Effects of climate change on water resources in Tarim River Basin, Northwest China

Based on hydrology, temperature, and precipitation data from the past 50 years, the effects of climate change on water resources in Tarim River Basin in Northwest China were investigated. The long-term trends of the hydrological time series were detected using both parametric and nonparametric techniques. The results showed that the increasing tendency of the temperature has a 5% level of significance, and the temperature increased by nearly 1℃ over the past 50 years. The precipitation showed a significant increase in the 1980s and 1990s, and the average annual precipitation exhibited an increasing trend with a magnitude of 6.8 mm per decade. A step change occurred in both the temperature and precipitation time series around 1986. The streamflow from the headwater of the Tarim River exhibited a significant increase during the last 20 years. The increase in temperature, precipitation, and streamflow may be attributed to global climate change.     

秦淮河流域城镇用地增长格局及其演化机制——秦淮河流域江宁段实证

利用四期遥感TM数据和GIS技术,通过分析20年秦淮河流域城镇用地增长格局及其演化机制,为流域综合管理和模拟提供重要参数,研究结果表明:①城镇用地增长显示阶段性和空间的不均匀性,增长拐点发生在1994年和2000年,空间上表现出增长"热极"与"热带";②城镇用地增长阶段性是经济社会过程及驱动因子演化阶段的反映,回归分析显示城镇用地增长与城镇人口、经济总量及开发区发展相关系数高,这归于1992年开发区创建、投资增加与2000年撤县设区驱动的结果;③城镇用地增长格局变化是社会经济物质载体演化的体现,1992年后开发区成为城镇用地增长首要来源,2000年后东山新市区与大学城成为其增长核心和新形式,机场与高速公路网强化对城镇用地的空间导向.研究结果较客观地刻画了城市化格局与过程的演化规律,参数应用与数据精度的提高是今后研究的重点.     

长江流域城市实力等级的人工神经网络判定

鉴于目前人工神经网络主要应用于自然科学和工程技术等领域上,选取了以长江流域97个地级市为研究对象,以反映城市经济发展水平、辐射能力、吸引能力、生活方便舒适程度以及文化娱乐水平等指标进行城市实力等级的研究,来弥补人工神经网络在人文社科方面应用的不足。结果表明,城市等级分为六级与实际情况非常近似,这说明自组织人工神经网络具有良好的聚类功能;同时,还得出长江流域不同区段内都存在一至两个具有大区意义甚至全国意义的特大城市,从而为构建合理的城市群、城市密集地区等城市体系提供了更有说服力的依据;此外,长江流域东中西部城市等级存在的较强的非均衡性也得到了较为详细的分析。     

基于遥感信息的流域生态系统健康评价——以大宁河流域为例

以三峡库区大宁河流域为研究对象,以生态系统健康理论为基础,以联合国经济合作开发署提出的P S R(压力－状态－响应)模型为基础,建立了大宁河流域生态系统健康评价指标体系,并以遥感数据为主结合少量辅助数据,提取了流域的生态系统信息。以小流域为评价单元,对每个小流域进行单因子及综合评价,结果表明大宁河流域生态系统健康状况具有垂直地带性分布规律。     

长江流域耕地-粮食-人口复合系统的动态分析及调控途径

选取反映耕地-粮食-人口复合系统变化的10个总量和均量指标．通过1978—2004年各指标在长江流域及其上、中、下游变化过程的动态分析。发现人口增加、国家宏观政策、粮食价格以及经济非农化和城市化过程是影响流域耕地-粮食-人口复合系统变化的主导因素；长江流域粮食生产在全国的主体地位逐渐下降。而且自2000年以来．人均粮食占有量也不断下降。耕地压力指数不断加大。基于此种变化过程及其原因分析，从保证区域粮食自给、保持系统动态平衡以及协调好耕地、粮食、人口三者之间关系等方面入手．站在保障流域粮食安全、确保国家经济社会可持续发展战略高度．提出长江流域耕地-粮食-人口复合系统调控战略途径。     

Rural vulnerability to environmental change in the irrigated lowlands of Central Asia and options for policy-makers: A review

Climate change, land degradation and drought affect millions of people living in drylands worldwide. With its food security depending almost entirely on irrigated agriculture, Central Asia is one of the arid regions highly vulnerable to water scarcity. Previous research of land and water use in the region has focused on improving water-use efficiency, soil management and identifying technical, institutional and agricultural innovations. However, vulnerability to climate change has rarely been considered, in spite of the imminent risks due to a higher-than-average warming perspective and the predicted melting of glaciers, which will greatly affect the availability of irrigation water. Using the Khorezm region in the irrigated lowlands of northwest Uzbekistan as an example, we identify the local patterns of vulnerability to climate variability and extremes. We look at on-going environmental degradation, water-use inefficiency, and barriers to climate change adaptation and mitigation, and based on an extensive review of research evidence from the region, we present concrete examples of initiatives for building resilience and improving climate risk management. These include improving water use efficiency and changing the cropping patterns that have a high potential to decrease the exposure and sensitivity of rural communities to climate risks. In addition, changes in land use such as the afforestation of degraded croplands, and introducing resource-smart cultivation practices such as conservation agriculture, may strengthen the capacity of farmers and institutions to respond to climate challenges. As these can be out-scaled to similar environments, i.e. the irrigated cotton and wheat growing lowland regions in Central Asia and the Caucasus, these findings may be relevant for regions beyond the immediate geographic area from which it draws its examples.     

IMPROVING IRRIGATION WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE INDUS BASIN1

ABSTRACT: Over half of the water delivered from the canal system to the watercourses managed by the farmers is not made available to the farmers' crops in Pakistan. Most of this water loss is due to loss of water through the banks of the watercourses. Lack of maintaining these banks and lack of cleaning the watercourse is a result of inadequate organization of the 10 to 150 farmers who use the watercourse, and a deficiency of knowledge concerning the amount of their water which is being lost. Various methods of watercourse improvement have been evaluated including concrete and masonry linings and simple earthen improvements of the ditches with concrete control structures, junctions, and turnouts. With the cost of labor low in Pakistan, the earthen improvements with concrete structures appear to be the best investment. Farm water management improvement programs have been implemented in most of the provinces which include this type of watercourse improvement, land leveling and advice to the farmers on how and when to irrigate his crops to optimize his production. The rate at which personnel can be trained to help the farmers implement these improved water management practices is limiting the rate of implementation.     

清江流域的环境问题研究

阐述了清江流域的自然、社会环境状况，分析了清江流域目前存在的主要环境问题及其产生的原因，对清江流域开发所产生的环境影响进行了预测，提出了保护清江流域环境的对策和措施。     

DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT: THE EVOLUTION OF A FEDERAL RESERVED WATER RIGHT1

ABSTRACT: Dinosaur National Monument, in northwestern Colorado, has become a test case in the establishment of a federal reserved water right to instream flows. For the first time, the Interior Department was forced to rigorously defend its claims in a watershed where the federal government did not control the upstream reaches. Inadequate quantification of minimum flow requirements, court orders, and an apparent Congressional ban on the spending of Water Resources Program funds by the Park Service to quantify its water rights have already placed the Service in a difficult position to protect instream flows for maintaining the ecological integrity of the Monument. As late as 1983, administrators of the Park Service were divided over their legal strategy, many wanting to pursue a policy of claiming “natural, historic” flows rather than “minimum” flows. The conditional right to instream flows panted to the Park Service in 1978 was subject to quantification within five years. That deadline has been extended, but it is not likely that the case will reach final settlement this decade. Until the design and conduct of federal water rights quantifications better integrate public policy and law with science, the principle lesson from Dinosaur may have to be repeated.     

ALTERNATIVES FOR SALINITY MANAGEMENT IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN1

ABSTRACT The Colorado River Basin faces the dilemma of an increasing demand for water while presently struggling with salinity concentrations approaching critical levels for some water uses. Based upon projected development salinity concentrations are predicted to exceed 1200 mg/1 at Imperial Dam by the year 2010. Annual losses to the basin economy associated with increased salinity will exceed $50 million by the year 2010. Although methods of controlling salt discharges are relatively unrefined, certain conclusions, based upon Bayesian statistical methods, can be reached. Five basic alternatives for coping with the problem are presented and evaluated in this paper: (1) do nothing; (2) adopt arbitrary salinity standards; (3) limit development; (4) control salt discharges at a cost equal to the cost of doing nothing, or (5) minimize total costs to the basin. Total costs associated with any given alternative, or the given salinity resulting, are the sum of salinity detriments (cost to users for water of increased salinity plus economic multiplier effects) plus the cost of constructing salt discharge control works. These impacts upon basin economy and Colorado River water quality for each alternative are presented and related to questions of equity which will play a role in arriving at any long-term solution to the Basin's problem.