Sustainable Water Resources Management 

About: Sustainable Water Resources Management is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Groundwater & Environmental science. It has an ISSN identifier of 2363-5037. Over the lifetime, 862 publications have been published receiving 6907 citations. The journal is also known as: Sustainable Water Resources Management.

Water quality assessment of lake water: a review

Abstract: Ever increasing population, urbanization and modernization are posing problems of sewage disposal and contamination of surface waters like lakes. Natural water gets contaminated due to weathering of rocks, leaching of soils and mining processing, etc. Various types of problems in lake which cause nutrient enrichment in lake have been reviewed. Land use change and longer growing seasons could increase the use of fertilizers with subsequent leaching to watercourses, rivers and lakes, increasing the risk of eutrophication and loss of biodiversity. Water quality can be assessed by various parameters such as BOD, temperature, electrical conductivity, nitrate, phosphorus, potassium, dissolved oxygen, etc. Heavy metals such as Pb, Cr, Fe, Hg, etc. are of special concern because they produce water or chronic poisoning in aquatic animals. Harmful algal blooms are becoming increasingly common in freshwater ecosystems globally. Pollution by plastic debris is an increasing environmental concern in water bodies, where it affects open-water, shoreline and benthic environments. Surface water densities of plastics are as high as those reported for areas of litter accumulation within oceanic gyres. Different methods have been used to analyse the water quality of lake such as Hyperion, water quality index and hazard quotient. It is recommended that pollution prevention and water re-use should be adopted in combination with the recycling of nutrients in controlled urban agriculture.

An overview to flood vulnerability assessment methods

Abstract: Vulnerability is the main construct in flood risk management. One of the most significant aims of flood vulnerability assessment is to make a clear association between the theoretical conceptions of flood vulnerability and the daily administrative process. Variety of approaches has been introduced to assess vulnerability therefore selection of more appropriate methodology is vital for authorities. The more accepted assessing methods can be categorized in four groups: curve method, disaster loos data method, computer modeling methods and indicator based methods. The purpose of this study is to review these methods and compare their benefits and drawbacks. The article concluded that the indicator-based approach gives more precise vision of overall flood vulnerability in each area rather than other approaches.

A review: dew water collection from radiative passive collectors to recent developments of active collectors

Abstract: Dew water is water droplets formed due to condensation of atmospheric water vapor on surfaces of temperature below its dew point temperature. Dew water can be seen as a nonconventional source of water and may be exploited in regions where weather conditions favor dew formation and inadequate supply and quality of water is a prevalent problem. There are two main types of dew condenser, the apparatus used to collect dew water, namely radiative (also called passive) and active condensers. Radiative passive collectors rely on exploiting the physical processes responsible for dew formation to collect dew water without any additional energy input. Previous studies indicate that a 1 m2 radiative condenser yields between 0.3 and 0.6 L/day of dew water in arid and semi-arid regions. Active condensers have been designed as an alternative method of collection that produces higher yields by using additional energy inputs. Several designs of active condensers have been patented for which the yield can reach 20 L/day for portable devices, and up to 200,000 L/day for larger agricultural water devices. Active condensers are also known as atmospheric water generators, dehumidifiers, and air to water devices. Most of the active condensers are based on a regenerative desiccant that attracts and holds large volumes of water from the air or on a means of cooling the condensing surface below the dew point temperature (refrigeration circuit). The larger yields and wider range of environmental conditions in which dew can be collected make active condensers a promising option as an alternative or supplemental source of water in water scarce regions. The aim of this paper was to provide a comprehensive review of radiative and active condensers, including dew formation processes, methods of dew collection, and parameters that influence the dew collection. Subsequently, patents of active condensers were reviewed to ascertain how they ca n be integrated with different types of renewable energy and to assess the potential use of such integrated systems as a sustainable source of water in regions that suffer water scarcity and/or as a sustainable source of water for agriculture.

Mapping of groundwater potential zones in Killinochi area, Sri Lanka, using GIS and remote sensing techniques

Abstract: Groundwater is a vital natural capital for the consistent and economic provision of potable water supply for both rural and urban environments. There is now a strong consensus that climate change poses a fundamental challenge to the well-being of all countries, with potential of being the harshest on countries already suffering from water scarcity. Dry zone of Killinochi basin in Northern Sri Lanka, which was devastated by civil war for last 25 years, is again being revitalized by human settlement and urbanization in last couple of years. However, the decreasing trend in the rainfall regime of the dry zones and the increase in population size (temporary inflow) and, hence, the demand for water for irrigation and other livelihood requirements, calls for a sustainable exploitation of the groundwater resources in the region. The development of a reasonable model for groundwater potential is need for the present time. This work strives to generate groundwater potential zonation map using integrated use of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) for Killinochi area, Northern Sri Lanka. Five different themes of information, such as geomorphology, geology, soil type (extracted from existing topo sheet); slope [generated from shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM)]; and land use/land cover (extracted from digital processing of AVNIR satellite data) were integrated with weighted overlay in GIS to generate groundwater potential zonation map of the area. The final map of the area was demarcated by four different zones of groundwater prospects, viz., good (5.32 % of the area), moderate (61.90 % of the area) poor (26.61 % of the area), and very poor (6.17 % of area). The hydrogeomorphological units, such as alluvial plain, low slope area, and land occupied by forest, are prospective zones for groundwater occurrence in the study area.

Web-based global inventory of managed aquifer recharge applications

Abstract: Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is being successfully implemented worldwide for various purposes: to increase groundwater storage, improve water quality, restore groundwater levels, prevent salt water intrusion, manage water distribution systems, and enhance ecological benefits. To better understand the role of MAR in sustainable water management and adaptation to climate and land use change, about 1200 case studies from 62 countries were collected and analyzed with respect to historical development, site characterization, operational scheme, objectives and methods used, as well as quantitative and qualitative characterization of in- and outflow of water. The data harvested was used for the compilation of a global inventory of MAR schemes, whose main goal is to provide access to existing MAR projects and techniques and demonstrate their benefits. To increase the availability and facilitate continuous update of the MAR inventory, an MAR web-based portal was developed and integrated into IGRAC’s Global Groundwater Information System. The MAR portal contains a “data layer catalog” containing the data arranged in a systematic way, a “map viewer” to visualize the selected data on a geographic location, and a “features panel” providing tabular output of the selected data. By facilitating access and promoting international sharing of information and knowledge on MAR, the web-based MAR portal aims to increase awareness of MAR as a viable solution for sustainable groundwater resources development and management, and to provide a new tool for better planning of MAR at regional and global scale.