Comparative analysis of land use and lake water quality in rural and urban zones of south Chennai, India

Chennai city, the capital of Tamil Nadu state in South India, has been experiencing rapid expansion since the last two decades, resulting in major changes in land use and degradation of wetlands. Small lakes in the peri-urban areas face severe strain on their environment due to transition of rural to urban conditions, leaving at stake their aquatic health and intended uses. This paper studies the role of urbanization and land use changes in the water quality of peri-urban (Rajakilpakkam) and rural (Vengaivasal) lakes. Water samples were collected and analysed for temperature, total dissolved solids, major ions, nutrients and biological oxygen demand as per standard methods. The temperature, pH and biological oxygen demand did not differ between lakes, while total dissolved solids (p = 0.008), alkalinity (p = 0.000), total hardness (p = 0.001) and phosphate (p = 0.000) were significantly higher in Rajakilpakkam. Seasonal and spatial variations in water quality between the lakes showed the direct impact of rapid and uncontrolled growth of built-up areas in the catchment area, in enhancing waste water inflows with inorganic salts and nutrients in Rajakilpakkam lake compared with Vengaivasal lake. Urbanization of the catchment and encroachments in Rajakilpakkam lake tends to reduce the social interdependence of lake and community and promote disuse, leading to decline in water quality. The impending environmental costs caused by urbanization to these lakes will only be tackled, if the main issues of domestic and industrial discharges and encroachments are addressed properly.     

Environmental implications of changes in the levels of lakes in the Ethiopian Rift since 1970

The Ethiopian rift is characterized by a chain of lakes of various sizes and hydrological and hydrogeological settings. The rift lakes and feeder rivers are used for irrigation, soda extraction, commercial fish farming, and recreation, and they support a wide variety of endemic birds and wild animals. The levels of some of these lakes have changed dramatically over the last three decades. Lakes that are relatively uninfluenced by human activities (Langano and Abaya) remain stable except for the usual inter-annual variations, strongly influenced by rainfall. Some lakes have shrunk due to excessive abstraction of water; others have expanded due to increases in surface runoff and groundwater flux from percolated irrigation water. Lakes Abiyata and Beseka, both heavily impacted by human activities, show contrasting lake level trends: the level of Abiayata has dropped by about 5 m over three decades because of the extraction of water for soda and an upstream diversion for irrigation. Beseka has expanded from an area of 2.5 to 40 km² over the last three decades because of increased groundwater inputs from percolated irrigation water. Lake Awassa has risen slightly due to land use changes resulting in increased runoff in its catchment. This paper addresses these lake level changes and their environmental repercussions, based on evidence from hydrometeorological records, hydrogeological field mapping supported by aerial photography and satellite imagery interpretations, water balance estimation, and hydrological modeling. A converging evidence approach is used to reconstruct the temporal and spatial variations of lake levels. The results reveal that the major changes in the rift valley are mainly related to anthropogenic factors. These changes appear to have grave environmental consequences for the fragile rift ecosystem. These consequences demand the very urgent implementation of integrated basin wide water management practice.     

Recent sediment accumulation rates in contrasting lakes in the Carpathians (Romania): impacts of shifts in socio-economic regime

Longer-term environmental studies are increasingly used to better understand contemporary ecosystems conditions and for forecasting their future trajectories. Here, we use radiometric measurements and the characterisation of sediment properties from six mountain and a lowland lake in Central Eastern Europe with the aim to assess temporal and spatial variability in sediment accumulation rates (SARs) in relation to three socio-economic regimes: traditional (1840–1948), socialist (1948–1989) and post-socialist (post-1990). We also set out to determine reference conditions for these lakes i.e. conditions before significant human impact. Our results show a trend of increasing SARs from basal sediments (pre 1840) towards the present at only two sites. This contrasts with findings from Western and Central European lakes where SARs have predominantly increased from 1850 towards the top of cores. We highlight the differential impacts of the traditional, socialist and post-socialist periods on the SARs at these lakes. Lowland and mid-elevations lakes (n = 2) were most markedly impacted by the socialist period of land use regime; lakes from the southern Carpathians (n = 2) were more impacted in the traditional period (transhumance pastoral activities), whereas those from the north (n = 3) in the socialist and post-socialist periods (summer pastoralism). Results from our study show a continuous anthropogenic impact during the entire period considered, even in remote mountain areas. This suggests that a temporal frame of 100–150 years is too short to meaningfully register the reference conditions of these lakes. Furthermore, a predominantly natural state may not have existed for centuries in this region.     

Against the current: rewiring rigidity trap dynamics in urban water governance through civic engagement

This paper investigates how the agency of local residents can affect persistent and unsustainable practices in urban water supply governance. Using a case study from Bangalore, India, we analyze a social–ecological trap which developed after a shift to external water provision paired with rapid urbanization. The reluctance of forsaking initial investments in infrastructure and competence, and the subsequent loss of the local network of lakes built for harvesting rainwater, reinforced dependence on external sources while undermining groundwater levels in the city. These feedbacks made water scarcity a structurally persistent feature of Bangalore. This situation started to change when local residents recently started organizing to preserve and restore Bangalore’s lakes. By entering collaborative management agreements with municipal authorities, these lake groups have restored and established effective protection of five lakes. Through a case study of this civic engagement we show that the lake restorations have the potential to counteract trap mechanisms by restoring ecological functions, and by reducing water scarcity as groundwater levels rise and authorities are relieved from maintenance and monitoring tasks. Importantly, these lake groups have also created opportunities for over a dozen similar groups to form across the city. This demonstrates that social movements can be an important source of change in social–ecological traps.     

实施环境-水文-生态-经济协同管理战略,保护和修复长江湖泊群生态环境

长江中下游浅水湖泊群具有十分重要的生态服务功能。然而,该湖群正面临江湖阻隔和富营养化等严重威胁。近年来,湖泊生态环境的保护和修复越来越受到重视,但治理效果不甚明显。其根本原因是:对由流域诸多胁迫导致的湖泊问题缺乏系统全面的认识,导致头痛医头、脚痛医脚。为此,本文提出应对长江湖群实施环境-水文-生态-经济协同管理战略,即在湖泊及其流域实施环境工程以控制入湖污染,实施生态水文工程以恢复自然水文体制,实施生态修复工程以增强生物自净能力,制定水环境经济制度以建立湖泊保护修复的激励和约束机制,构建生态健康评价体系以实施适应性管理,前提是责任主体明确。     

Reference conditions for rivers of the German Baltic Sea catchment: reconstructing nutrient regimes using the model MONERIS

We introduce an approach for establishing reference conditions (RC) for rivers of the German Baltic Sea catchment, based on predictive modelling. An extensive data set of statistics from the year 1880 was coupled with literature data, providing a comprehensive basis for the calculation of regional historical nutrient emissions into rivers, river nutrient concentrations, and nutrient loading into the sea. Four different scenarios were calculated: scenario 1 assumed RC following previously established criteria for lakes (Poikane et al. in Environ Manag 45(6):1286–1298, 2010), scenario 4 applied the nutrient emission conditions of 1880 (considering non-intensive land usage, the presence of tile drainage systems, sewer systems, and the human population from 1880), and scenarios 2 and 3 considered intermediate conditions. Our results showed that nutrient emissions from scenario 1 accounted for approximately one-tenth of the currently observed total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) emissions. The nutrient emissions calculated for 1880 (scenario 4) were found to be 47 % (TN) and 55 % (TP) higher than those calculated considering reference lake conditions (scenario 1). Our results suggest that RC nutrient concentrations in rivers in the German Baltic Sea catchment were clearly below 0.05 mg/l for TP and 1 mg/l for TN. This range is in accordance with historical and calculated pristine nutrient concentrations from other rivers in similar catchments.     

四湖地区湖泊水域萎缩及其洪涝灾害研究

采用遥感方法分析了四湖地区的湖泊水域的动态变化,分析结果表明：该地区５０年代至８０年代初由于大规模围湖造田,致使湖泊水域萎缩相当严重。８０年代以后,湖泊水面急剧减少的趋势得到遏制,而９０年代以后,湖泊水面基本处于无显著变化状态。由于四湖地区湖泊萎缩,湖泊的调蓄功能受到严重破坏,致使洪涝灾害频繁发生。恶化了生态环境。因此我们应该全面规划,综合利用湖泊资源,坚决禁止围湖造田,有些地区还应退田还湖。加强     

Food Chains and Their Dynamics in Ecosystems of Shallow Lakes with Different Water Salinities

The dynamics of food chains upon changes in water salinity has been analyzed using the example of six poly- and hyperhaline lakes in the Crimea. The results show that ecosystems of saline lakes are sensitive to the impact of external factors. Changes in weather conditions often lead to fluctuations of water salinity, which may cause a changeover in the hydrobiological regime of the lake. In lakes with high water salinity, the shortening of food chain takes place, and the cascade effect is observed in their dynamics.     

1950年以来鄱阳湖流域水沙变化规律及影响因素分析

运用Mann-Kendall趋势检验法和回归分析等方法,对鄱阳湖流域赣江外洲站、抚河李家渡站、信江梅港站、饶河虎山站和修水万家埠站1950~2012年径流量和1956~2012年输沙量的变化进行了系统分析,并探讨了水沙变化的原因。研究结果表明:(1)鄱阳湖流域五大河流水沙的趋势变化特征相异,除李家渡站径流无明显趋势变化外,其余各站均呈不显著的增加趋势(未超过α=0.05显著性检验临界值);外洲站、梅港站和李家渡站输沙量呈减少的趋势变化,且1985年以后呈显著的减少趋势,而虎山站和万家埠站输沙量在1965~1999年呈不显著的增加趋势,1999年以后才开始减少;(2)入湖总水量呈不显著的增加趋势,发生突变的年份为1992年;入湖总沙量呈显著的减少趋势,发生突变的年份为1996年,入湖总沙量突变滞后于入湖总水量;(3)流域径流量变化主要受降雨量的影响,而输沙量变化主要受水土保持和水库建设等人类活动的影响,且水库拦沙是鄱阳湖流域输沙量减少的主要原因。     

Glacier changes and related glacial lake expansion in the Bhutan Himalaya, 1990–2010

This paper discusses the recent retreat of glaciers and the changes in supraglacial lakes in the Bhutan Himalaya during the last two decades. We calculated the changes in clean and debris-covered glaciers and the formation, disappearance, and expansion of glacial lakes during the beginning of 1990s, 2000s, and 2010 using Landsat TM and ETM+ images. For this purpose, eight river sub-basins namely Wang Chu, Chamkar Chu, Dangme Chu, Kuri Chu, Mangde Chu, Mo Chu, Pho Chu and Northern Basin were considered. A retreating trend was found in the case of clean glaciers. Debris-covered glaciers in this region were found to have undergone an increase of about 29 %, and this increase was partially contributed by those expanded upstream. This increase in the debris-covered area is higher on the southern side of the Bhutan Himalaya. It is found that a number of moraine-dammed glacial lakes were formed during this period and can be potentially dangerous depending on the size, distance from the glacier and altitude. Most of the glacial lake formation and expansion occurred on the southern side of the Bhutan Himalaya.     

长江水问题基本态势及其形成原因与防控策略

不断增强的人类活动与气候变化等自然因素叠加,导致长江水环境、水灾害和水生态问题日益突出。从宏观层面系统剖析了长江面临的干流局部水质下降、湖泊富营养化、三峡库湾和支流水质恶化等水环境问题,小水大灾和平原湖区季节性缺水等水灾害问题以及长江与湖泊生物资源衰退等水生态问题的基本态势,揭示了流域工业化城市化进程加快、土地利用/覆被快速变化、重大水利工程建设和湖泊资源过度利用等人为因素和气候变化等自然因素对长江水问题形成发展的影响,提出了规范空间开发秩序、推进流域综合管理、优化重大水利工程调度等长江水问题防控策略     

Climatic and human drivers of recent lake-level change in East Juyan Lake,China

Drying of an inland river’s terminal lake in arid regions is an important signal of environmental degradation in downstream regions. A long-term, high-resolution understanding of the lake’s retreat and expansion and the driving mechanisms will inform future adaptive water management strategies, ecosystem restoration, and government decision-making in the context of a growing water scarcity in the inland river basin. The shrubs that grow along the shore of a lake often provide evidence of lake retreat or expansion. The chronological results showed that the earliest germination dates of the lakeshore shrubs, tamarisk, were in 1901, 1943, 1966, 2009, and 1990 from the higher terrace to the lower terrace of East Juyan Lake, a terminal lake of China’s Heihe River. Coupled with river and lake hydrological data, six obvious lake’s fluctuations were identified: shrinkage from 1900 to 1940s and during the early 1990s, expansion and retreat in the late 1950s and early 1970s, continued expansion from 2002 to 2008, and stabilization at a water area of around 40 km² from 2009 to the present. The water elevation in the 1900s was below 905 m a.s.l., resulting in a water area <80 km², but decreased to 40 km² after 1960 and dried up completely by the 1990s. By analysing climatic and hydrological records since 1950, tree-ring climate proxy data, river runoff outside the observation period, and water resource consumption in the middle and lower reaches of the Heihe River, we found that the periodic expansion and retreat of East Juyan Lake was influenced by both climate change and human activities, but especially by human activities. The lake’s recent recovery and stability was achieved by government policy designed to provide environmental flows to the lake.     

Impacts of climate change on the hydrology of two Natura 2000 sites in Northern Greece

Greece is included among the most vulnerable regions of Europe by climate change on account of higher temperature and reduced rainfall in areas already facing water scarcity. With respect to wetland systems, many ephemeral ones are expected to disappear and several permanent to shrink due to climate change. As regards two specific wetlands of Greece, the change in hydroperiod of Cheimaditida and Kerkini lakes due to climate change was studied. Lakes’ water balance was simulated using historical climate data and the emission scenarios Α1Β for the period 2020–2050 and Α1Β and Α2 for the period 2070–2100. Future climate scenarios, based on emission scenarios A1B and A2, were provided in the context of the study of Climate Change Impacts Study Committee. The surface area of Lake Cheimaditida will undergo a substantial decrease, initially by 20 % during the period 2020–2050 and later until 37 % during the period 2070–2100. In Lake Kerkini, the surface area will decrease, initially by 5 % during the period 2020–2050 and later until 14 % during the period 2070–2100. Climate change is anticipated to impact the hydroperiod of the two wetlands, and the sustainable water management is essential to prevent the wetland’s biodiversity loss.     

鄱阳湖区地下水位动态及其与湖水侧向水力联系分析

基于野外定点监测数据,运用统计学方法解析鄱阳湖区地下水位年内分布特征和动态变化,辨析湖水和典型区地下水之间的侧向水力联系与程度。统计结果表明,不同洲滩地下水埋深变化范围约–8.1~–0.1 m,洲滩地下水和湖水在6~9月份保持完全水力连通。湖水位和洲滩地下水位动态变化呈现高度一致性,表明了洲滩地下水和湖水具有密切的侧向水力联系。湖岸带不同典型区的地下水埋深变化范围介于–10~–2.2 m。湖岸带地下水位与湖水位并不具有日时间尺度变化上的高度一致性,但两者却很好呈现了月尺度上的较好一致性,表明了湖岸带地下水与湖水之间具有一定的相互关系和水力联系。小波分析得出,湖水位和洲滩、湖岸带不同典型区的地下水位均在60 d尺度的周期上存在着极大可能的显著相关,总体上两者呈正相关关系变化,表明湖水和洲滩地下水具有密切的水力联系,但与湖岸带地下水的侧向水力联系可能体现在个别典型时段。为今后鄱阳湖地下水方面的相关研究奠定基础,也为鄱阳湖湿地生态环境保护、水资源评价等方面提供科学依据和参考。     

江苏湖泊富营养化特征、成因及解决途径

应用湖泊营养类型评价标准对江苏省主要湖泊富营养化进行了评价,以区域环境特征对苏南和苏北湖群及城郊湖泊富营养化现状、发生原因及对策进行了探讨,分析表明：城郊湖泊全部为富营养和重富营养水平,苏北湖群营养程度已接近苏南湖群,呈中富营养中期,太湖东部营养程度较之太湖西部高出一个营养级别以上。苏北湖群多为过水性湖泊,易受高浓度工农业污水脉冲式入湖影响;苏南湖群污染成因则相对较复杂,主要受城镇生活和工农业生产高污染负荷的氮磷排放影响。严格控制流域内各类污染源的源头污染物排放量、充分利用河网湿地净化功能、适度进行湖内污染底泥疏浚和生态重建工程,对控制江苏湖泊富营养化将是较有效的途径。     

武汉市湖泊水域利用转变及其碳排放影响

考虑到湖泊水域面积与土地面积的相互变迁进程,以及土地利用变化已成为仅次于化石能源燃烧的第二大温室气体排放源的客观现实,首次尝试分析特定区域湖泊水域的变化以及间接产生的碳源碳汇影响。根据2005、2010和2015年遥感影像获取武汉市湖泊水域利用转变的数据,采用国际通用的土地碳排放测算模型,评估武汉市湖泊水域转变为4类用地产生的碳排放量及碳强度变化情况。研究显示:(1)2005～2015年武汉市湖泊水域面积整体减少超10 km~2,且2010年后呈现加速萎缩趋势, 2010～2015年的减少值约为2005～2010年减少值的2.04倍;(2)虽然部分耕地、林地和草地转化为湖泊导致湖泊水域的增加,但湖泊大面积转变为建设用地导致水域面积的显著较少;(3)从碳排放总量来看,变动面积区域内呈碳源区,后5年碳源值是前5年的1.45倍;前后5年湖泊水域变化的碳排放强度分别为0.03和0.04 t/km~2,碳排放强度明显增加。针对武汉市湖泊水域利用的现实状况,提出把"山水林田湖草"放到统一的管理机制中进行考虑、规范土地资源利用、限制建设用地过度扩张等措施。     

Present to future sediment transport of the Brahmaputra River: reducing uncertainty in predictions and management

The Brahmaputra River in South Asia carries one of the world’s highest sediment loads, and the sediment transport dynamics strongly affect the region’s ecology and agriculture. However, present understanding of sediment conditions and dynamics is hindered by limited access to hydrological and geomorphological data, which impacts predictive models needed in management. We here synthesize reported peer-reviewed data relevant to sediment transport and perform a sensitivity analysis to identify sensitive and uncertain parameters, using the one-dimensional model HEC-RAS, considering both present and future climatic conditions. Results showed that there is considerable uncertainty in openly available estimates (260–720 Mt yr^?1) of the annual sediment load for the Brahmaputra River at its downstream Bahadurabad gauging station (Bangladesh). This may aggravate scientific impact studies of planned power plant and reservoir construction in the region, as well as more general effects of ongoing land use change and climate change. We found that data scarcity on sediment grain size distribution, water discharge, and Manning’s roughness coefficient had the strongest controls on the modelled sediment load. However, despite uncertainty in absolute loads, we showed that predicted relative changes, including a future increase in sediment load by about 40 % at Bahadurabad by 2075–2100, were consistent across multiple model simulations. Nevertheless, for the future scenarios we found that parameter uncertainty almost doubled for water discharge and river geometry, highlighting that improved information on these parameters could greatly advance the abilities to predict and manage current and future sediment dynamics in the Brahmaputra river basin.     

Subregional differences in Australian climate risk perceptions: coastal versus agricultural areas of the Hunter Valley,NSW

‘Environmental cognitive stress’ a hybrid model combining environmental stress and cognitive determinants of pro-environmental behavior is explored among Australians living in contrasting ‘micro’ climates in the same river catchment system. Peoples’ climate risk perceptions are mediated by their connections to local environment, observations of environmental change and personal weather experiences. A longitudinal study randomly sampled 1,162 Hunter Valley coastal and rural residents in New South Wales. Telephone interviewers (2008) recruited lakeside homeowners ‘at risk’ of sea level rise, nearby ‘control’ residents and a comparable farming area group. Follow-up interviews (2011) located 81.5 % of the original sample. Fifty-six items based on the model asked about climate change observations, concerns, impacts and actions. Statistically significant rural–suburban and time differences were found. The rural sample was attuned to conditions affecting agricultural productivity: They worried about drought and heat, saw trees dying and changes to seasons and natural rhythms. They anticipate the impact of water scarcity, conserve water and value protecting plants and animals. Compared to higher elevation residents, lake dwellers observed marine life loss, worry about sea level rise and predict the decline of property values. Across time, all groups’ perceptions of warming indicators declined. Concerns and impacts were high and generally stayed high, as did actions related to energy use. No differences emerged in beliefs about climate warming. Climate change observations, along with concerns and actions, have important implications for the environmental cognitive stress model. Overall, dynamic changes in residents’ understandings are related to a changing policy environment, the vicissitudes of climate debates and weather experiences, including extreme swings from inundation to drought.     

1990~2015年青海省湖泊时空变化及其对气候变化的响应分析

湖泊作为陆地水圈重要组成部分，是揭示全球气候变化与区域响应的重要信息载体。利用遥感技术获取青海省1990~2015年湖泊时空变化特征，并结合近25 a青海省气温和降雨量的时空变化特征以探究湖泊对气候的响应。结果表明:近25 a，青海省湖泊面积从12 757 km2增加到15 167 km2，湖泊数量由241个增加到286个。不同区域湖泊时空变化存在差异，主要包括3个区域：东部地区（Ⅰ）、西北地区（Ⅱ）和西南地区（Ⅲ）。其中，降雨量的增加促进了Ⅰ区域湖泊面积和数量的增加，湖泊面积由7 173 km2增加到8 474 km2，湖泊数量增加19个。Ⅱ区域湖泊面积由1 369 km2增加到1 542 km2，湖泊数量增加7个。该区域主要地形为柴达木盆地，是我国干旱区之一，干燥少雨，湖泊面积较少且变化剧烈。其湖泊扩张主要是因为降雨量增加，而较强的蒸散发极易导致湖泊萎缩。Ⅲ区域湖泊面积由4 215 km2增加到5 152 km2，湖泊数量增加19个。湖泊扩张的主要原因为降雨量的增加和蒸发的减少。研究为青海省湖泊科学利用与水资源合理配置提供了基础数据。 关键词： 青海省；湖泊；时空变化；气候变化响应     

鄱阳湖洲滩植被健康状态评价及其典型不健康年水文条件分析

在气候变化、人类活动的共同影响下,湿地生态系统退化的形势日益严峻。因此,开展浅水湖泊洲滩植被健康状态评价,探索导致湖泊洲滩植被结构和功能退化的原因具有十分重要的意义。通过构建逐层聚合的指标体系,运用综合健康指数法(EHCI)对鄱阳湖洲滩植被健康状态进行评价;并通过不健康年份湖泊水情与多年平均湖泊水情的对比,揭示对洲滩植物健康状态影响最为显著的湖泊水情。主要结论如下:(1)1989~2010年春季,鄱阳湖洲滩植被处于健康和亚健康状态的年份约占总体的80%,不健康年份约占总体的20%;同时段的秋季,鄱阳湖洲滩植被在健康和亚健康状态的年份约占总体的85%,不健康年份约占总体的15%。1989~2010年,鄱阳湖年均洲滩植被健康状态均在健康与亚健康之间,无不健康年份。鄱阳湖洲滩植被健康状态在年尺度上表现出比单一季节更好的稳定性。(2)涨水期水情是影响鄱阳湖春季洲滩植被健康状态的主要水文要素。1989~2010年春,鄱阳湖洲滩植被不健康年份发生在典型的春旱年份2005年和典型的春涝年份2010年。丰水期水情是影响鄱阳湖秋季洲滩植被健康状态的主要水文要素。1989~2010年秋,鄱阳湖洲滩植被不健康年份出现在典型的丰水期高水情年份1999年和典型的丰水期低水情年份2001年。就鄱阳湖年均水位波动状况而言,其具有比单一季节水位波动更好的稳定性,因此导致鄱阳湖洲滩植被全年的总体健康状态比单一季节具有更好的稳定性。本研究结果对于科学的认识鄱阳湖洲滩植被现状及其变化原因具有重要的现实意义,也为鄱阳湖洲滩湿地管理、生态修复及工程决策提供了重要的科学依据。