Water Resource Management Commons^™

Inter-Provincial Spatial Coupling Of Paddy Fields In China Has Accelerated The Water Consumption, Wenguang Chen, Wencai Zhang, Ming Lei, Ruqian Zhang, Zhenting Zhao, Enyi Xie, Jing Zhao, Xiangbin Kong

I-GUIDE Forum

Rice trade has played a significant role in ensuring global rice consumption security. However, the spatial coupling of paddy fields based on rice trade can also transfer ecological environmental effects and threaten the sustainability of local systems. As the largest rice producer and consumer in the world, as well as one of the countries with the lowest per capita water resources, studying the inter-provincial rice flow in China and its water resource utilization efficiency is of great significance for ensuring national rice security and water resource security. Research has found that, China's rice consumption decreased by 11.97 Mt from 2000 …

Policies And Programs For Water-Wise Residential Landscaping In Utah, Charlotte Clark, Kendall Becker, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

Water-wise landscaping is the practice of using plants in a landscape that are adapted to local conditions and only need small amounts of water. Converting yards to water-wise landscaping conserves water and is a climate adaptation action residents can take to benefit Utah as temperatures rise and drought becomes more common. Many policies and programs in Utah help residents use water conscientiously and make changes. This fact sheet provides information regarding current and future water-wise landscaping policies and programs in Utah.

Investigation Of Temperature, Solution Strength, And Applied Stress Effects On Cation Exchange Processes In Different Geosynthetic Clay Liner Products, Kendra Fuller

Master's Theses

An extensive laboratory test program was conducted to analyze and compare the cation exchange processes in three different varieties of sodium bentonite (Na-B) geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) over increased conditioning durations up to 32 days and investigate the effects of temperature, solution strength, and applied stress. The goal of this test program was to establish whether the variables of temperature, solution strength, and applied stress improved or degraded the engineering properties of GCLs in laboratory testing and municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill applications. The GCLs were conditioned in liquids of increasing ionic strength, using deionized water and 2, 50, and …

A Step By Step Shoreline Attribute Analysis For Selected Waterbodies In The Gulf Of Mexico To Promote The Use Of Living Shorelines, Christoper Boyd, Xutong Niu, Taylor R. Horn

Journal of Extension

Living Shorelines are being promoted by coastal extension professionals as a more resilient nature-based solution to control shoreline erosion. The Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences Living Shorelines Suitability Model was run in selected waterbodies within the Gulf of Mexico.

The locations of the selected water bodies, coastal data sets used, and shoreline protection recommendations generated by the Model are presented. A step-by-step statistical analysis conducted through ArcGIS Pro from these selected coastal shorelines will illustrate how extension professionals with novice GIS experience can use the model output to promote living shorelines to coastal property owners, city managers, and developers.

Scientifically Improving Integrated Water Governance For Resilient Flow Of The Yellow River, Shuai Wang, Shuang Song, Yanxu Liu, Xutong Wu, Enhui Jiang, Bojie Fu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The severe soil erosion and river channel disconnection along the Yellow River have been curbed. Still, the fundamental situation of prominent contradictions in the relationship between humans and water has not changed. Scientifically enhancing comprehensive management capabilities has become an important demand for high-quality development in the Yellow River basin during this new era. This study summarizes the fundamental ecological and hydrological changes in the Yellow River basin, and identifies three main characteristics, namely, sediment transport has significantly decreased, water resource shortages have intensified, and the relationship between humans and water has changed significantly. The four key challenges for sustainable …

Groundwater Modeling Of The Ogallala Aquifer: Use Of Machine Learning For Model Parameterization And Sustainability Assessment, Tewodros Aboret Tilahun

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Addressing groundwater depletion problems in heterogeneous aquifer systems is a challenge. The heterogeneous Ogallala Aquifer, a critical source of groundwater in the central United States, has undergone decades of decline in water levels due to pumping. This project aims to build a robust groundwater model to evaluate optimal scenarios for sustainable use of the groundwater resource within a section of the Ogallala aquifer located in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District (MRNRD). This study follows a comprehensive approach involving parameterization, construction, and optimization. The model is parametrized using hydraulic conductivity and recharge values obtained from a random forest-based machine learning …

Solar Photovoltaics As Climate Change Adaptations For Farmers In West Bengal, India: Barriers Within A Food-Water-Energy Nexus Approach, Emily Rochford

Capstone Collection

This capstone research project seeks to identify and address barriers to the use of solar photovoltaics (PV) as an adaptation method to climate change for farmers in West Bengal, India. These barriers are examined within the context of the food-water-energy nexus, particularly concerning the ability of many small holder farmers to produce their own food and sustain their livelihoods. Previous studies have examined both energy access and renewable energy development in West Bengal, and also the food-water-energy nexus in its application to climate change. However, there is minimal literature on how renewable energy development should be applied within the nexus …

Impact Of Land Use Dynamics On The Water Yields In The Gorgan River Basin, Masoomeh Yaghoobi, Aram Fathi, Shahryar Fazli, Wenzhao Li, Elham Haghshenas, Vahid Shokri Kuchak, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

This research investigates the future dynamics of water yield services in the Gorgan River Basin in the North of Iran by analyzing land cover changes from 1990 to 2020, using Landsat images and predicting up to 2040 with the Land Change Modeler and InVEST model under three scenarios: continuation, conservation, and mitigation. The results indicate significant shifts in agricultural land impacted water yields, which fluctuated from 324.7 million cubic meters (MCM) in 1990 to 279.7 MCM in 2010, before rising to 320.1 MCM by 2020. The study uniquely assesses the effects of land use changes on water yields, projecting a …

Integrating Water And Nitrogen Management For Sustainable Agriculture: Optimizing Resource Use Efficiency And Maximizing Crop Productivity, Jiaming Duan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Advisors: Derek Heeren and Daran Rudnick Maize, accounting for over 95% of national grain production in the United States, is highly sensitive to water and nitrogen (N) inputs. Conventional agricultural practices often lead to excessive application, causing groundwater contamination through nitrate leaching. Therefore, there is a demand for integrating water and nitrogen management with innovative scheduling methods for sustainable agricultural development.

This dissertation first reviewed two decades of U.S.-based research, highlighting the optimal management of water and N to enhance yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Findings indicate that maintaining optimal levels of N and water …

Developing Educational Tools For Sustainable Stormwater Management, Lauren Houskeeper

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Rapid population growth and development in Western states are exerting strain on the region’s limited water resources. Urbanization exacerbates this issue by increasing impervious surfaces, limiting infiltration of precipitation during storm events and snowmelt, which results in changes to hydrologic conditions with higher runoff volumes and higher peak flows. Stormwater transports pollutants as it flows across impervious surfaces, discharging high volumes of runoff and elevated loads of urban contaminants into receiving waters. The amount of pollution entering waterways continually increases as urban areas expand. Utah is currently experiencing a rapid transition from undeveloped to developed landscapes, necessitating the implementation of …

A Comparative Analysis Of Openet For Evaluating Evapotranspiration In California Almond Orchards, Kyle Knipper, Martha Anderson, Nicholas Bambach, Forrest Melton, Zac Ellis, Yun Yang, John Volk, Andrew J. Mcelrone, William Kustas, Matthew Roby, Will Carrara, Sebastian Castro, Ayse Kilic, Joshua B. Fisher, Anderson Ruhoff, Gabriel B. Senay, Charles Morton, Sebastian Saa, Richard G. Allen

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The almond industry in California faces water management challenges that are being exacerbated by droughts, climate change, and groundwater sustainability legislation. The Tree-crop Remote sensing of Evapotranspiration eXperiment (T-REX) aims to explore opportunities to improve precision irrigation management for woody perennial cropping systems. Almond orchards in the California Central Valley were equipped with eddy covariance flux measurements to evaluate satellite remote sensing-based evapotranspiration (RSET) models. OpenET provides high-resolution (30-m spatial and daily temporal) RSET data, synthesizing decades of research for practical water management. This study provides an evaluation of OpenET performance at six almond sites covering a large range in …

Enhancing Water Sustainability In North Africa: Literature Review And Synthesis Of Current Knowledge Gaps In Sudan, Osman M. A. Adam, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Derek M. Heeren, Troy E. Gilmore

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

This study delves into the critical role of groundwater in addressing global water challenges, with a focus on the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) in North Africa. Groundwater constitutes a source of potable water, irrigation, and industrial use, especially in arid regions where surface water is limited. We analyzed the status of water quantity, withdrawals, recharge, and geological characteristics in the NSAS, specifically in Sudan, Egypt, Libya, and Chad. Though the NSAS is largely an untapped resource, we evaluated various scenarios to determine the quantity of cropland that can be sustainably irrigated. The NSAS is located in an arid region, …

Scientific And Technological Measures To Support Sustainability Of Water Resources In Western China, Jun Xia, Xi Chen, Qiuhong Tang, Hongwei Lu, Shaofeng Jia, Genxu Wang, Jingjie Yu, Jinzhu Ma, Xingcai Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Under the combined impacts of climate change and human activities, the ecological barrier regions of western China exhibit significant reductions in solid water storage, increases in liquid water, declining water resource stability and non-steady-state characteristics in hydrological systems. Water allocation risks have increased, making it exponentially more difficult to ensure water security. Transboundary water resource development can lead to spillover risks, requiring urgent research on sustainable water resource use and adaptation strategies. The water cycle in western China is driven by both natural and anthropogenic factors, yet fundamental research on water cycle dynamics and resource management under changing environments remains …

Feasibility Of Oil Palm Agroforestry System: Evaluating The Application Of Oil Palm Ash For Enhancing Cherry Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum. Var. Nancy Rz) Production Using Brackish Water., Ime Joseph Bassey

Theses and Dissertations

Monoculture systems of oil palm production are ravaging the world’s tropical forests, causing deforestation and biodiversity loss, which contribute to climate change at an uncontrollable pace. Oil palm agroforestry systems (AFSs), one of the strategies of regenerative agriculture, have proven to reverse the unfavorable effects of the oil palm monoculture systems. A sustainable means of soil fertilization and irrigation must be explored to improve the feasibility of oil palm AFSs. This study evaluates the impact of the application of oil palm ash and brackish irrigation on cherry tomato production. The experiment was conducted in a hydroponic system using a 2*4 …

The Effect Of Agrivoltaics On Irrigation Water Consumption In Central California, London Camba

Undergraduate Theses

An agricultural system where solar energy generation and agricultural systems are used together for mutual benefit, agrivoltaics reduces loss of water due to evaporation, particularly in drylands. Central California has faced extreme droughts, and water has become a scarce resource. However, the wide-scale use of agrivoltaics has been limited due to lack of knowledge about agrivoltaics and also the lack of funding for start-up agrivoltaics projects. Therefore, this research investigated the potential for agrivoltaics in Central California to reduce irrigation water consumption using a review of multiple crop studies using agrivoltaics to determine an optimal crop for agrivoltaics and a …

The Water That Will Be: A Qualitative Look Into The Effects Of Visual Imagery On Participation In Water Conservation Initiatives, Shane Martin White

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the role of visual imagery in water conservation initiatives, focusing on its impact on public understanding, emotional connection, and willingness to participate. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior and Affective Disposition Theory, the study investigated how art interventions can enhance comprehension and engagement with water conservation easements. Utilizing qualitative methods, including interviews, focus groups and PhotoVoice, data was collected from stakeholders in the Illinois River Watershed region. The research examined current levels of understanding regarding conservation easements, evaluated the effectiveness of visual imagery interventions in enhancing public awareness, and identified the potential for collaborative approaches between …

Navigating Murky Waters: State-Level Strategies For Wetland Preservation And Tile Drainage Regulation After Sackett V. Epa, Caleb M. Swanson

Honors Thesis

Wetlands are some of the world’s most valuable ecosystems, serving as provisioners of species habitat, carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, water quality purification, and other ecosystem services. Human development has resulted in substantial wetland loss the world over. In the 1970s, the United States Congress passed the Clean Water Act, giving the EPA broad authority over wetland protection. However, in the summer of 2023, the United States Supreme Court decided Sackett v. EPA, limiting the EPA’s jurisdiction over wetlands to those indistinguishably connected to generally recognized “Waters of the United States” and removing federal protection for millions of acres of wetlands, …

Sovereign Seeds: Analyzing The Sustainability Of Peasant Seeds In The Context Of Climate Change And Rural Exodus In Tunisia, Alice Carlson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

How sustainable are peasant seeds? I answer this question on the basis of three elements: environment, economy, and social justice. Using interviews with farmers from various regions of Tunisia, an interview with an expert on climate change and migration, and an interview with a civil society organization working to promote sustainable agriculture, I found that peasant seeds are a sustainable solution for a suffering agricultural sector. Depleted water sources and drought are bringing to light the problems with water-intensive hybrid seeds, and farmers are losing money. As young men increasingly leave the agricultural sector, women are left behind, finding themselves …

Addressing Water Scarcity In Rural Areas Of The Souss-Massa Region Of Morocco: Comparative Analysis Of Desalination, Fog Harvesting, And Wastewater Treatment Methods With Considerations Of Technical Viability And Human Rights, Lina Migliore

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Water scarcity is one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges worldwide, most notably in arid and semi-arid regions like Morocco. This study conducts a comprehensive comparative analysis of three sustainable water management strategies currently being developed in the Souss Massa region of southern Morocco: fog harvesting, desalination, and wastewater treatment. Drawing upon empirical data, interviews, and existing scientific literature, the research explores the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of each approach. Fog harvesting is a locally driven solution that takes advantage of natural phenomena to collect water, albeit with limitations in reliability. Desalination is promising in addressing long-term water scarcity …

Hurricane Impacts On Water Resources: A Look At Nature-Based Solutions To Improve Long-Term Resilience, Fautemeh Sajadi Bami

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Severe storms are a common occurrence in the state of Florida. Hurricane events may cause hazards such as flooding, property damage, death, and many others. Such far-reaching impacts may potentially result in dangerous consequences where they occur. Of interest to this study were the impacts on water resources and water quality caused by storms. Hurricanes can bring about a deluge. An apparent excess of water may cause the notion of water scarcity to seem less significant. However, problems with potable water can be quite frequent due to storms.

This research sought to address the impacts of severe storms on water …

Trading Policy, Practice And Prospect On Marine Carbon Sequestration In China, Jingming Dong, Zifei Liu, Limei Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Marine carbon sequestration trading is the inherent requirement and effective mechanism for marine eco-civilization development, maritime economic strategy. The research compares and analyzes the policies and practices of China’s marine carbon sequestration trading, and looks forward its future development tendency. It is pointed points out that under the framework of the national Dual Carbon goals, especially in “1+N” policy, the top-level system of China’s marine carbon sequestration trading has initially formed. Many relevant industry standards have been introduced and implemented at the national level. Then at the local level, some regions have introduced and implemented marine carbon sequestration calculation guidelines …

Assessing Compliance To Water Resources And Reconstruction Framework During Post-Conflict Reconstruction Borno State, Muritala Olaniyi Oke Dr

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

Northeast and northwest of Nigeria have, as a result of activities of Boko Haram, bandit and kidnappers, had their public and private properties destroyed. Governments and other stakeholders, upon some successes of the military, have started post-conflict reconstruction to rebuild the war-torn urban and rural communities with the provision of water taking the center stage. This paper looks at the utilisation of Water Resources and a Reconstruction framework for integrating water projects into reconstruction processes. This paper rests on the argument that water projects during reconstruction should not be handled as “normal” water projects and that a more culturally and …

Fauna, Flora, And Land Cover Changes Over The Last Two Decades In The Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Gabriel De Oliveria, Steven R. Schultze, Guilherme Mataveli

Technical Reports

A technical report documenting ecosystem changes to the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta region due to urban expansion over approximately two decades (2001-2019).

Household Water Conservation For The Upper Colorado River Basin, Lauren Ott

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Fresh, clean, potable water is the most important natural resource to sustain human life. Concern over the continued, equitable and affordable access to such water is therefore top of mind. Calls for climate change mitigation practices, improved natural resource management, and enhanced attention to water conservation have therefore become increasingly prevalent. These water conservation practices require population-wide political, attitudinal and behavioral shifts and it will be especially impactful for wealthy nations and wealthy people to be mindful of instituting these changes in their own spaces.

In this project, I conduct a literature review to investigate current challenges surrounding water from …

Riparian Revegetation: Re-Indigenizing The Powers Creek Tributary Of The Baduwa’T Watershed At Blue Lake Rancheria, California, Genesis Beltran, Ruben Lopez, Ben Stock

Undergraduate Scholarship

This project focuses on the ecological and cultural restoration of Powers Creek, a tributary of the Baduwa’t watershed at Blue Lake Rancheria, California. Riparian ecosystems play a critical role in biodiversity, water quality, and climate resilience, particularly for species like salmonids reliant on cold-water refugia. The restoration efforts, guided by Indigenous knowledge, addressed the removal of non-native competitive species such as Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) and French broom (Genista monspessulana) – which are shown to increase wildfire severity and challenge native plant communities – in addition to freeing established plantings of vegetative competition. Through collaborative planning …

A Comparison Of Sediment Accumulation Effectiveness Behind Beaver Dam Analogues, One Rock Dams, And Post-Assisted Log Structures On East Foster Creek, Douglas County, Wa, Griffin Hansen

All Master's Theses

Waterways are valuable resources for communities and habitats, but are subject to degradation in the form of incision. This is a type of streambed erosion where streams narrow and deepen. Sediment control dams were placed on East Foster Creek in Douglas County, WA to control incision following the 2020 Pearl Hill fire. This study examined sediment capture in the ponds behind these dams, which included beaver dam analogues (BDAs), one rock dams (ORDs), and post-assisted log structures (PALS). Sediment capture may be influenced by several factors, including dam type, height, width, distance between dams, vegetation, land use, topography, soil type, …

Mapping With The Land: Co-Developing A Cumulative Impact Monitoring And Land Stewardship Framework With Sambaa K’E First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada, Michael S. Mcphee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Across the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, Indigenous populations are striving to achieve effective environmental protection, whilst navigating complex methods, policies, and research relationships within co-management contexts. This thesis seeks to identify how differing cultural systems, environmental change, and fractured partnerships may be unified to align with the needs of the Sambaa K’e First Nation (SKFN), a remote Dehcho Dene community. Indigenous methodologies guided co-development of research questions with SKFN leadership which yielded objectives a) develop a GIS-based method to manage, organize and mobilize cultural and environmental data; b) develop a new stewardship monitoring procedure so that users can apply the …

Enhancing A Computer Model To Evaluate Rainwater Harvesting And Reuse Strategies For Landscape Irrigation Under Current And Future Climate Conditions, Siyu Li

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Urbanization and climate change have detrimental impacts on water quantity and quality. Rainwater harvesting/reuse for landscape irrigation with rain barrels/cisterns, which can assist urban hydrological/water quality restoration and provide a beneficial resource for irrigating landscape, holds significant potentials in urban areas under current and future climates. However, the impacts of rainwater harvesting/reuse strategies for landscape irrigation under a changing climate need to be comprehensively evaluated to assist decision-making. In addition, a comprehensive tool is needed to help stakeholders develop efficient strategies to harvest rainwater for landscape irrigation with rain barrels/cisterns.

To address the needs, the simulation of the sub-daily hydrological …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Ecological Operation In Yangtze River Basin With Yangtze River Simulator, Jun Xia, Zhonghui Lin, Chesheng Zhan, Wenjuan Gao, Yunliang Li, Jing Yao, Sidong Zeng, Renyong Huang, Hongzhu Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Ecological protection and green development in the Yangtze River basin are critical to the ecological construction of a Beautiful China. This study analyzes the current situation and main problems of the water ecology in the Yangtze River basin, and introduces the development of the Yangtze River Simulator, and the design for the ecological operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the main river, and the lakes connected to the river. Through the simulation of the main stream water ecology and lake water ecology by the Yangtze River Simulator, the optimization plan for the ecological regulation of the Three Gorges Reservoir was …