Changing the Course of Rivers in an Asian City: Linking Landscapes to Human Benefits through Iterative Modeling and Design

Concerns over water scarcity, climate change, and environmental health risks have prompted some Asian cities to invest in river rehabilitation, but deciding on the end goals of rehabilitation is a complex undertaking. We propose a multidisciplinary framework linking riparian landscape change to human well‐being, providing information relevant to decision makers, in a format that facilitates stakeholder involvement. We illustrate this through a case study of the densely settled, environmentally degraded, and flood prone Ciliwung River flowing through metropolitan Jakarta, Indonesia. Our methodology attempts to respond to this complexity through an iterative approach, strongly based on conceptualization and mathematical modeling. Nested hydrologic, hydrodynamic, and water quality models provide outputs at catchment‐, corridor‐, and localized site‐scales. Advanced 3‐D landscape modeling is used for procedural design and precise visualization of proposed changes and their impacts, as predicted by the mathematical models. Finally, participatory planning and design methods allow us to obtain critical stakeholder feedback in shaping a socially acceptable approach. Our framework aims at demonstrating that a change in paradigm in river rehabilitation is possible, and providing future scenarios that balance concerns over flooding, water quality, and ecology, with the realities of a rapidly growing megacity.     

Projected Changes in Discharge in an Agricultural Watershed in Iowa

Our improved capability to adapt to the future changes in discharge is linked to our capability to predict the magnitude or at least the direction of these changes. For the agricultural United States Midwest, too much or too little water has severe socioeconomic impacts. Here, we focus on the Raccoon River at Van Meter, Iowa, and use a statistical approach to examine projected changes in discharge. We build on statistical models using rainfall and harvested corn and soybean acreage to explain the observed discharge variability. We then use projections of these two predictors to examine the projected discharge response. Results are based on seven global climate models part of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 and two representative concentration pathways (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). There is not a strong signal of change in the discharge projections under the RCP 4.5. However, the results for the RCP 8.5 point to a stronger changing signal related to larger projected increases in rainfall, resulting in increased trends, in particular, in the upper part of the discharge distribution (i.e., 60th percentile and above). Examination of two hypothetical agricultural scenarios indicates that these increasing trends could be alleviated by decreasing the extent of the agricultural production. We also discuss how the methodology presented in this study represents a viable approach to move forward with the concept of return period for engineering design and management in a nonstationary world.     

Climate Change Impacts and Uncertainties on Spring Flooding of Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River

The source of the Richelieu River is Lake Champlain, located between the states of New York, Vermont, and Québec. In 2011, the lake and the Richelieu River reached historical flood levels, raising questions about the influence of climate change on the watershed. The objectives of this work are to model the hydrology of the watershed, construct a reservoir model for the lake and to analyze flooding trends using climate simulations. The basin was modeled using the HSAMI lumped conceptual model from Hydro‐Québec with a semi‐distributed approach in order to estimate the inflows into Lake Champlain. The discharge at the Richelieu River was computed by using a mass balance equation between the inputs and outputs of Lake Champlain. Future trends were estimated over the 2041‐2070 and 2071‐2100 periods using a large number of outputs from general circulation models and regional climate models downscaled with constant scaling and daily translation methods. While there is a certain amount of uncertainty as to future trends, there is a decreasing tendency in the magnitude of the mean spring flood. A flood frequency analysis showed most climate projections indicate the severity of most extreme spring floods may be reduced over the two future periods although results are subject to a much larger uncertainty than for the mean spring flood. On the other hand, results indicate summer‐fall extreme events such as caused by hurricane Irene in August 2011 may become more frequent in the future.     

Come hybrid or high water: Making the case for a Green–Gray approach toward resilient urban stormwater management

120 years or more of unsustainable urban development has damaged the natural environment and disrupted essential ways to stabilize water body overflow and even mitigate pluvial flooding. In light of catastrophic flooding that has occurred globally, a renewed commitment to transforming built surfaces and incorporating more green infrastructures (GIs) has emerged. In fact, one could argue that an overcommitment to GI is being touted in the literature, but largely disconnected from more real-world possibilities, considering all things. In this commentary, we make the case that as cities transition from development patterns of the past and even considering climate-induced storm characteristics of the future, a hybridized solution (e.g., Green–Gray) should be considered. Smaller approaches to urban greening have been implemented in areas that need larger-scale restorations, thus proving to be insufficient. Likewise, the uncertainty surrounding rainfall and storm events has forced us to be more strategically balanced in our efforts to achieve resilience in our stormwater infrastructure. Hybridized solutions that include a diverse set of systems, anchored in local conditions, position us best for effective urban stormwater management. In the absence of such solutions, runoff volumes will continue to rise, flooding will prevail, and disenfranchised communities will remain disproportionately impacted by these impacts of urbanization.     

THE LEVEE LOVE AFFAIR: A STORMY RELATIONSHIP?1

ABSTRACT: A history of flood control in the United States shows an undying affair with levees. This love affair, however, was put severely to the test by the record flooding in the summer of 1993. About 70 percent of levees in the upper Midwest failed during this time, leading to extensive damage to both farmland and urban areas. Consequently, there were repeated calls to re-assess the nation's floodplain management policies. The report of the Intera-gency Floodplain Management Review Committee is one outcome of this and it forms the basis of this commentary on levees. In many respects, levees are effective flood control measures, being relatively cheap to implement and easy to build. At the same time, levees have negative impacts, affecting the hydrological regime both up and down stream, and often exacerbating flooding in other places. Furthermore, technical weaknesses in design, planning, construction, and maintenance have all contributed to levee failures. While the report recommends changes in floodplain management to address some of these issues, it is difficult to see how these will materialize given the current political, economic, and social climate.     

The tenth dragon: controlled seasonal flooding in long-term policy plans for the Vietnamese Mekong delta

Recently the Vietnamese government has endorsed a long-term policy plan in which it is proposed to restore controlled seasonal flooding in the upper regions of the Vietnamese part of the Mekong delta. Restoring controlled flooding would contrast a period of several decades characterized by a dominant flood prevention approach to enable intensive rice production in the delta. This article investigates a series of long-term policy plans, which have been developed for the Mekong delta since the 1960s, on their take on flood control sensu flood prevention, or the opposite, controlled seasonal flooding. By doing so it is demonstrated how perspectives on flood management have gradually evolved and, in the specific case of suggesting controlled flooding, have been framed in various ways by various actors. Contemporary proposals for controlled seasonal flooding are supported by actors ranging from governmental institutes to environmental NGOs, and connect to on-going debates about environmental challenges and sustainable development of the Mekong delta. We adopt a systems approach to analyze social, environmental and technological dynamics in the Mekong delta, and discuss whether the different interpretations of controlled flooding may contribute to the long-term sustainability of the delta.     

FACTORS IN THE COMMUNITY PERCEPTION OF WATER RESOURCE PROBLEMS1

ABSTRACT The study explores the perception of community problems, including flooding and pollution, among leaders in four different communities, ranging in size from 10,000 to 20,000. Water-related problems were considered in the context of other community problems which were defined by these leaders. Among these leaders, water-related problems were characterized by low salience and by low consensus. In seeking solutions, these leaders see water problems as being less likely to be solved at the local community level and to necessitate extra-community assistance. They also see water-related problems as requiring a relatively low level of community coordination and as being primarily the responsibility of the public sector. Local governmental leaders were seen as being more important in problem solving in water-related problems than they were in other community problems.     

聚合物驱油工程交联剂职业健康风险分析

运用风险积分计算板评价聚合物驱油工程交联剂健康风险,为职业安全健康管理工作者和评价人员介绍一种新的评价方法。     

盐分和淹水增加对河口潮汐淡水沼泽湿地土壤磷形态和磷酸酶活性的影响

选取中国东南沿海闽江河口潮汐淡水沼泽湿地土壤作为研究对象,研究不同盐分(淡水对照、低盐处理、高盐处理)和不同淹水(CK、CK+15 cm、CK+30 cm)交互处理对土壤磷形态和磷酸酶活性的影响.结果表明,在闽江河口潮汐淡水沼泽湿地土壤中,无机磷是土壤总磷的主要赋存形态,约占总磷含量的68%~82%,有机磷含量约占总磷的18%~32%.无机磷以铁铝结合态磷为主(60%~66%),其次为钙结合态磷和闭蓄态磷.淹水处理对磷的总量和形态的影响有限,盐分变化对磷的总量和形态影响显著.低盐处理可增加铁铝结合态磷、闭蓄态磷含量及碱性磷酸酶活性,而高盐处理则对它们表现出抑制作用.随着盐分的增加,土壤总磷含量逐渐降低,土壤中钙结合态磷含量和磷酸盐含量将逐渐升高.相关分析表明,有机磷含量与土壤碱性磷酸酶活性呈负相关,无机磷含量与土壤碱性磷酸酶活性呈正相关.当盐分由淡水变化至低盐时,土壤磷的形态主要由有机磷向无机磷转化;而当盐分由低盐变化至高盐时,无机磷占比降低,有机磷占比增加.研究结果表明,碱性磷酸酶活性在磷形态对盐分和淹水的响应中发挥着重要作用.     

搅拌式多介质过滤器在三元复合驱采出水处理中应用

三元复合驱采出水粘度高导致现有过滤器滤料板结,形成致密滤饼层,滤料无法彻底清洗,严重影响了过滤效果,出水水质难以达标。鉴于此,本项目开发了适合于高粘度废水处理用过滤器,通过采用桨式搅拌装置破坏滤料表层滤饼层,提高反冲洗效果,实现滤料彻底反冲洗。在大庆油田杏二中污水处理站采用该技术新建两座滤罐,研究了两级过滤处理效果。新建滤罐反冲洗压力维持0.2 mpa以内,水量稳定在400 m^3/h以上,解决了滤罐反冲洗憋压、跑料、滤料清洗不彻底问题,保证滤料彻底再生,提高了过滤效果,经二级过滤后出水油痕量,悬浮物在20 mg/L以下,达到油田污水回注标准。