Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices among residents of different slum settlements in a ward of Kolkata: A mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is the most basic need for mankind. Poor WASH practices are associated with various waterborne diseases, especially in developing countries such as India. The aim of the study was to assess WASH practices among residents of different slum settlements in a ward of Kolkata, identify the factors associated with WASH practice, and explore the barriers faced by the families and municipal staff in providing adequate WASH services to the community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational study, cross-sectional in design with a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, was conducted in different slum settlements in a ward of Kolkata. Quantitative data were collected by face-to-face interview, spot observation, and measuring the living area, door, and window spaces. Key informant interviews were conducted with the medical officer, ward vector-control coordinator, and municipal waste handlers, in addition to in-depth interviews with respondents who had unsatisfactory WASH practices. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti 22. RESULTS: The overall WASH practices were considered satisfactory in 58.8% of the households. Education of the respondents up to the secondary level, presence of overcrowding, and inadequate ventilation in the house had statistically significantly higher odds of unsatisfactory practice. Poor living conditions, difficulty in collecting and storing water, waterlogging, blocked sewage drains, common toilets for men and women, and lack of motivation were the primary obstacles identified by the residents. CONCLUSION: Unsatisfactory WASH practices were observed among a high proportion of the slum population. Community engagement and education regarding WASH in communities is strongly recommended along with improvement of infrastructure and capacity building.

Microplastics in Marine Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Review of Biological and Ecological Implications and its mitigation approach using nanotechnology for the sustainable environment.

Microplastic contamination has rapidly become a serious environmental issue, threatening marine ecosystems and human health. This review aims to not only understand the distribution, impacts, and transfer mechanisms of microplastic contamination but also to explore potential solutions for mitigating its widespread impact. This review encompasses the categorisation, origins, and worldwide prevalence of microplastics and methodically navigates the complicated structure of microplastics. Understanding the sources of minute plastic particles infiltrating water bodies worldwide is critical for successful removal. The presence and accumulation of microplastics has far reaching negative impacts on various marine creatures, eventually extending its implications to human health. Microplastics are known to affect the metabolic activities and the survival of microbial communities, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fauna present in marine environments. Moreover, these microplastics cause developmental abnormalities, endocrine disruption, and several metabolic disorders in humans. These microplastics accumulates in aquatic environments through trophic transfer mechanisms and biomagnification, thereby disrupting the delicate balance of these ecosystems. The review also addresses the tactics for minimising the widespread impact of microplastics by suggesting practical alternatives. These include increasing public awareness, fostering international cooperation, developing novel cleanup solutions, and encouraging the use of environment-friendly materials. In conclusion, this review examines the sources and prevalence of microplastic contamination in marine environment, its impacts on living organisms and ecosystems. It also proposes various sustainable strategies to mitigate the problem of microplastics pollution. Also, the current challenges associated with the mitigation of these pollutants have been discussed and addressing these challenges require immediate and collective action for restoring the balance in marine ecosystems.

Exploring local perceptions and drivers of engagement in biodiversity monitoring among participants in payments for ecosystem services schemes in southeastern Mexico.

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are widely applied incentive-based instruments with diverse objectives that increasingly include biodiversity conservation. Yet, there is a gap in understanding of how to best assess and monitor programs' biodiversity outcomes. We examined perceptions and drivers of engagement related to biodiversity monitoring through surveys among current PES participants in 7 communities in Mexico's Selva Lacandona. We conducted workshops among survey participants that included training and field deployment of tools used to monitor biodiversity and land cover, including visual transects, camera traps, acoustic recorders, and forest cover satellite images. We conducted pre- and postworkshop surveys in each community to evaluate changes in respondents' perceptions following exposure to biodiversity monitoring training and related field activities. We also reviewed existing research on participatory environmental management and monitoring approaches. One quarter of current PES participants in the study area participated in our surveys and workshops. The majority stated interest in engaging in diverse activities related to the procedural aspects of biodiversity monitoring (e.g., planning, field data collection, results dissemination) and acknowledged multiple benefits of introducing biodiversity monitoring into PES (e.g., knowledge and capacity building, improved natural resource management, and greater support for conservation). Household economic reliance on PES was positively associated with willingness to engage in monitoring. Technical expertise, time, and monetary constraints were deterrents. Respondents were most interested in monitoring mammals, birds, and plants and using visual transects, camera traps, and forest cover satellite images. Exposure to monitoring enhanced subsequent interest in monitoring by providing respondents with new insights from their communities related to deforestation and species' abundance and diversity. Respondents identified key strengths and weaknesses of applying different monitoring tools, which suggests that deploying multiple tools simultaneously can increase local engagement and produce complementary findings and data. Overall, our findings support the relevance and usefulness of incorporating participatory biodiversity monitoring into PES.

Explorando las percepciones locales y los impulsores de la participación en el monitoreo de la biodiversidad entre participantes de esquemas de pagos por servicios ambientales en el sureste de México Resumen Los pagos por servicios ambientales (PSA) son instrumentos basados en incentivos ampliamente aplicados cuyos diversos objetivos incluyen cada vez más la conservación de la biodiversidad. Sin embargo, existe una brecha en la comprensión de cómo evaluar y monitorear los resultados de los programas en materia de biodiversidad. Examinamos las percepciones y los impulsores de la participación relacionados al monitoreo de la biodiversidad a través de encuestas entre participantes actuales de PSA en siete comunidades de la Selva Lacandona de México. Realizamos talleres entre los participantes de las encuestas que incluyeron capacitación y despliegue en campo de herramientas utilizadas para monitorear la biodiversidad y la cobertura del suelo, incluidos transectos visuales, cámaras trampa, grabadores acústicos e imágenes satelitales de la cobertura forestal. Realizamos encuestas antes y después del taller en cada comunidad para evaluar los cambios en las percepciones de los participantes tras su involucramiento en la capacitación de monitoreo de biodiversidad y las actividades de campo relacionadas. También revisamos la investigación existente sobre enfoques de monitoreo y gestión ambiental participativa. Una cuarta parte de los participantes actuales de PES en el área de estudio participaron en nuestras encuestas y talleres. La mayoría declaró interés en participar en diversas actividades relacionadas con los aspectos procesales del monitoreo de la biodiversidad (por ejemplo, planificación, recopilación de datos de campo, difusión de resultados) y reconoció múltiples beneficios de introducir el monitoreo de la biodiversidad en los PSA (por ejemplo, creación de conocimientos y capacidades, mejora de la gestión de los recursos naturales, y mayor apoyo a la conservación). La dependencia económica de los hogares de los PSA se asoció positivamente con la voluntad de participar en el monitoreo. Los factores inhibidores fueron la experiencia técnica, el tiempo y las limitaciones monetarias. Los encuestados estaban más interesados en monitorear mamíferos, aves y plantas y en utilizar transectos visuales, cámaras trampa e imágenes satelitales de la cubierta forestal. La exposición al monitoreo aumentó el interés posterior en el monitoreo al brindar a los encuestados nuevos conocimientos de sus comunidades relacionados con la deforestación y la abundancia y diversidad de especies. Los encuestados identificaron fortalezas y debilidades clave al aplicar diferentes herramientas de monitoreo, lo que sugiere que implementar múltiples herramientas simultáneamente puede aumentar la participación local y producir hallazgos y datos complementarios. En general, nuestros hallazgos respaldan la relevancia y utilidad de incorporar el monitoreo participativo de la biodiversidad en los PSA.

Addressing the global challenge of coastal sewage pollution.

Coastal environments, essential for about half of the world's population living near coastlines, face severe threats from human-induced activities such as intensified urbanization, aggressive development, and particularly, coastal sewage pollution. This type of pollution, comprising untreated sewage discharging nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals, microplastics, and organic compounds, significantly endangers these ecosystems. The issue of sewage in coastal areas is complex, influenced by factors like inadequate sewage systems, septic tanks, industrial and agricultural runoff, and natural processes like coastal erosion, further complicated by oceanic dynamics like tides and currents. A global statistic reveals that over 80 % of sewage enters the environment without treatment, contributing significantly to nitrogen pollution in coastal ecosystems. This pollution not only harms marine life and ecosystems through chemical contaminants and eutrophication, leading to hypoxic zones and biodiversity loss, but also affects human health through waterborne diseases and seafood contamination. Additionally, it has substantial economic repercussions, impacting tourism, recreation, and fisheries, and causing revenue and employment losses. Addressing this issue globally involves international agreements and national legislations, but their effectiveness is hindered by infrastructural disparities, particularly in developing countries. Thus, effective management requires a comprehensive approach including advanced treatment technologies, stringent regulations, regular monitoring, and international cooperation. The international scientific community plays a crucial role in fostering a collaborative and equitable response to this pressing environmental challenge.

Analysis of recent land management initiatives in Nicaragua from the perspective of the "ecosystem approach".

In the world there are approximately 608 million farms, of which 84% are small farms and produce 35% of the food of the world population. Training programs have been promoted by different organizations to achieve a more sustainable and efficient agricultural practice. Within this context, this article has classified a set of smallholders located in central Nicaragua with regard to how they apply Land Use Management Initiatives (LUMI). The aim is to outline their weaknesses and strengths and thus identify key elements that can contribute to improving soil resource management. We focus on the LUMI carried out in Nicaragua in the municipalities of El Tuma-La Dalia, El Cuá and Waslala between 1992 and 2022. To conduct this study, eight LUMI were identified and analysed, and 25 indicators linked to the Malawi Principles were extracted and selected for the design of a survey in order to collect land use management information from 455 farms in the study area. Simple random sampling was used to select the farms. Subsequently, the collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Multivariate Analysis techniques. The results reveal that in the study area, the LUMI incorporate between one and five Malawi Principles. The multivariate analysis techniques employed identified three clusters of farms, with either Active, Moderate or Improvable ecosystem management. The study area as a whole displays strengths in social participation, local capacity building, soil and environmental conservation practices, with the farm as the main source of income. Weaknesses lie in the fact that indicators referring to household income and productivity are less frequent. In terms of farm management, the results revealed that combined male and female management was similar in percentage to male-only management. The results highlight the need to continue with the implementation of environmental goals linked to the design of initiatives that promote productivity, income and gender equity in farm management in an integrated manner. At the same time, existing local capacities for sustainable soil and ecosystem management should be brought together and strengthened.

The immunology ecosystem in South Africa: striking an equitable balance between fostering discovery, promoting translation and capacity building.

In the vast and diverse continent of Africa, the field of immunology holds immense significance as it navigates the complex landscape of infectious diseases and public health challenges. In this article, we speak with Professor Clive Gray, who provides powerful and valuable insights into the unique research opportunities and immunological advancements supported by Africa's unique blend of social, economic and environmental factors and also discusses the societal and cultural challenges that need to be overcome for equitable research to be achieved across the continent.

Frontier issues in international ocean governance: Japan's discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea.

This paper aimed at explore international ocean governance issues through the perspective of Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge to the sea. This paper analyzes the core issue of Japan's plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the ocean from the perspectives of Japan's international legal obligation, law enforcement issues, and judicial issues after integrated analyzing academic research paper and cases. Japan has obligations such as timely notification, information disclosure, environmental impact assessment, and avoidance of transboundary harm. Intergovernmental and non-governmental international organizations, such as IAEA, IMO and WHO should play a role in setting up an international group of experts to carry out monitoring and assessment, and whose positions and attitudes are important references for judging Japan's behavior. Cases heard before ICJ, ITLOS, and advisory opinion proceeding could provide reference from the judicial perspective on the issue of transboundary harm and proof of damages. Furthermore, this paper discusses the response strategies that the international community especially the opponents may adopt, including promoting the adoption of relevant treaties, take a combination of requesting advisory opinion and file arbitration, establish effective international monitoring mechanism, and engage in close communication with stakeholders.

Exploring power building capacity at the ecosystem level: A case study of a justice-oriented organizational network.

Community organizing and base building groups operate as part of a larger ecosystem of organizations, each with complementary capacities necessary to build power and achieve social change. Analytic approaches to assessing power in organizational networks can generate data to inform strategy, identify gaps, and help nurture organizational ecosystems that support communities in building and exercising power. This article uses a network of 43 justice-focused organizations in the Bay Area, California and their 267 reported connections as a case study to assess the feasibility of measuring power building capacities using social network analyses. We evaluated network capacity for different power-building capacities and explored the relationships between organizations' positions in the network and their access to capacity. We found that justice-focused organizations were more likely than their connections to have mature capacity for creating alliances and coalitions and for research/legal strategies, whereas their connections were more likely to report mature capacity for community organizing. Most participants in the network were connected within one degree to an organization that was mature in organizing and base building. These results highlight the potential to assess community power building capacities within networks of organizations to identify ecosystem strengths and weaknesses and opportunities for strategic development.

Cultivating an ecosystem: A qualitative exploration of sustainability in long-standing community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships.

Background: While sustainability is crucial to the success of community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships, there is a lack of conceptual clarity on what defines sustainability and what characterizes sustainability-promoting practices in long-standing (in existence ≥ 6 years) CBPR partnerships. Objectives: The aim of this article is to explore the definition of sustainability, as well as practices that influence sustainability from the perspectives of academic and community experts in long-standing CBPR partnerships. Methods: This qualitative analysis is part of Measurement Approaches to Partnership Success (MAPS), a participatory mixed methods validity study that examined "success" and its contributing factors in long-standing CBPR partnerships. Thematic analysis of 21 semi-structured interviews was conducted, including 10 academic and 11 community experts of long-standing CBPR partnerships. Results: The key defining components of sustainability we identified include: distinguishing between sustaining the work of the partnership and ongoing relationships among partners; working towards a common goal over time; and enduring changes that impact the partnership. We further identified strengthening and capacity building practices at multiple levels of the partnership that served to promote the sustainability of the partnership's work and of ongoing relationships among partners. Conclusions: Sustainability can be understood as supporting an ecosystem that surrounds the beneficial relationships between academic and community partners. Ongoing evaluation and application of practices that promote the sustainability of partnership activities and relationships may strengthen the long-term effectiveness of CBPR partnerships in advancing health equity.

Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Management of Drinking Water: A Narrative Review.

Waterborne illnesses are a significant concern worldwide. The management of water resources can be facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI) with the help of data analytics, regression models, and algorithms. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations depends on understanding, communicating, and measuring the value of water and incorporating it into decision-making. Various barriers are used from the source to the consumer to prevent microbiological contamination of drinking water sources or reduce contamination to levels safe for human health. Infrastructure development and capacity-building policies should be integrated with guidelines on applying AI to problems relating to water to ensure good development outcomes. Communities can live healthily with such technology if they can provide clean, economical, and sustainable water to the ecosystem as a whole. Quick and accurate identification of waterborne pathogens in drinking and recreational water sources is essential for treating and controlling the spread of water-related diseases, especially in resource-constrained situations. To ensure successful development outcomes, policies on infrastructure development and capacity building should be combined with those on applying AI to water-related problems. The primary focus of this study is the use of AI in managing drinking water and preventing waterborne illness.

Improving Access to Safe Water in Rural Schools of Kenya: Qualitative Multisectoral Insights.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive strategies in water, sanitation, and appropriate hygiene behaviors can improve school enrolment and improve gender parity disparities. Lack of safe drinking water negatively impacts the social capital of people, especially school-going children in rural areas. In this study, we systematically evaluated and documented evidence on the barriers and facilitators in the access and adoption of safe water practices in rural schools in Laikipia County, Kenya. METHODS: An ethnographic formative, collaborative implementation research design was used in an iterative and participatory process to evaluate community, socio-economic, and health system-related factors affecting water, hygiene, and sanitation strategies. Qualitative data was collected using key informant interviews (n=5) and focus groups (n=3) from various multisectoral participants. Directed content analysis was used to develop codes, categories, and themes from textual data. Data was organized according to the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework. RESULTS: The findings were classified and described under three key elements: context, evidence, and facilitation. Contextual elements showed an association of diarrhea outbreaks with unsafe hygiene practices compounded by water scarcity. The evidence elements were indicative of the applicability of water backpacks in strengthening handwashing, storage, and transport of water. Facilitation elements indicated evidence of gaps in synergy between the school health and public health systems, necessitating multisectoral collaboration and social capital capacity building. CONCLUSION: The national and county governments play an imperative role in ensuring access and continuous supply of safe drinking water in schools. This is fundamental in efforts towards reducing social inequalities of health among school-going children and building their social capital. Participatory, collaborative, multisectoral interventions and decision-making are crucial, leveraging on creating local ownership, in meeting the water consumption needs of children and communities in water-scarce regions.

Dual system of water safety plan auditing in Hungary: benefits and lessons learnt.

A risk-based approach is recognised worldwide as the most reliable means for the provision of safe drinking water. Efficient implementation of the water safety plan (WSP) approach, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), is facilitated by an auditing framework. In Hungary, development of WSPs is a legal obligation for water suppliers. WSPs are subject to a two-stage regulatory audit, a consultative central technical audit and a formal local audit. In 2019, a survey was conducted in cooperation with WHO to evaluate audit experiences of over 1,200 WSPs. Recommendations from the central audit significantly improved coherence and compliance of WSPs, confirming the efficiency of the dual approach. The use of a WSP template provided by the national authority further increased consistency and reduced time and work demand of the audit. Both water suppliers and public health authorities indicated a need for further capacity building on WSP development and auditing. The main challenge for water suppliers is the identification and risk assessment of hazards associated with the water source and distribution within premises. The recast European Union drinking water regulation is expected to accelerate the uptake of WSP and strengthen linkages to water catchment management and water safety in buildings.

Factors influencing community-led total sanitation (CLTS) implementation abandonment before achieving open defecation-free (ODF) status: case study of the Central-Western region of Burkina Faso.

Access to sanitation has become an important element for improving the health of populations in developing countries. In Burkina Faso, 12% of the population in rural areas has access to latrine and 65% practice open defecation (OD). In a bid to eliminate this unsanitary practice and enhance sanitation access in rural areas, the government embraced community-led total sanitation (CLTS) as a national strategy in 2014. However, more than 6 years later, a notable observation is the high abandonment rate, with only a small fraction of rural communities successfully eradicating OD. Out of the 8892 villages in the country, 3546 underwent a CLTS triggering from 2014 to 2020. Nevertheless, in 787 of these villages, the implementation of the CLTS approach was abandoned, indicating a substantial abandonment rate of 22.19%. Until now, most studies on CLTS have focused on the post-ODF phase, emphasizing the question of the sustainability of the results generated by the approach, as if the process from triggering to obtaining ODF certification was not subject to any problems. However, cases of abandonment of the CLTS process after triggering do exist, although poorly documented in the literature, and there are no studies that clearly assign responsibilities to the actors when CLTS implementation comes to be abandoned. This research aims to bridge these gaps by identifying the root causes of these abandonment cases while delineating the distinct responsibilities associated with these instances. To achieve this, the study was conducted in the Central-Western region of Burkina Faso, where all stakeholders involved in CLTS implementation, including target communities, were identified, their different roles in the process defined, and data collected through household surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data. The research findings indicate that the abandonment of the CLTS implementation process is due to four categories of factors: sociocultural and economic aspects (39.78%), physical conditions (17.52%), governance aspects (26.28%), and the quality of approach implementation (16.42%). Moreover, these factors highlight a shared accountability for abandonment involving the government, implementing organizations, and target communities. These findings have significant implications for the future design of sanitation programs using the CLTS approach. To mitigate abandonment rates in the CLTS implementation process across rural communities, it is imperative for policymakers to attentively consider these factors and integrate the recommendations delineated in this study.

Cultivating an Ecosystem: A Qualitative Exploration of Sustainability in Long-Standing Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships.

BACKGROUND: While sustainability is crucial to the success of community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships, there is a lack of conceptual clarity on what defines sustainability and what characterizes sustainability-promoting practices in long-standing (in existence 6 years or longer) CBPR partnerships. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to explore the definition of sustainability, as well as practices that influence sustainability from the perspectives of academic and community experts in long-standing CBPR partnerships. METHODS: This qualitative analysis is part of Measurement Approaches to Partnership Success, a participatory mixed methods validity study that examined "success" and its contributing factors in long-standing CBPR partnerships. Thematic analysis of 21 semistructured interviews was conducted, including 10 academic and 11 community experts of long-standing CBPR partnerships. RESULTS: The key defining components of sustainability we identified include: distinguishing between sustaining the work of the partnership and ongoing relationships among partners; working towards a common goal over time; and enduring changes that impact the partnership. We further identified strengthening and capacity building practices at multiple levels of the partnership that served to promote the sustainability of the partnership's work and of ongoing relationships among partners. CONCLUSIONS: Sustainability can be understood as supporting an ecosystem that surrounds the beneficial relationships between academic and community partners. Ongoing evaluation and application of practices that promote the sustainability of partnership activities and relationships may strengthen the long-term effectiveness of CBPR partnerships in advancing health equity.

Addressing the challenges of establishing quality wastewater or non-sewered sanitation-based surveillance, including laboratory and epidemiological considerations, in Malawi.

Learning from clinical laboratories, wastewater or environmental (including non-sewered sanitation) environmental microbiology laboratories can be established in resource-limited settings that focus on pathogen detection and pandemic prevention. Transparent discussions on the laboratory challenges and adaptations required for this can help meet the future requirements of health research and surveillance. This report aims to describe the challenges encountered when setting up a wastewater or environmental laboratory for multipathogen surveillance in Malawi, a resource-limited setting, as well as the lessons learnt. We identified nine unifying themes: what to monitor, human resource capacity, indicators of data quality, equipment availability, supply of consumable goods, ongoing operation and maintenance of the laboratory, application of localised guidelines for laboratory operations, lack of real-time clinical correlation for calibration and localised ethical considerations. Over our 6-month timeline, only Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholerae and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 analyses were set-up. However, we were unable to set-up measles and tuberculosis analyses owing largely to supply delays. By establishing this system at a public higher education academic laboratory in Malawi, we have ensured that ongoing capacity building and piloting of public health work is conducted in the country, rather than relying on non-governmental organisations or reference laboratory support beyond national borders. This work is not intended to replace clinical testing but rather demonstrates the potential for adapting higher education academic laboratory infrastructure to add wastewater or environmental (including non-sewered sanitation) samples, where appropriate, as additive epidemiological data for better pandemic preparedness.

Measuring the cross-border spillover effects and telecoupling processes of ecosystem services in Western China.

Ecosystem services provide the basic elements for global economic development. In the context of the deepening global integration process, countries and regions are increasingly connected, resulting in a series of cross-country, cross-regional, multi-scale socio-economic-environmental impacts, these new situations and changes require a multi-site, two-way, and cross-temporal and spatial scale comprehensive study of "the relationship between ecosystem services and humans". Based on this, we apply a telecoupling synthesis framework to explore the socio-economic and eco-environmental interactions of ecosystem service spillover effects. Results show that (1) the spillover effect of ecosystem services in western China is significant. More than 66% of ecosystem services spillover to eastern China provinces, and more than 40% of ecosystem services spillover to countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia, resulting in a total of 679 million people benefiting from the spillover effect. (2) There are also multiple telecoupling processes between the ecosystem service spillovers in the ecologically fragile areas in western China and the rest of the world. In combination with the scenario simulation of the InVEST model, the services such as water supply, soil retention, flood mitigation, and food supply have significant impacts on sustainable development and human well-being in Asia and even the world. (3) The positive feedback effect of telecoupling is critical to the protection of the ecological environment as well as the improvement of people's livelihood and well-being in Western China's ecologically fragile areas. Therefore, we propose strengthening ecological compensation cooperation between local governments and implementing compensatory transfer payments between upstream and downstream. Simultaneously, international cooperation must be strengthened, and an ecological compensation transfer mechanism with beneficiary countries must be established, while the cross-regional flow of ecosystem services must be maintained. This study provides an example for the "ecosystem services and human relations" in multiple places, two directions and across time and space scales, and also practical reference significance for China implementation of projects such as the "the Belt and Road" initiative and transnational and cross regional resource allocation.

Illuminating Progress: The Contribution of Bioluminescence to Sustainable Development Goal 6-Clean Water and Sanitation-Of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

The United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims at ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation. The routine monitoring of water contaminants requires accurate and rapid analytical techniques. Laboratory analyses and conventional methods of field sampling still require considerable labor and time with highly trained personnel and transport to a central facility with sophisticated equipment, which renders routine monitoring cumbersome, time-consuming, and costly. Moreover, these methods do not provide information about the actual toxicity of water, which is crucial for characterizing complex samples, such as urban wastewater and stormwater runoff. The unique properties of bioluminescence (BL) offer innovative approaches for developing advanced tools and technologies for holistic water monitoring. BL biosensors offer a promising solution by combining the natural BL phenomenon with cutting-edge technologies. This review provides an overview of the recent advances and significant contributions of BL to SDG 6, focusing attention on the potential use of the BL-based sensing platforms for advancing water management practices, protecting ecosystems, and ensuring the well-being of communities.

Water pollution control and revitalization using advanced technologies: Uncovering artificial intelligence options towards environmental health protection, sustainability and water security.

In Ghana, illegal mining (galamsey) activities have polluted most of the river bodies. For example, water bodies in Ghana that are polluted amounts to 60% with most of them in deteriorating condition. However, to live a sustainable life, there is the need to follow rules of environmental management, where pollution control and advanced treatment technologies are imperative. The adoption of control strategies and advanced technologies in galamsey-affected-water basins in Ghana will help provide real-time revitalization for supply of quality water. The control strategies for water pollution management and advanced technologies would particularly help utility companies in ensuring that all Ghanaians continue to get potable, reliable, and sustainable water supplies for the current and future generations. The paper covers three key control strategies for water pollution management, vis-à-vis six major aspects of advanced technologies and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI based decision-making tools help optimize the use of various treatment technologies, such as adsorption, ion exchanges, electrokinetic processes, chemical precipitation, phytobial remediation, and membrane technology to effectively remove pollutants from affected water bodies. The paper also focuses on advantages and disadvantages of several advanced technologies, challenges on leveraging the technologies while identifying gaps, and possible technology roadmap. The review contributes to water quality issues in Ghana's Pra river basin by embracing AI and other cutting-edge technologies to address the current water pollution crisis and also ensure sustainable and secure water supply for future generations. This contribution is in line with the United Nations' Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs) goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) and goal 3 (good health and well-being).