Pub Date : 2024-08-09DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1397168
J. Dorley, J. Singley, Tim Covino, Kamini Singha, M. Gooseff, R. González‐Pinzón
Land cover changes alter hydrologic (e.g., infiltration-runoff), biochemical (e.g., nutrient loads), and ecological processes (e.g., stream metabolism). We quantified differences in aquatic ecosystem respiration in two contrasting stream reaches from a forested watershed in Colorado (1st-order reach) and an agricultural watershed in Iowa (3rd-order reach). We conducted two rounds of experiments in each of these reaches, featuring four sets of continuous injections of Cl− as a conservative tracer, resazurin as a proxy for aerobic respiration, and one of the following nutrient treatments: (a) N, (b) N + C, (c) N + P, and (d) C + N + P. With those methods providing consistent information about solute transport, stream respiration, and nutrient processing at the same spatiotemporal scales, we sought to address: (1) Are respiration rates correlated with conservative transport metrics in forested or agricultural streams? and (2) Can short-term modifications of stoichiometric conditions (C:N:P ratios) override respiration patterns, or do long-term physicochemical conditions control those patterns? We found greater respiration in the reach located in the forested watershed but no correlations between respiration, discharge, and advective or transient storage timescales. All the experiments conducted in the agricultural stream featured a reaction-limited transformation of resazurin, suggesting the existence of nutrient or carbon limitations on respiration that our short-term nutrient treatments did not remove. In contrast, the forested stream was characterized by nearly balanced transformation and transient storage timescales. We also found that our short-lived nutrient treatments had minimal influence on the significantly different respiration patterns observed between reaches, which are most likely driven by the longer-term and highly contrasting ambient nutrient concentrations at each site. Our experimental results agree with large-scale analyses suggesting greater microbial respiration in headwater streams in the U.S. Western Mountains region than in second-to-third-order streams in the U.S. Temperate Plains region.
{"title":"Differences in aquatic respiration in two contrasting streams: forested vs. agricultural","authors":"J. Dorley, J. Singley, Tim Covino, Kamini Singha, M. Gooseff, R. González‐Pinzón","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1397168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1397168","url":null,"abstract":"Land cover changes alter hydrologic (e.g., infiltration-runoff), biochemical (e.g., nutrient loads), and ecological processes (e.g., stream metabolism). We quantified differences in aquatic ecosystem respiration in two contrasting stream reaches from a forested watershed in Colorado (1st-order reach) and an agricultural watershed in Iowa (3rd-order reach). We conducted two rounds of experiments in each of these reaches, featuring four sets of continuous injections of Cl− as a conservative tracer, resazurin as a proxy for aerobic respiration, and one of the following nutrient treatments: (a) N, (b) N + C, (c) N + P, and (d) C + N + P. With those methods providing consistent information about solute transport, stream respiration, and nutrient processing at the same spatiotemporal scales, we sought to address: (1) Are respiration rates correlated with conservative transport metrics in forested or agricultural streams? and (2) Can short-term modifications of stoichiometric conditions (C:N:P ratios) override respiration patterns, or do long-term physicochemical conditions control those patterns? We found greater respiration in the reach located in the forested watershed but no correlations between respiration, discharge, and advective or transient storage timescales. All the experiments conducted in the agricultural stream featured a reaction-limited transformation of resazurin, suggesting the existence of nutrient or carbon limitations on respiration that our short-term nutrient treatments did not remove. In contrast, the forested stream was characterized by nearly balanced transformation and transient storage timescales. We also found that our short-lived nutrient treatments had minimal influence on the significantly different respiration patterns observed between reaches, which are most likely driven by the longer-term and highly contrasting ambient nutrient concentrations at each site. Our experimental results agree with large-scale analyses suggesting greater microbial respiration in headwater streams in the U.S. Western Mountains region than in second-to-third-order streams in the U.S. Temperate Plains region.","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":"55 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141923864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-09DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1443989
G. W. Mutanda, G. Nhamo
Climate change is a global phenomenon with profound effects on ecosystems, including lakes, which are an important source of fresh water, fisheries, and biodiversity conservation. Africa, with its limited freshwater resources, remains vulnerable to climate change impacts. This study systematically reviews the literature to understand the impact of climate change on four major African lakes (Chad, Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa) and to identify pathways for enhancing their resilience and society’s dependent on them. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline using journal articles extracted from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases and analysed using ATLAS.ti 24 software. The study found that climate change and extreme climate events (ECEs) are disproportionately affecting the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the lakes, leading to changes in lake levels, aquatic life, nutrient mixing, and the provision of ecosystem services. This result in far-reaching implications for the socioeconomic activities and livelihoods that depend on these water bodies. While some lake associations are taking measures to enhance lakes’ resilience to climate change, a lot more needs to be done. To enhance the climate resilience of African lakes and societies, lake associations are encouraged to implement watershed and water level management, invasive species management practices and enforcement of buffer zones around lakes. There is also a need for community engagement and education on climate-resilient practices, development of ECEs early warning systems and agricultural adaptation if lake dependent communities are to be climate-resilient.https://www.prisma-statement.org/.
{"title":"Impact of climate change on Africa’s major lakes: a systematic review incorporating pathways of enhancing climate resilience","authors":"G. W. Mutanda, G. Nhamo","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1443989","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1443989","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change is a global phenomenon with profound effects on ecosystems, including lakes, which are an important source of fresh water, fisheries, and biodiversity conservation. Africa, with its limited freshwater resources, remains vulnerable to climate change impacts. This study systematically reviews the literature to understand the impact of climate change on four major African lakes (Chad, Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa) and to identify pathways for enhancing their resilience and society’s dependent on them. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline using journal articles extracted from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases and analysed using ATLAS.ti 24 software. The study found that climate change and extreme climate events (ECEs) are disproportionately affecting the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the lakes, leading to changes in lake levels, aquatic life, nutrient mixing, and the provision of ecosystem services. This result in far-reaching implications for the socioeconomic activities and livelihoods that depend on these water bodies. While some lake associations are taking measures to enhance lakes’ resilience to climate change, a lot more needs to be done. To enhance the climate resilience of African lakes and societies, lake associations are encouraged to implement watershed and water level management, invasive species management practices and enforcement of buffer zones around lakes. There is also a need for community engagement and education on climate-resilient practices, development of ECEs early warning systems and agricultural adaptation if lake dependent communities are to be climate-resilient.https://www.prisma-statement.org/.","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":"65 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141922887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-25DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1392800
Maria Cecilia Rosinski Lima Gomes, L. C. de Andrade, Milena Pinho Barbosa, Bruna Coelho Lopes, C. R. Mota Filho
Residents of remote areas in the Amazon often lack access to a water supply system and thus need to produce their potable water at home. This study examined the efficacy of household water treatments traditionally used by these communities to treat rainwater and river water, their predominant water sources. Samples of untreated, treated, and stored drinking water were collected from 18 households in three communities in Central Amazon, Amazonas State, Brazil. We describe the materials and practices involved and traditionally used in each treatment technique – cloth filtration (water straining), chlorination, and sedimentation, and their efficiency. In the samples we evaluate water quality analyses, as free chlorine, color, coliforms, and turbidity. The treatment steps for the separation of solids in river water were effective only for removing turbidity and apparent color. Straining river water after sedimentation had no relevant effect on water quality. Chlorination of rainwater was efficient in inactivating Escherichia coli; however, all samples showed some level of contamination by E. coli. We found a significant difference (p < 0.05) between untreated and treated river water turbidity, reduced by up to 22%. Untreated rain and river waters showed similar levels of microbiological contamination, close to 3.5 log CFU/100 mL of E. coli. Chlorine effectively removed microbiological contaminants in rainwater (median removal of 100, 44.5% of samples with <1 CFU/100 mL). Yet, this treatment was less effective for river water (94% median removal, with 11% of samples with <100 CFU/100 mL and only 5.5% with <1 CFU/100 mL found in treated water), showing a significant reduction in both cases when the Wilcoxon test was applied. Sodium hypochlorite treatment showed the best results among the techniques evaluated in this study. It can be used in remote areas where rainwater is available for consumption. Microorganism concentration increased after water underwent water straining and sedimentation processes. These results suggest that the improper handling of water containers and materials used during treatment processes leads to contamination of water. Thus, more robust outreach and educational efforts are recommended to improve remote communities’ water collection, treatment, and storage practices.
{"title":"Performance of traditional household drinking water treatment methods used in rural Amazon","authors":"Maria Cecilia Rosinski Lima Gomes, L. C. de Andrade, Milena Pinho Barbosa, Bruna Coelho Lopes, C. R. Mota Filho","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1392800","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1392800","url":null,"abstract":"Residents of remote areas in the Amazon often lack access to a water supply system and thus need to produce their potable water at home. This study examined the efficacy of household water treatments traditionally used by these communities to treat rainwater and river water, their predominant water sources. Samples of untreated, treated, and stored drinking water were collected from 18 households in three communities in Central Amazon, Amazonas State, Brazil. We describe the materials and practices involved and traditionally used in each treatment technique – cloth filtration (water straining), chlorination, and sedimentation, and their efficiency. In the samples we evaluate water quality analyses, as free chlorine, color, coliforms, and turbidity. The treatment steps for the separation of solids in river water were effective only for removing turbidity and apparent color. Straining river water after sedimentation had no relevant effect on water quality. Chlorination of rainwater was efficient in inactivating Escherichia coli; however, all samples showed some level of contamination by E. coli. We found a significant difference (p < 0.05) between untreated and treated river water turbidity, reduced by up to 22%. Untreated rain and river waters showed similar levels of microbiological contamination, close to 3.5 log CFU/100 mL of E. coli. Chlorine effectively removed microbiological contaminants in rainwater (median removal of 100, 44.5% of samples with <1 CFU/100 mL). Yet, this treatment was less effective for river water (94% median removal, with 11% of samples with <100 CFU/100 mL and only 5.5% with <1 CFU/100 mL found in treated water), showing a significant reduction in both cases when the Wilcoxon test was applied. Sodium hypochlorite treatment showed the best results among the techniques evaluated in this study. It can be used in remote areas where rainwater is available for consumption. Microorganism concentration increased after water underwent water straining and sedimentation processes. These results suggest that the improper handling of water containers and materials used during treatment processes leads to contamination of water. Thus, more robust outreach and educational efforts are recommended to improve remote communities’ water collection, treatment, and storage practices.","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":"48 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141803742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-22DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1388003
Barra Faisal Bokhari, Bassam Tawabini, H. Baalousha
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is undergoing massive and rapid urbanization as part of Vision 2030. This includes development projects along Saudi Arabia’s coastline across the Red Sea. Coastal areas, especially the ones along Saudi’s western regions are susceptible to natural disasters such as flooding. NEOM, a futuristic city currently being developed in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, exemplifies a potential flooding hazard due to its geographic location and proposed urbanization plans. This research aims to enhance flood hazard assessment in NEOM by applying the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) in combination with Geographic Information System (GIS). Acknowledging traditional limitations related to data availability and parameter selection consensus, the study carefully selects parameters such as drainage density, elevation, slope, rainfall, land use/land cover (LULC), soil type, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and topographic wetness index (TWI). The 30 m DEM was used to derive Drainage Density, Slope, and TWI while LULC data helped assess land cover changes. Rainfall data and soil type information are integrated to evaluate their impact on flood susceptibility. NDVI is employed to analyze vegetation cover. Utilizing ArcGIS Pro’s weighted overlay model, the criteria were combined to generate the final flood susceptibility map. The research outcomes manifest in a flood susceptibility map categorizing areas into seven distinct susceptibility classes, ranging from ‘very low’ to ‘very high.’ A quantitative breakdown in a summary table provides insights into the proportional distribution of flood risk. Results indicate a significant portion of NEOM falls within varying degrees of moderate susceptibility range with relatively limited distribution of flood susceptibility on the extremes, equating to areas with ‘low to moderate’ susceptibility is 4,322.8 km2, areas with ‘moderate’ susceptibility is 5,109.69 km2, areas with ‘moderate to high’ is 4,081.39 km2. The flood susceptibility map developed in this study can shed insights on potential optimum areas for flood mitigation measures (i.e., optimum locations for establishing stormwater collection points).
{"title":"A fuzzy analytical hierarchy process -GIS approach to flood susceptibility mapping in NEOM, Saudi Arabia","authors":"Barra Faisal Bokhari, Bassam Tawabini, H. Baalousha","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1388003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1388003","url":null,"abstract":"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is undergoing massive and rapid urbanization as part of Vision 2030. This includes development projects along Saudi Arabia’s coastline across the Red Sea. Coastal areas, especially the ones along Saudi’s western regions are susceptible to natural disasters such as flooding. NEOM, a futuristic city currently being developed in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, exemplifies a potential flooding hazard due to its geographic location and proposed urbanization plans. This research aims to enhance flood hazard assessment in NEOM by applying the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) in combination with Geographic Information System (GIS). Acknowledging traditional limitations related to data availability and parameter selection consensus, the study carefully selects parameters such as drainage density, elevation, slope, rainfall, land use/land cover (LULC), soil type, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and topographic wetness index (TWI). The 30 m DEM was used to derive Drainage Density, Slope, and TWI while LULC data helped assess land cover changes. Rainfall data and soil type information are integrated to evaluate their impact on flood susceptibility. NDVI is employed to analyze vegetation cover. Utilizing ArcGIS Pro’s weighted overlay model, the criteria were combined to generate the final flood susceptibility map. The research outcomes manifest in a flood susceptibility map categorizing areas into seven distinct susceptibility classes, ranging from ‘very low’ to ‘very high.’ A quantitative breakdown in a summary table provides insights into the proportional distribution of flood risk. Results indicate a significant portion of NEOM falls within varying degrees of moderate susceptibility range with relatively limited distribution of flood susceptibility on the extremes, equating to areas with ‘low to moderate’ susceptibility is 4,322.8 km2, areas with ‘moderate’ susceptibility is 5,109.69 km2, areas with ‘moderate to high’ is 4,081.39 km2. The flood susceptibility map developed in this study can shed insights on potential optimum areas for flood mitigation measures (i.e., optimum locations for establishing stormwater collection points).","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141816638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-22DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1432183
K. Le, J. Maldonado, Thanh-Luan Nguyen, Eyerusalem Goitom, Hana Trigui, Ndèye Adiara Ndiaye, Yves Terrat, B. J. Shapiro, Barry Husk, A. Zamyadi, Sébastien Sauvé, Michèle Prévost, Sarah Dorner
Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are a worldwide concern. Nutrients are among the numerous factors that trigger cyanobacterial blooms and the production of cyanotoxins. This study aimed to assess the effect of nitrogen on cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins through a short-term mesocosm experiment. To achieve this, mesocosms were installed in situ in two lakes (the Missisquoi Bay of Lake Champlain and Petit-Lac-St-François) and received 700 μg/L of ammonium or 500 μg/L of nitrate. A shift to Microcystis in the mesocosms with nitrogen addition was observed 2 days after the addition in Missisquoi Bay, where nitrogen was more limited than Petit-Lac-St-François based on nutrient ratios. There was a significant increase of extracellular ΣMCs and MC-LR in mesocosms with the addition of ammonium or nitrate after 48 h compared to control mesocosms. Intracellular and extracellular microcystin concentrations were associated with Microcystis. Microcystis presence was associated with ammonium 48 h after N was added at both sites. Therefore, toxin production following sudden nitrogen addition can occur on short time scales relevant to drinking water treatment plant operations. This information will help treatment plant operators better anticipate the arrival of potentially higher concentrations of cyanotoxins.
{"title":"The short-term effect of nitrogen on freshwater cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins","authors":"K. Le, J. Maldonado, Thanh-Luan Nguyen, Eyerusalem Goitom, Hana Trigui, Ndèye Adiara Ndiaye, Yves Terrat, B. J. Shapiro, Barry Husk, A. Zamyadi, Sébastien Sauvé, Michèle Prévost, Sarah Dorner","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1432183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1432183","url":null,"abstract":"Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are a worldwide concern. Nutrients are among the numerous factors that trigger cyanobacterial blooms and the production of cyanotoxins. This study aimed to assess the effect of nitrogen on cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins through a short-term mesocosm experiment. To achieve this, mesocosms were installed in situ in two lakes (the Missisquoi Bay of Lake Champlain and Petit-Lac-St-François) and received 700 μg/L of ammonium or 500 μg/L of nitrate. A shift to Microcystis in the mesocosms with nitrogen addition was observed 2 days after the addition in Missisquoi Bay, where nitrogen was more limited than Petit-Lac-St-François based on nutrient ratios. There was a significant increase of extracellular ΣMCs and MC-LR in mesocosms with the addition of ammonium or nitrate after 48 h compared to control mesocosms. Intracellular and extracellular microcystin concentrations were associated with Microcystis. Microcystis presence was associated with ammonium 48 h after N was added at both sites. Therefore, toxin production following sudden nitrogen addition can occur on short time scales relevant to drinking water treatment plant operations. This information will help treatment plant operators better anticipate the arrival of potentially higher concentrations of cyanotoxins.","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":"76 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141817854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-17DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1399415
G. W. Mutanda, G. Nhamo
The 2017 Global Risk Report ranked water crisis third among the top six global risks that greatly impact society. While the water crisis is disproportionately distributed worldwide, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has more people (most of whom are women) who face water problems compared to other regions worldwide. Through the application of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol version 2020, a systematic review examining the connection between gender and water security, rights, and water conflicts in SSA was done. A total of 24 out of 229 articles made it into the final analysis. Previous research studies on gender politics in the water sector have done so in a fragmented way, focusing on specific water security parameters. The emerging findings show that 14 years after the adoption of an enforceable human right to water and about 6 years prior to the cut-off date for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, matters of gender and water in SSA are far from being addressed. Rural people, especially women, still face multiple water-related challenges and conflicts, including discriminatory practices upholding male hegemony in water governance. It is recommended that actors in the water sector precede the implementation of water projects by understanding contextual settings that influence gendered water security. Furthermore, the implementation of the water Sustainable Development Goal (SGD 6) should be done in the context of SDG 5 (Gender Equity) and the prioritization of procedural water justice and governance, access to technical skills, and water conveyance technologies.https://www.prisma-statement.org/.
{"title":"Gendered perspective on water security, rights and conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review","authors":"G. W. Mutanda, G. Nhamo","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1399415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1399415","url":null,"abstract":"The 2017 Global Risk Report ranked water crisis third among the top six global risks that greatly impact society. While the water crisis is disproportionately distributed worldwide, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has more people (most of whom are women) who face water problems compared to other regions worldwide. Through the application of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol version 2020, a systematic review examining the connection between gender and water security, rights, and water conflicts in SSA was done. A total of 24 out of 229 articles made it into the final analysis. Previous research studies on gender politics in the water sector have done so in a fragmented way, focusing on specific water security parameters. The emerging findings show that 14 years after the adoption of an enforceable human right to water and about 6 years prior to the cut-off date for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, matters of gender and water in SSA are far from being addressed. Rural people, especially women, still face multiple water-related challenges and conflicts, including discriminatory practices upholding male hegemony in water governance. It is recommended that actors in the water sector precede the implementation of water projects by understanding contextual settings that influence gendered water security. Furthermore, the implementation of the water Sustainable Development Goal (SGD 6) should be done in the context of SDG 5 (Gender Equity) and the prioritization of procedural water justice and governance, access to technical skills, and water conveyance technologies.https://www.prisma-statement.org/.","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":" 40","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141829725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-17DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1360941
Nzula Kitaka, Lorine A. Omondi, P. W. Mureithi, Andreas Bauer, Andreas Melcher, G. A. Ssanyu
The contribution of citizen scientists to environmental monitoring is notably increasing significantly. Governments worldwide establish Water Users Associations (WUAs) as a good practice model to implement Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) at local levels. These associations target different stakeholders depending on the expected outcome. However, their effectiveness, especially in East Africa, can only be determined case by case. In Kenya, Water Resources Users Associations are registered, voluntary community groups whose members are water users and land owners. Similarly, in Uganda, community-based initiatives exist, especially along degraded rivers, involving cooperation between local communities and regional water authorities. On the contrary, it has been reported that in Tanzania, many community initiatives created become non-functional within 2–3 years of induction. In general, the main responsibility of Water Users Associations or its equivalent is to manage and conserve water resources for sustainable uses. In most cases, water quality monitoring by communities through citizen science is limited to the visual appearance of water in the river channel. While this can indicate the water’s esthetic value, it is insufficient for assessing the ecological status of rivers, which is influenced by a variety of physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic factors. The use of bioindicators has been advocated as a feasible method for community-based water quality river monitoring. Therefore, this review explores the commonly used bio-indicators and bio-assessment tools for river health assessment and their complexities when using a biomonitoring community-based approach through citizen science. Tolerance and intolerance macroinvertebrate and fish metric protocols that utilize identification keys have been recommended. These protocols are designed to be user-friendly and require minimal taxonomic expertise, making them easy for community volunteers to use with minimal basic training. The sustainability of these citizen science initiatives relies on the motivation of volunteers, the frequency of monitoring activities, and collaboration with researchers and government agencies. These initiatives not only facilitate environmental monitoring but also foster community engagement and awareness regarding the ecological status of rivers, thereby addressing knowledge and data gaps necessary for effective policy-making. This approach provides a practical model for environmental stewardship and participatory resource management in East Africa.
{"title":"A critical review of biomonitoring in East African rivers: fostering community-based collaboration for environmental change observation","authors":"Nzula Kitaka, Lorine A. Omondi, P. W. Mureithi, Andreas Bauer, Andreas Melcher, G. A. Ssanyu","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1360941","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1360941","url":null,"abstract":"The contribution of citizen scientists to environmental monitoring is notably increasing significantly. Governments worldwide establish Water Users Associations (WUAs) as a good practice model to implement Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) at local levels. These associations target different stakeholders depending on the expected outcome. However, their effectiveness, especially in East Africa, can only be determined case by case. In Kenya, Water Resources Users Associations are registered, voluntary community groups whose members are water users and land owners. Similarly, in Uganda, community-based initiatives exist, especially along degraded rivers, involving cooperation between local communities and regional water authorities. On the contrary, it has been reported that in Tanzania, many community initiatives created become non-functional within 2–3 years of induction. In general, the main responsibility of Water Users Associations or its equivalent is to manage and conserve water resources for sustainable uses. In most cases, water quality monitoring by communities through citizen science is limited to the visual appearance of water in the river channel. While this can indicate the water’s esthetic value, it is insufficient for assessing the ecological status of rivers, which is influenced by a variety of physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic factors. The use of bioindicators has been advocated as a feasible method for community-based water quality river monitoring. Therefore, this review explores the commonly used bio-indicators and bio-assessment tools for river health assessment and their complexities when using a biomonitoring community-based approach through citizen science. Tolerance and intolerance macroinvertebrate and fish metric protocols that utilize identification keys have been recommended. These protocols are designed to be user-friendly and require minimal taxonomic expertise, making them easy for community volunteers to use with minimal basic training. The sustainability of these citizen science initiatives relies on the motivation of volunteers, the frequency of monitoring activities, and collaboration with researchers and government agencies. These initiatives not only facilitate environmental monitoring but also foster community engagement and awareness regarding the ecological status of rivers, thereby addressing knowledge and data gaps necessary for effective policy-making. This approach provides a practical model for environmental stewardship and participatory resource management in East Africa.","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":" 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141829028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-17DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1384983
H. Baalousha
Inverse problems in hydrogeology pose a great challenge for modelers as they are ill-posed, resulting in a non-unique solution. High computational resources are needed for the calibration process, especially in the case of highly parameterized aquifers like karst limestone, characterized by significant heterogeneity. The null-space Monte Carlo (NSMC) is a parameter-constrained Monte Carlo approach that can be used to quantify uncertainty, as it produces a set of solutions that calibrate the model. This method is used to assess uncertainty in the calibration of a karst aquifer in Qatar, which has high heterogeneity. Pilot points were used to reflect the geostatistics of the calibrated field, and the calibration results at these points were interpolated over the aquifer area using kriging. The NSMC was then used to produce 200 realizations of the null-space parameter field using the constrained random variable of hydraulic conductivity. The null-space realizations were then incorporated into the parameter space derived from the calibrated model. Statistical analysis of the calibrated hydraulic conductivity revealed a variation ranging from 0.1 to 350 m/d, indicating a considerable variability in the aquifer’s hydraulic parameters. The areas with high hydraulic conductivity were concentrated in the central and eastern parts of the aquifer, and these same areas exhibited a high standard deviation. Based on the findings of this study, while the NSMC method is effective for uncertainty analysis in solving inverse problems, it is important to note that a considerable number of runs are necessary to reach the threshold of calibration error. This is because of the significant non-linearity inherent in the karst aquifer.
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Pub Date : 2024-06-10DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1397853
F. A. Norvivor, S. Azizi, X. Fuku, E. K. Atibu, A. Idris, L. Sibali, Malik Maaza, I. Kamika
The Nubui River is a primary source of water for drinking purposes and other domestic activities in the rural communities dotted along its riparian zone, with agriculture being the major activity occurring in this important ecotone. The river has become a potential sink for agrochemical residue, including heavy metals, and has apparent aesthetic water quality issues, with associated health consequences. This study, therefore, assessed the health risks of heavy metals within the rural populations in the catchment areas, who have limited sources of improved water supply.The concentration of iron (Fe), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and zinc (Zn) was assessed on cumulatively 275 water samples, using a Perkin Elmer PINAAcle 900 T atomic absorption spectrophotometer for 11 months. A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 338 community members, following field observations on utilisation types, aesthetic appeal, and perceived quality of water from the Nubui River. To determine the potential human and ecological risks of heavy metals, the hazard quotient, chronic daily intake, contamination factor, and health pollution indices of heavy metals were computed. STATA version 16 was used to analyse the survey results.Descriptive statistics of average concentrations of heavy metals in surface water at all sampling stations showed the pattern Hg < Pb < Cd < Zn < Fe, with relatively low concentrations, between 0.001 and 0.004 mg/L for Hg, 0.0011 and 0.0019 mg/L for Pb, 0.0461 and 0.0739 mg/L for Zn, and 0.2409 and 0.377 mg/L for Fe. The findings, however, showed relatively high cadmium levels between 0.0215 mg/L and 0.0383 mg/L in two of five sampling stations in comparison with the World Health Organisation (WHO) drinking water guideline values in some months. Hazard quotient values indicate that the population is safe from the non-carcinogenic health risks of exposure to heavy metals through oral routes. The contamination factor and heavy metal pollution indices for cadmium exceed recommended guideline values of 1 and 100, respectively. Meanwhile, 73.1% of community members evidently preferred the Nubui River for various domestic activities with 86.1% of them utilising it for drinking purposes. This occurrence results in exposure to associated health risks.
{"title":"Ecological and human health risk of heavy metals in Nubui River: a case of rural remote communities","authors":"F. A. Norvivor, S. Azizi, X. Fuku, E. K. Atibu, A. Idris, L. Sibali, Malik Maaza, I. Kamika","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1397853","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1397853","url":null,"abstract":"The Nubui River is a primary source of water for drinking purposes and other domestic activities in the rural communities dotted along its riparian zone, with agriculture being the major activity occurring in this important ecotone. The river has become a potential sink for agrochemical residue, including heavy metals, and has apparent aesthetic water quality issues, with associated health consequences. This study, therefore, assessed the health risks of heavy metals within the rural populations in the catchment areas, who have limited sources of improved water supply.The concentration of iron (Fe), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and zinc (Zn) was assessed on cumulatively 275 water samples, using a Perkin Elmer PINAAcle 900 T atomic absorption spectrophotometer for 11 months. A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 338 community members, following field observations on utilisation types, aesthetic appeal, and perceived quality of water from the Nubui River. To determine the potential human and ecological risks of heavy metals, the hazard quotient, chronic daily intake, contamination factor, and health pollution indices of heavy metals were computed. STATA version 16 was used to analyse the survey results.Descriptive statistics of average concentrations of heavy metals in surface water at all sampling stations showed the pattern Hg < Pb < Cd < Zn < Fe, with relatively low concentrations, between 0.001 and 0.004 mg/L for Hg, 0.0011 and 0.0019 mg/L for Pb, 0.0461 and 0.0739 mg/L for Zn, and 0.2409 and 0.377 mg/L for Fe. The findings, however, showed relatively high cadmium levels between 0.0215 mg/L and 0.0383 mg/L in two of five sampling stations in comparison with the World Health Organisation (WHO) drinking water guideline values in some months. Hazard quotient values indicate that the population is safe from the non-carcinogenic health risks of exposure to heavy metals through oral routes. The contamination factor and heavy metal pollution indices for cadmium exceed recommended guideline values of 1 and 100, respectively. Meanwhile, 73.1% of community members evidently preferred the Nubui River for various domestic activities with 86.1% of them utilising it for drinking purposes. This occurrence results in exposure to associated health risks.","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":"102 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141362548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-10DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1412146
Maria A. Lilli, D. Efstathiou, Evangelia A. Koukianaki, N. Paranychianakis, Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis
Climate change, food and water security and ecosystem sustainable management are tightly interlinked and require holistic approaches to achieve solutions that do not impact adversely one-another. The objective of this work was to conduct studies, collect data and assess the Water-Ecosystem-Food (WEF) nexus in avocado plantations in the Mediterranean region systematically to minimize the environmental footprint while maximizing the benefits for the farmer and the environment. The study includes two distinct experiments; the first addresses the impact of soil organic amendments addition to optimize the WEF nexus and the second monitors experimentally crop water needs and thus illustrates how irrigation practices aided by technology can reduce substantially water consumption. The results showed that organic amendments addition improves fertility, nutrient sequestration and structure but only had a weak effect on biodiversity by increasing the number of unique species. For the development of an efficient irrigation system it is necessary to determine the radius around the tree, the depth of the roots and the time required for the water to reach the active root zone to determine the amount and duration of irrigation. In this way sufficient water will be added to replenish the soil moisture deficit created due to the evapotranspiration. HYDRUS-1D model was used to simulate soil moisture and the hydrologic budget of an avocado tree located in Koiliaris river basin and confirm the percolation losses to groundwater. The results of this study showed that the actual irrigation needs of avocados in the Mediterranean is less than 2,000 m3/ha which is 75% less than what is recommended and could become the primary measure for the mitigation of climate change impacts especially in semi-arid regions such as the Mediterranean.
{"title":"Optimizing the water-ecosystem-food nexus of avocado plantations","authors":"Maria A. Lilli, D. Efstathiou, Evangelia A. Koukianaki, N. Paranychianakis, Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis","doi":"10.3389/frwa.2024.1412146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1412146","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change, food and water security and ecosystem sustainable management are tightly interlinked and require holistic approaches to achieve solutions that do not impact adversely one-another. The objective of this work was to conduct studies, collect data and assess the Water-Ecosystem-Food (WEF) nexus in avocado plantations in the Mediterranean region systematically to minimize the environmental footprint while maximizing the benefits for the farmer and the environment. The study includes two distinct experiments; the first addresses the impact of soil organic amendments addition to optimize the WEF nexus and the second monitors experimentally crop water needs and thus illustrates how irrigation practices aided by technology can reduce substantially water consumption. The results showed that organic amendments addition improves fertility, nutrient sequestration and structure but only had a weak effect on biodiversity by increasing the number of unique species. For the development of an efficient irrigation system it is necessary to determine the radius around the tree, the depth of the roots and the time required for the water to reach the active root zone to determine the amount and duration of irrigation. In this way sufficient water will be added to replenish the soil moisture deficit created due to the evapotranspiration. HYDRUS-1D model was used to simulate soil moisture and the hydrologic budget of an avocado tree located in Koiliaris river basin and confirm the percolation losses to groundwater. The results of this study showed that the actual irrigation needs of avocados in the Mediterranean is less than 2,000 m3/ha which is 75% less than what is recommended and could become the primary measure for the mitigation of climate change impacts especially in semi-arid regions such as the Mediterranean.","PeriodicalId":504613,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Water","volume":"117 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141361837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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