg TPF g⁻¹ soil h⁻¹, 34.9 –184.5 µg g⁻¹soil, 0.0011–0.0034, 45.0–195.5, respectively. Agri-horticulture and forestry system were observed to be best environment friendly and sustainable system in rainfed regions. Carbon management index (28.9%), metabolic potential (9.8%) and total organic carbon (5.4%) were three topmost soil quality indicators for soil health in rainfed land use systems.
Ultimate extreme flash floods can be acknowledged as a main reason of high casualties and infrastructure loss in many countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, Philippines, Southern France, India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Canada, United States of America and others. Run offs can devastate huge buildings and personal belongings within fraction of seconds. Flash floods usually occurs due to many reasons like higher precipitation velocity, melting of ice debris in ocean, high wave current at sea shore, broken reservoir (dam), Cloud to ground flashes, thunderstorm and hurricane inside the ocean. More than one hundred and twenty thousand casualties resulted due to the flash floods during the 1992 and 2005. According to the literature review deadliest flash floods have been observed in past history. Many approaches have been completed to investigate the flash floods accurately and precisely with less false alarm rate. Disaster management authorities are unable to forecast the natural disasters accurately and precisely like tsunami, flash floods, hurricanes and seismic events due to the poor efficiency of the sensors and transmission of missed information. It has also been observed that during the wireless data transmission of sensors to the controller unit some bits of the data are missed, due to these phenomena data is not transmitted properly or indicate the wrong observations. Several diversified approaches have been made to identify the run offs more accurately and precisely. Generally, the approaches can be classified into two categories a) Engineering Based b) Non-Engineering Based. Engineering techniques based on the construction of the dams and reservoirs to store the excess water which causes severe run offs. Designing of various Artificial Intelligence Based competent algorithms to predict the flash floods vigorously can be considered as non-engineering based approaches. Authors have tried their best to summarize and portray all the successful techniques that can be used for the early prediction of flash floods. Scientists can be benefited by this research paper as this research paper is the detailed capsulization of all the approaches that has been carried out for the robust investigation of flash floods. Extensive literature review has been done to observe the comparative analysis for the investigation of flash floods identification accurately. Literature review has been categorized into following types; 1. Sensory Fusion based 2. Artificial Intelligence Based methods 3. Radar and Satellite based approaches 4. Modeling and Nowcasting. According to the exhaustive literature review it can be concluded that swarm intelligence weights optimization for multi-layer perceptron neural network configuration performed better among all the forecasting approaches and recommended as the future enhancement.
An increase in extreme precipitation is projected for many areas worldwide in the coming decades. To assess the impact of increased precipitation intensity on water security, we applied a regional-scale hydrological and soil erosion model, forced with regional climate model projections. We specifically considered the impact of climate change on the distribution of water between soil (green water) and surface water (blue water) compartments. We show that an increase in precipitation intensity leads to a redistribution of water within the catchment, where water storage in soil decreases and reservoir inflow increases. This affects plant water stress and the potential of rainfed versus irrigated agriculture, and increases dependency on reservoir storage, which is potentially threatened by increased soil erosion. This study demonstrates the crucial importance of accounting for the fact that increased precipitation intensity leads to water redistribution between green and blue water, increased soil erosion, and reduced water security. Ultimately, this has implications for design of climate change adaptation measures, which should aim to increase the water holding capacity of the soil (green water) and to maintain the storage capacity of reservoirs (blue water), benefiting rainfed and irrigated agriculture.
Studying the changes in soil properties caused by different land uses allows measures to be adopted that will reduce the risk of future negative effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil physical properties and quantify water infiltration for different types of land use in the Santa Catarina Plateau of southern Brazil. The research was conducted on a 1,200 ha rural property. The land use types selected were natural forest (NF), planted pine (PP), crop-livestock integration (CLI), and burned natural rangeland (BR). A sample survey was carried out in nine different areas for each land use. Samples were collected from four soil layers and the soil bulk density (Bd), total porosity (Tp), and macropore (Ma), micropore (Mi), and biopore (Bio) volumes were measured. Water infiltration tests were performed to obtain the initial (ii) and final (fi) water infiltration rates into the soil, and the total amount of water that had infiltrated the soil (Ti). In NF, Bd was lower and Tp was higher than in other types of land use. The forest vegetation (NF and PP) had higher Ma and Bio volumes in the superficial layers of the soil. Water infiltration was markedly different between land use types. The NF had the highest ii, fi, and Ti values followed by PP, whereas the CLI and BR areas had drastically lower infiltration parameters with BR having the lowest values. The variables ii, fi, and Ti correlated positively with Tp, Ma, and Bio, but negatively with Bd.
Flooding has become a major hazard in Nigeria in recent years due to a growing population, rapid urbanization and extreme weather events. This study provides a critical review and characterisation flood risk management (FRM) practices in Nigeria with a view to highlighting current weaknesses and opportunities, as well as giving recommendations for practice and for further research. Databases of academic literature, covering a wide range of FRM issues, were systematically queried and mined using suitable keywords. A structured review of the resulting literature was carried out and several past flood events and associated responses reviewed as case studies. Absence of integrated FRM systems, lack of inter agency coordination, substandard and weak infrastructures, inadequate drainage network, high urban poverty, low level literacy, cultural barriers and weak institutions characterize current FRM practices. The study recommends the adoption of an integrated approach to urban infrastructural development starting with a review of ongoing and planned infrastructural systems and projects with a view to optimizing their FRM capabilities while still meeting their intended purposes. The empowerment of more entrepreneurs into FRM solutions development and service delivery as well as the inclusion of FRM concepts and practices into the nation's educational curricula was also recommended. Nigeria also needs a multidisciplinary platform for generating effective strategic policies and efficient operational mechanisms for FRM.
Flood events have far-reaching consequences, not only in economic or financial terms but also in social and health-related impacts. There is a growing body of research that suggests that property-level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures have the potential to benefit homeowners by reducing the impact of flooding on households. Emphasis has, therefore, been placed on the implementation of PLFRA measures, and yet despite this, the take-up among the at-risk residents in England is low. One of the reasons identified in the literature is that homeowners do not clearly recognise the benefits of the measures. This research uses a survey of households affected by the summer 2007 flood event in England to investigate the perception of homeowners in connection with the benefits of PLFRA measures. The results highlight that there is a consensus among respondents that implementing adaptation measures has the potential to reduce health-related flood impacts such as worrying, stress and strain between families. However, there was a high level of uncertainty with regard to potential financial benefits from investing in adaptation measures, in the form of premium reduction by insurers. It was evident from the analysis that knowledge of the frequency of future flood events and expected flood damage rated highly among the factors perceived by homeowners to influence the uptake of PLFRA measures. Furthermore, the results show that there is a wide range of opinion among the respondents as to who is responsible for protecting homes against flood risk. For instance, the government flood protection scheme has the potential to provide a confusing message to floodplain residents as to whose responsibility it is to protect properties against flood risk. It is, therefore, recommended that at-risk population should be made aware of the limits of the responsibilities of other stakeholders in the domain of flood risk management at household levels. However, it is anticipated that the introduction of the new UK flood insurance scheme, Flood Re, may help to bring more clarity. There is a need to increase the motivation of homeowners to invest in PLFRA measures, which could be achieved through a range of actions, including the provision of subsidies and incentives, which would help in promoting more sustainable behaviour.
Inadvertent soil compaction at the urban lot scale is a process that reduces infiltration rates, which can lead to increased stormwater runoff. This is particularly important in low impact development strategies where stormwater is intended to infiltrate rather than flow through a traditional stormwater network to a detention basin. The effect of compaction on infiltration rates on sandy soils in North Central Florida was measured with a double ring infiltrometer on urban construction sites and across various levels of compaction. Average non-compacted infiltration rates ranged from 377 to 634 mm hr1 (14.8 to 25.0 in hr-1) for natural forest, from 637 to 652 mm hr-1 (25.1 to 25.7 in hr-1) for planted forest, and 225 mm hr-1 (8.9 in hr1) for pasture sites. Average infiltration rates on compacted soils ranged 8-175 mm hr1 (0.3-6.9 in hr1), 160 to 188 mm hr1 (6.3 to 7.4 in hr1), and 23 mm hr1 (0.9 in hr1) for the same respective sites. Although there was wide variability in infiltration rates across both compacted and non-compacted sites, construction activity or compaction treatments reduced infiltration rates 70 to 99 percent. Maximum compaction as measured with a cone penetrometer occurred in the 20 to 30 cm (7.9 to 11.8 in) depth range. When studying the effect of different levels of compaction due to light and heavy construction equipment, it was not as important how heavy the equipment was but whether compaction occurred at all. Infiltration rates on compacted soils were generally much lower than the design storm infiltration rate of 254 mm hr 1 (10.0 inches hr1) for the ioo-yr, 24-hr storm used in the region. This implies that construction activity in this region increases the potential for runoff and the need for large stormwater conveyance networks not only due to the increase in impervious area associated with development but also because the compacted pervious area effectively approaches the infiltration behavior of an impervious surface.
The lateral pressure exerted by expansive soils on retaining walls constructed with expanded polystyrene geofoam blocks (EXRW-EPS), upon water infiltration to saturation, is crucial for designing these structures. In this study, model tests were employed to examine the behavior of EXRW-EPS subjected to water infiltration, with concurrent monitoring of deformation and lateral pressure. The results showed that the compressive deformation of the expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam block facilitated swelling deformations of the backfilled expansive soil, effectively mitigating the lateral pressure experienced by the retaining wall. Upon saturation of the backfilled expansive soil, the total lateral force on the wall decreased by approximately 44% by the EPS geofoam block with a density of 12 kg/m3. A practical method for predicting the lateral pressure on EXRW-EPS upon water infiltration to saturation was developed based on the relationship between the EPS geofoam block and the backfilled expansive soil. The reliability of this method was corroborated by the model test results. Additionally, the effects of the density and thickness of the EPS geofoam block on the lateral pressure of EXRW-EPS were
analyzed using the prediction method.
When the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed upon by the UN General Assembly in 2015, and subsequently endorsed by most UN Member States, there was a sense of optimism in respect of their timely implementation by 2030. This optimism has now become a concern. This is due to the fact that a combination of unfavourable circumstances and crises have so severely undermined the pursuit of the SDGs, that there are serious concerns about the probability of their achievement by 2030. This paper reports on an expert-driven literature review of the implementation of the SDGs and a bibliometric analysis, aimed at identifying some of the issues which have been slowing SDGs’ progress. Based on the information gathered, it suggests some specific measures which may be deployed, in order to accelerate their implementation by 2030.
Water infiltration in the soil is a crucial hydrological function in the land water cycle, especially in the semiarid region where water is relatively scarce. The semiarid grassland in Northern China represents the regional vegetation in the vast area of Eurasian continent and is sensitive to land use change. However, no clear patterns exist regarding the comprehensive examination of water infiltration in relation to clipping across six plant community sites. This study aimed to test the effect of clipping and plant community sites, which were dominated by Agropyron cristatum, Stipa krylovii, Leymus chinensis, Potentilla tanacetifolia, Artemisia frigida, or Lespedeza davurica, on the water infiltration rate in the semiarid grassland. Clipping significantly decreased the water initial, steady, and average infiltration rates by 39.13, 4.36, and 12.46 mm h⁻¹, respectively, across the six plant community sites. Clipping-induced changes in the average infiltration rate positively correlated with the changes in the plant cover (r = 0.60, P < 0.01), litter mass (r = 0.53, P < 0.01), forb functional group ratio (r = 0.46, P = 0.03), and total porosity (r = 0.49, P = 0.02), and negatively with water-holding capacity (r = −0.45, P = 0.03). Further, the water infiltration rate significantly differed among the six plant community sites. The L. davurica site had the highest water initial infiltration rate with a value of 137.63 ± 17.76 mm h⁻¹, while the L. chinensis site had the lowest rate with a value of 74.08 ± 5.26 mm h⁻¹. Principal component analysis showed that the total porosity, litter mass, plant cover, and forb functional group ratio were the main factors affecting water infiltration rates in the control grassland. Overall, our findings suggested that local governments and herders should implement unclipping as a potential sustainable management for improving hydrological function in the semiarid grassland.
The degraded areas in Southern Brazil are undergoing rapid conversion from abandoned fields into agroforestry system. Our focus was to investigate the impact of land use and soil properties on soil fauna and quality in an agroforestry system and a natural ecosystem. The agroforestry system had the presence of Cicadidae (0.1 ind trap⁻¹), Diplura (0.01 ind trap⁻¹), Gryllidae (0.2 ind trap⁻¹), Gyrinidae (0.07 ind trap⁻¹), and Larvae (0.3 ind trap⁻¹), and it presents lower SOC (less 44.3%) and higher total N (more 29.8%) and P contents (more 68.8%) when compared with the natural ecosystem. Richness and diversity declined (less than 16.3 and 31.8%, respectively) with increasing soil pH. Natural ecosystem showed the greatest diversity (H’ = 2.44) of soil fauna. A negative correlation was observed between diversity and soil pH (−0.91), and positive correlations among diversity and SOC (0.97), richness (0.88), and dominance (0.93). In conclusion, fauna abundance, precipitation, and soil pH played essential roles in soil quality through ecosystem services, habitat, and energy provision, which in turn promoted the entire soil food web. Thus, the findings in the agroforestry system and natural ecosystem help us to understand how land uses impact soil fauna, and soil quality.
Soil quality can be assessed by measuring its physical, chemical and biological properties. In terrestrial ecosystems, the knowledge of the status of soil quality under different land use/cover can increase our understanding of processes related to soil functioning and help to properly managing ecosystems and increase their services. Conversion of the forest to rangelands is one of the most common forms of land use change having a significant effect on soil quality indicators. Here, we addressed the following objectives: (ii) to study the current status of soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics after more than thirty years of land use change from forest (dominated by Carpinus betulus and Parrotia persica) to rangeland, and (ii) to provide an overview of the spatial distributions of soil properties in forest and rangeland covers using a geostatistical method. For this, two sites (i.e., forest and rangeland) were selected in northern Iran. Within each site, 50 soil samples were collected at 0–10 cm depth along two sampling lines (250 m length) with a total of 100 soil samples for each site. Results showed that following the change of land use from forest to rangeland soil porosity, aggregate stability, pH, electrical conductivity and nutrient (i.e., total N and available P, K, Ca and Mg) contents increased, whereas soil bulk density and C/N ratio decreased. In addition, the population of soil biota (i.e., earthworms, acarina, collembola, nematode, protozoa, bacteria and fungi), microbial and enzyme activities decreased after more than thirty years of land use change from forest to rangeland. Principal component analysis confirmed that forest site had a more fertile soil and a higher biological activity than rangeland cover. Based on heat plots of soil properties, forest ecosystems created hot spots of soil quality indicators in the study area. Based on the geostatistical approach, most of the soil variables in the rangeland site followed a linear model, while in the forest site, most models were exponential and spherical. The fractal dimension values of the soil properties in the forest (1.62–1.99) had larger variations than in the rangeland (1.75–1.99) site. As a general conclusion, soil quality was not improved after more than thirty years of land use change from forest to rangeland, suggesting that degraded forest habitats should be restored by native tree species rather than converted to other land uses.
Disastrous floods have caused millions of fatalities in the twentieth century, tens of billions of dollars of direct economic loss each year and serious disruption to global trade. In this Review, we provide a synthesis of the atmospheric, land surface and socio-economic processes that produce river floods with disastrous consequences. Disastrous floods have often been caused by processes fundamentally different from those of non-disastrous floods, such as unusual but recurring atmospheric circulation patterns or failures of flood defences, which lead to high levels of damage because they are unexpected both by citizens and by flood managers. Past trends in economic flood impacts show widespread increases, mostly driven by economic and population growth. However, the number of fatalities and people affected has decreased since the mid-1990s because of risk reduction measures, such as improved risk awareness and structural flood defences. Disastrous flooding is projected to increase in many regions, particularly in Asia and Africa, owing to climate and socio-economic changes, although substantial uncertainties remain. Assessing the risk of disastrous river floods requires a deeper understanding of their distinct causes. Transdisciplinary research is needed to understand the potential for surprise in flood risk systems better and to operationalize risk management concepts that account for limited knowledge and unexpected developments.
Delivering methane and hydrogen
The pressure for onboard storage of methane and hydrogen on vehicles is usually limited to 100 bar for the use of lightweight containers, but the amount stored can be increased with the use of absorbent materials. Efficient storage and delivery require a balance of volumetric and gravimetric storage. Chen et al. designed a metal-organic framework with trialuminum nodes and a large hexadentate aromatic linker that optimizes both parameters. This material surpassed the U.S. Department of Energy targets for methane and had a deliverable capacity of 14% by weight for hydrogen.
Science , this issue p. 297
The recovery of soil hydraulic properties after the conversion of pasture areas into forests is still poorly studied. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect the vegetation has on the hydraulic properties of soil, as well as the physical and chemical properties of the soil in pasture and secondary forest areas, located in a hill with east and west sun exposed faces. The study was carried out in two 15-year-old secondary forest areas and two pasture areas. Undeformed soil samples were collected in the upper third of each slope using steel rings at depths of 0–10 cm, for laboratory analyses of the physical properties and the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil. Additional samples were collected to evaluate the total organic carbon, the carbon storage and the chemical characteristics of the soil. A tension infiltrometer was used to determine the hydraulic properties and the contribution of the macropores to the infiltration of water into the soil. The use of a unmanned aerial vehicle helped to identify the soil cover at different locations and different faces of sun exposure. Secondary forests showed the higher values of macroporosity, soil water infiltration, and carbon storage than pasture areas. Macropores had greatest contribution to soil water infiltration in the secondary forests, whereas the mesopores and micropores had greatest effect in the pasture areas. The high content of organic matter found in the forests resulted in soils with better chemical quality. The saturated hydraulic conductivity and the carbon storage of the soil were smaller in the western forest than eastern forest. These results indicate that in order to increase water flow and water quality it is required to encourage the use of vegetative practices such as silvopastoral systems in pastures and the revegetation of the upper third of the hills.
This chapter provides a basic description of soil properties and processes, stressing the concept that the soil is a dynamic entity where complex interactions among its biological, chemical and physical components take place. All these components and properties determine the functioning of the soil for different purposes; this functioning is included in the concept of “soil quality”. One of the most used definitions of soil quality is the capacity of a soil to function within ecosystem boundaries to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant and animal health (https:// www. soils. org/ publications/ soils-glossary). Land use and management can have a profound impact on many soil properties, thus indirectly affecting soil quality which can result in improvements or constraints for productivity of agricultural lands and for agricultural sustainability in the long term.
This paper presents a comprehensive review of the concept of water security, including both academic and policy literatures. The analysis indicates that the use of the term water security has increased significantly in the past decade, across multiple disciplines. The paper presents a comparison of definitions of, and analytical approaches to, water security across the natural and social sciences, which indicates that distinct, and at times incommensurable, methods and scales of analysis are being used. We consider the advantages and disadvantages of narrow versus broad and integrative framings of water security, and explore their utility with reference to integrated water resources management. In conclusion, we argue that an integrative approach to water security brings issues of good governance to the fore, and thus holds promise as a new approach to water management.
Estimation of peak current as a basis for sustainable watershed conservation using the number-curve land conservation
- S D Massiri
- B Toknok
- I N Korja
S. D. Massiri, B. Toknok, and I. N. Korja, "Estimation of peak current as a basis for sustainable watershed
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Testing the infiltration rate of Datar Ajab Village
- F Fathurrahman
- I F Radam
- N Novitasari
F. Fathurrahman, I. F. Radam, and N. Novitasari, "Testing the infiltration rate of Datar Ajab Village, Hulu
Sungai District," SSRG Int. J. Civ. Eng., vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 25-31, 2023. https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJ
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Seasonal variations and influencing factors of gross nitrification rate in desert steppe soil
- X Qiu
- J Hou
- N Guo
- Z Wang
- C Wang
X. Qiu, J. Hou, N. Guo, Z. Wang, and C. Wang, "Seasonal variations and influencing factors of gross nitrification
rate in desert steppe soil," Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 8, p. 4787, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084787
Does no-tillage mitigate the negative effects of harvest compaction on soil pore characteristics in Northeast China
- M Tian
- W R Whalley
- H Zhou
- T Ren
- W Gao
M. Tian, W. R. Whalley, H. Zhou, T. Ren, and W. Gao, "Does no-tillage mitigate the negative effects of
harvest compaction on soil pore characteristics in Northeast China?" Soil Till. Res., vol. 233, p. 105787, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5144