Search results for: small scale water resources

Authors: Nataliya Apanovich, Mark Wright

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Uganda is among the poorest but fastest growing populations in the world. Its annual population growth of 3% puts additional stress through land fragmentation, agricultural intensification, and deforestation on already highly weathered tropical (Ferralsol) soils. All of these factors lead to decreased agricultural yields and consequently diminished food security. The central region of Uganda, Buganda Kingdom, is especially vulnerable in terms of food security as its high population density coupled with mismanagement of natural resources led to gradual loss of its soil and even changes in microclimate. These changes are negatively affecting livelihoods of smallholder farmers who comprise 80% of all population in Uganda. This research focuses on biochar for soil remediation in Masaka District, Uganda. If produced on a small scale from locally sourced materials, biochar can increase the quality of soil in a cost and time effective manner. To assess biochar potential, 151 smallholder farmers were interviewed on the types of crops grown, agricultural residues produced and their use, as well as on attitudes towards biochar use and its production on a small scale. The interviews were conducted in 7 sub-counties, 32 parishes, and 92 villages. The total farmland covered by the study was 606.2 kilometers. Additional information on the state of agricultural development and environmental degradation in the district was solicited from four local government officials via informal interviews. This project has been conducted in collaboration with the international agricultural research institution, Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. The results of this research can have implications on the way farmers perceive the value of their agricultural residues and what they decide to do with them. The underlying objective is to help smallholders in degraded soils increase their agricultural yields through the use of biochar without diverting the already established uses of agricultural residues to a new soil management practice.

Keywords: agricultural residues, biochar, central Uganda, food security, soil erosion, soil remediation

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Authors: Siti Hajar Ya’acob, Nor Sayzwani Sukri, Farah Khaliz Kedri, Rozidaini Mohd Ghazi, Nik Raihan Nik Yusoff, Aweng A/L Eh Rak

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Flood event that occurred in mid-December 2014 in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia has driven attention from the public nationwide. Apart from loss and damage of properties and belongings, the massive flood event has introduced environmental disturbances on surface water resources in such flood affected area. A study has been conducted to measure the physical and chemical composition of Galas River and Pergau River prior to identification the flood impact towards environmental deterioration in surrounding area. Samples that have been collected were analyzed in-situ using YSI portable instrument and also in the laboratory for acid digestion and heavy metals analysis using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Results showed that range of temperature (0C), DO (mg/L), Ec (µs/cm), TDS (mg/L), turbidity (NTU), pH, and salinity were 25.05-26.65, 1.51-5.85, 0.032-0.054, 0.022-0.035, 23.2-76.4, 3.46-7.31, and 0.01-0.02 respectively. The results from this study could be used as a primary database to evaluate the status of water quality of the respective river after the massive flood.

Keywords: flood, river, heavy metals, AAS

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Authors: Isaiah Oluranti Olurinola, Michael Kayode Bolarinwa, Ebenezer Bowale, Ifeoluwa Ogunrinola

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Abstract - While much literature exists on microfinancing and its impact on the development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSME), yet little is known in respect of the impact of different types of education of owner-managers on the performances as well as innovative possibilities of such enterprises. This paper aims at contributing to the understanding of the impact of different types of education (academic, technical, apprenticeship, etc) that influence the performance of micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME). This study utilises a recent and larger data-set collected in six states and FCT Abuja, Nigeria in the year 2014. Furthermore, the study carries out a comparative analysis of business performance among the different geo-political zones in Nigeria, given the educational attainment of the owner-managers. The data set were enterprise-based and were collected by the Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) in the year 2014. Six hundred and eighty eight enterprises were covered in the survey. The method of data analysis for this study is the use of basic descriptive statistics in addition to the Logistic Regression model used in the prediction of the log of odds of business performance in relation to any of the identified educational attainment of the owner-managers in the sampled enterprises. An OLS econometric technique is also used to determine the effects of owner-managers' different educational types on the performance of the sampled MSME. Policy measures that will further enhance the contributions of education to MSME performance will be put forward.

Keywords: Business Performance, Education, Microfinancing, Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises

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Authors: C. Vrekos, C. Evagelides, N. Samarinas, G. Arampatzis

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As known, the water energy is a renewable and clean source of energy. Energy production from hydropower has been the first, and still is today a renewable source used to generate electricity. The optimal location and sizing of a small hydropower plant is a very important issue in engineering design which encourages investigation. The aim of this paper is to present a formula that can be utilized for locating the position of a small hydropower plant although there is a high dependence on economic, environmental, and social parameters. In this paper, the economic and technical side of the problem is considered. More specifically, there is a critical terrain slope that determines if the plant should be located at the end of the slope or not. Of course, this formula can be used for a first estimate and does not include detailed economic analysis. At the end, a case study is presented for the location of a small hydropower plant in order to demonstrate the validity of the proposed formula.

Keywords: critical terrain slope, economic analysis, hydropower plant locating, renewable energy

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Authors: M. Macchiaroli, V. Pellecchia, L. Dolores

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The water supply for production users (craft, commercial, industrial), understood as the set of water supply and wastewater collection services becomes an increasingly felt problem in a water scarcity regime. In fact, disputes are triggered between the different social parties for the fair and efficient use of water resources. Within this aspect, the problem arises of the different pricing of services between civil users and production users. Of particular interest is the question of defining the tariff classes depending on consumption levels. If for civil users, this theme is strongly permeated by social profiles (a topic dealt with by the author in a forthcoming research contribution) connected with the inalienability of the right to have water and with the reconciliation of the needs of the weakest groups of the population, for consumers in the production sector the logic adopted by the manager may be inspired by criteria of greater corporate rationality. This work illustrates the Italian regulatory framework and shows an optimization model of tariff classes in the production sector that reconciles the public objective of sustainable use of the resource and the needs of a production system in search of recovery after the depressing effects caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: decision making, economic evaluation, urban water management, water tariff

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Authors: Ahmed I. Raheem

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In this thesis, stratified and stratified wavy flow regimes have been investigated numerically for the oil (1.57 mPa s viscosity and 780 kg/m3 density) and water twophase flow in small and large horizontal steel pipes with a diameter between 0.0254 to 0.508 m by ANSYS Fluent software. Volume of fluid (VOF) with two phases flows using two equations family models (Realizable k-

Keywords: CFD, two-phase flow, pressure gradient, volume of fluid, large diameter, horizontal pipe, oil-water stratified and stratified wavy flow

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Authors: Oliver Marunțălu, Elena Elisabeta Manea, Lăcrămioara Diana Robescu, Mihai Necșoiu, Gheorghe Lăzăroiu, Dana Andreya Bondrea

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In order to obtain efficient pollutants removal in small-scale wastewater treatment plants, uniform water flow has to be achieved. The experimental setup, designed for treating high-load wastewater (leachate), consists of two aerobic biological reactors and a lamellar settler. Both biological tanks were aerated by using three different types of aeration systems - perforated pipes, membrane air diffusers and tube ceramic diffusers. The possibility of homogenizing the water mass with each of the air diffusion systems was evaluated comparatively. The oxygen concentration was determined by optical sensors with data logging. The experimental data was analyzed comparatively for all three different air dispersion systems aiming to identify the oxygen concentration variation during different operational conditions. The Oxygenation Capacity was calculated for each of the three systems and used as performance and selection parameter. The global mass transfer coefficients were also evaluated as important tools in designing the aeration system. Even though using the tubular porous diffusers leads to higher oxygen concentration compared to the perforated pipe system (which provides medium-sized bubbles in the aqueous solution), it doesn’t achieve the threshold limit of 80% oxygen saturation in less than 30 minutes. The study has shown that the optimal solution for the studied configuration was the radial air diffusers which ensure an oxygen saturation of 80% in 20 minutes. An increment of the values was identified when the air flow was increased.

Keywords: flow, aeration, bioreactor, oxygen concentration

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Authors: Elena Carcano, James Ball, Betty Tiko

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Carrying capacity refers to the maximum population that a given level of resources can sustain over a specific period. In undisturbed environments, the maximum population is determined by the availability and distribution of resources, as well as the competition for their utilization. This information is typically obtained through long-term data collection. In regulated environments, where resources are artificially modified, populations must adapt to changing conditions, which can lead to additional challenges due to fluctuations in resource availability over time and throughout development. An example of this is observed in hydropower plants, which alter water flow and impact fish migration patterns and behaviors. To assess how fish species can adapt to these changes, specialized surveys are conducted, which provide valuable information on fish populations, sample sizes, and density before and after flow modifications. In such situations, it is highly recommended to conduct hydrological and biological monitoring to gain insight into how flow reductions affect species adaptability and to prevent unfavorable exploitation conditions. This analysis involves several planned steps that help design appropriate hydropower production while simultaneously addressing environmental needs. Consequently, the study aims to strike a balance between technical assessment, biological requirements, and societal expectations. Beginning with a small hydro project that requires restoration, this analysis focuses on the lower tail of the Flow Duration Curve (FDC), where both hydrological and environmental goals can be met. The proposed approach involves determining the threshold condition that is tolerable for the most vulnerable species sampled (Telestes Muticellus) by identifying a low flow value from the long-term FDC. The results establish a practical connection between hydrological and environmental information and simplify the process by establishing a single reference flow value that represents the minimum environmental flow that should be maintained.

Keywords: carrying capacity, fish bypass ladder, long-term streamflow duration curve, eta-beta method, environmental flow

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Authors: Norsyamimi Hassim, Masturah Markom

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Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has been known as a sustainable and safe extraction technique for plant extraction due to the minimal usage of organic solvent. In this study, a scale-up process for the selected herbal plant (Phyllanthus niruri) was investigated by using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) with food-grade (ethanol-water) cosolvent. The quantification of excess ethanol content in the final dry extracts was conducted to determine the safety of enriched extracts. The extraction yields obtained by scale-up SFE unit were not much different compared to the predicted extraction yields with an error of 2.92%. For component contents, the scale-up extracts showed comparable quality with laboratory-scale experiments. The final dry extract showed that the excess ethanol content was 1.56% g/g extract. The fish embryo toxicity test (FETT) on the zebrafish embryos showed no toxicity effects by the extract, where the LD50 value was found to be 505.71 µg/mL. Thus, it has been proven that SFE with food-grade cosolvent is a safe extraction technique for the production of bioactive compounds from P. niruri.

Keywords: scale-up, supercritical fluid extraction, enriched extract, toxicity, ethanol content

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Authors: F. Sahnoune, M. Belhamel, M. Zelmat

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Solar thermal systems available today provide reliability, efficiency and significant environmental benefits. In housing, they can satisfy the hot water demand and reduce energy bills by 60 % or more. Additionally, collective systems or large scale solar thermal systems are increasingly used in different conditions for hot water applications and space heating in hotels and multi-family homes, hospitals, nursing homes and sport halls as well as in commercial and industrial building. However, in situ real performance data for collective solar water heating systems has not been extensively outlined. This paper focuses on the study of real energy performances of a collective solar water heating system using the remote monitoring technique in Algerian climatic conditions. This is to ensure proper operation of the system at any time, determine the system performance and to check to what extent solar performance guarantee can be achieved. The measurements are performed on an active indirect heating system of 12 m2 flat plate collector’s surface installed in Algiers and equipped with a various sensors. The sensors transmit measurements to a local station which controls the pumps, valves, electrical auxiliaries, etc. The simulation of the installation was developed using the software SOLO 2000. The system provides a yearly solar yield of 6277.5 KWh for an estimated annual need of 7896 kWh; the yearly average solar cover rate amounted to 79.5%. The productivity is in the order of 523.13 kWh / m²/year. Simulation results are compared to measured results and to guaranteed solar performances. The remote monitoring shows that 90% of the expected solar results can be easy guaranteed on a long period. Furthermore, the installed remote monitoring unit was able to detect some dysfunctions. It follows that remote monitoring is an important tool in energy management of some building equipment.

Keywords: large-scale solar water heater, real energy performance, remote monitoring, solar performance guarantee, tool to promote solar water heater

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Authors: Faribaebrahimi, Mehdi Ghorbani, Mohsen Mohsenisaravi

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Ecosystem management is complex because of natural and human issues. To cope with this complexity water governance is recommended since it involves all stakeholders including people, governmental and non-governmental organization who related to environmental systems. Water governance emphasizes on water co-management through consideration of all the stakeholders in the form of social and organizational network. In this research, to illustrate indicators of water governance in Dorood watershed, in Shemiranat region of Iran, social network analysis had been applied. The results revealed that social cohesion among pastoralists in Dorood is medium because of trust links, while link sustainability is weak to medium. According to the results, some pastoralists have high social power and therefore are key actors in the utilization network, regarding to centrality index and trust links. The results also demonstrated that Agricultural Development Office and (Shemshak-Darbandsar Islamic) Council are key actors in rangeland co-management, based on centrality index in rangeland institutional network at regional scale in Shemiranat district.

Keywords: social network analysis, water governance, organizational network, water co-management

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Authors: Maryam S. Ghoraishi, John E. Hawk, Thomas Thundat

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Understanding liquid properties in small scale has become important in recent decades as immerging new microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices have been widely used for micro pumps, drug delivery, and many other laboratory-on-microchips analysis. Often in microfluidic devices, fluids are transported electrokinetically. Therefore, extensive knowledge of fluid flow, heat transport, electrokinetics and electrochemistry are key to successful lab on a chip design. Among different microfluidic devices, recently developed hollow channel cantilever offers an ideal platform to study different fluid properties simultaneously without drastic decrease in quality factor which normally occurs when traditional cantilevers operate in the liquid phase. Using hollow channel cantilever, we monitor changes in density and viscosity of liquid while simultaneously investigating dielectric properties of alcohol water binary mixtures. Considerable research has been conducted on alcohol-water mixtures since such a mixture is a typical prototype for biomolecules, Micelle formation, and structural stability of proteins (to name a few). Here we show that hollow channel cantilever can be employed to investigate dielectric properties of ethanol/water mixtures in different concentrations. We study dynamic amplitude shifts of hollow channel cantilever oscillation at different concentrations of ethanol/water for different voltages. Our results show how interactions between solute and solvent, and possibly cluster formation, could change dielectric properties and dipole reorientation of the mixture, as well as the resulting force on the hollow cantilever. For comparison, we also examine higher conductivity ionic mixtures of sodium sulfate solution under the same conditions as low conductivity ethanol/water mixtures. We will show the results from systematic investigation of solvent effects on dielectric properties of the binary mixture. We will also address the question of resolution limits in dielectric study of analyte molecules imposed by solvent concentrations.

Keywords: dielectric constant, cantilever sensors, ethanol water mixtures, low frequency

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Authors: Monika Šípová, Daniela Marušáková, Claudia Aparicio

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New sources and ways of producing energy are still seeking, and one of the sustainable ways is Generation IV nuclear reactors. The supercritical water-cooled reactor is one of the six nuclear reactors of Generation IV, and as a consequence of the development of light water, reactors seem to be the most perspective. Thus, materials usually used in light water reactors are also tested under the expected operating conditions of the supercritical water-cooled reactor. Austenitic stainless steel 08Cr18Ni10Ti is widely used in the eastern types of light water nuclear power plants. Therefore, specimens of 08Cr18Ni10Ti were exposed to conditions close to the pseudo-critical point of water and high-temperature supercritical water. The description and evaluation of the corrosion behaviour of austenitic stainless steel have been done based on the results of X-ray diffraction in combination with energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Thus, significant differences have been found in the structure and composition of oxides formed depending on the temperature of exposure. The high temperature of supercritical water resulted in localised form of corrosion in contrast to the thin oxide layer of 1 µm present on the surface of specimens exposed close to the pseudo-critical point of water. The obtained results are important for further research as the supercritical water can be successfully used as a coolant for small modular reactors, which are currently of interest.

Keywords: localised corrosion, supercritical water, stainless steel, electron backscatter diffraction

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Authors: A. H. Paul, L. J. Gizaki, E. P. Ejimbi

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The study was carried out to determine the level of knowledge and adoption of agricultural biotechnology in Taraba state. Purposive and simple sampling techniques were used to select respondents. Questionnaires were administered to 90 respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that the majority (73.3%) of the respondents were small-scale farmers, whereas 24.4 percent were engaged in secondary occupations. The mean farm size was 1-5 ha. The majority (72.2%) had one form of formal education or another. About 84 percent (84.4%) had been farming for at least 10 years. There was a mean household size of 6-10 persons. Many (97.8%) of the respondents were knowledgeable about biotechnology, and about 70.0 percent (70.1%) reported that the biotechnology products which they had adopted were very good for animals and human consumption. The result of Pearson’s correlation (r = 0.699) was significant at the 0.01 alpha level. Therefore, the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between knowledge and adoption of agricultural biotechnology was rejected. It was concluded that the agricultural biotechnologies that were adopted were very safe for animals, humans, and the environment. It was recommended that the government should employ more extension agents to help educate farmers about agricultural biotechnology.

Keywords: agricultural, adoption, biotechnology, knowledge

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Authors: Mehdi Bakhtiarzadeh, Reza Efatnejad, Kambiz Rezapour Rezapour

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Due to the limited resources of fossil fuels and their harmful effects on the environment and human health, research on renewable energy applications in industrial and scientific communities has become particularly important. Only one percent of freshwater resources are available for use in the domestic, agricultural, and industrial sectors. On the other hand, the rapid growth of industry and the increase of population in most countries of the world, including Iran, have led to an increase in demand for freshwater. Among renewable energies, there is the potential of solar energy in Iran. As a result, solar distillation systems can be used as a solution to supply fresh water in remote rural areas. Therefore, in the present study, a solar water desalination device was designed and manufactured using two heat exchangers and a photovoltaic system. Its evaluation was done during September and October of 2020. During the evaluation of the device, environmental variables such as total solar radiation, ambient temperature and cooling tower temperature were recorded at intervals of one hour from 9 am to 5 pm. The effect of these variables on solar concentrator performance, heat exchanger, and daily freshwater production was evaluated. The results showed that using two heat exchangers and a photovoltaic system has led to the daily production of 5 liters of fresh water and 46% economic efficiency.

Keywords: solar water desalination, heat exchanger, photovoltaic system, technical and economic evaluation

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Authors: Henrry Vicente Rojas Asuero, Holger Manuel Benavides Muñoz

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Approximately 80% of the energy consumed worldwide is generated from fossil sources, which are responsible for the emission of a large volume of greenhouse gases. For this reason, the global trend, at present, is the widespread use of energy produced from renewable sources. This seeks safety and diversification of energy supply, based on social cohesion, economic feasibility and environmental protection. In this scenario, small hydropower systems (P ≤ 10MW) stand out due to their high efficiency, economic competitiveness and low environmental impact. Small hydropower systems, along with wind and solar energy, are expected to represent a significant percentage of the world's energy matrix in the near term. Among the various technologies present in the state of the art, relating to small hydropower systems, is the Gravitational Water Vortex Power Plant, a recent technology that excels because of its versatility of operation, since it can operate with jumps in the range of 0.70 m-2.00 m and flow rates from 1 m3/s to 20 m3/s. Its operating system is based on the utilization of the energy of rotation contained within a large water vortex artificially induced. This paper presents the study and experimental design of an optimal hydraulic structure with the capacity to induce the artificial formation of a gravitational water vortex trough a system of easy application and high efficiency, able to operate in conditions of very low head and minimum flow. The proposed structure consists of a channel, with variable base, vortex inductor, tangential flow generator, coupled to a circular tank with a conical transition bottom hole. In the laboratory test, the angular velocity of the water vortex was related to the geometric characteristics of the inductor channel, as well as the influence of the conical transition bottom hole on the physical characteristics of the water vortex. The results show angular velocity values of greater magnitude as a function of depth, in addition the presence of the conical transition in the bottom hole of the circular tank improves the water vortex formation conditions while increasing the angular velocity values. Thus, the proposed system is a sustainable solution for the energy supply of rural areas near to watercourses.

Keywords: experimental model, gravitational water vortex power plant, renewable energy, small hydropower

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Authors: E. Baltas, E. Feloni, G. Bariamis

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The operation of a network of hydrometeorological-hydrometric stations is basic infrastructure for the management of water resources, as well as, for flood protection. The assessment of water resources potential led to the necessity of adoption management practices including a multi-criteria analysis for the optimum design of the region’s station network. This research work aims at the optimisation of a new/existing network, using GIS methods. The planning of optimum network stations is based on the guidelines of international organizations such as World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The uniform spatial distribution of the stations, the drainage basin for the hydrometric stations and criteria concerning the low terrain slope, the accessibility to the stations and proximity to hydrological interest sites, were taken into consideration for its development. The abovementioned methodology has been implemented for two different areas the Florina municipality and the Argolis area in Greece, and comparison of the results has been conducted.

Keywords: GIS, hydrometeorological, hydrometric, network, optimisation

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Authors: Kazuhisa Koda, Tsutomu Kobayashi

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Laura Island, which is located about 50 km away from downtown, is a source of water supply in Majuro atoll, which is the capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Low and flat Majuro atoll has neither river nor lake. It is very important for Majuro atoll to ensure the conservation of its water resources. However, up-coning, which is the process of partial rising of the freshwater-saltwater boundary near the water-supply well, was caused by the excess pumping from it during the severe drought in 1998. Up-coning will make the water usage of the freshwater lens difficult. Thus, appropriate water usage is required to prevent up-coning in the freshwater lens because there is no other water source during drought. Numerical simulation of water usage applying SEAWAT model was conducted at the central part of Laura Island, including the water-supply well, which was affected by up-coning. The freshwater lens was created as a result of infiltration of consistent average rainfall. The lens shape was almost the same as the one in 1985. 0 of monthly rainfall and variable daily pump discharge were used to calculate the sustainable pump discharge from the water-supply well. Consequently, the total amount of pump discharge was increased as the daily pump discharge was increased, indicating that it needs more time to recover from up-coning. Thus, a pump standard to reduce the pump intensity is being proposed, which is based on numerical simulation concerning the occurrence of the up-coning phenomenon in Laura Island during the drought.

Keywords: freshwater lens, islands, numerical simulation, sustainable water use

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Authors: Rubens Duarte Coelho, Timóteo Herculino da Silva Barros, Jefferson de Olveira Costa

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Brazil has an electrical matrix of predominantly renewable origin, with emphasis on water sources, which account for 65.2%, biomass energy for 8.2%, wind for 6.8% and solar for 0.13% of the domestic supply. Among these sources, sugarcane cultivation stands out, aiming both at the production of bioethanol and biomass to supply “clean energy”. However, like all other crops, sugar cane demands a large volume of a natural resource that is increasingly “scarce” in quantity and quality: water. Adequate and strategic water management throughout the entire sugarcane cycle is of fundamental importance, and water productivity can be used to adjust irrigation planning and decision-making, increasing the productivity of stalks, bioethanol, biomass, and sugar. In this way, water productivity is a good indicator for analysis and decision-making considering the sustainability of cultivation, as it allows evaluation of the variation in the ratio between production and the amount of water used, suggesting values that maximize the use of this natural resource. In this context, studies that relate water demand, in this case, expressed by water productivity, with the energy production of this crop, in this case, expressed by the production of bioethanol, biomass and sugar, are fundamental to obtaining an efficient production of renewable energy, which aims at the rational use of natural resources, especially water. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the response of sugarcane varieties subjected to different water availability to obtain better sustainability in bioenergy production, presenting water productivity indices for Bioethanol, Sugar and Biomass. The variety that responded best was RB966928, with a bioethanol yield of 68.7 L Mg-1. Future research should focus on the water response under each of the sugarcane fractions in terms of their elemental composition so that the influence of water on the energy supply of this crop can be better understood.

Keywords: energy matrix, water use, water use efficiency, sustainability

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Authors: Narges Ebadi, Davod Ahmadi, Hiliary Monteith, Hugo Melgar-Quinonez

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Migration cannot necessarily relieve pressure on water resources in origin communities, and male out-migration can increase the water management burden of women. However, inflows of financial remittances seem to offer possibilities of investing in improving drinking-water access. Therefore, remittances may be an important pathway for migrants to support water security. This paper explores the association between water access and the receipt of remittances in households in sub-Saharan Africa. Data from round 6 of the 'Afrobarometer' surveys in 2016 were used (n= 49,137). Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were carried out in this study. Regardless of country, findings from descriptive analyses showed that approximately 80% of the respondents never received remittance, and 52% had enough clean water. Only one-fifth of the respondents had piped water supply inside the house (19.9%), and approximately 25% had access to a toilet inside the house. Bivariate analyses revealed that even though receiving remittances was significantly associated with water supply, the strength of association was very weak. However, other factors such as the area of residence (rural vs. urban), cash income frequencies, electricity access, and asset ownership were strongly associated with water access. Results from unadjusted multinomial logistic regression revealed that the probability of having no access to piped water increased among remittance recipients who received financial support at least once a month (OR=1.324) (p < 0.001). In contrast, those not receiving remittances were more likely to regularly have a water access concern (OR=1.294) (p < 0.001), and not have access to a latrine (OR=1.665) (p < 0.001). In conclusion, receiving remittances is significantly related to water access as the strength of odds ratios for socio-demographic factors was stronger.

Keywords: remittances, water access, SSA, migration

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Authors: M. Boudjerda, B. Touaibia, M. K. Mihoubi

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In Algeria agricultural irrigation is the primary water consuming sector followed by the domestic and industrial sectors. Economic development in the last decade has weighed heavily on water resources which are relatively limited and gradually decreasing to the detriment of agriculture. The research presented in this paper focuses on the optimization of irrigation water demand. Dynamic Programming-Neural Network (DPNN) method is applied to investigate reservoir optimization. The optimal operation rule is formulated to minimize the gap between water release and water irrigation demand. As a case study, Foum El-Gherza dam’s reservoir system in south of Algeria has been selected to examine our proposed optimization model. The application of DPNN method allowed increasing the satisfaction rate (SR) from 12.32% to 55%. In addition, the operation rule generated showed more reliable and resilience operation for the examined case study.

Keywords: water management, agricultural demand, dam and reservoir operation, Foum el-Gherza dam, dynamic programming, artificial neural network

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Authors: Isah Mohammed Patizhiko

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This paper aimed at discussing the important role learning resources play in enhancing the teaching and learning of science and technology courses in post primary institution in Nigeria. The paper highlighted the importance learning resources contributed to the effective understanding of the learners. The use of learning resources in the teaching of these courses will encourage teachers to be more exploratory and the learners to have more understanding. In this paper, different range of learning resources particularly common learning resources (learning resources not design primarily for education purposes) to enrich their teaching. The paper also highlighted how ordinary resource can be turned into an educational resource. Recommendations were proffered in the sourcing of learning resources ie from the market, library, institutions, museums, and dump refuse and concluded that good demonstration on the use of resources will engage the learner’s interest and will develop higher level of conceptual understanding in the learning area.

Keywords: enhance, learning, resources, science and technology, teaching

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Authors: A. Samer Ezeldin, Sarah A. Fotouh

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Optimization of resources is very important in all fields, as in construction management. Project managers have to face problems regarding management of cost, time and available resources of single projects and more problems arise when managing multiple projects. Most of the studies focused on optimization of resources for a single project, but, this paper will discuss the design and modeling of multiple resources optimization for multiple projects using Genetic Algorithm. Most of the companies in construction industry optimize the resources for single projects only, but with the presence of several mega projects in several developing countries running at the same time, there is a need for a model to enhance the efficiency of available resources and decreases the fluctuation as much as possible. The proposed model calculates the cost of each resource, tries to minimize the cost of extra resources as much as possible and generates the schedule of each project within a selected program.

Keywords: construction management, genetic algorithm, multiple projects, multiple resources, optimization

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Authors: Lufei Mao, Hongwei Chen, Zijiao Chai

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Informal housing is a widespread phenomenon in developing countries. In many newly-emerging cities in China, rapid urbanization leads to an influx of population as well as a shortage of housing. Under this background, container housing, a new form of informal housing, gradually appears on a small scale on urban temporary land in recent years. Container housing, just as its name implies, transforms containers into small houses that allow migrant workers group to live in it. Scholars in other countries have established sound theoretical frameworks for informal housing study, but the research fruits seem rather limited on this small scale housing form. Unlike the cases in developed countries, these houses, which are outside urban planning, bring about various environmental, economic, social and governance issues. Aiming to figure out this new-born housing form, a survey mainly on two container housing settlements in Hangzhou, China was carried out to gather the information of them. Based on this thorough survey, the paper concludes the features and problems of infrastructure, environment and social communication of container housing settlements. The result shows that these containers were lacking of basic facilities and were restricted in a small mess temporary land. Moreover, because of the deficiency in management, the rental rights of these containers might not be guaranteed. Then the paper analyzes the factors affecting the formation and evolution of container housing settlements. It turns out that institutional and policy factors, market factors and social factors were the main three factors that affect the formation. At last, the paper proposes some suggestions for the governance of container housing and the utility pattern of urban temporary land.

Keywords: container housing, informal housing, urban temporary land, urban governance

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Authors: Benhenni Abdellaziz

Abstract:

Irrigation is a limiting factor for agricultural production and socio-economic development of many countries in arid and semiarid in the world. However, the sustainability of irrigation systems requires a rational management of the water resource that is becoming increasingly rare in these regions. The objective of this work is to apply a geographic information system (GIS) coupled to a model for calculating crop water requirements (CROPWATER) for the management of irrigation water in irrigated area and offer managers with an effective tool to better manage water resources in these areas. The application area of GIS is the irrigated perimeter of Western Middle Cheliff which is located in a semi-arid region (Middle Cheliff). The scope in question is a considerable agrarian dynamics and an increased need for irrigation of most crops.

Keywords: geographical information, irrigation, economical, use rational

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Authors: Akhila Potluru

Abstract:

Worldwide, more than 250 bodies of water are transboundary, meaning they cross the political boundaries of multiple countries. This creates a system of hydrological, economic, and social interdependence between communities reliant on these water sources. Transboundary water conflicts can occur as a result of this intense interdependence. Many factors contribute to the sparking of transboundary water conflicts, ranging from natural hydrological factors to hydro-political interactions. Previous attempts to predict transboundary water conflicts by analysing changes or trends in the contributing factors have typically failed because patterns in the data are hard to identify. However, there is potential for artificial intelligence and machine learning to fill this gap and identify future ‘hotspots’ up to a year in advance by identifying patterns in data where humans can’t. This research determines the extent to which AI can be used to predict and prevent transboundary water conflicts. This is done via a critical literature review of previous case studies and datasets where AI was deployed to predict water conflict. This research not only delivered a more nuanced understanding of previously undervalued factors that contribute toward transboundary water conflicts (in particular, culture and disinformation) but also by detecting conflict early, governance bodies can engage in processes to de-escalate conflict by providing pre-emptive solutions. Looking forward, this gives rise to significant policy implications and water-sharing agreements, which may be able to prevent water conflicts from developing into wide-scale disasters. Additionally, AI can be used to gain a fuller picture of water-based conflicts in areas where security concerns mean it is not possible to have staff on the ground. Therefore, AI enhances not only the depth of our knowledge about transboundary water conflicts but also the breadth of our knowledge. With demand for water constantly growing, competition between countries over shared water will increasingly lead to water conflict. There has never been a more significant time for us to be able to accurately predict and take precautions to prevent global water conflicts.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, machine learning, transboundary water conflict, water management

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Authors: Phillip F. Kanokanga, Patrick W. Mamimine, Molline Mwando, Charity Mapingure

Abstract:

Tourism development tends to follow anchor attractions, including cities and their surroundings, while marginalizing small towns and their environs. This is even though the small towns and their hinterlands can also offer competitive tourism products. The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) gathers visitor statistics of major tourist destinations only thereby sidelining the density of tourist traffic that either passes through or visits the small towns in the country. Unless this problem is addressed, the tourism potential of small towns and their hinterlands will not be fully tapped for economic development. Using qualitative research methodology, this study investigated the opportunities for tourism development in the Greater Chinhoyi Area. The study revealed that the Greater Chinhoyi area had potential for heritage tourism, village tourism, urban tourism, educational tourism, dark tourism, recreational tourism, agrotourism, and nature tourism. There is a need to link the various tourism resources in the Greater Chinhoyi area to anchor attractions in dominant resorts, then develop and present the tourism products in transit towns as ‘appetisers’ or ‘appetisser attractions’ before one gets to the main destination.

Keywords: anchor attractions, appetisers, heritage tourism, agrotourism, small towns, tourism corridor, systems approach, hidden treasures

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Authors: Azeb Degife

Abstract:

Over the past few years, the volume of international investment in agricultural land has increased globally. In recent times, Ethiopian government uses agricultural investment as one of the most important and effective strategies for economic growth, food security and poverty reduction in rural areas. Since the mid-2000s, government has awarded millions of hectares of most fertile land to rich countries and some of the world's most wealthy people to export various kinds of crop, often in long-term leases and at bargain prices. This study focuses on the pros and cons of large-scale agriculture investment Gambella region, Ethiopia. The main results were generated both from primary and secondary data sources. Primary data are obtained through interview, direct observation and a focus group discussion (FGDs). The secondary data are obtained from published documents, reports from governmental and non-governmental institutions. The findings of the study demonstrated that agriculture investment has advantages on the socio-economic and disadvantages on socio-environmental aspects. The main benefits agriculture investments in the region are infrastructural development and generation employment for the local people. Further, the Ethiopian government also generates foreign currency from the agriculture investment opportunities. On the other hand, Gambella people are strongly tied to the land and the rivers that run through in the region. However, now large-scale agricultural investment by foreign and local investors on an industrial scale results deprives people livelihoods and natural resources of the region. Generally, the negative effects of agriculture investment include increasing food insecurity, and displacement of smallholder farmers and pastoralists. Moreover, agriculture investment has strong adverse environmental impacts on natural resources such as land, water, forests and biodiversity. Therefore, an Ethiopian government strategy needs to focus on integration approach and sustainable agricultural growth.

Keywords: agriculture investment, cons, displacement, Gambella, integration approach, pros, socio-economic, socio-environmental

Procedia PDF Downloads 311

Authors: Tirtha Raj Dhakal, Brian Davidson, Bob Farquharson

Abstract:

Institutional design is important if water resources are to be managed efficiently. In Nepal, the supply of water in both farmer- and agency-managed irrigation systems is inefficient because of the weak institutional frameworks. This type of inefficiency is linked with collective problems such as non-excludability of irrigation water, inadequate recognition of property rights and externalities. Irrigation scheme surveys from Nepal as well as existing literature revealed that the Nepalese irrigation sector is facing many issues such as low cost recovery, inadequate maintenance of the schemes and inefficient allocation and utilization of irrigation water. The institutional practices currently in place also fail to create/force any incentives for farmers to use water efficiently and to pay for its use. This, thus, compels the need of refined institutional framework that can address the collective problems and improve irrigation efficiency.

Keywords: agency-managed, cost recovery, farmer-managed, institutional design

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Authors: Pomila Sharma

Abstract:

Rajasthan is among regions with greatest climate sensitivity and lowest adaptive capabilities. In many parts of the Rajasthan surface water which can be highly turbid and contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria is used for drinking purposes. The majority rely almost exclusively upon traditional sources of highly turbid and untreated pathogenic surface water for their domestic water needs. In many parts of rural areas of Rajasthan, it is still difficult to obtain clean water, especially remote habitations with no groundwater due to quality issues or depletion and limited feasibility to connect with surface water schemes due to low density of population in these areas to justify large infrastructure investment. The most viable sources are rain water harvesting, community managed open wells, private wells, ponds and small-scale irrigation reservoirs have often been the main traditional sources of rural drinking water. Turbidity is conventionally removed by treating the water with expensive chemicals. This study has to investigate the use of crushed seeds from the tree Moringa oleifera (drumstick) as a natural alternative to conventional coagulant chemicals. The use of Moringa oleifera seed powder can produce potable water of higher quality than the original source. Moringa oleifera a native species of northern India, the tree is now grown extensively throughout the tropics and found in many countries of Africa, Asia & South America. The seeds of tree contains significant quantities of low molecular weight, water soluble proteins which carries the positive charge when the crushed seeds are added to water. This protein binds in raw water with negatively charged turbid water with bacteria, clay, algae, etc. Under proper mixing, these particles make flocks, which may be left to settle by gravity or be removed by filtration. Using Moringa oleifera as a replacement coagulation in such surface sources of arid and semi-arid areas can meet the need for water purification in remote places of Rajasthan state of India. The present study accesses to find out laboratory based investigation of the effect of seeds of Moringa tree on its coagulation effectiveness (purification) using turbid water samples of surface source of the Rajasthan state. In this study, moringa seed powder showed that filtering with seed powder may diminish water pollution and bacterial counts. Results showed Moringa oleifera seeds coagulate 90-95% of turbidity and color efficiently leading to an aesthetically clear supernatant & reduced about 85-90% of bacterial load reduction in samples.

Keywords: bacterial load, coagulant, turbidity, water purification

Procedia PDF Downloads 119