Application of remote sensing and geographic information systems in irrigation water management under water scarcity conditions in Fayoum, Egypt

Integrating policy to achieve a harmonized sustainability model: A multidisciplinary synthesis and conceptual framework

While the concept of environmental sustainability has steadily grown over the past thirty years, little progress has been made in unifying the efforts of the entities most involved: society, the environment, the economy, and governmental policy. This synthesis integrates across disciplines to outline the need for a harmonized sustainability model to align disparate environmental objectives. Specifically, this study highlights the disconnect between policy and capitalistic economies regarding environmental sustainability. We then provide a framework for an updated sustainability model and offer pathways toward an improved state of environmental sustainability. Notable contributions include the development of a dynamic, harmonized sustainability model derived from basic supply and demand curves that functions for both the consumption and disposal of resources at multiple scales.

Use of Natural Sorbents in the Processes of Removing Biogenic Compounds from the Aquatic Environment

This paper presents the results of the evaluation of the possibility of using a selected sorbent of natural origin, mineral (opoka rock), for the removal of biogenic compounds from aqueous solutions. The analyzed opoka rock contains approximately 70% calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and from 26 to 27% silicon dioxide (SiO2) and has been classified as heavy opoka rock. The experiment focused on the sorption of organic components, including phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C). It was carried out for two treatment systems, column tests and batch tests, for three samples of water—water from a water supply system, water from a fish pond and water from a garden pond—located in the region of Silesia (Poland). The results showed that the P removal efficiency was equal to 96.6% for the fine-grained sorbent (grain size <2 mm) and 90.8% for the coarse-grained sorbent (2–4 mm) in the batch tests, while lower effectiveness was observed for the column tests, reaching 67.8% and 54%, respectively. The efficiency of N (NH4+) removal was equal to 84% for both types of sorbents in the batch tests, while it was 47.7% for the fine-grained sorbent and 26.3% for the coarse-grained sorbent in the column tests. The efficiency of the removal of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−) was higher for the fine-grained sorbent in all analyzed water samples. The use of materials of natural origin in industrial applications is a recommended direction, part of the green transition. The analyzed samples of opoka rock come from deposits, and opoka rock has so far not been analyzed in terms of its possible use in water and sewage treatment technology. Therefore, further research is recommended for this low-cost sorbent, which may be a competitive material for commercial products.

Integrated strategic planning and multi-criteria decision-making framework with its application to agricultural water management

Sustainable water resources management involves social, economic, environmental, water use, and resources factors. This study proposes a new framework of strategic planning with multi-criteria decision-making to develop sustainable water management alternatives for large scale water resources systems. A fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model is developed to rank regional management alternatives for agricultural water management considering water-resources sustainability criteria. The decision-making model combines hierarchical analysis and the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The management alternatives were presented spatially in the form of zoning maps at the level of irrigation zones of the study area. The results show that the irrigation management zone No.3 (alternative A3) was ranked first based on agricultural water demand and supply management in five among seven available scenarios, in which the scenarios represents a possible combination of weights assigned to the weighing criteria. Specifically, the results show that irrigation management zone No.3 (alternative A3) achieved the best ranking values of 0.151, 0.169, 0.152, 0.174 and 0.164 with respect to scenarios 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively. However, irrigation management zone No.2 (alternative A2) achieved the best values of 0.152 and 0.150 with respect to the second and third scenarios, respectively. The model results identify the best management alternatives for agricultural water management in large-scale irrigation and drainage networks.

Simulating the Relationship between Land Use/Cover Change and Urban Thermal Environment Using Machine Learning Algorithms in Wuhan City, China

The changes of land use/land cover (LULC) are important factor affecting the intensity of the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Based on Landsat image data of Wuhan, this paper uses cellular automata (CA) and artificial neural network (ANN) to predict future changes in LULC and LST. The results show that the built-up area of Wuhan has expanded, reaching 511.51 and 545.28 km2, while the area of vegetation, water bodies and bare land will decrease to varying degrees in 2030 and 2040. If the built-up area continues to expand rapidly, the proportion of 30~35 °C will rise to 52.925% and 55.219%, and the affected area with the temperature >35 °C will expand to 15.264 and 33.612 km2, respectively. The direction of the expansion range of the LST temperature range is obviously similar to the expansion of the built-up area. In order to control and alleviate UHI, the rapid expansion of impervious layers (built-up areas) should be avoided to the greatest extent, and the city’s “green development” strategy should be implemented.