GCM-based analysis of water availability along the Tone River and Tokyo Metropolitan Area under climatic changes

Tone River supplies most of the water requirements of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area (TMA). Lowering of Tone flow and yearly fluctuation, however, is causing water shortage along TMA nowadays. This study investigated the future water availability scenarios under climatic changes. A state-of-the-art approach to utilize the output of several GCM has been demonstrated to investigate the future water availability scenarios for TMA from the Tone River. An integrated modeling approach for water balance considering several hydrological risk indices was adopted to quantify the future changes in this case. It is observed that the future summer precipitation along the Tone basin is going to be increased considerably, while an almost constant or decreasing trend is observed for winter season. Natural flow availability for winter or spring seasons thus can be crucial under future scenarios. After reservoir routing, the hydrological risk indices estimated, however, were not found to be changed significantly due to the presence of a robust reservoir system at the upstream.     

SUSTAINABILITY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND MUNICIPAL TAX INCENTIVE MODEL

The implementation of sustainable development may seem a simple concept when written on paper. However to carry-out long term actions put forward by the Agenda 21 (AG21) at the local level represents one of the main challenges as municipal governments in general do not have the capacity to effectively implement the process. Regional environmental assessment (REA) has shown to be effective in supporting decision-making not only to correct environmental problems due to past unsustainable social-economic developments but also help local governments to implement sustainable actions. However this requires long-term investments of AG21 plans and projects. The allocation of regular and consistent financial resources is one of the main ingredients for the sustainable development process. But traditional plans and projects financed by national and/or international funds may not be sustainable in the long-term because they become dependent on external funding. Research demonstrate that innovative economic instruments such as ecotaxes represent a feasible alternative to sponsor local sustainability because taxes are collected permanently by the government and could be invested in continuous actions. Ecotaxes experiences have provided important reference to structure a municipal incentive model (MIM) to sponsor AG21’s environmental plans and projects on a long-term (permanent) basis. However sustainable development cannot be solely through economic investments. A comprehensive municipal environmental management scheme (MEMS) has been established to support the incentive model. The scheme seeks not only to improve local institutional framework but also incentive continuous participation of local stakeholders at all levels of society. Participatory events and the provision of incentives (educational and financial) are key to motivate society to protect the environment and support actively the sustainable development process as emphasised in the RIO-92 Conference.     

Gauging the environmental efficiency with ecological compensation in presence of missing data using data envelopment analysis

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The ecological compensation mechanism is regarded as the direction for the future management of the ecological environment of the river basin, which...     

Effect of combined addition amount of nano zero-valent iron and biochar on methane production by anaerobic digestion of corn straw

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an attractive straw resource treatment technology as it can improve the utilization efficiency of straw resource. Raw straw...     

Study on cooperative strategies of rural water environment governance PPP project between companies and farmers from the perspective of evolutionary game

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The PPP mode of rural water environment governance was conducive to attracting social capital for giving full play to the decisive role of the market...     

pH值对亚硝酸盐氧化菌动力学及功能基因的影响

为探究pH值对亚硝酸盐氧化菌（NOB）活性动力学影响,本试验采用序批式活性污泥（SBR）反应器,以富含NOB的活性污泥为对象,基于Monod模型考察不同pH值对NOB活性动力学的影响并进行统计学分析.结果表明,Monod方程可较好地反映不同pH值条件下基质底物浓度对NOB比亚硝态氮氧化速率（SNiOR）的影响,且pH=7.0时动力学参数Ks为（6.167mg/L）,r_max为[1.134g/（g·d）],此时NOB活性最好.利用钟形经验模型进行非线性回归拟合,最大比降解速率（r_max）随pH值的增大呈钟形变化,本试验NOB的最佳pH值为（6.9±0.1）,其中r_max维持在r_opt一半以上的pH值范围（ω）为（3.26±0.4）.以亚硝酸盐氧化还原酶类基因（nxrA、nxrB）为引物,基于荧光定量PCR技术分析结果显示,在不同pH值条件下nxrA基因和nxrB基因拷贝数的变化趋势均与动力学参数（Ks、r_max）的规律一致,且nxrA和nxrB基因在系统的降解过程中起协同作用.     

对低影响开发与海绵城市的再认识

海绵城市建设是在继承我国古代先贤智慧和参考国外经验,系统总结我国雨洪管理领域长期研究和实践经验的基础上,结合我国城市水系统实际问题提出的城市发展方式,其核心是构建基于绿灰结合的现代城市雨洪控制系统,通过"渗、滞、蓄、净、用、排"综合措施,实现"治涝"与"治黑"等多重目标。低影响开发是海绵城市建设的重要指导思想,也是海绵城市核心技术体系的重要组成部分。正确认识低影响开发与海绵城市的内涵与联系,对于进一步在全国范围内落实低影响开发建设模式,科学推进海绵城市建设具有重要意义。     

基于洪涝风险分析的纽约市城市绿地规划设计及其对中国的启示

1968年美国开始推行洪涝保险计划,不断完善对洪涝风险的研究,并逐步形成了一套相对完善的洪泛区管理体系,而洪涝风险分析在洪涝保险、城市规划、土地开发、应急管理等领域广泛应用。纽约市在经历了多次飓风侵害,尤其是2012年飓风桑迪（Sandy）之后,意识到城市绿地在极端暴雨事件时对雨洪调蓄的重要作用,经过持续的研究实践,提出了基于洪涝风险分析的城市绿地规划设计要求。基于总结美国纽约市在飓风桑迪影响下对洪涝风险图的调整,及其对城市绿地规划设计相关要求,提出其对我国洪涝风险管控及城市绿地规划设计的启示。     

Acceleration of floc-water separation and floc reduction with magnetic nanoparticles during demulsification of complex waste cutting emulsions

Waste cutting emulsions are difficult to treat efficiently owing to their complex composition and stable emulsified structure. As an important treatment method for emulsions, chemical demulsification is faced with challenges such as low flocs–water separation rates and high sludge production. Hence, in this study, Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were used to enhance chemical demulsification performance for treating waste cutting emulsions under a magnetic field. The addition of MNPs significantly decreased the time required to attain sludge–water separation and sludge compression equilibrium, from 210 to 20 min. In addition, the volume percentage of sludge produced at the equilibrium state was reduced from 45% to 10%. This excellent flocculation–separation performance was stable over a pH range of 3–11. The magnetization of the flocculants and oil droplets to form a flocculant–MNP–oil droplet composite, and the magnetic transfer of the composite were two key processes that enhanced the separation of cutting emulsions. Specifically, the interactions among MNPs, flocculants, and oil droplets were important in the magnetization process, which was controlled by the structures and properties of the three components. Under the magnetic field, the magnetized flocculant–MNP–oil droplet composites were considerably accelerated and separated from water, and the sludge was simultaneously compressed. Thus, this study expands the applicability of magnetic separation techniques in the treatment of complex waste cutting emulsions.