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Wubalem A, Reynolds TW, Wodaju A. Estimating the recreational use value of Tis-Abay Waterfall in the upstream of the Blue Nile River, North-West Ethiopia. Heliyon 2022; 8:e12410. [PMID: 36643328 PMCID: PMC9834712 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tis-Abay Waterfall is a famous tourist destination in northern Ethiopia, attracting both domestic and international visitors. Although the site's recreation and tourism potential are enormous, the value of the waterfall remains underestimated; an application of economic valuation methods can provide information to better utilize the resource. This study estimates the recreational value of Tis-Abay Waterfall and analyzes the consumer characteristics associated with recreational demand. Drawing on data from 1044 on-site surveys, the study uses the Individual Travel Cost Method (ITCM) with a Zero-Truncated Poisson (ZTP) regression model. Results of the ZTP regression suggest that visitors' age, monthly income, and interest in alternative recreation sites like Lake Tana and Gondar Fasiledes Royal Castle are variables significantly and positively related with recreational demand for the Tis-Abay Waterfall. However, visitors' recreational demand is negatively associated with respondents' distance from the site, leisure time, and total cost of site access. The appraisal suggests that the Tis-Abay Waterfall has a significant annual recreational value of $9.5 million. But it also shows that the waterfall's value would increase significantly, up to $17.3 million, with hypothetical quality improvements in the waterfall settings. The value attachment suggests that estimating the recreation value for Tis-Abay Waterfall is a central component in the sustainable use and management of the resource. However, the presence of unfavorable trade-offs with the electric power plant and the inadequate infrastructure and services for reaching the site are major concerns that require immediate attention to make better use of Tis-Abay Waterfall's recreational services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atalel Wubalem
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Travis W. Reynolds
- Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, University of Vermont, USA
| | - Amare Wodaju
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
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Boumaiza L, Walter J, Chesnaux R, Huneau F, Garel É, Erostate M, Johannesson KH, Vystavna Y, Bougherira N, Bordeleau G, Stotler RL, Blarasin M, Gutiérrez M, Knöller K, Stumpp C. Multi-tracer approach to understand nitrate contamination and groundwater-surface water interactions in the Mediterranean coastal area of Guerbes-Senhadja, Algeria. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2022; 251:104098. [PMID: 36404424 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2022.104098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Implementing sustainable groundwater resources management in coastal areas is challenging due to the negative impacts of anthropogenic stressors and various interactions between groundwater and surface water. This study focuses on nitrate contamination and transport via groundwater-surface water exchange in a Mediterranean coastal area (Guerbes-Senhadja region, Algeria) that is heavily affected by anthropogenic activities. A multi-tracer approach, integrating hydrogeochemical and isotopic tracers (δ2HH2O, δ18OH2O, 3H, δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3), is combined with a Bayesian isotope mixing model (MixSIAR) to (i) elucidate the nitrate sources and their apportionments in water systems, and (ii) describe potential interactions between groundwater and surface water. Results from nitrate isotopic composition and the MixSIAR model show that nitrate concentrations mainly originate from sewage and manure sources. Nitrate derived from the sewage is attributed to urban and rural wastewater discharge, whereas nitrate derived from the manure is related to animal manure used to fertilise agricultural areas. High apportionments of nitrate-based atmospheric precipitation are identified in groundwater and surface water; a finding that is specific to this study. The multi-origin stresses combined with evidence of interactions between surface water and groundwater contribute to negatively impacting large parts of the study coastal area. The outcomes of this study are expected to contribute to sustainable management of coastal ecosystems by drawing more attention towards groundwater use and protection. Furthermore, this study may improve scientists' ability to predict the behavior of anthropogenically impacted coastal ecosystems and help decision-makers elsewhere to prepare suitable environmental strategies for other coastal ecosystems currently undergoing an early stage of groundwater resources deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamine Boumaiza
- University of Waterloo, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Waterloo, Ontario N2T 0A4, Canada.
| | - Julien Walter
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Département des Sciences Appliquées, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1, Canada; Centre d'études sur les ressources minérales, Groupe de recherche Risque Ressource Eau, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Romain Chesnaux
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Département des Sciences Appliquées, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1, Canada; Centre d'études sur les ressources minérales, Groupe de recherche Risque Ressource Eau, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Frédéric Huneau
- Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, Département d'Hydrogéologie, Campus Grimaldi, Corte 20250, France; CNRS, UMR 6134 SPE, Corte 20250, France
| | - Émilie Garel
- Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, Département d'Hydrogéologie, Campus Grimaldi, Corte 20250, France; CNRS, UMR 6134 SPE, Corte 20250, France
| | - Mélanie Erostate
- Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, Département d'Hydrogéologie, Campus Grimaldi, Corte 20250, France; Institution Adour, Service gestion intégrée - Mission nappes profondes, Mont-de-Marsan 40000, France
| | - Karen H Johannesson
- University of Massachusetts Boston, School for the Environment, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Yuliya Vystavna
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Isotope Hydrology Section, Vienna 1400, Austria
| | - Nabil Bougherira
- Université Badji Mokhtar, Département de Géologie, Campus de Sidi-Amar, Annaba 23005, Algeria
| | - Geneviève Bordeleau
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Québec, Québec G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Randy L Stotler
- University of Waterloo, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Waterloo, Ontario N2T 0A4, Canada
| | - Mónica Blarasin
- Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Departamento de Geología, Río Cuarto, Córdoba X5804BYA, Argentina
| | - Mélida Gutiérrez
- Missouri State University, Department of Geography, Geology and Planning, Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - Kay Knöller
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Catchment Hydrology, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Christine Stumpp
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute of Soil Physics and Rural Water Management, Vienna 1190, Austria
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Anatomy of Anthropically Controlled Natural Lagoons through Geophysical, Geological, and Remote Sensing Observations: The Valli Di Comacchio (NE Italy) Case Study. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14040987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Newly collected morphobathymetric and seismic reflection data from the Valli di Comacchio coastal lagoons, south of the Po River delta (Northeast Italy), combined with historical, remote sensing, and geodetic data highlight a complex geological evolution during the Holocene, strongly affected by anthropic control. All data allowed us to define the present-day depositional environment of the lagoons and reconstruct their recent (late Pleistocene/Holocene) geo-history. We focused on the effects of the anthropic impacts in modifying the pristine environments created by the Holocene transgression along the Adriatic Sea coast, at the mouth of a major river. They include land reclamation works, artificial damming, channel excavations, fluvial diversions, and a recent (last decades) increase in subsidence rate due to gas and water withdrawals. Despite the development of economic activities, which promoted occupation and exploitation of this area in the last millennia, the post-Glacial evolution of the lagoons shows the important role of inherited morphological features, such as sand ridges and barriers. This complex and relatively well-documented evolution makes the Comacchio lagoons a unique example of deep connections between natural processes and long-term human controls, offering insights into the management policies of these important and delicate environments challenged by global changes.
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Liu T, Ma L, Cheng L, Hou Y, Wen Y. Is Ecological Birdwatching Tourism a More Effective Way to Transform the Value of Ecosystem Services?-A Case Study of Birdwatching Destinations in Mingxi County, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:12424. [PMID: 34886150 PMCID: PMC8656864 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Ecological birdwatching tourism is an ecological product and an essential part of ecotourism, and the realization of its recreation value is crucial for improving human well-being, and realization of the local benefits of ecosystem services for areas focused on biodiversity conservation, especially in bird species. In this study, we use travel cost interval analysis, one of the travel cost derived models featuring more easily satisfied assumptions and less limited data, to evaluate the recreation value of the ecological bird-watching tourism destination, and compare it with the general ecotourism, of Mingxi County destination in China. The results show that, firstly, the per capita recreation value of eco-birdwatching is 3.9 times that of general eco-tourism, its per capita social benefit is three times that of general eco-tourism, and its per capita economic benefit is 4.5 times that of general eco-tourism. Secondly, compared with general ecotourists, the per capita travel costs of eco-birdwatchers are higher, and there were significant statistical differences in the expenses for catering, tickets, shopping, opportunity cost, and total travel expenses between these two groups. Thirdly, in comparison with general ecotourists, the marginal cost of an individual eco-birdwatcher is higher, and the travel intention of an eco-birdwatcher is more robust at the same cost level. The price of a single eco-birdwatcher is higher under the same travel intention demand level. In short, the ecological bird-watching industry has a higher marginal value than general eco-tourism and has higher social, economic, and ecological benefits, bringing a higher level of development for the local tourism industry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yilei Hou
- School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; (T.L.); (L.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Yali Wen
- School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; (T.L.); (L.M.); (L.C.)
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Pérez-Ruzafa A, Pérez-Marcos M, Marcos C. Coastal lagoons in focus: Their environmental and socioeconomic importance. J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Duijndam S, van Beukering P, Fralikhina H, Molenaar A, Koetse M. Valuing a Caribbean coastal lagoon using the choice experiment method: The case of the Simpson Bay Lagoon, Saint Martin. J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Huang K, Nie W, Luo N. A Method of Constructing Marine Oil Spill Scenarios from Flat Text Based on Semantic Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17082659. [PMID: 32295010 PMCID: PMC7215496 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Constructed emergency response scenarios provide a basis for decision makers to make management decisions, and the development of such scenarios considers earlier historical cases. Over the decades, the development of emergency response scenarios has mainly implemented the elements of historic cases to describe the grade and influence of an accident. This paper focuses on scenario construction and proposes a corresponding framework based on natural language processing (NLP) using text reports of marine oil spill accidents. For each accident, the original textual reports are first divided into sentence sets corresponding to the temporal evolution. Each sentence set is regarded as a textual description of a marine oil spill scenario. A method is proposed in this paper, based on parsing, named entity recognition (NER) and open information extraction (OpenIE) to process the relation triples that are extracted from the sentence sets. Finally, the relation triples are semantically clustered into different marine oil spill domains to construct scenarios. The research results are validated and indicate that the proposed scenario construction framework can be effectively used in practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Huang
- School of Geodesy and Geomatics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 420100, China
| | - Wen Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 420100, China;
| | - Nianxue Luo
- School of Geodesy and Geomatics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 420100, China
- Correspondence:
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Erostate M, Huneau F, Garel E, Ghiotti S, Vystavna Y, Garrido M, Pasqualini V. Groundwater dependent ecosystems in coastal Mediterranean regions: Characterization, challenges and management for their protection. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 172:115461. [PMID: 31951946 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Coastal lagoons deliver a wide range of valuable ecosystem goods and services. These ecosystems, that are often maintained by direct or indirect groundwater supplies, are collectively known as groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs). The importance of groundwater supplies is greatly exacerbated in coastal Mediterranean regions where the lack of surface water and the over-development of anthropogenic activities critically threaten the sustainability of coastal GDEs and associated ecosystem services. Yet, coastal GDEs do not benefit from a legal or managerial recognition to take into account their specificity. Particular attention should be paid to the characterization of environmental and ecological water requirements. The hydrogeological knowledge about the management and behavior of coastal aquifers and GDEs must be strengthened. These investigations must be supplemented by a stronger assessment of potential contaminations to develop local land-uses and human activities according to the groundwater vulnerability. The quantitative management of water resources must also be better supervised and/or more constrained in order to ensure the water needs necessary to maintain coastal GDEs. The transdisciplinary approach between hydrogeology, hydrology, social sciences and law is essential to fully understand the socio-economic and environmental complexity of coastal GDEs. Priority must now be given to the development of an appropriate definition of coastal GDEs, based on a consensus between scientists and lawyers. It is a necessary first step to develop and implement specific protective legislation and to define an appropriate management scale. The investment and collaboration of local water users, stakeholders and decision-makers need to be strengthened through actions to favor exchanges and discussions. All water resources in the coastal areas should be managed collectively and strategically, in order to maximize use efficiency, reduce water use conflicts and avoid over-exploitation. It is important to continue to raise public awareness of coastal aquifers at the regional level and to integrate their specificities into coastal zone management strategies and plans. In the global context of unprecedented anthropogenic pressures, hydro-food crises and climate change, environmental protection and preservation of coastal GDEs represents a major challenge for the sustainable socio-economic and environmental development of Mediterranean coastal zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Erostate
- Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Département d'Hydrogéologie, Campus Grimaldi, BP 52, F-20250, Corte, France; CNRS, UMR 6134, SPE, F-20250, Corte, France.
| | - F Huneau
- Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Département d'Hydrogéologie, Campus Grimaldi, BP 52, F-20250, Corte, France; CNRS, UMR 6134, SPE, F-20250, Corte, France
| | - E Garel
- Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Département d'Hydrogéologie, Campus Grimaldi, BP 52, F-20250, Corte, France; CNRS, UMR 6134, SPE, F-20250, Corte, France
| | - S Ghiotti
- CNRS, Laboratoire Art-Dev UMR 5281, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Route de Mende, 34190 Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Y Vystavna
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Sádkách 7, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - M Garrido
- Office de l'Environnement de la Corse, 14 Avenue Jean Nicoli, 20250, Corte, France
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Ecological Suitability of Island Development Based on Ecosystem Services Value, Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint: A Case Study of Pingtan Island, Fujian, China. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12062553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The ecological environment and resource endowment of an island are more vulnerable compared to the mainland, and special assessment and measurement of the ecological suitability for development are significant. Pingtan Island (Fujian, China) was taken as a case study. Changes in ecosystem services value and the profit-and-loss balance between ecological footprint and biocapacity were assessed using land use/cover changes based on remote-sensing images taken in 2009, 2014 and 2017, and the ecological suitability of development was measured. Results show that island development led to a decrease in the ecosystem services value and an increase in ecological footprint and biocapacity. The key ecological factors restricting the scale of island development are topography, vegetation with special functions and freshwater. Biocapacity of islands can increase not only by changing from lower-yield land types to higher-yield construction land types but also by external investment. A new measurement framework was proposed that simply and clearly reveals the ecological suitability of island development and the underlying key constraints.
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Emerald Growth: A New Framework Concept for Managing Ecological Quality and Ecosystem Services of Transitional Waters. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12030894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present paper is to propose and elaborate on the concept of Emerald Growth as a new framework concept for managing ecological quality and ecosystem services of transitional waters. The research approach combines the longstanding experience of the authors of this article in the investigation of transitional waters of Europe with an analysis of relevant European Union directives and a comparative case study of two European coastal lagoons. The concept includes and reassesses traditional knowledge of the environment of lagoons and estuaries as an engine for sustainable development, but also proposes locally tailored approaches for the renewal of these unique areas. The investigation results show that the Emerald Growth concept enables to extricate better specific management aspects of ecosystem services of transitional waters that fill-in the continuum between the terrestrial (Green Growth) and the maritime areas (Blue Growth). It results from adjusting of both Green Growth and Blue Growth concepts, drivers, indicators and planning approaches regarding durable ways of revitalising coastal communities and their prospects for sustainable development. We conclude that the Emerald Growth concept offers a suitable framework for better dealing with complex and complicated issues pertinent to the sustainable management of transitional waters.
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