Numerical Simulation Technologies in Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation Processes.

Solar interfacial evaporation technology has the advantages of environmentally conscious and sustainable benefits. Recent research on light absorption, water transportation, and thermal management has improved the evaporation performance of solar interfacial evaporators. However, many studies on photothermal materials and structures only aim to improve performance, neglecting explanations for heat and mass transfer coupling or providing evidence for performance enhancement. Numerical simulation can simulate the diffusion paths and heat and water transfer processes to understand the thermal and mass transfer mechanism, thereby better achieving the design of efficient solar interfacial evaporators. Therefore, this review summarizes the latest exciting findings and tremendous advances in numerical simulation for solar interfacial evaporation. First, it presents a macroscopic summary of the application of simulation in temperature distribution, salt concentration distribution, and vapor flux distribution during evaporation. Second, the utilization of simulation in the microscopic is summed up, specifically focusing on the movement of water molecules and the mechanisms of light responses during evaporation. Finally, all simulation methods have the goal of validating the physical processes in solar interfacial evaporation. It is hoped that the use of numerical simulation can provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the application of solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology.

Enhancing water security: Statistical measurement and spatiotemporal analysis.

Water security is essential for ensuring energy security, sustainable development, and human survival. However, due to a series of challenges, including rising water demand, environmental pollution, and water resource shortages, the global water security situation remains concerning and poses a threat to global sustainable development. To assess water security in China, this study uses data from 30 provinces in China from 2012 to 2021. A comprehensive evaluation method was applied to determine the level of water resource security in China. The Dagum Gini coefficient, Moran index, and spatial model were used to clarify regional differentiation characteristics and the driving factors. The results indicate that while China's water resource security is relatively low, it has shown steady improvement in recent years. Significant regional disparities exist in water resource security across China, with notable spatial characteristics, and socio-economic factors are the primary causes of these differences. Based on the above research, we put forward policy recommendations from the aspects of water resources management, public participation and inter-regional water resources cooperation, to provide reference for water resources security in developing countries.

How does the citizens' choice of water use actions based on their empirical knowledge affect the water quality in a rural community of the Philippines?

This research assessed water quality, based on the purpose of water consumption, in households in the municipality of Barbaza, the Province of Antique, Philippines, according to the national water quality guidelines. The effects of the empirical/traditional water use actions taken by local people on the quality of the water they use were investigated through a descriptive study using water quality measurements. Most of the drinking water in the community did not meet the required standards of pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), or coliform. Tap water and well water samples generally met the pH and TDS standards. However, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and coliform were detected, and nitrogen pollution in well water was also confirmed. Local practices, such as using old clothes as filters for well pumps, increased the coliform concentration from 0-10 CFU/mL to too numerous to count (TNTC) levels of more than 100 CFU/mL. Storing well water in a bucket also affected both E. coli and coliform concentrations. Such empirical/traditional water use actions create a high risk of exposing local people to harmful microorganisms. This research integrated citizen science into the methodology for local water management, which could assist governors, practitioners, and citizens, particularly in Southeast Asia, where strong community relationships exist.

Anthropogenic depletion of Iran's aquifers.

Global groundwater assessments rank Iran among countries with the highest groundwater depletion rate using coarse spatial scales that hinder detection of regional imbalances between renewable groundwater supply and human withdrawals. Herein, we use in situ data from 12,230 piezometers, 14,856 observation wells, and groundwater extraction points to provide ground-based evidence about Iran's widespread groundwater depletion and salinity problems. While the number of groundwater extraction points increased by 84.9% from 546,000 in 2002 to over a million in 2015, the annual groundwater withdrawal decreased by 18% (from 74.6 to 61.3 km3/y) primarily due to physical limits to fresh groundwater resources (i.e., depletion and/or salinization). On average, withdrawing 5.4 km3/y of nonrenewable water caused groundwater tables to decline 10 to 100 cm/y in different regions, averaging 49 cm/y across the country. This caused elevated annual average electrical conductivity (EC) of groundwater in vast arid/semiarid areas of central and eastern Iran (16 out of 30 subbasins), indicating "very high salinity hazard" for irrigation water. The annual average EC values were generally lower in the wetter northern and western regions, where groundwater EC improvements were detected in rare cases. Our results based on high-resolution groundwater measurements reveal alarming water security threats associated with declining fresh groundwater quantity and quality due to many years of unsustainable use. Our analysis offers insights into the environmental implications and limitations of water-intensive development plans that other water-scarce countries might adopt.

Developing managed aquifer recharge (MAR) to augment irrigation water resources in the sand and gravel (Crag) aquifer of coastal Suffolk, UK.

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) offers a potential innovative solution for addressing groundwater resource issues, enabling excess surface water to be stored underground for later abstraction. Given its favourable hydrogeological properties, the Pliocene sand and gravel (Crag) aquifer in Suffolk, UK, was selected for a demonstration MAR scheme, with the goal of supplying additional summer irrigation water. The recharge source was a 4.6 km drainage channel that discharges to the River Deben estuary. Trialling the scheme in June 2022, 12,262 m3 of source water were recharged to the aquifer over 12 days via a lagoon and an array of 565 m of buried slotted pipes. Groundwater levels were raised by 0.3 m at the centre of the recharge mound with an approximate radius of 250 m, with no detrimental impact on local water features observed. The source water quality remained stable during the trial with a mean chloride concentration (133 mg L-1) below the regulatory requirement (165 mg L-1). The fraction of recharge water mixing with the groundwater ranged from 69% close to the centre and 5% at the boundary of the recharge mound, leading to a reduction in nitrate-N concentration of 23.6 mg L-1 at the centre of the mound. During July-September 2022, 12,301 m3 of recharge water were abstracted from two, 18 m boreholes to supplement surface irrigation reservoirs during drought conditions. However, the hydraulic conductivity of the Crag aquifer (∼10 m day-1) restricted the yield and thereby reduced the economic viability of the scheme. Construction costs for the MAR system were comparatively low but the high costs of data collection and securing regulatory permits brought the overall capital costs to within 18% of an equivalent surface storage reservoir, demonstrating that market-based mechanisms and more streamlined regulatory processes are required to incentivise similar MAR schemes.

Long-term trends in human-induced water storage changes for China detected from GRACE data.

Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) plays a pivotal role in water resource management by providing a comprehensive measure of both surface water and groundwater availability. This study investigates changes in TWS driven by human activities from 2003 to 2023, and forecasts future TWS trends under various climate change and development scenarios. Our findings reveal a continuous decline in China's TWS since 2003, with an average annual decrease of approximately 1.36 mm. This reduction is primarily attributed to the combined effects of climate change and human activities, including irrigation, industrial water use, and domestic water consumption. Notably, TWS exhibits significant seasonal and annual fluctuations, with variations ranging ±10 mm. For the future period (2024-2030), we project greater disparities between water resource supply and demand in specific years for the Songliao, Southwest, and Yangtze basins. Consequently, future water resource management must prioritize water conservation during wet seasons, particularly in years when supply-demand conflicts for limited water resources intensify. This study is valuable for effective planning and sustainable utilization of water resources.

Using stable isotopes to inform water resource management in forested and agricultural ecosystems.

Present and future climatic trends are expected to markedly alter water fluxes and stores in the hydrologic cycle. In addition, water demand continues to grow due to increased human use and a growing population. Sustainably managing water resources requires a thorough understanding of water storage and flow in natural, agricultural, and urban ecosystems. Measurements of stable isotopes of water (hydrogen and oxygen) in the water cycle (atmosphere, soils, plants, surface water, and groundwater) can provide information on the transport pathways, sourcing, dynamics, ages, and storage pools of water that is difficult to obtain with other techniques. However, the potential of these techniques for practical questions has not been fully exploited yet. Here, we outline the benefits and limitations of potential applications of stable isotope methods useful to water managers, farmers, and other stakeholders. We also describe several case studies demonstrating how stable isotopes of water can support water management decision-making. Finally, we propose a workflow that guides users through a sequence of decisions required to apply stable isotope methods to examples of water management issues. We call for ongoing dialogue and a stronger connection between water management stakeholders and water stable isotope practitioners to identify the most pressing issues and develop best-practice guidelines to apply these techniques.

A new framework for water quality forecasting coupling causal inference, time-frequency analysis and uncertainty quantification.

Accurate forecasting of water quality variables in river systems is crucial for relevant administrators to identify potential water quality degradation issues and take countermeasures promptly. However, pure data-driven forecasting models are often insufficient to deal with the highly varying periodicity of water quality in today's more complex environment. This study presents a new holistic framework for time-series forecasting of water quality parameters by combining advanced deep learning algorithms (i.e., Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Informer) with causal inference, time-frequency analysis, and uncertainty quantification. The framework was demonstrated for total nitrogen (TN) forecasting in the largest artificial lakes in Asia (i.e., the Danjiangkou Reservoir, China) with six-year monitoring data from January 2017 to June 2022. The results showed that the pre-processing techniques based on causal inference and wavelet decomposition can significantly improve the performance of deep learning algorithms. Compared to the individual LSTM and Informer models, wavelet-coupled approaches diminished well the apparent forecasting errors of TN concentrations, with 24.39%, 32.68%, and 41.26% reduction at most in the average, standard deviation, and maximum values of the errors, respectively. In addition, a post-processing algorithm based on the Copula function and Bayesian theory was designed to quantify the uncertainty of predictions. With the help of this algorithm, each deterministic prediction of our model can correspond to a range of possible outputs. The 95% forecast confidence interval covered almost all the observations, which proves a measure of the reliability and robustness of the predictions. This study provides rich scientific references for applying advanced data-driven methods in time-series forecasting tasks and a practical methodological framework for water resources management and similar projects.

Global Water Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa and how to strengthen science-policy dialogues on transboundary governance and cooperation.

The United Nations Water Conference 2023 highlighted the need for concrete actions to boost integrated water resources management for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and called for strategies to enhance cooperation among stakeholders. Technical cooperation between countries and institutions in transboundary systems, e.g., on environmental data collection, is an effective way to promote international diplomacy and prevent disputes between riparian states. Still, establishing collaborations to inform bilateral dialogues on the identification of environmental challenges, their causes, and development priorities may be a difficult task in itself. This is particularly true in the African context because of limited resources and lack of data. In this paper, we analyse the case of nine transboundary river basins in Sub-Saharan Africa to identify which water-management challenges are perceived as most important by the different riparian countries from a policy and scientific perspective. Our insights are based on the most up-to-date scientific papers, open access reports and technical literature, river basin authority's strategy papers, projects' summary reports, and national policy documents. We also complement these sources with the pieces of information we gained through collaborations with regional and local experts, and management bodies (such as river basin authorities). We highlight the current water-related conflicts and the gap between the priorities identified by the scientific community and different riparian countries on how to tackle hydro-climatic change and improve food and energy security, human and environmental health. Based on our experience, we discuss some keys to building trust among stakeholders, strengthening cooperation, and identifying shared water-governance measures in transboundary river basins. They are: (i) connect science and policy to provide sound knowledge for the right questions, (ii) value local knowledge and exploit the complementarity of different perspectives, (iii) consider multiple spatial scales and multi-level stakeholders to leave no one behind, (iv) promote a culture which values trade-offs and handles complexity, and (v) co-create data and knowledge to facilitate stakeholder dialogue from problem definition to intervention identification.

Rethinking Urban Water Management Through Drivers-Pressures-States-Impacts-Responses Framework Application in Chennai, India.

Cities suffering water scarcity are projected to increase in the following decades. However, the application of standardized indicator frameworks for assessing urban water resource management problems is on an early stage. India is expected to have the highest urban population facing water scarcity in the world by 2050. In this study, the authors assess how the Drivers-Pressures-States-Impacts-Responses framework, a causal framework adopted by the European Environment Agency, can contribute to evaluate water management challenges in cities and apply it to Chennai, India´s fourth-largest urban agglomeration. The framework proved to be a helpful tool for the evaluation of water management challenges in cities by disentangling relationships between environmental indicators and structuring dispersed data that allows a better understanding for policymakers. The main drivers identified in Chennai were population growth and economic development which generated impacts such as loss of aquatic ecosystems, low water table, low water quality, and reduction of biodiversity and human health. As a response, better urban planning, projects for new water infrastructure, and water bodies restoration have been implemented. Nevertheless, Chennai keeps facing difficulties to achieve proper water management. The severe hit of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Indian economy and its future management will be key for achievements related to water management.

Establishing a river health evaluation index system for seven rivers in Jiamusi City of China.

The Jiamusi section of the Songhua River is one of the first 17 model river construction sections in China. The implementation of river health assessments can determine the health dynamics of rivers and test the management's effectiveness. Targeting seven rivers, this study conducted river zoning and monitoring point deployment to conduct sufficient field research and monitoring. The authors selected hydrological and water resources, physical structure, water quality, aquatic life, social service functions, and management as guideline layers and 15 indicator layers. Subsequently, the authors established an evaluation index system to evaluate and analyze the ecological status and social service status of each river. The results showed that the Yindamu, Alingda, and Gejie rivers scored well as healthy rivers, with health evaluation scores of 78.98, 76.06, and 75.83, respectively. The Wangsanwu, Lujiagang, and Lingdangmai rivers are generally sub-healthy rivers with scores of 71.55, 67.97, and 60.7, respectively. The Yinggetu River has a score of 54.52 and is therefore assessed as unhealthy. Based on the scientific evaluation index method, this study analyses the current river health state in Jiamusi City to provide the basis for the evaluation of the river chief's work and future river management.

Developing climate change adaptation pathways in the agricultural sector based on robust decision-making approach (case study: Sefidroud Irrigation Network, Iran).

Allocation of water in the situation of climate change presents various uncertainties. Consequently, decisions must be made to ensure stability and functionality across different climatic scenarios. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of adaptation strategies in the agricultural sector, including a 5% increase in irrigation efficiency (S1) and a shift in irrigation method to Dry-DSR (direct seeded rice) under conditions of climatic uncertainty using a decision-making approach. The study focuses on the basin downstream of the Sefidroud dam, encompassing the Sefidroud irrigation and drainage network. Initially, basin modeling was conducted using the WEAP integrated management software for the period 2006-2020. Subsequently, the impact of climate change was assessed, considering RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 emission scenarios on surface water resources from 2021 to 2050. Runoff and cultivated area, both subject to uncertainty, were identified as key parameters. To evaluate strategy performance under different uncertainties and determine the efficacy of each strategy, regret and satisfaction approaches were employed. Results indicate a projected decrease in future rainfall by 3.5-11.8% compared to the base period, accompanied by an increase in maximum and minimum temperatures (0.83-1.62 °C and 1.15-1.33 °C, respectively). Inflow to the Sefidroud dam is expected to decrease by 13-28%. Presently, the Sefidroud irrigation and drainage network faces an annual deficit of 505.4 MCM, and if current trends persist with the impact of climate change, this shortfall may increase to 932.7 MCM annually. Furthermore, satisfaction indices for strategy (S2) are 0.77 in an optimistic scenario and 0.70 in strategy (S1). In a pessimistic scenario, these indices are 0.67 and 0.56, respectively. Notably, changing the irrigation method with Dry-DSR is recommended as a robust strategy, demonstrating the ability to maintain basin stability under a broad range of uncertainties and climate change scenarios. It is crucial to note that the results solely highlight the effects of climate change on water sources entering the Sefidroud dam. Considering anthropogenic activities upstream of the Sefidroud basin, water resource shortages are expected to increase. Therefore, reallocating water resources and implementing practical and appropriate measures in this area are imperative.

Spatial and Temporal Variability in Stream Thermal Regime Drivers for Three River Networks During the Summer Growing Season.

Many cold-water dependent aquatic organisms are experiencing habitat and population declines from increasing water temperatures. Identifying mechanisms which drive local and regional stream thermal regimes facilitates restoration at ecologically relevant scales. Stream temperatures vary spatially and temporally both within and among river basins. We developed a modeling process to identify statistical relationships between drivers of stream temperature and covariates representing landscape, climate, and management-related processes. The modeling process was tested in 3 study areas of the Pacific Northwest USA during the growing season (May [start], August [warmest], September [end]). Across all months and study systems, covariates with the highest relative importance represented the physical landscape (elevation [1st], catchment area [3rd], main channel slope [5th]) and climate covariates (mean monthly air temperature [2nd] and discharge [4th]). Two management covariates (ground water use [6th] and riparian shade [7th]) also had high relative importance. Across the growing season (for all basins) local reach slope had high relative importance in May, but transitioned to a regional main channel slope covariate in August and September. This modeling process identified regionally similar and locally unique relationships among drivers of stream temperature. High relative importance of management-related covariates suggested potential restoration actions for each system.

Overexploitation assessment in an urban karst aquifer: The case of Sete Lagoas (MG), Brazil.

Overexploitation of groundwater in urban karst aquifers can lead to negative consequences such as land subsidence, depletion of springs and lakes, and water pollution. It can also have indirect effects such as environmental, socio-economic, and political instability. In the municipality of Sete Lagoas, Brazil, the long-term effects of extensive groundwater extraction have been observed and studied over the years. This paper analyzes the response of the karst aquifer to urban, industrial, and climatological changes that may have contributed to changes in the aquifer over the last four decades. The results show that groundwater extraction has exceeded the average aquifer recharge since the year 2000. From the 1980s, the number of wells has steadily increased due to unplanned urban development, resulting in higher demand for groundwater. In the 2010s, pumping from tubular wells (7.39 × 107 m3/yr) exceeded the maximum recharge capacity of the aquifer (7.33 × 107 m3/yr). These wells are mainly concentrated in two areas: the central urban zone and the industrial sector. As a result, kilometer-long cones of depression have formed, changing the aquifer from confined to unconfined within these regions. According to the census data, about 67% of the wells remain unidentified. The average annual recharge to the aquifer is estimated to be 5.68 × 107 m3/yr, which accounts for 12% of the average annual rainfall in the region. Climatological trends indicate an incipient decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperature, suggesting a potential decrease in future aquifer recharge. In addition, only 17% of the area has high infiltration rates ranging from 35% to 75%. The current situation in Sete Lagoas is one of overexploitation of groundwater resources, which could be mitigated by localized reduction of groundwater consumption and implementation of effective management strategies to increase aquifer recharge.

Exploring a multi-objective optimization operation model of water projects for boosting synergies and water quality improvement in big river systems.

Due to excessive nutrient enrichment and rapidly increasing water demand, the occurrence of riverine environment deterioration events such as algal blooms in rivers of China has become more frequent and severe since the 1990s, which has imposed harmful consequences on riverine ecosystems. However, tackling river algal blooms as an important issue of restoring riverine environment is very challenging because the complex interaction mechanisms between the causes are impacted by multiple factors. The contributions of our study consist of: (1) optimizing joint operation of water projects for boosting synergies of water quality and quantity, and hydroelectricity; and (2) preventing algal bloom from perspectives of hydrological and water-quality conditions by regulating water releases of water projects. This study proposed a multi-objective optimization methodology grounded on the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm to simultaneously minimize the excess values of algal bloom indicators (water quality, O1), minimize the used reservoir capacity for water supply (water quantity, O2), and maximize the hydropower generation (hydroelectricity, O3). The proposed methodology was applied to several catastrophic algal bloom events that took place between 2017 and 2021 and thirteen water projects in the Hanjiang River of China. The results indicated that the proposed methodology largely stimulated the synergistic benefits of the three objectives by reaching a 36.7% reduction in total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, a 33.1% improvement in the remaining reservoir capacity, and a 41.0% improvement in hydropower output, as compared with those of the standard operation policy (SOP). In addition, the optimal water release schemes of water projects would increase the minimum streamflow velocity of downstream algal bloom control stations by 8.6%-9.4%. This study provides a new perspective on water project operation in the environmental improvement in big river systems while boosting multi-objectives synergies to support environmentalists and decision-makers with scientific guidance on sustainable water resources management.

A simplified model for analyzing rainwater retention performance and irrigation management of green roofs with an inclusion of water storage layer.

Rainwater retention and water content in green roofs are primarily influenced by structural configurations (i.e., soil layer, vegetation layer, and water storage layer) and climatic factors (i.e., rainfall and evapotranspiration (ET)). Based on the principle of water balance, this study proposes a conceptual model for simulating water flow in green roofs with water storage layers. Three green roof model experiments were conducted from August 1st, 2020 to July 31st, 2021 for calibrating and verifying the conceptual model. The proposed model was solved iteratively using a newly developed program in Visual Basic. The results showed that the conceptual model can capture the dynamic variations in the rainwater retention and water content of green roofs well. The average Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient is 0.65 and the average error is 6%. The annual rainwater retention capacity (RRC) of green roofs in the perennial rainy climate model was on average 28% higher than that in the seasonal rainy climate model. At the expense of water stress, high ET plants significantly increased the annual RRC of green roofs at a low level. As the water storage layer depth increased from zero to 150 mm, the annual RRC of green roofs increased by 41%, and the water stress decreased by 49%. Compared with an increase in water holding capacity and soil depth, the response of the annual RRC and water stress of green roofs for increasing water storage layer depth is much greater. As per climate of Southern China region, the water storage layer depth of 100 mm is found to obtain optimal rainwater retention and irrigation management in green roof with similar soil thickness (100 mm).

Modeling water inequality and water security: The role of water governance.

Water Inequality, Water Security and Water Governance are fundamental parameters that affect the sustainable use of water resources. Through policy formulation and decision-making, Water Governance determines both Water Security and Water Inequality. Largely, where Water Inequality exists, Water Security is undermined through unsustainable water use practices that lead to pollution of water resources, conflicts, hoarding of water, and poor sanitation. Incidentally, the interconnectedness of Water Governance, Water Inequality and Water Security has not been investigated previously. This study modified the Gini coefficient and used a Logistics Growth of Water Resources Model (LGWR Model) to access Water Inequality and Water Security mathematically, and discussed the connected role of Water Governance. We tested the validity of both models by calculating the actual Water Inequality and Water Security of Ghana. We also discussed the implications of Water Inequality on Water Security and the overarching role of Water Governance. The results show that regional Water Inequality is widespread in some parts. The Volta region showed the highest Water Inequality (Gini index of 0.58), while the Central region showed the lowest (Gini index of 0.15). Water Security is moderately sustainable. The use of water resources is currently stress-free. It was estimated to maintain such status until 2132 ± 18 when Ghana will consume half of the current total water resources of 53.2 billion cubic meters. Effectively, Water Inequality is a threat to Water Security, results in poverty, under-development heightens tensions in water use, and causes instability. With proper Water Governance, Water Inequality can be eliminated through formulating and implementing approaches that engender equal allocation and sustainable use of water resources.

Predicting the impact and duration of persistent and mobile organic compounds in groundwater systems using a contaminant mass discharge approach.

This study investigated methods for predicting the duration and impact on groundwater quality from persistent and mobile organic compounds (PMOCs) at a drinking water well field affected by multiple contaminant sources. The fungicide metabolite N,N-dimethylsulfamide (DMS), which frequently occurs above the Danish groundwater quality criterion (0.1 µg/L), was used as an example. By combining contaminant mass discharge (CMD) estimations, modeling, and groundwater dating, a number of important discoveries were made. The current center of contaminant mass was located near the source area. The CMD at the well field was predicted to peak in 2040, and an effect from the investigated sources on groundwater quality could be expected until the end of the 21st century. A discrepancy in the current CMD at the well field and the estimated arrival time from the studied source area suggested an additional pesticide source, which has not yet been thoroughly investigated. The presence of the unknown source was supported by model simulations, producing an improved mass balance after inclusion of a contaminant source closer to the well field. The approach applied here was capable of predicting the duration and impact of DMS contamination at a well field at catchment scale. It furthermore shows potential for identification and quantification of the contribution from individual sources, and is also applicable for other PMOCs. Predicting the duration of the release and impact of contaminant sources on abstraction wells is highly valuable for water resources management and authorities responsible for contaminant risk assessment, remediation, and long-term planning at water utilities.

The 21st century water quality challenges for managed aquifer recharge: towards a risk-based regulatory approach.

Sustained environmental and human health protection is threatened by ~350,000 chemicals available in global markets, plus new biological entities including coronaviruses. These water-quality hazards challenge the proponents of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) who seek to ensure the integrity of groundwater. A risk-based regulatory framework accounting for groundwater quality changes, adoption in subsurface attenuation zones, and use of advanced monitoring methods is required to support confidence in the sustainability of MAR.

La protection durable de l'environnement et de la santé humaine est menacée par ~350,000 substances chimiques disponibles sur les marchés mondiaux, à quoi s'ajoutent de nouvelles entités biologiques, incluant les coronavirus. Ces risques sur la qualité de l'eau sont un défi pour les partisans de la recharge raisonnée des aquifères (RRA) qui cherchent à assurer l'intégrité des eaux souterraines. Un cadre réglementaire basé sur les risques, tenant compte des changements de qualité des eaux souterraines, de l'adoption de zones d'atténuation souterraine, de l'utilisation de méthodes de contrôle avancées, est nécessaire pour soutenir la confiance dans la durabilité de la RRA.

La sostenibilidad del medio ambiente y la protección de la salud humana se ve amenazada por unas 350,000 sustancias químicas disponibles en los mercados mundiales, además de nuevas entidades biológicas como el coronavirus. Estos peligros para la calidad del agua suponen un desafío para los defensores de la recarga gestionada de acuíferos (MAR), que pretenden garantizar la integridad de las aguas subterráneas. Se necesita un marco normativo basado en el riesgo que tenga en cuenta los cambios en la calidad de las aguas subterráneas, la incorporación a las zonas de atenuación del subsuelo y el uso de métodos avanzados de control para respaldar la confianza en la sostenibilidad de la recarga acuífera gestionada.

A proteção sustentável do meio ambiente e da saúde humana está ameaçada por cerca de 350,000 produtos químicos disponíveis nos mercados globais, além de novas entidades biológicas, incluindo coronavírus. Esses riscos de qualidade da água desafiam os proponentes da recarga gerenciada de aquíferos (RGA) que buscam garantir a integridade das águas subterrâneas. Uma estrutura regulatória baseada em risco que considere as mudanças na qualidade das águas subterrâneas, a adoção em zonas de atenuação do subsolo e o uso de métodos avançados de monitoramento são necessários para apoiar a confiança na sustentabilidade da RGA.

Potential risk assessment due to groundwater quality deterioration and quantifying the major influencing factors using geographical detectors in the Gunabay watershed of Ethiopia.

Groundwater quality has become deteriorated due to natural and anthropogenic activities. Poor water quality has a potential risk to human health and the environment. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the potential risk of groundwater quality contamination levels and public health risks in the Gunabay watershed. For this task, seventy-eight groundwater samples were collected from thirty-nine locations in the dry and wet seasons during 2022. The groundwater contamination index was applied to assess the overall quality of groundwater. Six major driving forces (temperature, population density, soil, land cover, recharge, and geology) and their quantitative impact of each factor on groundwater quality deterioration were demonstrated using Geodetector. The results showed that low groundwater quality was detected in urban and agricultural land. Especially nitrate contamination was highly linked to groundwater quality deterioration and public health risks, and a medium contamination level was observed in the area. This indicates that the inappropriate application of fertilizer on agricultural land and wastewater from urban areas has a great impact on shallow aquifers in the study area. Furthermore, the major influencing factors are ranked as soil type (0.33-0.31) > recharge (0.17-0.15) > temperature (0.13-0.08) > population density (0.1-0.08) > land cover types (0.07-0.04) > lithology (0.05-0.04). The interaction detector revealed that the interaction between soil ∩ recharge, soil ∩ temperature, and soil ∩ land cover, temperature ∩ recharge is more influential to deteriorate groundwater quality in both seasons. Identification and quantification of the major influencing factors may provide new insight into groundwater resource management.