Sumarmi   Eli Hendrik Sanjaya   Muhammad Alfian Mizar   Heni Masruroh   Safwatun Nida   Agung Suprianto   Novika Adi Wibowo   Mohamad Arif   and Robby Hilmi Rachmadian   

Waste management represents a significant challenge at Universitas Negeri Malang. Fostering green entrepreneurs has emerged as a critical need to address these waste management challenges. This research aimed to: (1) examine the understanding of the campus community related to waste management practices; (2) explore optimization opportunities for the Integrated Waste Management Center to educate green entrepreneurs in the campus community to achieve SDG 11; (3) evaluate the effectiveness of the Integrated Waste Management Center to educate green entrepreneurs in the campus community to achieve SDG 11; (4) develop a management framework to educate green entrepreneurs in the campus community to achieve SDG 11. The study employed the Research and Development (R&D) methodology through the ADDIE framework, grounded in 4R management principles. Data collection techniques included observation, documentation, and interviews. Data analysis utilized qualitative analysis methods. Results indicated that the development of the Integrated Waste Management Center successfully engages and motivates the campus community at Universitas Negeri Malang to demonstrate enhanced environmental responsibility in managing both organic and inorganic waste. The Integrated Waste Management Center proves effective in educating green entrepreneurs in the campus community to achieve the SDG 11 objectives through waste bank initiatives. The Integrated Waste Management Center management framework requires proper management practices across planning, organizing, directing, and controlling functions.

Bambang Pujiyono   Rusdiyanta   Arief Ruslan   Geri Suratno   and Dwi Prijono Soesanto   

Indonesia's coastal regions remain highly vulnerable to tsunami hazards, yet the effectiveness of existing early warning systems continues to be challenged by both technological and institutional limitations. In Serang Regency, Banten Province, the presence of modern technologies such as the Warning Receiver System (WRS-NG21) and early warning sirens has not been sufficient to ensure timely community response during emergencies. Weak coordination, inadequate maintenance, and limited community awareness have constrained their performance. At the same time, local wisdom-based communication systems—including mosque loudspeakers, traditional kentongan signaling, and social media networks—continue to play a central role in disseminating warnings at the grassroots level. This study examines how institutional roles and local wisdom can be effectively integrated to strengthen a community-based tsunami early warning system in Serang Regency. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were collected from six coastal villages through semi-structured interviews, field observations, and document analysis. The findings reveal that integrating modern technologies with traditional communication practices creates a hybrid warning model that enhances both technical reliability and cultural legitimacy. The study identifies gaps in institutional coordination, insufficient standard operating procedures (SOPs), and the lack of local government support mechanisms as critical barriers to system sustainability. The results demonstrate that hybrid early warning systems can improve community trust, response speed, and overall disaster resilience. This study contributes theoretically by expanding the discourse on inclusive disaster governance, showing how local knowledge can complement formal institutional structures. Practically, the research proposes a framework for embedding indigenous practices within modern warning infrastructures, offering policy guidance for local governments in other tsunami-prone areas. Socially, it underscores the value of empowering communities as active agents in disaster preparedness and adaptive resilience.

Rainhard Lington   Suyanto   Isna Syauqiah   and Hafizianor   

This research addresses the significant environmental and social challenges prevalent in post-coal mining rural areas of Indonesia, which profoundly impact local ecosystems, land use, and community quality of life. These issues, including land degradation, water contamination, and community displacement, directly hinder the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 15 (Life on Land). Recognizing the urgency of effective governance, sustainable reclamation, and interdisciplinary approaches, this study aimed to explore the understanding, experiences, and expectations of village heads concerning post-mining environmental and social impacts and their management within the PT Borneo Indobara operational area. Furthermore, it discusses various governance approaches alongside the challenges and opportunities faced by rural Indonesian communities in this transition. Employing a rigorous qualitative methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted with village heads from five coal-mining-affected villages: Banjarsari, Mekarjaya, Angsana, Bunati, and Mangkalapi. Interview data were meticulously analyzed using ATLAS.ti software and cross-validated with multiple sources to ensure robustness and a comprehensive understanding of the village leaders' perspectives. The principal results, derived from thematic mapping, underscore that effective post-coal mining governance necessitates collaborative synergy among mining companies, local communities, and government stakeholders. Key findings highlight the critical importance of entrepreneurship training to foster economic resilience and create alternative livelihoods, the need for effective land reclamation implementation and its efficacy, and the management of the mixed positive and negative socioeconomic impacts, which are highly contingent on genuine community involvement and company policies. In conclusion, achieving a just and sustainable transition in post-mining regions demands a primary focus on authentic community engagement, equitable benefit distribution, institutional accountability, and long-term economic planning. This study contributes vital insights into village leaders' perspectives on these complex transitions, emphasizing a multi-stakeholder approach, sustainable reclamation practices, and diversification into alternative economic activities as crucial elements for holistic post-mining management, ecosystem preservation, and enhancing community welfare.

Agustan Saining   Udiansyah   Wiwin Tyas Istikowati   and Raden Mas Sukarna   

This study explores stakeholder perspectives on sustainable forest management and conservation in post-coal mining landscapes of PT. Asmin Bara Bronang, Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with four purposively selected informants representing government, mining companies, local communities, and NGOs. Responses were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a deductive–inductive approach and source triangulation. Findings reveal five criteria for sustainable post-mining management: strict supervision, effective reclamation, continuous monitoring, socio-economic development, and maintenance of rehabilitation results. Stakeholders identified challenges including weak institutional coordination, land tenure uncertainty, limited technical and financial resources, and strong community dependency on mining. Strategies emphasized integrated reclamation with native species, adoption of environmentally friendly technologies, agroforestry and non-timber forest products as alternative livelihoods, ecotourism initiatives, and participatory governance. Stakeholder roles were found to be complementary: government as regulator and enforcer, companies as reclamation implementers, communities as active participants and beneficiaries, and NGOs as facilitators of accountability and participation. Future recommendations focus on strengthening law enforcement, applying innovative technologies such as geospatial monitoring and eDNA analysis, empowering communities through sustainable livelihood programs, and improving transparency and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Although Indonesia has established comprehensive post-mining regulations, implementation in the field remains limited. Weak enforcement and insufficient inter-agency coordination hinder ecological recovery. Strengthening supervision, participatory evaluation, and corporate accountability are therefore critical to the transformation post-mining landscapes into sustainable socio-ecological systems.

Oriola Theodhori   Marenglena Hoxhaj   Landi Gushi   and Ledina Alolli   

Environmental pollution, particularly from the livestock sector, represents challenges to sustainable development, especially in rural areas. Analyzing farmers' behavior engaged in livestock farming about environmental pollution in the Albanian context is of particular importance due to the characteristics of the livestock sector's development and the lack of consolidated mechanisms for monitoring environmental impact. The majority of farms in Albania operate under traditional practices and are characterized by the lack of technologies and limited awareness about the environmental pollution they can generate. The study of farmers in the southeastern region of Albania is based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) using a detailed study methodology which consisted of careful farmer selection, operationalization of variables and multiple linear regression analysis to examine the relationship between the dependent variable behavioral intention (BI) and independents variables attitudes toward the behavior (ATB), subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC). The study revealed that Albanian farmers' attitudes towards environmental protection were positively perceived and significantly shaped by subjective norms; however, the majority of them encountered obstacles, including limited financial resources, inadequate knowledge, and insufficient access to information. The most important factor influencing intention behavior was perceived behavioral control (PBC), followed by attitudes toward the behavior (ATB) and subjective norms (SN). The study's findings will contribute to the design of effective policies for raising awareness and supporting the livestock sector, thereby fostering sustainable development in Albania's rural areas.

Judy Ann H. Fernandez   Frandel Louis S. Dagoc   Shekinah L. Ogoc   Angelica M. Darunday   Norlika D. Moti   Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit   Maria Theresa M. Mutia   Daisy Lou L. Polestico   and Armi G. Torres   

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing remains a major concern in the Philippines, posing threats to marine biodiversity, fisheries sustainability, and local livelihoods. This study assessed the prevalence of IUU fishing in 20 coastal barangays of Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay, using the Philippine IUU Fishing Index and Threat Assessment Tool (I-FIT) developed by DA-BFAR and USAID. The study employed 10 indicators scored on a scale from 1 (low risk) to 4 (very high risk) to IUU fishing and used three data quality scores from 1 (low quality) to 3 (high quality). The overall IUU prevalence score of the Municipality of Alicia is 3.2, indicating a high risk of IUU fishing, notably higher than the national level score of 2.51. This is attributed to major contributing factors such as very high apprehension rate of illegal fishers (86.5%), absence of regular monitoring or reporting of fish catches, low registration rates of fishers (4.01%) and fishing vessels (2.65%), presence of repeat offenders, and very high weighted proportion (88.75%) of habitat-damaging illegal fishing incidents. This further underscores the need for improved data collection, transparency, and accountability in fisheries management. Recommended actions include strengthening patrols, streamlining reporting mechanisms, augmenting alternative livelihood programs, engaging community participation in preventing IUU fishing, intensifying public information campaigns, and enhancing cooperation among government agencies, fisherfolk, and coastal communities.

Pujiono   Teguh Budi Prijanto   Ati Nurhayati   and Salma Aripin   

Air is a vital element in life. However, with the continuous evolution of industrialization and technology, the quality of air has undergone transformations. Air pollutants such as dust (PM 10) significantly impact human health, leading to the development of devices aimed at reducing or controlling air pollution, such as the countercurrent wet scrubber system. The research adopts a quasi-experimental design on a field scale, utilizing a posttest with a control group. The independent variable in this study is the use of a wet scrubber with variations of local material filters, while the dependent variables are the reduction in dust emission levels. The study takes place in a working environment with dust pollutants. The population comprises dust levels in the work environment, while the sample consists of dust levels in workspaces containing dust pollutants. There are three treatments in this research, namely wet scrubbers with variations of local material filters, including eggshell, banana stem, and coconut fiber. Data are analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis' test. The analysis results indicate a significant difference in the influence of using the three local material filters on the reduction of dust levels (p 0.000 < 0.05). Therefore, the result demonstrates distinctions among the three local material filters concerning the reduction of dust in the air.

Zahrahtul Amani Zakaria   Nur Syafiqah Suhaimi   Mohammad Amir Syahmi   Nor Aida Mahiddin   Raja Hasyifah Raja Bongsu   Siti Dhalila Mohd Satar   Elissa Nadia Madi   Nur Amalina Mat Jan   and Basri Badyalina   

Extreme rainfall events in Terengganu, Malaysia, particularly during the northeast monsoon, often cause severe flooding, infrastructure damage, and socioeconomic disruption. With climate change likely to increase rainfall intensity and frequency, accurate modelling of such extremes is essential for effective flood forecasting and water resource management. This study applies the L-moment method, a robust statistical technique suited to skewed hydrometeorological data and resistant to outliers, to analyse annual maximum daily rainfall from 20 monitoring stations across the state. Eight probability distributions—Normal, Lognormal (two- and three-parameter), Logistic, Generalized Logistic, Gumbel, Generalized Extreme Value (GEV), and Generalized Pareto (GPA)—were fitted to the data. Model performance was evaluated using the Mean Absolute Deviation Index (MADI), Mean Squared Deviation Index (MSDI), and L-moment ratio diagrams. Results show that the GEV distribution provided the most accurate fit, ranking first or second at most stations, while Normal and Logistic distributions performed worst. The consistency between statistical indices and visual analysis confirms GEV's suitability for extreme rainfall modelling in Terengganu. This study contributes to hydrological modelling by offering a large-scale comparison of candidate distributions, integrating both statistical and graphical evaluations. Practically, the findings provide planners and policymakers with evidence-based guidance for designing flood mitigation infrastructure, refining early warning systems, and improving water management. Socially, adopting reliable models can help reduce disaster losses and enhance community resilience. Although based on historical records, future work should integrate climate change projections to strengthen predictive capability and ensure effective long-term flood risk management in the region.

Nyambane N. M.   and Onyari C. N.   

The study sought to assess the relationship between macroinvertebrate abundance attracted to decomposing leaf litter from three tree species and the physicochemical properties of water in Kapingazi in Embu County, Kenya. Five sites with evident human activities were purposively selected. Fresh leaves were plucked from three plant species (Lantana Camara, Guajava sp., and Eucalyptus grandis), air-dried, and about 5.0 g packed in 12 mesh/litter bags (litter bags) for each species. The physico-chemical variables were measured (mostly in-situ) at the sites. Both correlation and multilinear regression analyses were done to establish the relationship between the macroinvertebrates and the physicochemical properties of the river water. The findings revealed that the macroinvertebrates were more abundant in the dry month (2233) than the wet month (1158) with peak macroinvertebrate abundance recorded on the 14^th and 21^st observation days for all the sites in the months of September and December 2018, respectively. Correlation was positive between macroinvertebrate abundance and pH, dissolved oxygen and temperature. Salinity correlated highly and positively with EC and TDS in both months. Regression revealed increasing pH, DO, Q and TP generally increased macroinvertebrate abundance. It was concluded that macroinvertebrate abundance was affected by site, season, plant species and the physicochemical properties of the water in Kapingazi River. It is recommended that human activities at different sites be regulated with more proactive policy and legal initiatives to improve and stabilize the balance of biotic interactions for a sustainable riverine ecosystem like that of Kapingazi River.

Syarifudin A   Tien Zubaidah   Juanda   Sulaiman Hamzani   and M. Irfa'i   

This study evaluates the performance of a gravel-based anaerobic-aerobic biofilter system with varied retention times for the treatment of wastewater generated by ruminant and poultry abattoirs. Abattoir wastewater is characterized by high levels of organic matter, suspended solids, fats, and proteins, which, if discharged untreated, can severely deteriorate water quality and pose public health risks. The primary objective of this research was to determine the efficiency of an integrated biofilter system in reducing Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD₅) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and to identify the optimal retention time in the aerobic stage for maximum treatment efficiency. The system consisted of sequential coarse screening, sedimentation, anaerobic biofilters, and aerobic biofilters using gravel media. Experimental conditions were tested at different aerobic retention times (0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours) with controlled flow rates. Samples of raw and treated wastewater were analyzed for BOD₅, COD, and pH following Standard Methods. The results demonstrated significant reductions in both BOD₅ and COD. After 24 hours of retention, BOD₅ removal reached 80.4% and COD removal 72%. Statistical analyses (paired t-test, ANOVA, and LSD test) confirmed that longer retention times significantly improved treatment outcomes, particularly at the early (0–4 hours) and final (12–24 hours) stages of aerobic treatment. The study highlights the importance of hydraulic parameters, including flow rate and surface loading, in maintaining stable biofilm activity and optimizing system performance. This research contributes to the growing evidence that hybrid anaerobic-aerobic biofilters are a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for wastewater treatment in developing regions. Practical implications include the potential application of this system in small- to medium-scale abattoirs where resources are limited, thereby enhancing compliance with regulatory standards and reducing environmental pollution. Socially, the implementation of such systems could improve community health by minimizing exposure to contaminated water sources, while future research may explore adaptive designs and multi-kinetic modeling for performance optimization.

Lalita Zakharikhina   Polina Lesnikova   Vadim Kerimzade   and Sergey Chernenkoa   

Seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers poses a significant threat to groundwater quality, potentially contaminating freshwater sources with saline water. This process is exacerbated by anthropogenic activities such as well drilling and excessive groundwater extraction in coastal zones. In this study, conducted on the Abrau Peninsula on the Russian Black Sea coast, we identified, for the first time, the phenomenon of secondary contamination of river and spring waters resulting from seawater intrusion into deep aquifers. We also established geochemical indicators to monitor this process. A suite of persistently enriched chemical elements (Se, Sr, Cl, Br, S, Na, Ca, Mg, B) was identified, demonstrating a strong correlation with the primary seawater anions, Cl^⁻ and SO_₄^ÂČ⁻. Notably, marine-derived elements exhibited a statistically significant decrease in river waters compared to spring waters, while rare earth element (REE) concentrations were consistently higher in river waters, reflecting terrestrial influences. To quantify the dynamics of secondary contamination, we propose a Geochemical Intrusion Coefficient (GIC): GIC = ∑ (Se, Cl, Br, S, Na - marine elements) / ∑ (REEs - terrestrial elements) / 10000. An increase in GIC values indicates enhanced seawater intrusion into deep aquifers, whereas a decrease reflects diminished intrusion. We found that deeply incised watercourse valleys in mid-mountain regions exhibit a relatively increased influence of secondary contamination on river waters. These geochemical indicators serve as critical monitoring tools for assessing the intensification of negative impacts from seawater intrusion during heightened groundwater exploitation in coastal areas, facilitating informed decision-making to mitigate groundwater quality degradation and associated water supply challenges.

Olenka Fiestas   Elizabeth Espinosa   NeptalĂ­ Ale   Lady Quispe   and Yvan Huaricallo   

Freshwater scarcity and insufficient sanitation infrastructure remain pressing global challenges, particularly in coastal regions. Desalination through reverse osmosis has become a widely used solution to increase water availability, but it generates concentrated brine that can seriously harm marine ecosystems if discharged untreated. This study proposes an innovative approach that uses concentrated seawater, obtained through controlled evaporation, as a pretreatment agent for domestic wastewater. The mixtures were prepared at different ratios (1:1, 3:1, 7:1) and analyzed for physical characteristics, concentrations of heavy metals using mass spectrometry, and microbiological content including coliforms and Escherichia coli. Results demonstrated a reduction of more than seventy-five percent in lead, cadmium, and zinc, with mercury becoming undetectable. Microbiological analysis confirmed the total elimination of fecal coliforms, while visual and organoleptic qualities such as odor, turbidity, and color improved without precipitate formation. All mixtures complied with Peruvian environmental quality standards for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems. The findings highlight the potential of concentrated seawater to transform from an environmental problem into a resource for low-cost and decentralized pretreatment of wastewater. This strategy aligns with circular economy principles, supports the development of brackish wetlands, and offers social benefits by improving health and environmental quality in vulnerable coastal communities.

Leli Honesti   Meli Muchlian   and Nur Rizka Badriana   

Historical tsunami database records that tsunamis hit Padang city in 1797 and 1833. Even though the Padang city government had released a tsunami evacuation map for the city, it has not provided complete information for the estimated tsunami inundation areas and the inundation depths. Additional analysis is needed to improve the information on the city tsunami zones in tsunami inundation maps. The inundation maps in this study are divided into three maps based on the numerical simulations of the tsunami from the sources of Pagai and Sipora blocks (2 maps), and topographic data (1 map). Due to these, each tsunami event was simulated in four areas, namely: 1) Ulak Karang; 2) Air Tawar; 3) Parupuk Tabing, and 4) Pasir Jambak sub-districts. Based on the results of this study, it is found that the coastal areas of Ulak Karang and Air Tawar are lower-lying areas than the coastal areas of Parupuk Tabing and Pasir Jambak. The directions of the inundation distribution and run-up in the simulations are influenced by the direction of the tsunami waves generated by the tsunami sources. The tsunamis on land will be further in a low-lying area, then propagate before finally stopping at high relief. Although overall tsunami inundation based on topographic data inundates a wider area, there are many shortcomings of the simulations, such as the direction of the tsunami inundation on the mainland, soil roughness factors, and building barriers, which are not considered parameters.

Famala Eka Sanhadi Rahayu   Wilma Prafitri   Ahmad Mubarok   Muhammad Alim Akbar Nasir   and Aris Setyoko   

Wildfires have become more common, fierce, and devastating worldwide, especially those that happened recently in Los Angeles, California, USA. These phenomena signify both environmental catastrophes and media phenomena that influence public perception of climate change and ecological hazards. The core concept of the ecolinguistics approach is how media influence public perception through language. This study examines the framing of the Los Angeles wildfires in National Geographic's Environment section from an ecolinguistic perspective by utilizing a qualitative analysis employing Stibbe's ecological discourse framework to classify linguistic patterns in a focused selection of six articles published on June 8^th, 2025 and the later ones into thematic categories, including Destruction, Sustainability, Erasure, Resilience, and Othering. The analysis uncovers a notable pattern in which National Geographic formulates narratives around the LA wildfires. Although the source presents itself as an advocate for environmental consciousness, the framing decisions in these articles largely exhibit an anthropocentric perspective. The predominant frames—Destruction, Sustainability, and Resilience—primarily emphasize human suffering, community recovery, and anthropogenic climatic factors, whereas non-human ecological effects are consistently underrepresented. An important conclusion is that the Erasure and Othering Frames highlight a silence about non-human life. Despite California's ecological sensitivity, biodiversity, animal loss, and habitat deterioration are rare. These omissions demonstrate ecological erasure, which marginalizes non-human entities in environmental discourses. There are national Geographic reports on wildfires both scientifically and emotionally, but the language used often promotes technocratic, anthropocentric, and resilience-focused ideologies rather than fostering profound ecological contemplation or relational consciousness. These findings show how altruistic environmental journalism might fail to promote multi-species fairness and ecocentric attitudes. The implications for environmental journalism, public understanding, and ecological advocacy are enormous. They illustrate how prevailing stories in elite media can inadvertently make climate disasters seem normal, non-human beings insignificant, and anthropocentrism inevitable. This research emphasizes the necessity of ecologically informed and ecocentric discourses that foster ecological literacy, multi-species justice, and transformative values and practices of sustainability. While this study provides an in-depth analysis of these specific articles, the conclusions drawn are primarily applicable to this focused dataset and serve as a basis for further broader inquiry.

Agustan Saining   Udiansyah   Wiwin Tyas Istikowati   and Raden Mas Sukarna   

Open-pit coal mining in Indonesia causes severe environmental damage, including deforestation, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a spatially optimized conservation model to address the challenges of post-mining land rehabilitation. This study aims to develop a landscape ecology-based conservation model for rehabilitating fragmented forests affected by coal mining activities in PT. Asmin Bara Bronang, Central Kalimantan. The methodology includes satellite imagery analysis (Landsat 9 OLI-TIRS and Sentinel-2A) and spatial modeling using GIS to assess land cover changes and vegetation health. Field data on soil conditions, temperature, and moisture were collected via real-time environmental sensors to validate satellite data. The results indicate that areas with high NDVI values (>0.5), such as Points 3 and 4, showed successful vegetation recovery, while Point 2, with persistently low NDVI values (<0.2), highlighted severely degraded areas requiring urgent intervention. AHP and SWOT analyses identified environmental restoration potential and social acceptability as the primary criteria for determining restoration strategies. In conclusion, the spatially optimized conservation model developed in this study can guide more effective and sustainable post-mining land restoration planning.

Ruffy Rodrigo   Randy Villarin   and Jay Mark Rosallosa   

Forests play a critical role in carbon sequestration, but various environmental and anthropogenic factors influence their capacity to store carbon. This study assesses the Aboveground Biomass (AGB) and carbon stock of Individual Plus Trees (IPT) across different disturbance and elevation gradients in Villa Consuelo, Biliran Island, Philippines. A systematic field survey was conducted to measure tree diameter at breast height (DBH), total height, and biomass, with calculations based on the allometric equation. The influence of disturbance and elevation on AGB and carbon stock was analyzed using statistical regression models. The findings indicate that forests in less disturbed and higher elevation areas exhibit significantly greater AGB and carbon stock than those in severely disturbed and lower elevation areas. Severe disturbances, such as logging and land conversion, resulted in a substantial reduction in biomass accumulation and carbon sequestration capacity. Conversely, higher elevations support larger trees and greater biomass due to reduced human intervention and more favorable climatic conditions. Regression analysis confirmed a significant negative relationship between disturbance and AGB (p < 0.001), while the relationship between elevation and AGB was positive but not statistically significant (p = 0.066). These results emphasize the importance of conservation policies and sustainable forest management to protect undisturbed and high-altitude forests, which serve as vital carbon sinks. Efforts such as reforestation, strict regulation of land-use changes, and community-based forest management can enhance the resilience of forest ecosystems. This study contributes essential insights into carbon storage dynamics, supporting climate change mitigation strategies and biodiversity conservation in tropical forests.

GisĂšle HOUEDJISSI   Maxime Machioud SANGARE-OUMAR   Prudencio AGBOHESSI   Mahugnon Alexis Bienvenu HOUNDJI   Eric GLODJO   ZoubĂ©rou Aboudou ABOUDOU   Jean-Michel AKPO   and CondĂ©-Abalou Roland BAMAÏ   

Water pollution remains an important concern for aquatic biodiversity, and threatens fish life. In Lake Nokoué - Porto-Novo lagoon complex, one of the most productive in West Africa, fish do undergo the harmful effects of water pollution, which affect fish physiology and therefore their survival. This study aimed to assess the physiological state of Sarotherodon melanotheron, one of the most abundant fish species in this complex. To this end, lead and cadmium concentrations in fish, obtained from the complex during periods of high and low water, were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. Hematoxylin & Eosin staining was used to examine the histology of their gonads and livers. Hematological and biochemical analysis was conducted on fish blood samples. The analysis revealed that lead (12.65 ± 11.63 mg/Kg) and cadmium (0.14 ± 0.07 mg/Kg) were accumulated in fish. During low-water, fish had decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells and lymphocytes, while blood glucose and increased ALT transaminase activity. Histological analysis of the gonads and liver revealed numerous alterations, particularly during periods of high-water. Collectively, these data show that pollution of the complex promote bioaccumulation of these heavy metals resulting in altered fish physiology and health.

Yousra Taidi   Zainab Herchi   Badredine Souhail   Amine Hajji   and Anas El laghdach   

Monitoring surface water safety at the watershed-scale is paramount amidst multiple contamination sources. This article investigates surface water quality and assesses pesticide contamination in surface water of Oued Martil watershed, marking a seminal contribution as the inaugural assessment of its kind. It examined pesticide contamination and 6 physicochemical parameters at four locations, primarily mitigating the shortage of Moroccan research in this field within the Oued Martil watershed. The pesticide residue samples were analyzed using liquid and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Results revealed that 16 pesticides studied were below the quantification limits. The pH was generally neutral, except at station S4 in June and July where it was alkaline. Water temperature ranges from 19.7℃ to 33℃, influenced by local factors. Chemical Oxygen Demand fluctuates between 11.6 mg/l and 30 mg/l. Nitrites were typically absent, except at station S1 in April with 0.19 mg/l. Orthophosphates, originating from domestic and agricultural runoff, were present at low concentrations, exceeding 0.005 mg/l in most stations. Surface water quality of sampling sites was therefore predominantly good. These findings further water quality knowledge and pesticide behavior, establishing a crucial baseline for forthcoming monitoring studies.

Ashikeen S. Tampipi   Frandel Louis S. Dagoc   Ivane R. Pedrosa-Gerasmio   Chris Rey Lituanas   and Wella A. Tiu-Tatil   

Beach forests, along with mangroves, serve as a buffer against natural calamities and provide other relevant ecosystem services. In an island ecosystem, this type of forest plays a significant role, especially in the absence of mangroves as frontlines. However, information regarding species composition and management strategies for this ecosystem is lacking in the island province of Basilan, Philippines. This study therefore assessed the species composition, diversity, and management of the beach forests in Malamawi Island, Basilan. Field sampling was conducted in July-August 2024, using the standard methods for beach forest assessment but with modifications. Three 100-meter transect lines were established along the beach forest areas. The transect lines were laid five meters above the highest tide mark with five 10x10m quadrats. Twenty-three species belonging to 18 families were recorded. Species diversity in Panigayan is low (H' = 2.23), while Marang-Marang and Lukbuton displayed very low diversity (H' values of 1.65 and 1.56, respectively). The evenness value across three sites ranges from 0.51-0.75, showing a semi-balanced species distribution. Among the species present, Cocos nucifera had the highest relative abundance value (30.303), indicating its dominance in the ecosystem and its significant ecological role in the area. Additionally, the management status of the ecosystem revealed that the beach forest is given the least attention compared to the other ecosystems, underscoring the lesser familiarity of this ecosystem. Hence, this study serves as a baseline in developing appropriate resource management strategies to conserve the integrity of the beach forest ecosystem of the island.

Ary Widiyanto   Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat   Soni Trison   and Subarudi   

Forest resource management involves the community and requires devolution to maximize management. Meanwhile, forest management in Java shows centralization by withdrawing the authority to manage 1.1 million hectares of the forest from Perhutani, a state-owned forestry company, to the Ministry of Forestry. This study examines devolution in the centralization of forest management in Java, primarily through the social forestry scheme. The methods used include Systematic Literature Review (SLR), stakeholder analysis, and Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD). The research respondents were 150 forest farmers, and the key informants were 16 stakeholders related to the implementation of SF in Java. The study results show that although SF management in Java has become more centralized, there is devolution on a larger scale than when Perhutani managed SF. This condition is supported by greater community authority, more open access, broader rights, more local actors, and supportive policies. This policy is considered to be able to eliminate the patron-client phenomenon that has been inherent in SF under Perhutani. However, there is potential for weak control with the unpreparedness of institutions at the site level.

Govand Sherzad Majd   and Yaseen Ahmed Hamaamin   

Urban stormwater runoff contributes to contamination of downstream water bodies, through washing away accumulated pollutants from streets. Studies are necessary to develop methods for managing urban runoff towards building a sustainable urban drainage system. Rainfall runoff samples were collected from Tasluja highway of Sulaymaniyah City, KRG, in fall of 2024 and tested for water quality parameters. Runoff samples were tested for temperature (T), turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), electrical conductivity (EC), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), cupper (Cu), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn) parameters. After long dry seasons, first and second rainfalls runoff samples showed significant concentrations of pollutants. Results of the study from the first flush showed the following average concentration of heavy metals in (mg/L) in descending order Mg (22.191), Fe (0.994), Mn (0.611), Zn (0.220), Cu (0.214), Ni (0.084), Cr (0.030) and Co (0.012). First rainfall test results showed higher heavy metals concentration compared to the second rainfall. Furthermore, to regulate the degree of pollution from different samples, water quality index (WQI) calculated for both rainfalls. The results demonstrated variations in stormwater WQI values ranging from 64 to 411. Results of this study suggest onsite stormwater treatment to protect nearby receiving water bodies from contamination.

Basma Yasmine Lebbaz   Kamel Ghennam   Fouzia Attou   and Ayoub Messaoudi   

Air quality in steppe environments can be assessed using lichen biodiversity and environmental variables, which are excellent bioindicators. This study uses biomonitoring techniques to assess and map air pollution levels in the province of Djelfa, while identifying species sensitive to air contamination. The analysis focused on epiphytic corticolous lichens in 36 communes of the province of Djelfa, with samples taken at 121 stations distributed between forests, urban areas and main roads, reflecting different levels of exposure to pollutants. Three indices were used to quantify pollution: the Atmospheric Purity Index (API), the Air Quality Index (AQI) and the Human Impact Index (HII). Twenty-two (22) species of corticolous lichens were identified, mainly foliaceous and crustaceous thalli. The values obtained for the API ranged from (0-44.965), the AQI from (0-27.533) and the HII from (2-28), revealing strong spatial variability, with pollution levels significantly higher in urban and road areas than in forested areas. The results of the statistic analysis (PCA, RDA, Monte Carlo test) demonstrate the influence of environmental factors and arid to semi-arid climatic conditions on lichen diversity, confirming their usefulness as bioindicators, and indicate a marked deterioration in air quality as one moves away from forests. This study contributes to a better understanding of the impact of human activity on ecosystems in arid environments.

Ana CerrĂłn-Inga   Marcela Venelli-Pyles   Lucia EnrĂ­quez-Pinedo   Jerry Taype-Gomez   Dennis Ccopi-Trucios   Rosa Zarate-Quiñones   Itala Flores-Torres   Steve Camargo-Hinostroza   and Kevin Ortega-Quispe   

Polylepis forests, considered relict ecosystems of great ecological importance in the Andes, face significant threats from degradation and climate change. This study evaluated the influence of microclimate, ground cover, and canopy openness on the natural regeneration of three Polylepis species (P. rodolfo-vasquezii, P. canoi, and P. flavipila) in high Andean Forest relics in the Junín and Lima regions of Peru. To achieve this, permanent plots were established in three representative forest patches: María Moya, Curimarca, and Laraos. At each site, 20 m× 20 m plots were delineated and subdivided into 5 m× 5 m quadrants. Within each plot, a central quadrant was selected where microclimatic variables (temperature and relative humidity), structural characteristics (vegetation and plant cover) and reproduction modes (sexual or asexual) in seedlings and/or saplings were recorded. Preliminary findings suggest that Polylepis regeneration may be shaped by canopy cover, which appears to influence the microclimatic conditions of the understory. Soil temperature also seems to play a meaningful role, varying according to the reproductive strategy of each species studied. Interestingly, the presence of lichens and bryophytes showed a potential inverse relationship with sexual regeneration, while more open canopies tended to support greater height in regenerating individuals. Taken together, these patterns point to a possible interplay between microclimate, ground cover, and canopy structure as key factors driving the natural regeneration dynamics of Polylepis ecosystems. These findings underscore the importance of understanding these dynamics to develop conservation strategies that maintain a balance between tree cover and understory functionality in high-Andean ecosystems.

James Ojochenemi David   

This study provides a critical examination of the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) into environmental governance (EG) in South Africa, emphasising both the potential benefits and the challenges posed by the existing extractive paradigm. This research uses postcolonial Indigenous theory and a qualitative narrative methodology to analyse the implications of relegating Indigenous people to peripheral roles within stakeholder frameworks. It critiques the reductionist approach that treats IKS as supplementary to contemporary governance structures, which often undermines the comprehensive contributions of Indigenous values, spirituality, and leadership to sustainability initiatives. Drawing comparative insights from Canada, this study contextualises the specific difficulties faced by South Africa in effectively incorporating IKS into EG frameworks. The key findings suggest that epistemic neo-colonialism and a narrowly utility-driven emphasis obstruct the meaningful integration of IKS, thereby marginalising its cultural and spiritual dimensions. Consequently, the study advocates for a holistic approach that prioritises Indigenous self-determination and recognises the intrinsic value of their knowledge systems. The conclusions emphasise the necessity for transformative policies that transcend tokenistic inclusion and enable IKS to authentically inform sustainable practices. This research contributes significantly by reframing IKS as a substantial framework for achieving ecological balance and intergenerational equity. It highlights practical implications for policy reform, particularly the need for governance models grounded in Indigenous philosophies such as Ubuntu. Additionally, the study addresses social implications, including promoting cognitive justice and equitable participation in environmental decision-making processes. The limitations of this research include the narrow scope of case studies and the requirement for empirical data to supplement the theoretical analysis. Overall, this study enriches the discourse on decolonising environmental governance and underscores the importance of confronting structural barriers to the ethical and effective integration of IKS in South Africa and beyond.

Jella Mae L. Lesaca   Armi G. Torres   Frandel Louis S. Dagoc   Jennet R. Mag-aso   and Wella Tiu-Tatil   

Mangrove forests play a crucial role in the environment by serving as nurseries for marine life and protecting coastlines from storms. Nonoc Island has no data in terms of mangrove diversity and carbon storage in the DENR. This study assesses diversity and measures carbon storage in trees and soil in the mangrove forests of Barangay Cantiasay and Barangay Nonoc, Nonoc, Island. Field sampling was done on September 15-17, 2023, where the transect-quadrat method was utilized, with 15 plots per site established to assess mangrove species composition, biomass, and soil carbon. Species identification was based on morphological characteristics, and diversity indices were analyzed using PAST software. Aboveground biomass (AGB) was estimated non-destructively, while soil samples were collected from depths of 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm for carbon content analysis. A total of 306 mangrove individuals from six species were recorded and were classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. Rhizophora species were the dominant species in both sites. Rhizophora apiculata had the highest tree biomass (6,493.17 kg and 1,569.60 kg) and carbon storage (3.12 Mg ha^-1 and 0.737 Mg ha^-1) in Cantiasay and Nonoc, respectively. Soil carbon estimates totaled 84.86 Mg C ha^-1. The highest total carbon stock was recorded in the mangrove forest of Cantiasay (251.09 Mg C ha^-1), with 85% stored in sediments, while Nonoc had 152.24 Mg C ha^-1, with 95% stored in sediments. These findings highlight the vital role of mangrove forests in carbon storage and their contribution to the reduction of carbon dioxide deposits.

Nasrullah Zamzami   Luthfi Fatah   Muhammad Rusmin Nuryadin   and Hafizianor   

This study examines the environmental management practices of the Bajau community on Pulau Laut Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Known as sea nomads, the Bajau's traditional knowledge is closely tied to their coastal and marine ecosystems, which sustain their livelihoods. However, the Bajau in Desa Rampa, Pulau Laut Sigam, face challenges such as environmental degradation and the erosion of traditional practices due to modernization and external pressures. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research investigates the role of local wisdom in the community's environmental practices and identifies factors contributing to its decline, including population growth, external economic exploitation, and the loss of knowledge among younger generations. The study also examines the impact of local leadership and government policies on preserving or neglecting these traditions. Key findings highlight the importance of practices such as fishing taboos and waste management rituals in maintaining ecological balance. However, the decline of these traditions has led to issues like pollution and habitat destruction. The research proposes a strategic framework to revitalize the Bajau's local wisdom within modern environmental policies, emphasizing community participation, education, and empowering traditional leaders. The study provides recommendations for policymakers to integrate indigenous knowledge into sustainable development strategies for coastal regions, promoting both cultural and ecological sustainability.

Marc Alain B. Vergara   Jaime Q. Guihawan   Armi G. Torres   Wella T. Tatil   and Hilly Ann R. Quiaoit   

The Philippine tarsier, Carlito syrichta, is a small primate only found in the Philippines. To better understand and protect this species, it's essential to understand how local communities think about and act on conservation efforts. This study is the first to examine what residents in Rogongon, Iligan City, know, think, and do about tarsiers since no research has been done. We surveyed 350 residents from five different areas: Brgy. Hall (Purok Scaling), Gabunan, Sikyop Coop Hall, Libandayan, and Languisan. The survey asked questions that measured their knowledge, awareness, attitudes, practices, and perceptions of tarsiers using a scale from one (1 strongly disagree) to five (5 strongly agree). Data shows that residents who had seen a tarsier had different views from those who hadn't. Interestingly, those who had never seen a tarsier scored higher on specific knowledge questions, like the tarsier's nocturnal behavior and diet; this challenges the idea that seeing the animal would automatically lead to better understanding. On the other hand, residents who had seen tarsiers tended to support conservation efforts more. Those who hadn't seen tarsiers were more aware of conservation issues and policies, possibly because of other forms of education or exposure. However, residents who had seen tarsiers were more likely to engage in practices that support conservation. Regardless of whether they had seen a tarsier, both groups showed strong positive attitudes toward protecting the tarsiers. Overall, the results show that the community has a strong interest in conservation, and with the right strategies, there's real potential for practical conservation work in Iligan City.

Grace Mary J   and Tony P Jose   

Globally, fisherfolk communities are adversely impacted by climate-related threats, affecting their financial, social, and psychological well-being. These communities rely heavily on the sea for their livelihood, which introduces significant uncertainties into their lives. The present review aims to explore the challenges faced by fisherfolk communities and the various dimensions of resilience they employ to address these issues. For this purpose, a literature review was conducted to retrieve the scholarly articles from databases such as Scopus and Web of Science. The search strategy focused on the problems experienced by the fisherfolk communities and their resilience strategies, using literature published in English over the past two decades (2004-2024) across the disciplines of Psychology, Social Sciences, and Environmental Science. The review identified four key issues: coastal disasters, financial problems, livelihood and sustainability challenges, and psycho-social problems. Additionally, resilience among fisherfolk communities is found to be heterogeneous, varying with respect to the specific challenges they face. This review also provides suggestions and recommendations to enhance resilience and psychological well-being among fisherfolk communities. Finally, it underscores the need for policy development to support fisherfolk communities, urging governments and other stakeholders to address their issues.

May Nuevo   and Ruffy Rodrigo   

The study investigates the conservation status, species composition, distribution, and structural characteristics of Dipterocarp species along an altitudinal gradient in Mt. Panamao, Philippines. It focuses on understanding the ecological dynamics and contributions of these species to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 (Life on Land). This goal aims to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss. The conservation status of the observed species ranged from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered, with Shorea astylosa classified as Critically Endangered due to habitat loss and limited distribution. Species composition varied across altitudinal gradients, with Dipterocarpus kerrii and Shorea almon prevalent at lower altitudes, while Shorea contorta was more common at higher elevations. The Importance Value Index (IVI) indicated that Shorea polysperma and Shorea contorta are dominant species, crucial for ecological processes. The diameter at breast height (DBH) distribution showed a healthy mix of young and mature trees, indicating active regeneration and the presence of established trees. These findings emphasize the need for targeted conservation efforts, including habitat protection and land-use regulation, to preserve the biodiversity and ecological integrity of Mt. Panamao.

Abduraimov Ozodbek   Maxmudov Azizbek   Shomurodov Habibullo   Mamatkasimov Odilbek   Mavlanov Bekzod   Allamurotov Akmal   and Abduraimov Azizbek   

Ferula varia (FV) is an important medicinal plant found throughout the Kyzylkum Desert and the Nuratau Mountain range. Ferula varia is a perennial herbaceous plant and a geophyte. Based on its seasonal development cycle, it primarily belongs to the group of ephemeroids—perennials characterized by a short growth and development period during favorable conditions, followed by a long dormant phase during unfavorable seasons. Our research was conducted in 2023-2024. The article provides information on the natural reserves, age structure, and seed productivity of Ferula varia species distributed in Central Uzbekistan. During the study, five local populations of the species were examined, and the status of its natural resources was assessed. Local populations have been observed to be typical of left-side (1, 2), centralized (3, 5), and bimodal (4) types. The characteristic spectrum for the plant is centralized, with flowering typically occurring at 5-8 years of age. In dry years, this duration is slightly extended. The flowering period lasts 8-12 years. The plant's large life cycle can last up to 25 years. A significant disparity in the potential seed productivity of the species was observed, ranging from 924 to 9,920 seeds. The actual seed productivity was found to range from 574 to 7,750 seeds. The productivity ratio of the species was observed to range from 60% to 90%. In natural conditions, the plant recovers in 2-3 years. From a total area of 23.0 ha with a reserve of Ferula varia in the Nurata district, the volume of raw materials that can be harvested in 2024 was estimated to be 0.436 tons. From a total area of 40.0 ha with a reserve of Ferula varia in the Konimex district, the volume of raw materials that can be harvested in 2024 was estimated to be 0.511 tons.

Zuhair A. Al-Hemyari   and Jamal N. Al-Abbasi   

As it is known, the daily temperature on the planet is clearly increasing and has a significant relationship with climate change, the population, environment, and ecology, and thus has a major impact on the overall life on this planet. The effects of daily temperature on climate change, population, environment, and ecology require the concerted efforts of researchers in addressing and studying the causes that lead to this problem and the taking of measures to mitigate its harmful effects. In this paper, the modelling of a big data set (1970-2019) of daily temperature is developed using the trigonometric models with heavy statistical analyses. The data of daily temperatures are collected from several cities over a 50-year period with estimates of the parameters of the models for the biggest three cities of Iraq (Baghdad, Mosul and Basra). Each parameter estimator and each fitting of the overall estimated model of the whole period and for each period/each city are tested and for which the maximum and minimum temperatures are developed. The comprehensive results of this paper show that the country in the near future will witness a noticeable rise in temperatures; this means that the country is affected by Global Warming, which exposes the population to changes in the ecological environment and makes them vulnerable to various phenomena associated with Global Warming.

Yuanyuan Lee   Wan Norhidayah W Mohamad   Zaiton Samdin   and Senquan Kong   

The mixed logit model is widely used in choice experiments to capture random variations in individual tastes; however, the predefined distributional forms significantly affect welfare estimates. This study addresses the lack of research on the effects of four common distributions (normal, log-normal, triangular and uniform) on welfare estimates, attribute significance and model fit, particularly in the context of endangered species conservation. The results highlight visitors' willingness to contribute financially to the South China tiger conservation, while also emphasizing the importance of identifying the optimal distribution in advance to avoid potentially biased welfare estimates and subsequent erroneous policy recommendations. Notably, except for the log-normal model, the other distributions yielded consistent estimates regarding attribute significance and preference. Interestingly, while the log-normal model fitted well, it yielded fewer significant attributes and lower welfare estimates. The triangular distribution performed best in terms of log-likelihood, pseudo-R² and Akaike information criterion. This finding challenges the common use of normal distributions for mixed logit models and addresses the importance of developing mixed logit models with different distributions. Moreover, effective budget allocations based on visitors’ preferences for South China tiger conservation are recommended for policymakers.

Roberto Alfaro-Alejo   Rene Paz Paredes   Wilber Laqui   Victor Deyvi Alfaro-Vilca   and GermĂĄn Belizario-Quispe   

The accumulation of pollutants derived from vehicular activity, whether on paved roads or within recreational urban areas, constitutes a significant source of environmental contamination, particularly in densely trafficked zones. This study aimed to assess the levels of heavy metal contamination in sediments and road runoff collected from high-traffic neighborhoods in the city of Juliaca, Peru. Heavy metal concentrations were determined in three road sediment samples, two urban park soil samples, and three runoff samples collected during precipitation events. The results were evaluated against national and international environmental quality standards for sediments and water. Daily vehicle counts at the sampled sites ranged from 6,128 to 8,464 vehicles per day. Lead (Pb) exhibited moderate contamination levels based on the geo-accumulation index, while other analyzed metals remained within non-contaminated thresholds. In contrast, runoff samples revealed elevated concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Pb, with the descending concentration order of Zn > Cu > Pb > Co > As > Ni > Cr > Cd, surpassing national Environmental Quality standards (ECA) for surface water. These findings indicate a significant presence of heavy metals, particularly in stormwater runoff, and emphasize that sedimentary Pb levels exceed internationally accepted guidelines. The persistent presence of elevated heavy metal concentrations in urban runoff underscores the need for preventative and remedial measures in urban green spaces, transportation corridors, and stormwater infrastructure to mitigate potential environmental and public health risks.

Mark Joseph J. Buncag   Habagat G. Mariano   Niaranme M. Bucar   Amerah M. Abdulbashet   Ricmar P. Magarin   Yhebron J. Lagud   and Mark Arcebal K. Naive   

Mangroves have been acknowledged for reducing climate change through carbon sequestration; however, little is known about carbon storage of mangroves. This study estimated the carbon stock in the aboveground biomass and belowground carbon of mangrove in Nasipang, Rizal, Zamboanga del Norte. It employed line quadrat to determine the species composition, and carbon stock. DBH and total height were measured to quantify the aboveground carbon stock of the mangroves using species-specific biomass equations. Samples of soils at four different depths were collected to quantify the belowground soil organic carbon. The carbon component of living trees was calculated by multiplying the biomass (kg) of each tree by the carbon conversion factor for the region's mangrove species. The study recorded 10 species belonging to five families. Results showed that the estimated total aboveground biomass of the mangrove is 253.47 Mg/ha^-1 equivalent to the aboveground total carbon stock which is 114.06 Mg C/ha^-1. A higher amount of soil organic carbon content was found in depth 50- 100 cm with 568.98 Mg C/ha in which there was a large gap between this depth and depth 0-15 cm (174.55 Mg C/ha), 15-30 cm (170.04 Mg C/ha), and 30-50 cm (228.78 Mg C/ha). The quantified belowground soil organic carbon has an average of 285.58 Mg C/ha. The overall amount of soil organic carbon, both above and belowground, is 399.64 Mg C/ha. This baseline information indicates that the area has the capacity to store and sequester significant quantities of carbon, even with low biodiversity; therefore, it is essential to prioritize and strengthen mangrove protection and conservation efforts.

Abujam Romibala Devi   Dharmeswar Barhoi   Susmita Dey   Sweety Nath Barbhuiya   and Dipsanu Paul   

The present study investigates the suitability of Jirimukh as an optimal site for sustainable and advanced fish culture. The research specifically focuses on the water quality parameters at Jirimukh, located at the confluence of the Jiri and Barak Rivers in Manipur. The key physicochemical parameters assessed to determine the optimal conditions for fish growth and survival include chloride ion concentration (Cl^-), total dissolved solids (TDS), total alkalinity (TA), pH, turbidity, total hardness (TH), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), temperature (Temp), and flow rate. The results indicate a sub-alkaline pH range (6.9–7.5) throughout the year, with dissolved oxygen (DO) levels being highest during the winter months, exhibiting minimal seasonal variations. All recorded values fall within the ideal ranges for aquaculture, supporting the survival of oxygen-demanding fish species. However, increased BOD levels during the monsoon season, primarily due to runoff from agricultural and livestock activities, pose a challenge by promoting eutrophication. Additionally, seasonal fluctuations significantly impact stream flow rates and other water quality parameters. The findings underscore the importance of maintaining water quality within the optimal ranges for sustainable fish farming. The study highlights the need for an integrated aquaculture management approach, alongside continuous monitoring of water quality, to ensure the sustainability of fish culture in Jirimukh, Jiribam.

Chonyitree Sangwijit   Prapagon Sangwijit   Nitikorn Phoosuwan   and Nattapon Pansakun   

Background: Ramsar sites offer various ecosystem services essential for the well-being of communities residing near wetlands, serving as critical habitats for their livelihoods. This study aimed to assess residents' understanding of the Ramsar designation and its impact on their quality of life and identify the factors influencing these outcomes among communities in the Lower Songkhram River Region, Northeastern Thailand. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to September 2024, employing stratified random sampling to recruit 399 participants living along the Lower Songkhram River in Nakhon Pathom province. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and a statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 29.0, with results presented through descriptive statistics. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were utilized to identify significant factors, with p-values < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: More than half (53.4%) of the participants exhibited a high level of understanding, and the majority (55.1%) reported a high quality of life. Multivariable analysis identified several factors significantly associated with understanding Ramsar sites, including sub-districts (Sam Phong: B = 4.100; Tha Bo Songkhram: B = 1.981, compared to Hat Paeng), age (B = 0.033), and education level (secondary or lower: B = 0.595; diploma/certified or above: B = 0.790, compared to primary or lower). Both sub-districts (Sam Phong: B = 14.509; Tha Bo Songkhram: B = 15.339, compared to Hat Paeng) and higher understanding scores were significantly associated with quality of life. Conclusion: Over half of the participants demonstrated a high level of understanding, and most reported a high quality of life. The participants' understanding was influenced by sub-districts, age, and education, with both sub-districts and understanding impacting quality of life. The study highlights the need for policies that balance wetland protection with local livelihoods.

Rudi Subiyakto   Bambang Pujiyono   Edy Akhyary   and Jamhur Poti   

This study examines the implementation of collaborative governance in disaster mitigation efforts in Karimun Regency, Kepulauan Riau Province, Indonesia. As a disaster-prone region, effective mitigation requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and local communities. Guided by the theory of collaborative governance, this research explores how stakeholder collaboration enhances disaster mitigation initiatives. This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach; data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Informants were purposively selected, including government officials, NGO representatives, and community leaders directly involved in disaster mitigation. Thematic analysis revealed three key findings: the role of stakeholder coordination in aligning mitigation efforts; the importance of community participation in fostering disaster preparedness; and the influence of local policies in shaping effective governance frameworks. The study highlights the significance of mutual trust, shared goals, and clear communication in achieving successful collaboration. However, challenges such as resource constraints and overlapping roles persist, requiring further policy refinement. This research contributes to the understanding of collaborative governance in disaster mitigation, providing insights for policymakers and practitioners to strengthen multi-stakeholder coordination. The findings underscore the critical role of inclusive and participatory governance in addressing disaster risks in vulnerable regions. Contribution: This study provides input to stakeholders that disaster management are a shared responsibility. Collaborative governance is evidence that each stakeholder has capabilities that can be exchanged with other stakeholders (government, private sector, and community) so that together they can find solutions in dealing with disasters.

Riham Elsayed Abdel Tawab   Ehab Mahmoud Bayoumi Okba   and Mohga Emam Embaby Hassan   

Sustainable urban development is crucial, and it can be identified if the world's resources will continue to be used more intensively or if environmental planning and design criteria can be incorporated into the planning process to create a more sustainable path. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) contributes to early environmental preservation by including the environmental dimension into strategies, plans, and development initiatives. In order to create new sustainable cities, it also aids in the application of sustainable development concepts. When the SEA process is put into practice, cities can actually achieve sustainable growth. The research aims to incorporate the idea of SEA as a guide to initiate sustainable development in urban areas by triggering mechanisms that align with each stage of the city's growth. Any new city planning can adhere to evaluation requirements that incorporate sustainable development processes. It is also possible to evaluate the extent to which existing cities achieve sustainable development standards or not, to determine what mechanisms they lack to become sustainable cities. The case of Cape Town, South Africa, is studied and the proposed assessment criteria are applied to it to determine the extent to which it achieves the mechanisms and the extent of its shortcomings.

Pertiwi Andarani   Ariadne Yovita Adiyoga Hervana   Ariesta Sulistyo Asih   Syafrudin Syafrudin   Hardianti Alimuddin   and Wiwik Budiawan   

The widespread use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles presents significant environmental challenges. This study employs a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), following ISO 14044:2006 guidelines, to evaluate the environmental impacts of three PET bottle recycling scenarios: 24%, 50%, and 86% recycling rates. Using a standardized 40-gram PET bottle as the functional unit, the study assesses key environmental impact categories, including water consumption, fossil resource scarcity, and global warming potential (GWP). The results indicate that increasing recycling rates significantly reduces environmental impacts, with the GWP decreasing from 0.12 kg CO_2eq in the 24% recycling scenario to 0.0497 kg CO_2eq in the 86% scenario. Water consumption is also reduced from 0.0139 m³ to 0.0056 m³, while fossil resource scarcity decreases from 0.236 kg oil_eq to 0.0952 kg oil_eq. However, the land use category showed only a marginal reduction from 0.00252 m² crop_eq to 0.00218 m² crop_eq, indicating diminishing returns at higher recycling rates. Despite the benefits of recycling, this study emphasizes that reducing consumption should be the top priority in addressing PET-related environmental burdens. Minimizing unnecessary consumption and promoting sustainable production practices are critical to achieving long-term sustainability goals. These findings highlight the need for a holistic waste management strategy that prioritizes reduction, followed by reuse and recycling, to effectively mitigate environmental impacts and support the transition to a circular economy.

JosĂ© J. Espinoza Eche   Yvan Huaricallo   and Yamilet Condori Choque   

In the 7 domestic wastewater treatment plants -PTAR- evaluated, 81630.72 m³ / day of wastewater are treated and 2537.85 Tn / day of sludge with high moisture content are generated, becoming a problem since the spaces for their confinement are scarce and / or that the existing distances from the generation centers to the final disposal sites are significant. The sludge was characterized physically-chemically and biologically on two occasions and compared with the maximum permissible limits established in the Peruvian, Mexican and EPA regulations, then the results showed excess concentrations of Cadmium, Zinc and Thermotolerant Coliforms, for which prior treatment is recommended. Nutritional concentrations of the generated sludge were also determined, comparing the results with the quality of the compost that is made at the Pampamarca Chico-Carhuaz Plant, which is concluded that they have high concentrations of Total Nitrogen, Organic Matter and acceptable pH; there is a demand for its use to fertilize agricultural land. The conversion of sludge waste to input requires innovation in management, and currently only one company is hired that is in charge of storing, transferring and disposing of them in sanitary landfills. Treating crude sludge, enriching it and marketing it obviously requires a change in management in order to generate business opportunities, already converted into an input, within the framework of the Circular Economy.

SulltanĂ« Ajçe   and Adrian Maho   

Today, pollution of ecosystems from various sources constitutes one of the most significant concerns in our society. The objective of this study is to evaluate the microbiological quality of the Devoll and Dunavec rivers using key indicators to determine their suitability for agricultural irrigation and food safety. The river water quality for agricultural purposes is evaluated through physical, chemical, and biological indicators. It is estimated that the primary contamination of agricultural products, especially vegetables, by pathogens originates from water. Microbiological indicators are quite important for assessing water quality for agricultural purposes as well as for identifying various pollutants. The present study utilized standard analytical methods to evaluate the most important microbiological and chemical indicators in the waters of the Devoll and Dunavec rivers. Based on the analyzed data of microbiological and chemical indicators such as Escherichia coli, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD₅), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS), the waters of the Devoll and Dunavec rivers are classified as Class 2. These waters are not suitable for food crops to be consumed fresh, where the edible parts are in direct contact with the water, or for root crops that are consumed raw. Overall, the waters of these rivers are considered suitable for irrigating other crops. The study's reliance on microbiological indicators of the waters of the Devoll and Dunavec rivers identified potential sources of pollution, contributing so in determining pathways for improving ecosystems and food safety.

Rosdianah Ramli   Janice Lynn Ayog   Min Fui Tom Ngui   Rodeano Roslee   Felix Tongkul   and Mohammad Radzif Taharin   

River braiding occurs when sediment accumulates in a river section, resulting in bar formations that divide the flow into multiple channels, a phenomenon quantified as braiding intensity. This intensity is measured using a braiding index (BI), a metric essential for understanding sediment dynamics in braided rivers. While several braiding indices have been developed, many overlook key factors, such as the area occupied by bars, and often lack defined limits or unit-free properties, limiting their flexibility across diverse river types. Furthermore, conventional indices struggle to detect variations in braiding intensity in river reach sections with differing widths. Addressing these limitations, Das and Islam introduced a comprehensive, four-part braiding index tool that accommodates bar area, defined limits, and unit-free characteristics, enhancing its adaptability across various river conditions. However, this braiding index tool has not been applied for non-regulated, post-seismic flow events. Therefore, this study applies this novel braiding index tool to the Panataran river located in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, a river significantly impacted by a 2015 post-seismic debris flow event, causing notable changes in its braiding river morphology. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, the study evaluates four distinct braiding indices— BI*, BI₁, BI₂ and BI₃—across six sections of the river, capturing both pre- and post-seismic debris flow conditions. Results reveal that the tool effectively quantifies changes in bar formation and channel flow patterns, especially highlighting increased sediment deposition up to 42% in downstream sections. These findings hold practical implications for local stakeholders, including ecotourism operators and environmental authorities, providing essential data to identify erosion-prone areas or regions favourable for sustainable ecotourism development. By demonstrating the tool's ability to measure and monitor morphological changes in post-seismic river systems, this research underscores its broader utility in flood disaster response and vulnerability assessment, river management, and environmental planning, paving the way for future applications in other river systems affected by seismic events and similar geomorphological challenges.

Corapi A.   and Lucadamo L.   

A five-year biomonitoring program (2019-2024) was conducted around a 15 MW Biomass Power Plant (BPP) by means of a network of transplants of the epiphytic lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea. It consisted of an easily replicable experimental design, especially by state environmental agencies, using only physiological state parameters as tracers of environmental change. Detection of the facility contribution to the deterioration of air quality in the study area was performed using: a) geographic sectors, b) kilometer bands, c) absolute station distance, and d) the Potential Number of Times the Wind passing through the point source zone Reaches each Stations (PNTWRS). It is noteworthy that the most compelling evidence for the impact-enhancing role of BPP was observed during a pandemic. This finding suggests a significant confounding effect of pollution sources at the local scale. All factors contributed to changes in transplant physiology, except geographic sectors. However, kilometer bands and PNTWRS showed superior performance. The parameters most frequently and intensely affected by exposure in the selected area were membrane damage (EC%), and peroxidation levels (TBArs), which showed a five-year mean increase of 230% and 155%, respectively, vs. Lichen Origin Area (LOA), although with considerable annual variation, while photobiont was significantly impaired (-36% vs. LOA) only in 2024. We consider such an outcome to be a valuable result, supporting the hypothesis that monitoring lichen ecophysiology may facilitate the detection of both interannual changes in air quality and the contribution of point source development.

Rusmaniah Rusmaniah   Deasy Arisanty   Ersis Warmansyah Abbas   and Parida Angriani   

Flood disasters often result in large material losses but also cause significant social and environmental impacts. Comprehensive and sustainable mitigation efforts are needed through community empowerment to reduce the risk and effects of flood disasters. Community empowerment in flood disaster mitigation includes training, counseling, and increased participation in decision-making. This research aims to analyze community empowerment in the context of flood disaster risk reduction in wetland areas. The number of samples in this study was 655 people from 2 villages with the most severe flood conditions in the Sungai Tabuk sub-district; 32 questions were asked about physical capital, social capital, human capital, empowerment capabilities, empowerment processes, and community empowerment. Each category of questions is designed to measure specific aspects of community empowerment and its impact on flood risk reduction. Data analysis used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). SEM was chosen for its ability to test complex relationships between variables, including latent variables, and evaluate models with many variables simultaneously. In the context of flood disaster risk reduction, SEM can identify the influence of various indicators (physical capital, social capital, human capital, empowerment capability, and empowerment process) on community empowerment. The results show that social and human capital has not significantly affected community empowerment due to low compliance with social norms and a lack of coordination and synergy between community groups in flood management. Physical capital, empowerment capability, and empowerment process significantly influence community empowerment. The availability of flood evacuation facilities and the community's experience of flood events have a role in flood risk reduction. The role of the government through various empowerment programs is also crucial in improving community empowerment to create an independent community in flood risk reduction.

Muhammad Hasyim Ibnu Abbas   Vika Annisa Qurrata   Ermita Yusida   Magistyo Purbo Priambodo   Muhammad Hakimi Mohd. Shafiai   Jumadil Saputra   and Nila Cahayati   

The Blue Economy concept promotes sustainable marine resource utilization, though its implementation in Indonesia often prioritizes profit over community involvement. Clungup Mangrove Conservation (CMC) in South Malang exemplifies a community-based Marine Protected Area that, while successful in environmental management, it faces challenges in technological expertise and language skills that limit its full potential. This study aims to identify the role of community-based management at Clungup Mangrove Conservation (CMC) in Malang coastal ecotourism management and analyse the relationship of capital (natural, social, built, and human capital) in supporting poverty alleviation. Using a quantitative method, this research uses SEM-PLS analysis to address the above mentioned issue. The findings reveal that social capital, particularly community involvement, significantly influences the success of CE initiatives, fostering shared ownership and responsibility in ecotourism management. Human capital, through skill development and training, and natural capital, through sustainable resource use, also play pivotal roles in maximizing ecotourism potential. Community-managed coastal ecotourism (CMC) models are shown to create employment opportunities, increase household income, and promote the growth of micro and small enterprises, thereby reducing poverty levels in coastal regions. However, challenges such as limited technological skills and foreign language proficiency hinder market expansion and the attraction of international tourists. To address these limitations, the study underscores the importance of strengthening the stakeholders' collaboration while enhancing management capacity and human resource development. These measures are essential for optimizing ecotourism potential, fostering economic resilience, and supporting the blue economy. This model not only advances poverty reduction but also addresses broader socio-economic challenges in coastal areas.

Erni Jumilawaty   Ani Mardiastuti   Lilik Budi Prasetyo   Yeni Aryati Mulyani   Bejo Slamet   and Ahmad Luthfi Abdillah Nasution   

Coastal mudflats play a critical role in supporting biodiversity, particularly for migratory waterbirds, by providing essential foraging habitats. Understanding the dynamics of macroinvertebrate communities in these areas is crucial, as they serve as the primary food source for many waterbird species. This study aims to assess the diversity, abundance, and vertical distribution of macroinvertebrates across sediment depths in the mudflats of Bagan Percut, North Sumatra, and evaluate their relationship with waterbird populations. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected from sediment layers (0–40 cm) using PVC core sampling. A total of 16 species from three phyla (Annelida, Arthropoda, and Mollusca) were identified, with Bivalvia being the dominant group, particularly in deeper sediments. Species richness and total abundance were highest at the surface layer (0–10 cm) and decreased with depth. Key indices, including Shannon's diversity index and Pielou's evenness, showed greater diversity and species evenness near the surface, which declined in deeper layers. A bird survey recorded 32 species of waterbirds, primarily from the Charadriiformes, Pelecaniformes, and Ciconiiformes orders. A significant and positive correlation (, ) was found between the abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates and waterbird presence, highlighting the ecological importance of prey availability for waterbird foraging. This study contributes valuable insights into the conservation and management of coastal ecosystems, particularly for species that rely on mudflats for their survival.

Attoui Redha   Abdeldjaouad Meriem   Belghar Nourredine   Zemmouri Noureddine   Chadi Kamel   Zied Driss   and Fehmi Boufahja   

Urban air pollution is a complex problem that requires a multidisciplinary approach to tackle effectively. Our study aims to understand how pollutants disperse in a built environment through airflow, which plays a crucial role in the transport, dispersion and concentration of pollutants. To demonstrate the impact of various factors such as urban configuration, buildings and urban voids that create turbulence and vortices affecting pollutant dispersion, we conducted a comparative study in two configurations, taking into account the city's meteorological conditions and pollution sources. The practical study involved simulating the dispersion of two pollutants - NOX emitted by road traffic, the main contributor in urban areas, and CO₂, a greenhouse gas - in two existing urban fragments in the city of Annaba, using the Fluent code of the Eulerian CFD model for a more realistic analysis. The outcome of this quantitative and comparative study will focus on the effect of spatial configuration and morphology of buildings and airflow on air quality and pedestrian comfort. To reduce the impact of urban air pollution, it is therefore important to take these airflow phenomena into account in urban design (street layout, building height). Through numerical simulation of these complex processes, the effectiveness of various urban measures can be assessed.

Senquan Kong   Wan Norhidayah W Mohamad   Anitha Rosland   and Yuanyuan Lee   

This study conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis of wetland ecosystem service values based on discrete choice experiments across 49 studies from 22 countries. It finds that the expansion of wetland areas negatively impacts public willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation, with a 1% increase in wetland areas leading to a 0.66% decrease in WTP, particularly in developed countries. However, larger wetland areas positively affect the total value of ecosystem services, with a 1% increase in the area contributing to a 0.337% rise in service value. The study also reveals that higher GDP, cultural values, and biodiversity significantly enhance WTP, with wealthier nations and wetlands offering cultural or biodiversity benefits seeing higher public support for conservation. The research suggests that policies should prioritize improving the quality and functionality of existing wetlands rather than solely expanding their area. Additionally, integrating cultural and biodiversity values into conservation plans can increase public participation and willingness to pay. For developed countries, improving existing wetland services is key, while developing countries should focus on both expanding and enhancing wetland quality. These findings emphasize the need for balanced, quality-focused wetland conservation strategies that maximize ecological and socio-economic benefits.

Yunindyawati   Eva Lidya   and Ulfa Sevia Azni   

To bolster the effectiveness of the climatic village program (Proklim), located in South Sumatra, ten villages have been designated to partake in the program in 2022. The inaugural Climate Village Program (Proklim) competition winner at the Ogan Ilir district level in South Sumatra, Indonesia, was Pulau Semambu Village. We attribute this triumph to the community's collaborative efforts, active involvement, and the support of other stakeholders who facilitated the implementation and triumph of the Climate Hamlet initiative in this hamlet. This study aims to elucidate the community's comprehension of climate change and their engagement in mitigation and adaptation endeavors. The present study involved the participation of 18 key informants. It employed qualitative research methodologies to analyze various approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation comprehensively. According to research findings, the climate village program implemented in Pulau Semambu village has demonstrated positive implications for the community's knowledge and comprehension of climate change. Additionally, the presence of active collaborative ideas from multiple stakeholders demonstrates the core principles of Proklim within the context of sustainable development.

Elias Milios   and Kyriaki Kitikidou   

This study proposes a Graded Biodiversity Assessment (GBA) index for evaluating biodiversity in forests based on precise measurements from sample plots. The index incorporates five key parameters: total wood stock (basal area), existence of large living trees, presence of standing dead trees, vertical differentiation (height storey), and species composition. These criteria play varying roles in assessing biodiversity, with wood stock being the most crucial. As an illustration of its use, the GBA index was applied to six plots in the Rhodope mountains, to indicate varying degrees of biodiversity. The index's flexibility allows for customization based on species and stand characteristics. Forest managers can utilize the index to identify areas for biodiversity enhancement through silvicultural treatments. The proposed GBA index offers a comprehensive and accurate approach, providing valuable insights into forest management decisions in the context of climate change. By utilizing instrumented measurements and considering multiple criteria, the index enhances the reliability and understanding of biodiversity within forest stands. Overall, the proposed GBA index offers a robust tool for assessing biodiversity in forests, facilitating informed decision-making for sustainable forest management.

Salman Makhld M Aldalbahi   

The research discusses identifying and evaluating the most appropriate approach for assessing the environmental and tourism carrying capacity for the case of national parks in KSA, which can be integrated into the planning process methodology for developing parks. The research examined the approaches used and found five main approaches: Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC), Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS), Visitor Impact Management (VIM), Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP), and The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) methodology for assessing environmental carrying capacity developed by Cifuentes (1992). The concepts of these approaches were studied, then the advantages and disadvantages of each approach were analyzed. The results showed that the main appropriate approach for the case of national parks in Saudi Arabia is the methodology of (IUCN) for assessing environmental carrying capacity developed by Cifuentes (1992). Additionally, the Visitor Impact Management (VIM) approach can be used to assess the negative impacts of visitors and activities. The appropriate approach was applied to Saysad National Park in Taif city, and it was found that it can accommodate recreational and developmental activities. The physical carrying capacity equals 156,240 visitors/day, the real environmental carrying capacity equals 118,604 visitors/day, and the effective carrying capacity and operational management capacity equal 53,372 visitors/day. A proposed framework has been presented that can be applied to integrate the approach of environmental and tourism carrying capacity into the planning process methodology for national parks and the sustainable management.

Toshboeva Robiya Sobirovna   

The article aims to analyze the state and solution of the water crisis in Uzbekistan through the prism of modern international and national trends. New political realities create the need to recognize Afghanistan as an equal user of cross-border waters in Central Asia, especially in light of the growing water crisis in Central Asia. The peak nature of the water crisis is indicated by the introduction of an emergency water saving regime in Uzbekistan. The author contemplates the potential for Central Asia and Afghanistan to share cross-border waters, taking into account the operation of the Koshtepa Canal, and also the process of turning cross-border waters into a commodity and charging for them. The Uzbek approach to addressing the national water crisis through internal resources is reviewed, emphasizing the importance of using water-saving technologies extensively in agriculture and industry, while also seeking external water sources. In order to address the water crisis, it is proposed to utilize the Amudarya waters through bilateral and multilateral relations between countries of the region. The article also refers to the need to enshrine certain concepts regarding water resources management in legislation, define their implementation mechanisms, revise the concept of a state water inventory, and improve water management through government support for research.

Doaa Medhat Awadh-Allah   Heba Mohamed Ammar   Somaya Abo ElNaga   and Sami Amin Amer   

The Nile Delta is an important productive region full of natural and socio-economic potential for development, promising cities, and gateways. However, the coastal zone of the Nile Delta is one of the regions impacted by sea level rise (SLR). This rise may have an impact on regional land use and development strategies. The research focuses on the impact of the predicted SLR on the regional land use in the Nile Delta to help urban and regional planning experts prepare sustainable strategies for regional land use. The research aims to examine the significance of the relationship between research variables within the study area namely, predicted SLR, regional land use, and adaptation strategies where the adopted adaptation strategy impacts the relationship between SLR and regional land use. Mixed methods are used in the research. The researchers started by studying best practices from the Netherlands and USA and conducted a comparative qualitative analysis between Egypt and the studied countries. Then Phi and Cramer's V and Multinomial Logistic Regression analysis were used to measure the significance of the relationship between the research variables on the level of the Nile delta coastal cities. The analysis results show a significant relationship between SLR and the change in regional land use whether an adaptation strategy (protect/ accommodate) is implemented or not. Each land use type whether it is existing and/or proposed is also influenced by the level of vulnerability to SLR. To verify the research finding concluded from qualitative and quantitative analysis, the researchers conducted an online questionnaire targeting a specific group of experts in urban and regional planning/ development and/or environmental studies. Experts' responses confirmed some results and remained neutral on others, where they recommended further in-depth studies for making a better decision rather than generalization.

Wetri Febrina   Amir Awaluddin   Saryono   and Zuchra Helwani   

Industrial development leads to environmental problems. This is true in large industrial liquid waste management, especially when it involves water contamination in a textile industry by synthetic dyes. This research aims to explore the potential of thermophilic fungi, specifically Aspergillus sp., in bioremediation of methylene blue dye. The study demonstrates high decolorization rates within 96 hours using Aspergillus sp. fungi. Follow up test biosorption by Fourier Transform Infrared analysis carried out further confirms successful breakdown of dye molecules, showcasing the dual role of thermophilic fungi in effective wastewater treatment. This research provides insights into sustainable solutions in textile wastewater treatment and calls for further exploration in bioremediation of other contaminants. The four fungal strains: LBKURCC304, LBKURCC305, LBKURCC307, and LBKURCC308, were evaluated for their decolorization efficiency. LBKURCC304 and LBKURCC307 demonstrated the highest performance, achieving the decolorization of 48.10% and 53.81%, respectively, within 96 hours under acidic conditions (pH 4.5). The results highlight the dual functional capability of the thermophilic fungi to achieve both the enzymatic and physical removal of pollutants. This study underscores the significant potential of thermophilic fungi Aspergillus sp. in developing sustainable wastewater treatment systems, particularly for the textile industry. The findings contribute to the advancement of microbial-based bioremediation, presenting an environmentally friendly approach to mitigating industrial effluent pollution. However, challenges remain, including optimizing operational parameters for large-scale applications and exploring the fungi's capacity to degrade a broader spectrum of synthetic dyes. Overall, this work paves the way for integrating microbial bioremediation into sustainable environmental management practices, offering a practical solution to one of the most pressing issues of industrialization.

Aang Panji Permana   Sunarty Suly Eraku   Nurfaika   Ronal Hutagalung   Angki Suaib   Fadhil Abdillah Ahmad   and Akrein Vender Wangi   

The research area, which includes five villages, namely Botubarani, Huangobotu, Biluango, Modelomo, and Botutonuo, is located on the south coast of Bone Bolango Regency. People in the coastal area still use shallow well water as a clean and drinking water source. The primary constituent lithology on the coast is limestone, so research on limestone is very important to support community expectations in the environmental field. For this reason, this research aims to assess the potential of limestone in the five villages as a groundwater reservoir rock based on the type and quality of porosity. This research will create a geological conservation area as a groundwater recharge area. The research methods to achieve the objectives consisted of field surveys and laboratory analyses. The laboratory analysis method includes the petrographic and specific gravity and water absorption test methods of coarse aggregate. Based on the research results, the site comprises four types of limestone: wackestone, packstone, rudstone, and boundstone. The four types of limestone have different porosities. The fabric selective porosity type is intercrystalline and moldic, while the non fabrnonfabricve porosity type is vuggy and channel. The porosity quality at the research location is divided into two levels, namely large porosity and medium porosity. These two levels of porosity quality make the potential of limestone in the study area as a groundwater reservoir rock very large. With the potential of limestone as a reservoir rock, the distribution of limestone can be used as a geological conservation area for groundwater recharge, so it must be preserved.

Ayasha Siddiqua   and Farida Nilufar   

Human development and the natural environment interact to shape distinctive landscapes, particularly in regions where water plays a central role between society and resilience. This research focuses on the Eastern Periphery of the Dhaka Metropolitan Area (DMA), where indigenous settlements have long integrated natural waterbodies into their development patterns. The problem lies in the ongoing urbanization that threatens these long sustained traditional practices, leading to the degradation of natural landscapes and water management systems. The aim of the paper is to analyze the physiographic landscape of this area and promote sustainable, water-sensitive urban development by understanding local land-water interactions. To achieve this, the study adopts a mixed-method approach, incorporating satellite image analysis, GIS mapping, field observations, and interviews with local inhabitants. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to width, slope gradient, surface quality, and land division patterns, in response to seasonal fluctuations and water level variations. The findings reveal that the local land-water interface has evolved naturally and dynamically, driven by landscape parameters such as size, width, slope, surface quality and local land utilization patterns. The study identifies important landscape elements that could be incorporated into urban design to foster water-sensitive development in deltaic cities like Dhaka. As a whole, this research underscores the importance of understanding indigenous landscape characteristics and local knowledge to guide sustainable urban development and address water-related urban crises.

Hendra Setiawan   Luchman Hakim   Adji Achmad Rinaldo Fernandes   Antonius   and Catur Retnaningdyah   

This study aims to describe and analyze the diversity, reproductive organs, and relationships of Nepenthes with environmental factors in Sintang Regency. The study procedures were carried out at 41 sites in several habitat types, including post-mining site, kerangas forest, secondary kerangas, swamp vegetation, peat swamp forest, tropical rain forest, and secondary tropical rain forest. The results showed that there were 10 Nepenthes species in Sintang Regency, namely N. ampullaria, N. bicalcarata, N. gracilis, N. mirabilis, N. rafflesiana, N. x kuchingensis, N. x trichocarpa, N. x hookeriana, N. x cantleyi, and N. x neglecta. In addition, kerangas forest had the highest number of species (9 species), with the highest density being reported in post-mining site (D=6.008 Ind/Ha). N. gracilis and N. mirabilis had the highest importance value index in almost all habitats, while the highest diversity index was found in kerangas forest (H'=1,50). The post-mining sites had the highest number of reproductive organs consisting of inflorescences and infructescence compared to other habitats. Based on correlation analysis, there were significant correlations between diversity index with pH, soil organic matter, and light intensity. The most suitable habitat for Nepenthes in the non-conservation area of Sintang Regency was believed to be kerangas forest. Therefore, it was recommended that conservation action be prioritized in this area.

Wella Tiu-Tatil   Canesio D. Predo   Cristino L. Tiburan Jr.   and Hildie Maria E. Nacorda   

Coastal greenbelts contribute to climate change mitigation as an important sink of atmospheric carbon which influences global climate. These ecosystems also protect coastal communities from the adverse effects of climate change. However, the knowledge about coastal greenbelts, such as beach forests, is not common, which made this forest vulnerable to land use conversion. While literatures on the carbon (C) stock of different forest types are available, quantification of beach forest C stock and its economic value is relatively new, especially that the study on beach forests is limited in the Philippines. Thus, this study estimated the C storage, the social-cost value of carbon dioxide sequestered (SC-CO₂), and the potential market value of the beach forests along Iligan Bay, Northern Mindanao. A non-destructive method was used to assess the C stock of the 10-ha forests in Naawan, Iligan, and Bacolod. Tree aboveground biomass was quantified following available allometric equation, and the C stock was estimated using the mean wood C content value (47.5%) from IPCC and the default value for the Philippines' secondary forest. Economic valuation of the C storage ecosystem service was estimated using the mean C prices available in the Philippines, and the social cost of CO₂. Results revealed that the mean C sequestered and stored in the three beach forests is 48.98 tC ha^-1, lower than the C storage of the other upland ecosystems but comparable to the agro-forest systems. Further, the mean estimated market value of C storage regulating service of the beach forest is US$ 1,168.32 ha^-1 (Php 68,498.65 ha^-1) while the social cost of beach forest's C storage service revealed a higher mean value at US$ 33,252.21ha^-1 (Php 1,949,577.10 ha^-1). This estimate underscores the social benefit of conserving the forest, but at the same time reflects the cost to the society should there be forest conversion to other land uses. These findings suggest that while beach forests are small in area, the social benefit they provide to society is valuable. Hence, this is an important consideration for coastal management and climate change mitigation initiatives of the Philippine government.

Qiangjun Liu   

As the global energy crisis and environmental pollution intensify, energy conservation and emission reduction have become essential objectives for the development of smart campuses at universities and colleges worldwide. Effective management of energy consumption in these environments relies on accurate power consumption prediction models. This paper investigates the prediction of power consumption for smart campuses through a meteorological data-driven model. By analyzing key meteorological factors, such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation, which influence electricity consumption on campus, we propose a prediction model using a genetic algorithm-backpropagation (GA-BP) neural network combined with sample entropy value and assignment methods. This model utilizes actual data on campus electricity consumption, augmented with multi-source meteorological data for training and validation purposes. Experimental results indicate that the model achieves high prediction accuracy across various meteorological data-driven conditions, thus enhancing the optimization of energy consumption management on campuses. The findings of this research offer theoretical support for energy-saving strategies in smart campuses and serve as a valuable reference for predicting energy consumption in similar public buildings.

Baishali Das   Bhabana Das   Chayanika Saikia   Kangkana Medhi   Jyotiprakash Boro   Afifa Kausar   Sasanka Sekhar Ghosh   and Jyotismita Das   

Diurnal activity budgeting of Lesser Adjutant stork (Leptoptilos javanicus) was quantified in the Nagaon district of Assam from August 2023 to April 2024. A total of 192 hours were spent recording their activity budget and the behaviour of adults and juveniles. The behavioural activity pattern was observed and recorded through the Focal Sampling and Scan Sampling methods. Different activities were recorded: preening, resting, feeding, movement, wing-leg stretching, head up-down, aggression, and alert. The results showed that preening (42%) and movement (17%) were the most observed behaviour in the study period. The behavioural activities showed significant differences in different time blocks in a day. It was observed that preening and body movement helped the chicks and parents survive predators and parasites. It has been found that the study area has many nesting colonies near human settlements, agricultural fields and highways. By observing their activity budgets, we came to know that the activities of Lesser Adjutant stork depend upon the season, the surrounding environment and the habitats where it lives. So, in order to conserve the species, their habitat should be conserved.

Mamatkasimov Odilbek   Kurbaniyazov Bakbergen   Maxmudov Azizbek   Allamurotov Akmal   Mavlanov Bekzod   and Abduraimov Ozodbek   

This study presents information on the diversity and phytocenology of the genus Aegilops L. in Uzbekistan. Our research was conducted in 2021-2024, with the results of analyzing literary sources, herbarium specimens, and data collected during field research. More than 600 herbarium specimens collected from the territory of Uzbekistan, stored in the herbarium funds of Tashkent (TASH), Moscow (MW), St. Petersburg (LE), and Almaty (AA) were analyzed for 5 species of the genus. Species diversity is presented by distribution in Uzbekistan's botanical and geographical regions. In research to date, as well as in major monographs, A. tauschi is not found in the flora of Uzbekistan. The fields in which the species is distributed also confirm our opinion. In the course of studies, about 20 distribution points were identified based on 3 growth points in the flora of the species as well as herbarium data. The genus Aegilops L. is considered to be closely related to wheat both ecologically and genetically, as they belong to the same natural polyploid series. The diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid species of the genus Aegilops can be crossed with wheat, resulting in stable hybrids. Representatives of the category are of high economic importance, and natural samples are also widely used in agricultural sectors. It is representatives of the category that are resistant to various factors (drought, sudden warming or cooling of the Air, various environmental factors) that are very important for the sharply continental environmental conditions of our republic. Data on the distribution, phytocenology, and current status of the five species of the Aegilops L. genus are used for monitoring the species and maintaining vascular plant cadastres. Natural population areas serve as primary sources for selection and genetic research. The results obtained are recommended for future editions of the monograph "Flora of Uzbekistan".

Herda Sabriyah Dara Kospa   Al Shida Natul   Hala Haidir   Shinta Puspasari   and Mailendra   

Tanjung Carat in Banyuasin, South Sumatra is a vital area characterized by its extensive mangrove-dominated wetlands and diverse wildlife. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential environmental impact of the proposed Tanjung Carat International Port construction on this ecologically rich area. Aiming to minimize potential harm, there is a need to assess the vulnerability of the port development areas and develop policies to protect the environment. This study seeks to analyze the physical and environmental vulnerability of the port development areas using a geographic information system (GIS). To assess physical vulnerability, the study analyzed seven key parameters including geomorphology, geology, average wave height, elevation, average tide, coastline changes, and climatology. In addition, environmental vulnerability was evaluated using four parameters: protected forest areas, mangroves, shrubs, and nature reserve forests. Data from relevant agencies and direct field observations were used to conduct the assessment, employing the scoring method and the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) formula. The findings reveal that the Tanjung Carat area exhibits high physical vulnerability due to its low elevation, flat geomorphology, and geology characterized by lake sediment formations, making it highly susceptible to ecosystem perturbations resulting from developmental activities. The analysis of environmental vulnerability further highlights the prevalence of high vulnerability, particularly due to the presence of protected forests, sanctuary forests, and mangroves, especially in Sungsang II and IV Villages. The insights gained from this study are intended to provide valuable guidance to stakeholders involved in evaluating the potential impact of development, particularly the proposed international port, on the physical and environmental vulnerability of the area.

Hadiratul Kudsiah   Suwarni   Basse Siang Parawansa   Sri Wahyuni Rahim   Muhammad Ahsin Rifa'i   Andi Aliah Hidayani   and Ita Wisma   

Bungo fish is a valuable freshwater species with significant economic worth. The villagers consume the fish either fresh or dry. This study aims to look into the reproductive biology of Glossogobius giuris bungo fish (Buchanan, 1882) in Sidenreng Lake, Sidenreng Rappang Regency, South Sulawesi. It comprises the sex ratio, gonadal maturity level (GML), gonadal maturity index (GKI), and the first mature gonad size. The research effort was carried out over the months of September, October, and November in the year 2022. Five sites that represented reservoir waters provided fish samples. The catches of nearby fishermen were also collected. Fish samples were described at Makassar's Fisheries Biology Laboratory, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, Hasanuddin University. It included 235 fish samples in all, 163 of which were male and 72 of which were female. The study's findings indicate that there is a 2.59:1 sex ratio between male and female fish. The continuity between male and female fish is depicted by this ratio. Male and female bungo fish have four gonadal maturity levels (GMLs): GML I, II, III, and IV. The value of the gonad maturity index was 12.59% greater in female fish (3.63%) than in male fish. Male gonads mature at 327.07 mm, while female bungo fish mature at 227.36 mm. This reveals that male fish mature faster than females.

Giovene Perez Campomanes   Maria Perez Campomanes   and Carlos Carbajal Llosa   

In the district of Ricardo Palma, human settlements are located near streams, which are seriously affected during the heavy flooding season (rainy season), which increases due to the presence of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the global effect of climate change. To get to know the flood zone 09 de Octubre - La Ronda, Ricardo Palma, software was applied to obtain the area of influence to study, and to know 10.5 software was applied to obtain the area of influence to study, and to know the rainfall record of the National Water Service. Meteorology and Hydrology of PerĂș (SENAMHI) for a continuous period of 27 years of maximum daily rainfall, with the HEC HMS 4.9 software the maximum design flows for different return periods were obtained, and the HEC RAS 6.2 software to obtain the flooding area. To find out the support of the authorities in the presence of the Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the global effect of climate change, a survey was carried out among the population, obtaining that 14.43% had the appropriate conditions to mitigate the impacts of the flooding due to intense rains, 22.93% received help in the presence of the El Niño phenomenon, and for 20.75%, there was a response from their authorities to the needs of the population in the presence of an emergency, and no changes that benefit the population were distinguished. The maximum design flows were calculated for a return period of 10 and 100 years, which vary between 31.7 m³/s and 61.2 m³/s, and that for a design flow of 61.2 m³/s, the flooding area of 0.25 km ² was obtained.

Sumarmi   Syamsul Bachri   Heni Masruroh   Siti Zubaidah   Bayu Wijayanto   Ma Kalthum Ishak   Dicky Arinta   Agung Suprianto   Hety Dwi Lestari   Natasya Shaherani   Adellia Wardatus Sholeha   and Mohamad Arif   

Since ancient times, rivers have been a livelihood source for human beings. However, modern lifestyles have changed our rivers as they become polluted with more inorganic waste; microplastic is one of the biggest pollution problems. Currently, the Brantas River of East Java also faces the microplastic problem; this certainly poses dangers to human survival and the ecosystem surrounding the river. The occurring pollution necessitates efforts to preserve the water ecosystem, which would benefit the sustainability of living organisms. The objectives of this research are (1) to analyze the possible causes of microplastic pollution in the Brantas River, (2) to understand the efforts undertaken by the community to reduce microplastic pollution in the Brantas River, and (3) to develop a model for mitigating microplastic pollution to preserve the existing ecosystem in the Brantas River. This study utilized a qualitative descriptive approach. Data collection methods included (1) observations to study the conditions of the Brantas River, (2) in-depth interviews, and (3) documentary studies to gather essential data about the research subjects and objects. Data were analyzed using the interactive analysis model developed by Miles and Huberman. The research findings indicate that the causes of microplastic pollution include, among others, waste piles found beneath bridges and waste accumulation due to the presence of illegal waste disposal sites along the Brantas River banks. Mitigation efforts that have been undertaken include installing warning signs, law enforcement for microplastic mitigation, persuasive infrastructure development, installing flower pots, constructing fences on the sides of bridges, constructing recreational infrastructure such as playgrounds, sports facilities, and tourist spots, and installing trash traps. There are 4 spatial mitigation models along the Brantas River, namely 1) The Village Arrangement Program on the Brantas Riverbank in the form of resettlement is needed in order to provide decent and ecological housing. 2) Operation of Justice to Control Street Vendors (PKL) on the Riverbank. 3) Arrangement of villages near the Brantas River by creating a Toga Park. 4) Clean River Program (Prokasih).

Osama Ragab Ibrahim   Yara Gamil   and Salma Al Maghawry   

The available water resources are under risk due to escalating effects of climate change. Climate change estimates and projections need to be considered in order to improve environmental mitigation and monitoring. Variations in the quantity and intensity of precipitation have a major impact on how the environmental system responds to human influenced climate change, particularly in the Sultanate of Oman, which has a long history of common flash floods. In order to anticipate the precipitation levels for the years 2022–2050, this study uses the Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) to project future climatic changes in comparison to the historical recorded precipitation patterns in Sohar area in Oman for the years 2006–2022. The purpose of this study is to determine if climate change scenarios can be used to forecast the amount of precipitation. This study sheds light on future precipitation patterns with regard to the current impacts of climate change on local precipitation amounts. Additionally, the findings will support the country's decision-makers in their decisions for managing and mitigating the country's current water resources in order to reduce the effects of climate change.

Raed Al Tabini   and Cliff Madison   

A year-long survey (2021-2022) was conducted among 165 Bedouin households in Jordan's arid Badia region to assess local opinions on climate change. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches to assessing how residents perceive climate change, their observations of its physical effects, and its most significant economic and social impacts on their lives. The study concluded that overall locals were highly concerned with climate change and its immediate effects on the Badia. Moreover, the study reviewed a generational gap in climate change awareness and understanding, while older generations’ awareness is based on their own experiences and oral traditions to interpret environmental changes. In this sense, their responses to climate challenges are more focused on practical, physical alterations to the local environment. The younger generations, on the other hand, had more academic and media-based awareness of climate change, as a result, their solutions were more intangible and focused predominantly on awareness raising and education. The study also found several clear signs of climate change, including decreased rainfall, delayed rainy seasons, increased temperatures, and frequent waves of drought, with occasional sudden floods caused by soil destabilization and heavy rainfall. In conclusion, it is crucial to engage the views of the elderly, youth, and decision-makers, combining education, modern media, traditional knowledge, and practical experiences of local generations, to make sound decisions and identify important strategies that help mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance agricultural and livestock production.

Kavyashree   and Bhagyashree   

The rapid accumulation of plastic garbage, especially from abandoned bottles, presents a serious environmental threat on a global scale. Developing creative and long-lasting solutions is necessary to address this problem, especially in the fields of construction and architecture. With an emphasis on cost, scalability, and sustainability, this article investigates several innovative methods for employing used bottles as feasible building materials for housing solutions. This paper provides a comprehensive review of benefits of recycling discarded bottles for the environment, such as lessening the burden on landfills and the need for building materials with large carbon footprints. The next part of the article explores the technical elements of using waste bottles in construction, going over techniques like building bottle bricks and integrating them into insulation and walls. It also discusses the socio-economic advantages of trash bottle housing solutions, which offer reasonably priced housing options, especially in areas with low socio-economic status, challenges, and future directions. By synthesizing existing research and insights, this article aims to provide a foundation for further exploration and implementation of innovative waste bottle housing solutions in the pursuit of sustainable architecture. The main aim of the study is to highlight the revolutionary potential of waste bottle housing solutions in promoting sustainable building and tackling urgent environmental and social issues through this investigation.

Lalita Zakharikhina   Polina Lesnikova   Elena Rogozhina   Vadim Kerimzade   Daria Gorbunova   and Vladimir Brigida   

This study investigated the influence of wind direction on the elemental composition of rainwater along the Black Sea coast near Sochi, Russia. Rainwater samples were collected from both a densely populated area and a park zone with minimal anthropogenic influence to determine their cation-anion composition using traditional methods and quantify the content of 70 elements using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry. Notably, the sampling period encompassed precipitation events with varying wind directions, facilitating the differentiation between elements of terrestrial origin, likely associated with atmospheric dust, and those with a predominantly marine source. Rainwater influenced by northeasterly winds exhibited enrichment in rare earth elements (REEs), Zn, Ni, Pb, Mn, Cu, Al, Rb, As, Bi, and Tl. This elemental signature mirrored the geochemical composition of the region's clay-rich rocks and diverse mineral zones, suggesting a local terrestrial source. In contrast, a shift to southeasterly winds transporting air masses from the sea resulted in a dominance of elements indicative of oceanic origins, such as Na > Mg > S > Sr > Cl > Br > K. The subsequent analysis of solid atmospheric deposition, which characterizes the composition of the atmosphere under conditions of a south-easterly wind direction in winter, corroborated the previously obtained data. The elemental composition, Cl > Mg > Na > Sr > Ca > K > Ce > Mn > S, was found to be consistent with a marine source influence during the winter period. These findings led to the development of a novel geochemical indicator of marine origin (GIM), calculated as the ratio of marine-associated elements to terrestrial elements (GIM = Mtotal × ∑ Na Mg S Sr Cl Br K / ∑ REEs Zn Ni Pb Mn Cu Al Rb As Bi Tl). GIM values displayed significant variation, ranging from 1456 for rainwater influenced by continental sources to 2579 for rainwater with a strong marine signature. This substantial variation in GIM underscores its potential as a valuable tool for estimating the relative contributions of oceanic and terrestrial sources to the overall elemental composition of rainwater in the studied region.

Corapi A.   and Lucadamo L.   

Most of the trace elements toxicity data on ecophysiological status of lichen species were the result of laboratory experiments where thalli were totally immersed in solutions at different concentrations of heavy metals to test their relative stressing effect. This made it possible, when using same/comparable concentrations and time of exposure, to rank their toxicity and, at the same time, the sensitivity of lichens versus the same element. However, such data hardly reproduce the environmental toxicity due to wet depositions where the mode of exposure (drops) and the contact time (seconds – minutes) are much shorter. In addition, many works studied the effect of a restricted group of elements often ignoring unreasonably others. Molybdenum is one of the least studied elements in lichens concerning its effect on ecophysiological status and interaction with other micronutrients. Based on its involvement in several metabolic pathways, and multiplicity in valency values, we carried out exposure of thalli of the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf to sprays at different concentrations of molybdenum (0.5, 1, 2, 4 ppm), copper (6, 12 mM) and mixed treatments of the two elements to evaluate the response in cell peroxidation, photopigment amounts, chlorophyll a – chlorophyll b ratio and chlorophyll degradation. Results showed that copper promoted a strong increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive species levels, whereas molybdenum reduced them below the limits of detection of the analytical procedure. No significant variations in photobiont parameters were detected versus control. Interestingly, when the lichens were co-exposed to the combinations of the four molybdenum concentrations with the highest one of copper oxidative stress dropped, on average, 20% compared to only copper exposure, whereas in case of the lower Cu²⁺ concentrations malondialdehyde levels increased 80%, most time showing a statistically significant variation compared to controls. Algal physiology was not affected by metals exposure. Together these data suggest that molybdenum in itself plays, in Pseudevernia furfuracea, a potential antioxidant role. It can be overwhelmed or, paradoxically, translated in a pro-oxidant one by the presence of elements like copper, affecting the formation of oxidative damage. This is the first work where such an outcome is showed in lichens.

Susan T Njau   George Onyango   and Florence Itegi   

Students spend most of their time in learning institutions and hence the health safety of learners is vital in enhancing teaching and learning. Waste management practices could pose a health threat to the learners due to contamination and bad odours. This study sought to establish the status of waste management practices and how it affects teaching and learning in public secondary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties. The study looked at the status of waste management practices in the provision of dustbins, the manner of waste disposal and the guidelines on waste disposal in public secondary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado counties. The study targeted 197 Public secondary schools, 197 principals, 8580 form two students, 884 class teachers and 2 County Quality Assurance & Standards Officers (CQASOs). Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 19 schools, 19 principals, 152 students and 76 class teachers from the sampled schools while 2 CQASOs were purposively sampled. The study used convergent parallel design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data by use of questionnaires and interview schedule. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using content analysis and the quantitative data were analysed descriptively with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 28. The study established that most waste management was haphazardly handled with open sewers, open pits and burning of waste exposing students to contamination and illness. The study concluded that most of the schools had inadequate waste management systems, and the school environment is threatened by poor waste management which affected teaching and learning with students getting ill, lacking proper concentration and keeping off from school. The study recommended collaboration with county governments, environmentalists and involvement of the whole school community in management of waste and in the process counter effects of climate change.

Liany Amelia Hendratta   Susilawati Cicilia Laurentia   Deukkoo KOH   Isri Mangangka   Arthur Thambas   Febrina Sumanti   and La'la Monica   

Tondano Lake as a priority lake in Indonesia is a natural water resource that serves various important water needs. One of the obligations is its discharge. It is used to operate three turbines to electrify 2 provinces (North Sulawesi and Gorontalo) serving approximately 1 million domestic electricity customers and more than 50 distinct industrial sectors. Having 9 inlets which spurred with villages on each of their sides has gradually and continuously overloaded the lake with nutrients, causing it to suffer from eutrophic condition. Inundation of low leveled shoreline areas which occurred seasonally, has hindered most public activities surrounding the lake. This study focused on depicting the problems from the government's perspective and attempting to design solutions that will provide long-term sustainable and ecofriendly lake management initiatives, particularly in preventing frequent flooding and further degradation of lake water quality. Several hydrology, topography, bathymetry, and water quality measurements have been undertaken to support in-depth analysis of the problems in order to gain a better understanding of the lake's current condition and exclusively verify results from previous related studies. This study's solutions include two hard measures (design of embankment dimensions and constructed wetland) and one soft measure (a matrix of management tasks of competent and responsible stakeholders).

Ahmad Hakimi Abd Halim   Zuraini Anang   Mahirah Kamaludin   Roseliza Mat Alipiah   Noorhaslinda Kulub Abd Rashid   and Jumadil Saputra   

Water security, a pivotal element of sustainable development, faces escalating challenges globally due to population growth, urbanization, and climate change impacts. This study focuses on household water security, emphasizing the scarcity of research using choice experiments, a valuable tool for understanding individual preferences. The macro-level examination underscores the need for holistic approaches to addressing water scarcity, emphasizing the urgency of sustainable resource management. Focusing on households, inadequate infrastructure, contamination, and unreliable water sources pose challenges worldwide. The research identifies a significant gap in choice experiment studies within household water security, particularly in regions with moderate water problems. The bias towards severe water challenges skews the understanding of preferences and decision-making factors. This study employed the ROSES protocol, emphasizing reporting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses in environmental management. The methodology entails delineating research inquiries, search methodologies, inclusion and exclusion criteria, quality evaluation, and data extraction, thus ensuring a thorough and comprehensive synthesis. Key findings indicate that households in the studied regions demonstrate high sensitivity to natural environmental changes, with water availability and quality alterations significantly impacting their livelihoods and socio-economic routines. Additionally, the area is highly vulnerable to impacts related to household water security, including issues such as water scarcity and contamination. The effectiveness of adaptation strategies in reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience in household water security remains to be seen, indicating a need for further research in this area. This review highlights the necessity of integrating choice experiments into household water security studies, especially in regions with moderate water issues. Bridging this gap contributes to a nuanced understanding of preferences, enabling evidence-based strategies for equitable and effective global water security interventions.

Alfonso Arellano   Nadia BenalcĂĄzar   Gabriela Arias   and Israel RamĂ­rez   

This study investigates household monthly drinking water consumption (HMDWC) across different regions and demographic segments in Ecuador. By disaggregating data and clustering according to homogeneous characteristics, the study ensures that average values are more accurate and representative of specific population groups. Data were collected from 65 towns and cities in the Ecuadorian Sierra and Amazonian regions, resulting in a comprehensive dataset of approximately 28 million records after outlier removal. The analysis reveals significant differences in monthly water consumption across five demographic ranges, confirmed by ANOVA (p-value < 0.001) and Tukey's Test. Medium-sized (8,000-30,000 inhabitants) and large towns (30,000-150,000 inhabitants) show higher average HMDWC compared to other ranges. Additionally, regional disaggregation highlights distinct consumption patterns between the Sierra and Amazonian regions. In the Sierra, larger towns exhibit stable consumption throughout the year, while smaller towns show peaks during the rainy season. Comparing regions, the Amazonian towns consistently demonstrate higher HMDWC than their Sierra counterparts. For instance, small towns (500-8,000 inhabitants) in the Amazonian region average 14.155 m^Âł/month, whereas in the Sierra, they average 13.607 m^Âł/month. This trend persists across medium and large towns, emphasizing the need for regional-specific water supply planning. The findings underscore the necessity of disaggregating data by region to achieve accurate planning of water supply systems. Without regional breakdown, the Amazonian region's water supply systems would be undersized, leading to poor resource management. Conversely, towns in the Sierra region would be misrepresented if their data were combined with those from the Amazonian region. This study provides critical insights for optimizing water resource management and planning in Ecuador. By illustrating the importance of detailed data analysis and regional disaggregation, it supports the sustainable management of water resources based on historical consumption patterns, ensuring effective and efficient water supply systems tailored to regional needs.

Agus Purnomo   Asep Andang   Siti Badriah   Ervan Paryono   Aceng Sambas   and Roslan Umar   

Air pollution poses significant health risks worldwide, causing diseases such as cardiovascular ailments, asthma, and premature mortality. This study investigates the influence of wind speed and direction on the performance accuracy of low-cost PM sensors, specifically the SEN1077 model. The research aims to evaluate the sensor's sensitivity and consistency under varying wind conditions, focusing on different wind directions and speeds. Indoor tests were conducted using the SEN1077 sensor connected to an Arduino processing unit. The sensor's performance was assessed across three wind speeds: 0.863 m/s, 1.791 m/s, and 2.789 m/s, and various wind directions, including 45Âș, 90Âș, 135Âș, 180Âș, 225Âș, 270Âș, 315Âș, and 360Âș. The data analysis, using ANOVA, revealed that wind speed significantly impacts PM measurements. Higher wind speeds resulted in lower PM readings, with PM2.5 values dropping from an average of 25.2 at 0.863 m/s to 16.4 at 2.789 m/s. The variance in measurements also decreased with increasing wind speeds, indicating more consistent sensor readings. The findings confirm that the SEN1077 sensor maintains consistent sensitivity despite variations in wind direction, with low variance in measurements (e.g., 0.8455556 for PM10 at 0.863 m/s). Major conclusions indicate that while wind direction has a minimal impact on sensor accuracy, wind speed significantly affects PM measurements. This study's contributions include providing insights into the robustness of low-cost PM sensors and emphasizing the need for proper calibration. Practical implications involve improving air quality monitoring systems, while social implications focus on better informing public health policies and pollution control measures.

Deasy Arisanty   and Novi Rahmawati   

Soil salinity is one of major indicators to characterize water cycle, nutrient movement and carbon cycle in tropical peatland. It is necessary to explore the characteristic and spatial distribution of soil salinity in this peatland. Barito Delta is coastal peatland in Kalimantan that soil salinity distribution is important information to manage agriculture activity, water drinking supply, and carbon stock in the peatland ecosystem. Therefore, the aims of this article are: a). to analyze condition of soil salinity and another soil characteristics such as soil organic matter, pH and permeability, b). to analyze soil salinity distribution in peatland. Soil sampling and laboratory analysis were performed to obtain information of soil salinity, pH, soil organic matter, and soil particles (i.e. sand and clay particles) from 1^st to 5^th m soil depth. The combination techniques of soil electrical conductivity sampling, electrical resistivity, and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) are used to obtain spatial distribution of soil sampling applying ordinary kriging with variogram from NDVI MODIS. The result shows that soil salinity has a positive correlation with pH, soil organic matter, and percentage of clay particles following the depth of soil in all landforms. Correlation coefficients between soil salinity vs clay particles and soil salinity vs sand particles have an opposite mark for each other meaning that soil salinity vs clay particle is positive correlation, while negative correlation for sand particle. Spatial interpolation applying combination of soil sampling, electrical resistivity sampling, and NDVI MODIS shows the most accurate method to map spatial distribution of soil salinity in Barito Delta compared to soil sampling alone, and both soil sampling and NDVI MODIS. Based on soil salinity values, soil in Barito Delta is classified as non-saline. The 3^rd m of soil depth is the marked for different characteristics of soil salinity, pH, soil organic matter, sand and clay particles. For example, soil salinity increases following the depth of soil from 1^st to 2^nd m, while from 4^th to 5^th m decreases, vice versa.

Manjula K. T.   Abdul Jaleel K.   Vijaya M. B.   Anangh M. K.   Jiji Joseph V.   Raghunathan P. P.   Jayakrishnan T. V.   and Rajeevan E.   

Aquatic ecosystems are seriously threatened by heavy metal contamination, which also endangers human health. The potential of damselflies and dragonflies (Odonata) as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution in freshwater habitats is examined in this review. They serve as excellent materials as the indicator of the wellbeing of the ecosystems they live in; because of their different life stages that have close ties to aquatic environments and their susceptibility to different metals. This comprehensive review aims to bridge gaps in the current understanding of the role of odonates, specifically dragonflies as bioindicators in the context of heavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems. Researchers analyse the presence and concentration of heavy metals in their tissues by various methods; this information can help understand their origin and dissemination and general health of the ecosystem. This bioindicator approach informs remediation tactics, provides early warning of emergent problems and ultimately directs efforts to protect freshwater resources. By consolidating diverse perspectives and synthesising the existing knowledge, this review aims to provide a valuable resource for researchers, environmentalists, and policymakers involved in safeguarding the delicate balance of aquatic environments.

Tanmay Khambekar   and Sandip Mali   

Methane emission from open landfills in the cities is of great concern as it is responsible for global warming. Also, methane has a potential to be used as a fuel due to its calorific value. The quantification of the emission of methane from the landfill hence is important as it will help decision makers to understand the feasibility of deploying the landfill gas recovery system and the potential of the fuel and energy generation. The study was performed with an aim to find the methane emission values between 2020-2050 using default method (DM), first order decay method (FOD), modified triangular method (MTM) and LandGEM for open landfill at Moshi in Pimpri Chinchwad, Maharashtra, India. The estimated values of methane by DM, FOD, MTM and LandGEM methods are 557.6 Gg, 384.44 Gg, 397.28 Gg and 453.79 Gg respectively. The uncertainty assessment performed on these values demonstrated that comparatively higher values were obtained in DM due to a greater number of variable parameters as input. FOD method has less input parameters that vary and given values with lesser uncertainties. Values in MTM and LandGEM were found to have uncertainties too. The energy generation potential calculated using Yedla method was 24309.04 KJ.

Moutusi Saha   Manasa A. P.   Prasannakumar M. K.   and Kiranmayee Pamidimukkala   

Ubiquitous endophytes asymptomatically colonize intra- and intercellular plant tissues through a symbiotic association. These microbes adapt to their environment within the plant's strict limits, grow, and produce specific compounds that promote the host's growth and maintain a stable symbiosis. Applications of endophytes include the production of pigments, enzymes, antimicrobials, biodegradation/bioremediation, and bioactive compounds that help mankind. A hypothesis could be that microbial diversity depends on the variety of microbes, their association patterns with the host, and the surrounding environment. Our objectives were to isolate, identify, and analyze the diversity of both bacteria and fungi from various parts of Basella alba and Basella rubra plants. We used conventional culture-based methods to grow bacteria and fungi on artificial media from the roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and seeds of B. alba and B. rubra. To identify and sequence the grown organisms, we used Internal Transcribed Sequence (ITS) 1 and 4 and 16S rRNA PCR, followed by Sanger's sequencing methods. We manually calculated diversity measurements, such as Shannon's and Simpson's indices of diversity and species richness (S_Chao1). All the endophytic fungi identified belong to the phylum Ascomycetes, with three classes, nine orders, nine families, and 13 genera from B. alba, and three classes, five orders, eight families, and 13 genera from B. rubra. The most common class found was Dothideomycetes, followed by Eurotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes. In the phylum Firmicutes, genus Bacillus was identified from B. alba. From B. rubra, members of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were identified. Bacillus was found in greater abundance in the leaf, stem, fruit, and seed, while Achromobacter was predominant in the root, and Clostridium in the leaf. On nutrient agar for bacteria and potato dextrose agar for fungi, 105 cultivable fungi and 49 bacteria were identified. Both plants harbored a diverse range of microbes.

Faruk Hajrizi   and Izet Ibrahimi   

This study consists of minimizing the pollution effects of the recycling industry through the application of new duplex systems, which could be used for the purification and regeneration of the gases in smelting scrap. In the first phase, the process of recovering thermal energy from the scrap melting process will be based on creating a thermal profile and managing furnace zones, whose theoretical profile will be based on thermal analysis data. The previous preparation of the filling would be based on the data of the chemical analysis of the smelting products and process gases and the chemical and granulometric analysis of the flux and coke. In the second phase, the ratio of CO₂: CO in the process gases will be regulated, which is the most important indicator of the effectiveness of waste recycling through the scrap melting process. Industries, especially those for energy generation and recycling, due to outdated technological schemes, improper management of industrial waste resulted in a lower level of utilization of natural resources and energy and a high level of environmental pollution. According to the results of this study, minimization of environmental pollution and problems related to the efficiency of the process would be possible between the integration of gas cleaning equipment in CSC systems and/or the application of SCHACK systems. The application of this system would enable the minimization of pollution from greenhouse gases (CO, CO₂, NO_x, SO₂, etc.) and their return to the process will guarantee energy recovery and generally improved process efficiency. According to this pilot project, the gases that are released from the process of melting waste from the scrap in the cupola furnace of the "E&E" foundry are taken at a height of 3.6 m, from areas where their temperature is between 800-1000℃ and through the SCHACK system they are returned in the coke burning area. Our study program is focused on the research of technological possibilities that would enable the minimization of the polluting effects of the scrap recycling industry in the cupola furnace, between gas purification from particles and dust, and their return to the process.

Nurshafiqah Abdul Malek   Zuraini Anang   and Mahirah Kamaludin   

Water resources are threatened by water scarcity, making it crucial for households to play a significant role in conserving water to ensure its sustainability. This study aims to identify the preferences of households regarding domestic water conservation. The research followed the PRISMA 2020 review protocol and utilized the Scopus and Web of Science databases to conduct a systematic literature review. It is reflecting advancements in methodology for identifying, selecting, evaluating, and synthesizing related articles. Through thematic analysis, the study identified ten main themes, including: water-saving technologies, water conservation initiatives, households' characteristics, psychological factors, media influence, reduction in water usage, reduction in households' water demand, environmental protection, compliance with water conservation policies, and cost savings, with a total of 14 sub-themes. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding households' preferences in domestic water conservation to develop effective water-saving programs for future action plans and to provide necessary information for stakeholders. As a result, this study aims to provide policymakers and stakeholders with ideas and proposals for developing ways to boost community participation in water conservation activities. Aside from that, the systematic review recommended that more research be conducted on households' preferences for water conservation in Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Southeast Asian nations. As a result, it is vital to research families' preferences for water conservation to understand their willingness to change their water usage habits and what alternatives they would explore if water conservation programs were implemented in their area.

Adriatik Kotorri   Llesh Lleshaj   and Nertila Çika   

The circular economy is crucial for EU countries, addressing environmental challenges and resource limitations. Transitioning to this model aims to disconnect economic growth from resource consumption, reducing degradation and fostering sustainability. Circular principles like waste reduction and resource efficiency benefit the environment and economy. They also ensure resilience against resource scarcity, which is crucial for long-term viability. This study examines the impact of the real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, municipal waste generated, renewable energy sources, research and experimental development, and material footprint on resource productivity in EU countries (as a variable that measures the impact rate of the circular economy and environmental protection). Data proceedings in this study are time series indicators, with an annual frequency of 2000 – 2022. The statistical approach in the panel data model is used to find statistical significance, direct on-driven fixed factors, etc. Factors such as the previous value of resource productivity (which has the highest elasticity), real gross domestic product per capita, and municipal waste generation demonstrate a positive and statistically significant influence on the circular economy in the EU. Conversely, the material footprint factor shows a positive and statistically significant impact. The model indicates that all variables have maintained a stable territorial impact on resource productivity within each EU country. EU countries should advance to circular economy policies toward climate change requirements and environmental protection, focusing on waste management and minimizing waste generation.

Mir Sujaul Islam   Ekhwan M. Toriman   Fateen Nabilla Rasli   and Goh Choo Ta   

A study was conducted to evaluate the physicochemical parameters and heavy metals concentration level in Tasik Chini water. The sampling waters were analysed according to standard methods and procedures. The analysis of metals concentration was done using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). The DOE-WQI (Department of Environment Water Quality Index) framework and multivariate statistical methods were adopted in order to determine the spatial variations of water quality variables, levels of water pollution and contamination sources. The study results were compared with classification based on National Water Quality Standard (NWQS) for Malaysia. Results revealed that the dissolved oxygen (DO) value was low (4.68 mg/L), while the value of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total dissolved solids (TDS) was high, 26.10 mg/L, 2.92 mg/L and 22.93 mg/L respectively. High turbidity was recorded in mining area (35.76 NTU) in wet season. The DOE-WQI value classified the lake from slightly polluted (class II) to polluted (class III) by anthropogenic activities. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to evaluate the correlation of each element and the major sources of contamination in the lake. Cluster analysis (CA) grouped the ten monitoring stations into three clusters of pollution levels based on similarities in water quality variables. The average concentration of heavy metals in the Tasik Chini water was low pollution levels. This study quantified that the important factors affecting these metal concentrations in lake water were the mining operations and the impact of rainy season. Therefore, this research could be valuable in providing accurate data as baseline information for future references.

Carlos Enrique Coacalla-Castillo   Jessica Espinoza Enciso   Lucinda Soto Soras   and Ada Alcarraz Pumacayo   

The objective of this research is to determine the relationship between the integrated management of municipal solid waste and sustainable development in Abancay, Peru. The methodology corresponded to a quantitative investigation of correlational study level, with a population of 72,277, from which a statistical sample of 383 inhabitants was obtained. Through the investigative process, it was possible to specify the existence of weaknesses in the integral management of solid waste carried out by the municipality, highlighting a conclusion of a statistically significant association between both variables. This was verified through a hypothesis contrast, which allowed Kendall's tau_b correlation coefficient, to obtain a p of 0.000, evidently lower than the 0.05 significance level, with which the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternate hypothesis was accepted, with a degree of moderate relationship between these variables (Tau_b = 0,638). Finally, it was considered that the need to, in the future, apply an action proposal oriented towards a management model for the integrated management of solid waste, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to Agenda 2030, and framed in the National Plan for Integrated Solid Waste Management 2016-2024 of the Peruvian Ministry of Environment (2016).

Larry C. Herbito Jr.   Jaime Q. Guihawan   Christine Marie V. Casal   Daisy Lou L. Polestico   and Armi G. Torres   

Invasive alien plant species (IAPS), when spread outside of their natural range, have the ability to outcompete and displace native species, disrupt ecosystem functioning, and degrade habitats, thus becoming one of the major problems of protected areas globally. This present study aimed to assess the current management strategies, challenges encountered, and possible solutions to combat IAPS in the Initao-Libertad Protected Landscape and Seascape (ILPLS) through Key Informant Interview (KII), employing both thematic analysis and Chi-Square Test for Homogeneity. The results revealed that prevention, monitoring and surveillance, and control, are the current strategies implemented in the area, wherein manual grabbing and pruning are practiced to control or eradicate IAPS. However, limited resources (40%), regulatory challenges (33.33%), lack of capacity (23.33%), and lack of awareness (10%) were the identified impediments that hinder progress. Furthermore, monitoring and surveillance (73.33%), control (46.67%), eradication (33.33%), prevention (33.33%), and information education and communication (IEC) (23.33%) were the effective management options perceived by the respondents in dealing with IAPS in the area. The Chi-Square Tests for Homogeneity indicated that park rangers, conservation officers, and Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) members exhibit similar distributions of responses regarding their awareness of the concept of IAPS, the prevalence of IAPS in the ILPLS, level of concern about the impact of IAPS, and the overall condition of ILPLS. However, a significant difference is observed in the awareness of the spread of IAPS in the ILPLS, with a chi-square statistic of 2.273, 2 degrees of freedom, and a P-value of 0.026. These findings provide the stakeholders with essential information to formulate effective communication and management strategies to control or eradicate IAPS in the area. It is recommended to develop an invasive species checklist to enhance the monitoring and surveillance efforts of the stakeholders.

Sura Shakir Mahmood   and Munther Hamza Rathi   

The study aims to test the ability of some plants grown on roadsides (Nerium oleander, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Albizia lebbeck, Ficus nitida and Callistemon viminalis) to remove lead and cadmium from the soil and air in the Baqubah city. Species were collected from three different sites in Baqubah city (Diyala Electrical Industries, a commercial area represented by Khurasan Street and a residential area represented by Al- Tahrir area). In the current study, leaves and soil samples were collected from each plant species used in the study during the months of September to December 2023 to evaluate metal accumulation. The recorded data showed that the concentration trend of heavy metals in soil and leaves was lead > cadmium except soil of C. viminalis in Al-Tahrir area. Moreover, the results of the accumulation index of heavy metals in the study areas according to Muller's classification showed that the soil of the studied areas in Baqubah city is divided into two categories: unpolluted to moderately polluted areas and areas containing a moderate amount of pollutants. All areas were uncontaminated to moderately contaminated with lead and fell into Class I. As for cadmium, Diyala Company for Electric Industries area (A1) and Khurasan street (A2) were moderately polluted and fell within class II, while Al-Tahrir area (A3) appeared to contain unpolluted and fell in class I. These results suggest the idea that soil and tree leaves can be used as a good in phytoremediation of cadmium and lead. In the case of lead and cadmium, a highly statistically significant relationship (P < 0.05) was found between lead and cadmium concentration in soil and plant leaves. The bioaccumulation factor for lead in all plants used in this study was E. Camaldulensis > C. viminalis > A. lebbeck > F. nitida > N. oleander, and for cadmium it was E. Camaldulensis > C. viminalis > F. nitida > A. lebbeck. >N. oleander respectively which has proven to be a bioindicator and bioaccumulator of heavy metals, so planting these trees in industrial, commercial and residential areas containing such atmospheric pollutants would be beneficial.

Jiang Wanxia   and Massoomeh Hedayati Marzbali   

The process of global urbanization and economic integration has led to environmental degradation, pollution, resource depletion, and global warming. As a result, the international community has turned its attention to environmentally sustainable development. The urban fringe is a zone where social and economic factors change between urban and rural areas, possessing both urban and rural attributes. Country parks situated in urban fringe areas serve critical roles in recreation and environmental management. This study focuses on Guixi Ecological Park in Chengdu and develops a landscape satisfaction evaluation model using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The model comprises five criterion layers and 28 index layers and integrates Post Occupancy Evaluation to determine factor weights within the evaluation system based on park user group satisfaction. Important-Performance Analysis (IPA) is conducted to sequence park landscape optimization. Data from 286 valid questionnaires reveal higher satisfaction among park users with operation management (3.57), cultural and educational aspects (3.59), and ecological protection (3.59). The overall satisfaction of Guixi Ecological Park is 3.53, suggesting areas for improvement, particularly in landscape aesthetics (3.37). Based on survey findings, this study proposes three sustainable landscape development models for urban fringe areas: visual focus landscape, cultural card landscape, and guide system landscape model. The study contributes to fostering a symbiotic relationship between the environment and urban fringe, providing theoretical frameworks for building a sustainable, resource-conserving society.

Khyzer Jake P. Cabañelez   Sherwin S. Sevilla   Kirk Patrick Loise Uy   Arnele Mie A. Fanuga   Joylinber P. Tandingan   Ruben F. Amparado   Peter D. Suson   and Hilly Ann R. Quiaoit   

Monitoring the landscape as a functional unit provides a broader understanding of its essential components and the interactions among them. However, the burdensome and costly nature of monitoring changes in the physical, chemical, and biological attributes of soil after landscape restoration or shifts in land use may employ extensive soil sampling and laboratory analysis. This study utilizes Landscape Function Analysis (LFA), a simple and cost-effective method to evaluate the landscape functionality, to investigate the present state of the cogonal area within the buffer zone located in the protected area in Mt. Kitanglad, Talakag, Bukidnon. This is part of a bigger study assessing the trend of recovery of established restoration sites, and focusing on the cogonal area from a 2020 baseline based of the three LFA indices: soil stability, water infiltration, and nutrient cycling. The findings reveal that all cogonal sites exhibited slight to moderate improvement in the LFA indices which were mostly influenced by surface resistance to disturbance, basal cover of perennial grass, and soil texture. However, the cogonal area still shows low LFA results, indicating that it is far from achieving a state like the control site. Nonetheless, this signifies the occurrence of natural regeneration processes within the site. The implementation of rehabilitation and restoration measures holds promise in improving the current state of the site.

Khushboo Yadav   Meena Godha   and Poonam Jethwani   

Heavy metal contamination affects physiology, immune system and reproductive potential of organisms from microscopic level to higher trophic levels. Biomagnifications along the food chains create concern to human exposure and associated health risks on regular consumption of these heavy metals. Direct sewage discharge and untreated waste disposal in open waters make aquatic organism more prone to heavy metal exposure. This study focuses on analysis of two heavy metals (Lead and Cadmium) into the muscle tissue of fish species, Labeo rohita (Rohu) which was collected in a municipality of Jaipur district, Rajasthan in the month of September and October, 2023. Rohu is a preferred choice among the fish-eating population because it is cheaper and tastier in comparison to other varieties of fishes being produced and sold in the area. Fishes were dissected and processed through Wet Digestion Method for extraction of heavy metals. Further analysis was done using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Both lead and cadmium were present in higher amount than the permissive limit of the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO). Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) was calculated to be <1 limiting the value of Hazard index (HI) and Target Cancer Risk (TCR) to be negligible for the concerned area. This research indicates that in order to prevent future metal contamination, effective preventive measures must be implemented. Further studies with large sample size must be done in the area to access the contamination of other heavy metals including mercury, chromium, arsenic etc.

Elanda Fikri   Riyana Husna   Syukra Alhamda   Tantin Retno Dwidjartini   Evan Puspitasari   Muhammad Yasin Yunus   and Yura Witsqa Firmansyah   

Air quality is a critical aspect in ensuring a healthy and sustainable living environment. One aspect of major concern is air contamination by heavy metals, especially in the form of dust. Heavy metals are chemical compounds that can have negative impacts on human health and the ecosystem as a whole. This study aims to investigate the distribution of heavy metals in airborne dust and their impact on air quality. This study is categorized into a descriptive type that describes the concentration of heavy metals in dust. Cross-sectional is the study design used. Quantitative data includes the concentration of heavy metals present in filter paper dust. The research was conducted at BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency). Concentrations of 12 elements: Fe, Au, Pd, Se, Mo, Cu, W, Ni, Sn, Zn, Ir, Sb in ambient airborne dust have been detected at six sampling locations, including the Environmental Safety Laboratory, Radioactive Laboratory, Basement, Saung, TENORM Testing Facility, and Parking Area. Metallic element contamination in airborne dust at the six sampling sites was mainly found in the Environmental Safety Laboratory room, consisting of Fe, Au, Pd, Se, Mo, Cu, W, Ni. Of all the known elements, only the presence of Pb is regulated in Government Regulation No. 41 of 1999 on air pollution control in Indonesia. The quality standard for Pb in Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) is 2 ”g/Nm³ or 2000 ”g/Nm³. Compared to the standards of developed countries such as USEPA, where the quality standard for Pb in ambient air has been set at 250 ”g/Nm³.

Gene T. Señeris   Eva R. Orlina   Carmenchita M. Tumaca   and Melba L. Raga-as   

Soil erosion remains a pressing issue in the mountainous regions of the Philippines and worldwide. The Aklan river watershed, situated within the Aklan province of the Philippines, significantly contributes to the prevalent soil erosion challenges due to its rugged terrain, inadequate vegetation cover, and improper land utilization practices. An analysis using secondary data to assess soil erosion vulnerability within the Aklan River watershed was conducted. Various factors influencing rainfall, typhoons, slopes, land cover, soil, and drainage, were sourced from various agencies. These factors were later categorized based on the crucial soil vulnerability scale and assigned weights using GIS methods. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was applied to compute geospatial data depicting the potential impact of soil erosion. The resulting impact map reveals that the upstream areas of the Aklan River watershed exhibit a high to very high potential for soil erosion, covering approximately 25,351 hectares (28.65%) and 11,965 hectares (13.52%), respectively. Conversely, low-lying regions demonstrate a much lower vulnerability to erosion, encompassing 13,992 hectares (15.81%), 14,114 hectares (15.95%), and 23,055 hectares (26.06%), respectively. The study's principal findings indicate that the low-lying municipalities of Balete, Banga, Libacao, Madalag, Makato, Malinao, and Numancia in the Aklan Province exhibit very low to moderate vulnerable to soil erosion. In contrast, higher elevated areas situated in the upper stream of the watershed, such as Culasi, Sebaste, Tibiao in Antique, Jamindan and Tapaz in Capiz, and Calinog in Iloilo, are classified as highly to very highly vulnerable to soil erosion. These study outcomes provide valuable geospatial data pinpointing areas of concern. Policy decision-makers can utilize this information as essential input for formulating soil conservation measures, land use planning strategies, and resilience plans aimed at addressing soil erosion and other anthropogenic hazards that may arise.

Raja Muhammad Naufal Raja Azman   Nur Asmaliza Mohd Noor   Sharifah Abdullah   and Marini Mohamad Ideris   

Development and human activities have contributed to global warming and climate change, thus affecting water scarcity around the world. Due to this pattern, the establishment of knowledge on the drought index and drought event needs to be strengthened and enhanced, especially in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to assess the drought indices due to climate change impact on urban and sub-urban areas in Malaysia located at Langat River Basin and Pahang River Basin. The drought analysis using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) has been established for 3 months, 6 months and 12 months using the evaporation and rainfall data according to the identified station for 30 years that started from year 1988 until 2018 depending on the completeness of the data. The findings for urban areas indicated the significant values of the drought events compared to the sub-urban area which indicated the fluctuated values due to the land use and pattern of rainfall. Moreover, there were 2 and 1 severe drought event recorded by SPEI 3 and SPEI 12, respectively, for Langat River Basin whilst Pahang River Basin a total of 2 severe drought months by SPEI 3 were recorded, 1 severe drought by SPEI 6, and 6 severe drought events by SPEI12. Thus, findings from this study are very important to evaluate the condition of drought performance and deliver valuable information which is beneficial for the government and private agencies to plan mitigation strategies in the future.

Wael S. Al-Rashed   

The literature outlines numerous traditional methods used to eliminate arsenic. New technologies have been employed to enhance the removal process, which is more realistic, cost-effective, and eco-friendly. This study reviews the latest technologies, along with the fundamental principles they are based on. Traditional arsenic removal methods were compared with their newer counterparts to assess their effectiveness and suitability for various groundwater sources. The discussion centers around unique methodologies, the water source sampled, the technology utilized, and the impact of other factors. Further, these approaches were evaluated based on their environmental impact and economic feasibility. The use of some innovative technologies is still restricted to laboratory conditions, which makes it difficult to calculate their removal efficiency under natural conditions accurately. Traditional approaches necessitate several processes to achieve the desired concentration. Additionally, only filtration can reduce the arsenic content to a specific level in an area with existing iron. Furthermore, electrocoagulation technologies can be utilized only in locations where electricity is readily accessible and cost-effective. The innovative technologies in this study showed greater removal efficiency compared to the traditional methods. Although the expenses of these technologies are not applicable in all circumstances, they are recognized as environmentally friendly concepts. These technologies effectively eliminated arsenic without the need to alter the pH or oxidation state of the contaminated water.

Made Rai Warastuthi   Made Sudiana Mahendra   Syamsul Alam Paturusi   and I Nyoman Darma Putra   

The Climate change is a pressing global concern, negatively affecting both the environment and human well-being. Human activities, particularly rapid urbanization and expanding tourism, are recognized as significant contributors to this issue. During pre-pandemic, tourist visits to the Bali grew by an annual average of 11%, and most of them stayed in the Southern Part of Bali. This research aims to analyze changes in Green Open Spaces (GOS) distribution in tourism areas and their implications on climate change in two districts in south part of Bali, Indonesia, which are Kuta and North Kuta Districts. The research employed a combined approach, utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based spatial analysis and an extensive review of current climate change and tourism literature. The results of the study show significant changes in the distribution of GOS within tourism areas in Bali, Indonesia. The Kuta district experienced an 11.6% reduction in GOS, while the North Kuta district experienced a more substantial 27.65% reduction. This is likely due to the rapid growth of tourism in these areas, which has led to the conversion of GOS into commercial and tourism infrastructure. These changes have a significant impact on climate change, as GOS play a crucial role in mitigating climate effects by absorbing and sink carbon. The study found that the amount of GOS biomass lost due to the conversion reached 6341.3 tons, or 3170.56 tons of carbon, over a period of 18 years. The research underscores the significance of effective collaboration among various stakeholders, including the government, communities, and the tourism industry, to strike a balance between sustainable tourism development and GOS preservation for a brighter and environmentally resilient future.

Asti Amelia Novita   Damas Dwi Anggoro   Lestari Eko Wahyudi   and Moh. Sholichin   

Access to clean water and ready-to-drink water is one of the important issues raised in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which focuses on access to ready-to-drink water for universal communities with guaranteed safety and cleanliness of potable water sources by 2030. However, there are still several obstacles to settle drinking water, as the weak institutional control and limited local government participation and involvement led to the ineffective way to produce ready-to-drink water, referring to Minister of Health Regulation No. 2 of 2023 about water quality to be well-prepared. This study examines these issues in the context of Malang, Indonesia, where the local government's preparedness in managing ready-to-drink water is crucial. This study presents data using the Soft System Methodology which includes observations that have been made with the Drinking Water User Association, Department of Public Planning and Spatial Planning, Water Company and the user of HIPPAM and PDAM. This research produces an integrated model of ready-to-drink water management that involves regional officials, distribution actors and the community. The model addresses the challenges by promoting collaboration and enhancing the efficiency of water management practices. The findings contribute to the understanding of sustainable water management and provide a framework for improving access to clean water, aligning with the SDGs' objectives. The study also highlights the importance of regulatory compliance, in this case, Minister of Health Regulation No. 2 of 2023, in ensuring water quality. The research implications extend to policy-making, suggesting that a more coordinated approach and stronger governance are needed to overcome the barriers to achieving sustainable water access. Practical implications include the adoption of the integrated model by local governments and water management entities to enhance service delivery and ensure public health.

Gilmer Valerio Malca JimĂ©nez   Rosa VerĂłnica Malca JimĂ©nez   and Bessy Castillo Santa MarĂ­a   

The countries belonging to the Andean Community of Nations present various systems for the management of solid waste. The main objective was to evaluate the advances in public management and government control in the management of solid waste in the member countries of the Andean Community of Nations. The study was generated through a qualitative descriptive approach through a systematic review as an information collection tool. Searches were carried out in three academic databases: Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, and 33 research studies that met the established criteria were selected, to answer the research question: What are the advances in public management and government control of solid waste management in the member countries of the Andean Community of Nations? The first analysis identified three levels of progress in solid waste management: high, low, and medium. Furthermore, previous research in the Andean Community of Nations highlighted achievements such as waste reduction in Colombia, and the promotion of recycling in Ecuador. The importance of a sustainable approach to organic waste management and the presence of government control were highlighted. The reduction of solid waste in Colombia, the increase in recycling in Ecuador, the recovery of organic waste in Peru, and the optimization of waste management through the clustering approach in Bolivia were identified.

Arian M. Edullantes   Giovanni B. Cagurin   and Angelo Mark P. Walag   

Policymakers, leaders of nonprofit organizations, and others have repeatedly demanded proof over the past few decades showing how environmental education significantly improves environmental quality and aids in conservation goals. This study investigated the impact of a community-based project on waste management awareness and livelihood training. The program was specifically designed to capacitate community members on waste segregation, reduction, recycling, reusing, and repurposing with the goal of reducing the pollution of a nearby creek. The present study aims to fill in the gap in our understanding on how community-based programs help improve environmental outcomes. A convergent mixed method parallel design was utilized to quantitatively show the residents' knowledge, attitudes, and practices while simultaneously exploring the benefits derived from the said program through a focus group discussion with barangay residents and barangay leaders. Results demonstrate that the participants have possessed sufficient solid waste management knowledge and desirable attitudes and practices towards solid waste. In addition, participants also reported the importance of incentives, community involvement, and political will toward strengthened waste segregation at-source. These results demonstrate a positive impact on the lives of the community residents as a result of a community-based environmental education campaign. While the results provide meaningful clues on the impact community-based programs, caution must be taken in the interpretation of the finds due to some methodological limitations.

Sasireka Rajendran   Gangadharan Muthukumaragurupandian   Kannan Ramesh   and Vinoth Rathinam   

The majority of substances preferred in the food, plastics, printing ink, pharmaceutical, textile, and paper industries are dyes; they impart color to a substrate through a mechanism that can be temporary or permanent. Due to ineffective disposal methods, dyeing operations produce 2,00,000 tons of dye effluents annually, particularly if we concentrate on the textile sector. Hazardous chemicals and other heavy metals found in dyes released as effluent are toxic to people, plants, and other living things. Artificial azo dyes are utilized in many sectors, including the cosmetics, textile, and pharmaceutical sectors. Since these dyes are harmful to humans, getting rid of them is essential. Using microbiological-based dye degradation can be a more efficient and promising approach than using conventional techniques. To degrade the azo dye methylene blue, the current study intends to screen and isolate microbial strains from soil contaminated by textile effluent. More identification and characterization of the isolated microorganisms were done. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, it was observed that strains isolated from contaminated sites were identified as Serratia marcescens. In addition, the isolated strains dye decolorization efficiency was examined. Based on the results it was clear that the strain exhibited a decolorization efficiency of 95 % upon 5 hours of incubation time under dynamic conditions, and elicited better degradation at pH 7 and a temperature of 50 ℃ and a dye concentration of 100 ppm.

Yasir M. Yousif   Omar M. Hassan   and Ibraheem J. Ibraheem   

Nanomaterials are one of the new technological developments that have attracted the attention of many scientists. Using these materials on a large scale can lead to many advanced features. Due to its exceptional properties, a nanocellulose material known as cellulose nanocrystalline (CNC) is currently receiving attention. Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was prepared from Chara corallina algae by ball milling, followed by ultrasonic treatment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were used to characterize nanocellulose. The BET calculation model determined the specific surface areas of the samples (milling and ultrasonic treatment) and found that they were 5.79 m²/g and 6.37 m²/g, respectively. This suggests that augmenting the carboxyl content is beneficial for producing beads with a cellulose nanonetwork structure and a larger surface area. Vacuum filtration was applied to several layers of nanocellulose membrane filters to evaluate the removal efficiency of five bacterial species from water. The results showed high efficiency in removing Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli at 99.33, 98.47, 98.41, 97.11, and 93.81%, respectively. Due to their low cost, simple preparation, and sustainable materials, algae-extracted CNC filter papers show bright future possibilities and potential applications in many fields, especially in microorganism elimination, water purification, and sustainable materials. It is expected to be fully used in many industries soon.

Wan Nur Sakinah Din   Azizah Endut   Fathurrahman Lananan   and Nor Azman Kasan   

The study evaluates the comparison of gravel and clay pebbles as a plant growth bed for cultivating African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and okra (Abelmoscus esculentus). A recirculation aquaponic system (RAS) with a bell siphoned was used for a 16-week study period with three various media: gravel (M1), clay pebbles (M2), and a mixture of both with the ratio of 1:1 (M3). The performance comparison of different media growth beds was assessed through the growth and production of catfish and okra, as well as the effectiveness of nutrient removal from the fish tank. The results reveal statistically better okra planting performance in media containing clay pebbles M2 and M3 in terms of plant height, leaf area, and stem circumference. The specific growth rate (SGR) of okra exhibited a notably higher value in M2 and M3, reaching 3.41 ± 0.06 and 3.42 ± 0.09 respectively, compared to 2.33 ± 0.07 in M1. Similar results of catfish growth were obtained where M2 and M3 have better performance for weight gain, survival rate (SR), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The highest weight gained 290.50 ± 7.37 and the lowest for FCR 1.30 ± 0.03 was achieved in M3 compared to other media growth beds. Okra production was shown to be significantly greater in the growth bed containing clay pebbles M2 (4.37 ± 0.38 kg/m²) and M3 (4.89 ± 0.40 kg/m²) compared to gravel growth bed M1 (2.83 ± 0.24 kg/m²). The resultant effects of media growth bed varieties on nutrient deficiency showed M3 removed total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite-N, nitrate-N, and total phosphorus (TP) better with percentage removal of 84.2 ± 1.42 %, 89.5 ± 1.85 %, 86.8 ± 1.22 %, and 93.1 ± 0.48 %, respectively. Therefore, the mixture of gravels and clay pebbles demonstrated a satisfactory performance of okra production as well as nutrient removal of RAS and the production of catfish production was also satisfactory.

Llesh Lleshaj   and Suela Agaj   

In recent years, the rising industrialization, trade, urbanization, and energy demand have affected the environment through carbon dioxide gas (CO₂) emission, which is a significant parameter known to impact air pollution directly. Consequently, many governments and international organizations conducted policies and regulations to address environmental degradation to pursue economic development. In Southeast European countries (SEE), the CO₂ emission calculated in metric tons per capita has increased by 19% in the last 20 years. This study examines the impact of trade development and further economic factors on the environmental indicator of CO₂ emission for the SEE region for the previous two decades. Data proceedings in this study are time series indicators for SEE, with an annual frequency of 2002 – 2021/2022. The statistical approach in the panel data model is used to find statistical significance, direct on-driven fixed factors, etc. CO₂ emission is investigated by factors such as trade openness, gross domestic product (GDP) growth, fossil fuel energy consumption, domestic credit to the private sector by banks, and urban population growth. The significance of trade openness and other economic variables on carbon emission is studied in this paper, focusing on formulating conclusions and recommendations to address mitigating these effects on environmental pollution.

Maxmudov Azizbek   Kodirov Ulugbek   Mavlanov Bekzod   Abduraimov Azizbek   Allamurotov Akmal   and Abduraimov Ozodbek   

Wild tulip species of the Western Tien-Shan have attracted attention of scientists and people, loving the beauties of nature, from the immemorial. The article discusses the current state of Tulipa kaufmanniana Regel coenopopulations located in the Uzbek part of the Western Tien Shan (Uzbekistan). Tulipa kaufmanniana has a wider altitudinal spread. It is found in the upper sub-mountain regions as far as the upland on all ranges of the western Tien-Shan. It shows unique polymorphism in nature. This species is endemic to the western Tien Shan. The studies were carried out on the Chatkal, Ugam, Kurama ridges of the Western Tien Shan. During 2021-2023 years, the current state of 8 coenopopulations (CP) was assessed on the basis of organismal and population characteristics. The age structure of the species was studied with division into 5 stages (juvenile, immature, virginal, generative, and senile). According to the demographic indicators of coenopopulations, the density per 1 m² was 0.85–16.65 individuals, and the ecological density was 2.12–18.07. Classification of age groups and their effectiveness according to A. A. Uranov and O. S. Smirnova (1969) shows that the types of coenopopulations are transient (CP 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) and mature (CP 2, 7). It blooms from the end of March through the beginning of May, and bears fruit in June-July. Limiting factors: picking of flowers and economic use of territory. Measures of protection: protected in the Chatkal and Ugam-Chatkal state biosphere reserves and the Ugam-Chatkal national park. It is necessary to control the state of populations, to forbid picking of flowers, and to search for ornamental forms and their reproduction in cultivation. Wild tulips differ from cultured varieties by resistance to diseases as well as drought and frost-tolerance. However, our love of tulips is unable to prevent reduction of size and area of tulip population which decrease rapidly every year. The results obtained are used to monitor and preserve rare plants.

Nurtiti Sunusi   Giarno   Muflihah   and Nurul Azizah Muzakir   

Extreme rainfall events often result in destructive weather conditions, as they frequently lead to flooding. The assessment of return levels, which represent the maximum rainfall that is expected to be exceeded within a given time frame, is crucial for effective flood planning. This study aims to compare the accuracy of return level estimations using two statistical distributions: the stationary Generalized Extreme Value distribution (GEVD) and the stationary Generalized Pareto distribution (GPD). The analysis utilized daily rainfall data from Makassar city, obtained at the Hasanuddin rain gauge station, spanning the period from 1980 to 2022. Two approaches were employed to assess the accuracy of return level estimation: the block maxima (BM) approach with GEVD and the peaks over threshold (POT) approach with GPD. Return levels were estimated for return periods of 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. The root mean square error (RMSE) was used as a metric for comparing the accuracy of the two models. The findings indicate that the GPD outperforms the GEVD in predicting the return level of extreme rainfall for each return period in Makassar city. Furthermore, the study predicts the maximum rainfall expected in the following year. In 2023, based on the GEVD, the maximum rainfall is projected to exceed 144,675 mm/day with a 50% chance of occurrence, while based on the GPD, it is expected to surpass 167,320 mm/day with a 14% chance of occurrence. These predictions provide valuable insights for understanding the potential severity of extreme rainfall events and can assist in planning and managing flood risks in Makassar city.

Ellyn Normelani   Deasy Arisanty   Inu Kencana Hadi   Muhammad Efendi   Norma Yuni Kartika   Karunia Puji Hastuti   and Selamat Riadi   

Indonesia has undergone significant land cover changes in recent decades, particularly in its vegetated regions. As a country abundant in tropical rainforests, it grapples with local issues such as forest and land fires, particularly prevalent in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Among the affected areas are the forests of Central Kalimantan, integral to the global carbon ecosystem, a subject of ongoing debate. To address these challenges, this research aims to analyze burned areas utilizing the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and the Random Forest (RF) method. By employing NBR and RF, the study seeks to identify and assess the extent of burned areas in these regions. The findings indicate that the accuracy test conducted on the burned area using both NBR and Random Forest classification yielded a notable accuracy rate of 86.67%. This accuracy reflects the degree of alignment between burned areas identified through Random Forest classification and those identified via NBR analysis. This research underscores the importance of employing advanced remote sensing techniques like NBR and RF to effectively monitor and analyze forest and land fires in Indonesia, particularly in regions like Central Kalimantan. The high accuracy achieved demonstrates the potential of these methods in accurately mapping burned areas, thereby aiding in managing and mitigating fire-related challenges in these ecologically significant areas.

Iraklis Karaiskos   Vasileios Bozoudis   and Ioannis Sebos   

This study conducts a thorough examination of the carbon footprint in the Hellenic Army's manufacturing sector, scrutinizing both stationary and transport-related emissions. It advances prior investigations into the Hellenic Army's emissions by introducing a comprehensive action plan designed to substantially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in military production. The plan integrates Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a precise carbon footprint timeline as essential instruments for continuous monitoring and efficacy assessment. The method for calculating emissions, utilizing 2021 data, adheres to the guidance of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and aligns with Greece's national reporting, ensuring observance of global standards such as ISO 14064. This adherence guarantees the reliability and validity of the study's conclusions. The analysis identifies electricity usage as the primary emission source, contributing 83.7% to the sector's carbon footprint, underscoring the significant environmental influence of energy utilization in military manufacturing. While recognizing the sector's considerable environmental footprint, the research also notes the beneficial impact of Greece's shift to renewable energy, which has led to a notable decrease in emissions. The study underscores the need for precise, industry-specific mitigation tactics, highlighting the military manufacturing sector's capacity for environmental impact reduction. The research not only illuminates the present GHG emission status in the Hellenic Army's manufacturing operations but also charts a definitive, sustainable course of action. The proposed strategic plan, reinforced by KPIs and an emission timeline, represents a balanced approach to ecological responsibility without compromising military production efficiency. This study stands as an exemplar for other industries aiming to reconcile with climate change mitigation objectives effectively.

Sofia Anita   T. Abu Hanifah   Itnawita   and Mukhlis   

Background of the research: Pineapple leaves are treated as waste after harvesting processes. The abundance of pineapple leaf wastes must improve its value as a biosorbent in reducing the parameters of peat water. The study aimed to characterize and utilize pineapple leaf wastes to purify peat water. The pineapple leaf waste was turned into a biosorbent and activated by adding 9% NaOH. Changes in the characteristics of the active biosorbent were analyzed based on Indonesian Standard (SNI) No. 0.06-3730-1995 in terms of the water content, ash content, Iodine adsorption capacity, and methylene blue adsorption capacity. FTIR was used for determining functional groups. Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrophotometer (SEM-EDS) was used to determine the morphology and composition of the biosorbent. The results showed that the pineapple leaf biosorbent had a water content value of 0.53%, 7.11% ash content, 23.4778mg/g methylene blue adsorption capacity, and 197.3463mg/g iodine adsorption capacity. Functional groups of pineapple leaf biosorbent before and after activation were O-H stretching, C-H aromatic, C-H aliphatic, C=O carbonyl, C=C aromatic, and C-O. The elements contained in the pineapple leaf biosorbent before activation were C, O, N, Mg, Cl, K, Fe, and Ca. Otherwise, after activation Mg and Cl elements disappeared. Conclusions: The results showed that pineapple leaf biosorbent was quite good in improving the quality of peat water. Physical parameters include odor, color, and total suspended solids, but pH value slightly increased. However, pineapple leaf biosorbent has not been able to reduce total dissolved solids.

Achmad Syamsu Hidayat   and Erma Agusliani   

Global climate change has an impact on almost all regions in the world, including floodplain wetlands in the South Kalimantan region. This flood plain wetland is used by 90% of the local community as a place for fishing. Climate change increases ecological loss on floodplain wetlands which ultimately affects fishing activities and catch productivity in addition to other human activities. The research aims to analyse fishermen's perceptions and adaptation to changes in water conditions due to climate change and analyse the factors that influence their adaptation behaviour. Data were collected by interviews using questionnaires with 200 fishermen and processed using Likert scale quantitative descriptive methods and binary logistic regression (logit) analysis. The results show that based on fishermen's perceptions, their level of knowledge and understanding of the signs of global climate change is moderate, but fishermen's involvement and the role of government is low in handling climate change. According to fishermen's perception, climate change greatly influences water conditions and catch productivity. The adaptation behaviour carried out by fishermen is relatively the same as that carried out by freshwater and coastal fishermen in other areas. Adjustments to fishing gear are influenced by knowledge and adjustments to the fishing season are influenced by knowledge and the ability of fishermen to identify signs of climate change and experience as fishermen. Increasing knowledge about climate change, its impacts and anticipatory strategies needs to be carried out so that adaptation strategies become the right solution in floodplain wetlands for the welfare of the community.

Imas Sukaesih Sitanggang   Apriliantono   Lailan Syaufina   Muhammad Asyhar Agmalaro   and Husnul Khotimah   

Haze is one of the harmful consequences of forest and land fires that cause negative effects on human health. In addition, the increase of CO₂ produced by forest and land fires in the atmosphere results in the greenhouse effect. To minimize the negative consequences of forest and land fires, analysis of haze movement and pollutant concentrations is necessary to be performed. This study aims to develop a web-based application for clustering haze trajectories from forest and land fires in Sumatra in 2015. The data used for the simulation are hotspot sequential patterns in Sumatra in 2015 and weekly GDAS meteorological data. This study adopts the linear sequential model in system development, which consists of four stages: analysis, design, implementation, and testing. The application was implemented using the Shiny Framework, which is available in the R programming tool. Two clustering algorithms are implemented in the application, namely ST-DBSCAN and K-Means. Haze and pollutants, including CO and CO₂, were generated using the HYSPLIT model. The application has three main features: Generating Haze Trajectory, Haze Clustering, and Haze Cluster Visualization. The system was tested, and the results show that all features in the application are working correctly. The system has a limitation in generating the real-time haze trajectory. This is due to the availability of real-time hotspots as initial points of simulations and meteorological data. Future work will focus on developing a real-time application of haze trajectory from forest and land fires.

Aceng Hidayat   Rina Martini   Anita Ristianingrum   Wahyu Budi Priatna   Purana Indrawan   Doni Sahat Tua Manalu   Edi Wiraguna   Helianthi Dewi   Sari Putri Dewi   Agief Julio Pratama   Beata Ratnawati   Rachel Gavrila Hardian Putri   Irfan Manaf   Nur Balqis   Muhamad Hilmi Hanafi   Keyren Johana Ginting   Annisa Rizkialita   Raffael Yohanes Beckham Darma   Muhammad Danang Mukti Darmawan   and Ridwan Siskandar   

Carbon footprint predictions have been used as indicators to help determine policy on the effects of contributions from the College of Vocational Studies at IPB University (SV IPB). The goal of this project is to lower emissions in the SV IPB environment by analyzing data on carbon footprint releases from campus activities. The objective is to project the distribution of the carbon footprint associated with each scope: scope 1 includes emissions from transportation and LPG purchases, scope 2 includes emissions from PLN electricity consumption, and scope 3 includes emissions from the use of PDAM and food (snacks and rice papers). The International Panel on Climate Change's approach is used to calculate third-scope carbon footprints. The activities on the SV IPB campus have a carbon footprint of 369.8143 TonCO₂e. Of this, scope 1 contributes 6.917 TonCO₂e (LPG: 6.84 TonCO₂e and transportation: 0.0774 TonCO₂e), scope 2 makes up 362,584 TonCO₂e, and scope 3 makes up 0.550 TonCO₂e (PDAM: 0.22 TonCO₂e; snacks box: 0.138 TonCO₂e; rice box: 0.193 TonCO₂e). Minimizing the carbon footprint of SV IPB activities is carried out by implementing leadership policies regarding increasing the habit of turning off computers when they are not in use/have finished using them, turning off the AC and lights when they are not in use/have finished using them; as well as continuing to strive for online and hybrid-based learning processes/seminars/meetings in certain periods; changing transportation activities for leaders to walking; carrying out effectiveness in Study Program meeting activities; and reforestation by planting trees and ornamental plants that can help absorb CO₂. New behavior and efficiency must continue to be implemented and improved so that it becomes an effort to reduce the carbon footprint produced by the SV IPB Campus.

Abhilash M P   Sooraj G   H.S. Kumara   and C.K. Ajai Chandran   

Kerala, renowned for its lush landscapes, is facing environmental challenges due to rapid urbanization, particularly in Kanhangad. This area, notable for its unique wetland ecosystem crucial for biodiversity and human livelihoods, is experiencing a conflict between residential development and wetland conservation. A comprehensive study in Kanhangad, employing diverse data sources such as open-source data, Google Earth Satellite Imagery, OpenStreetMap, and tools like ArcGIS, provides a detailed analysis of land use and its environmental impacts. The study combines digital data analysis with physical surveys to understand the ecological and developmental status comprehensively. The study reveals a dominant trend in Kanhangad's land use, with residential areas comprising 52% of the total land, mostly large, detached single-family homes. This reflects a societal shift towards viewing homes as status symbols, contributing to natural resource depletion. The research underscores the need for sustainable, low-cost housing, suggesting vertical housing as a potential solution to balance residential demands with environmental conservation. Kanhangad's wetlands, essential for local biodiversity and livelihoods, face threats from urban development and infrastructural expansion. The study shows a drastic reduction in wetland area, from 12.9 km² in 2004-05 to just 1.66 km² by 2020-21, indicating severe ecological degradation. Despite the Kerala Conservation of Paddy land and Wetland Act of 2008, which aims to protect these ecosystems, its limited effectiveness is evident from the ongoing depletion of wetlands. This situation calls for stricter enforcement of environmental regulations and greater public involvement in conservation efforts. Furthermore, the research examines the Kerala Paddy and Wetland Conservation Act-2008, analysing its role and effectiveness in local environmental governance. The Act, focusing on prohibiting wetland and paddy land conversion, is vital for regional conservation. However, gaps in its implementation are highlighted, especially considering the exacerbation of the 2018 and 2019 Kerala floods due to land conversion practices. The study emphasizes the urgent need for more robust environmental protection measures.

Muh. Fajaruddin Natsir   Muh Iqran Al Muktadir   Erniwati Ibrahim   Anwar Daud   Mahfuddin Yusbud   Suci Rahmadani   Arif Anwar   Muhammad Asfar   and Ain Khaer   

This research aims to find out the relationship between knowledge, income, social environment, and physical facilities of the community with household waste management behavior on Lakkang Island. The type of research used is analytical observational with a cross-sectional approach. The population in this study were heads/housewives on Lakkang Island. The sample in this research was 110 respondents. The research results indicate that knowledge and the social environment have a significant impact on household waste management behavior in the Lakkang Island community, as evidenced by p-values of 0.000 and 0.011, respectively. In contrast, income and access to physical facilities are factors that do not exert a significant influence on people's behavior in managing household waste, with p-values of 0.333 and 0.449, respectively. Knowledge and social environment are significant factors, while income level and physical facilities are factors that do not have a significant influence on people's behavior in managing household waste. So, there is a need to pay more attention to knowledge, especially regarding household waste management, apart from that, the provision of physical facilities needs to be a concern for the government on Lakkang Island.

Ihor Smyrnov   Anatolii Mykolaiets   Nataliia Lutsiv   Volodymyr Merchanskyi   and Oleksandr Kovalenko   

This study deals with the critical link between environmental policy and the growing tourism industry in popular and frequently visited tourist destinations. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policy in tourist destinations and the relationship between environmental protection indicators and tourist attractiveness. The study employs graphic comparison and an interdisciplinary approach that combines the ecological sphere and sustainable tourism policy analysis to identify the complex relationship between political measures and their environmental, social, and economic consequences. Thematic research and data analysis revealed the absence of a dependency between a country’s tourist attractiveness and the state of the environment (effectiveness of state environmental policy), travel and tourism development, and sustainable development policy. The research emphasizes the lack of standardized evaluation indicators as an obstacle to policy effectiveness evaluation. The findings gave grounds for the adaptive and context-sensitive propositions to facilitate cooperation between stakeholders, including public authorities and the tourism sector, in order to jointly create approaches that promote responsible tourism practices and environmental protection. The study provides practical recommendations for the development of evaluation criteria that comprehensively consider both environmental and economic factors in continuous monitoring systems. The research contributes to the discussion on achieving a harmonious balance between a thriving tourism economy and the preservation of the natural heritage of the busiest tourist destinations. The prospects for further research include identifying additional factors influencing the popularity of tourist routes in different countries.

Mary Ann. O. Ajayi   and Olufemi Alabi   

Over the years, humans and animals have coexisted with minimal infractions on both rights. However, the quest for survival which has been triggered by economic, cultural, religious, and security issues has contributed to persistent conflicts for human survival which grossly affects human/animal welfare/rights. Conflict can be said to occur between the relationships of humans and animals when there is a struggle for space and survival. Evidence abounds of the constant encroachment of humans on the space previously occupied by animals. Human activities such as deforestation, deliberate wildlife captivity, and indiscriminate removal of animals for the benefit of human needs, trigger encroachment of animal space by humans. The removal of these animals from their natural environment no doubt affects welfare/rights protected by law. The utilitarian theory was adopted in this paper to explain the importance of animal welfare/rights. This work investigated human/animal conflicts using Akure-Ofosu Forest Reserve as a case study. It found among other things that factors such as poverty, increase in the human population, and lack of education/enlightenment about the benefits of the presence of some animals are the main push for human encroachment on animal space. The study reveals that the issue of animal rights is still unpopular in Nigeria and similarly, the enforcement of laws pertaining to these rights is also lacking. It therefore recommends that issues of peaceful co-existence of humans and animals be addressed urgently by Government and NGOs to reduce conflicts. Human and animal interactions are inevitable hence, cannot be devoid of conflict; therefore, efforts made at resolving these conflicts should protect both interests. Future UN SGDs goals should capture animal welfare issues considering their importance in sustaining other goals.

N. F. Mahat   E. Saleh   N. F. Azmi   M. J. Sidik   and S. Al-Azad   

A rip current is known as rapid offshore-directed, narrow, intense jets of water originating from the surf zone and broadening towards the wave-breaking zone. Its formation can be a combination of wind, waves, and variations of bathymetric features. The rip contributes to one of the major coastal hazards in the world but lack of rip reports in the coastal areas of Sabah, Malaysia. The objectives of this study are to analyze the potential rip current area from satellite images and to determine the rip hotspots area on the west coast of Sabah. The rips were determined based on rapid offshore-directed currents formation and strong waves at coastal areas from Google Earth Pro between 2018 and 2021 (4 years). The selected study sites encompass the coastal areas between Papar and Kota Belud Districts, utilizing approximately 49 captured satellite images. The possible rip formations identified in Papar, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, and Kota Belud Districts are 6, 2, 22, 25, and 3, respectively. The highest rip current formation (38%) was detected in Karambunai Beach, Kota Kinabalu. The average length of the rips was estimated as 0.13 (0.02±0.7) km. This study focuses only on rip current's appearance from open-source data. Ground data measurement and analysis are required for detailed characteristics of the rip current, and its impacts on drowning cases.

Ernoiz Antriyandarti   Umi Barokah   Wiwit Rahayu   Darsono   Sri Marwanti   Minar Ferichani   Susi Wuri Ani   Dewi Nawang Suprihatin   and M Fathurrahman Mulyawan   

Waste pollution will continue to be a severe problem, but many people are unaware of it. With population growth, industrial development, urbanization, and modernization, waste will continue to increase. Surakarta is one of the cities with an overcapacity landfill that has not been resolved, so the waste bank program that encourages people to practice the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) will undoubtedly help the unresolved problem. Moreover, households contributed the most to the national waste, which reached 42.23% of the total. Women's participation in collecting recyclables from municipal waste, dumpsites, or landfills, on the other hand, was noticeable in almost all countries. So, the participation of homemakers in waste bank activities can be one solution to the waste problem. This study aims to see the significance of the role of women in household waste management. The descriptive approach method is used in the study to accurately represent an issue and its conditions. Secondly, quantitative analysis methods were used: by using multiple regression linear to estimate the determinants of Willingness to Pay for waste management. The results show that the significant data of the respondents of waste bank customers in Surakarta City that in fact, 85 percent are dominated by women. Thus, the research clearly shows that women have an essential role in the household's waste management.

Unmilan Kalita   Amlan Kumar Dey   Padma Sharma Goswami   Arup Kumar Hazarika   Suraj Chetri   Binita Basnet Baruah   and Jyotismitra Das   

Rivers play a critical role in supporting both ecosystems and human activities, underscoring the significance of their environmental conservation. Unfortunately, the rapid rise of industrialization and urbanization has led to severe pollution and ecological degradation in many rivers worldwide. In this study, we focus on the degrading ecological condition of the Bharalu River - a crucial tributary of the Brahmaputra River in India and explore the intricate connection between economic activities and the river's ecological quality in the river's watershed. To achieve this, a novel Ecology-Economy index (EEI) is introduced, providing a comprehensive evaluation of how economic development impacts the river's ecological condition. Findings reveal a very high EEI value of 0.706 revealing a high interaction between the ecology-economy, demonstrating a troubling ecological impact resultant from economic activities, leading to significant environmental degradation. As such, in order to restore and protect the health of the Bharalu River, efforts should prioritize attaining a lower Ecology-Economy index ratio. This would signify a better balance between economic growth and ecological sustainability, ultimately mitigating the adverse effects on the river's ecological status.

Nur Zaida Zahari   Piakong Mohd Tuah   Steffira Zeandea Greater   and Fera Nony Cleophas   

Over the last decade, the production of plastics has increased with their increasing usage. Plastics have been seen as the most widely encountered waste in the environment. However, little is known regarding the accumulation of MPs in different tissues of fishes, especially in seawater in natural environments. In this study, the abundance of macro, meso and microplastics in guts from pelagic, demersal, and benthic groups were examined. A total of 70 individual fish guts from seven species (fish per species n = 10) were examined. These groups were chosen based on their distinct habitat features which lie in their preferred depth and location within the water column. Samples were taken from fish markets in Tuaran, Menggatal, Lido, and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia. Remarkably, this study found meso and microplastic from the 2 pelagic species which are Seriola rivoliana and Scomberomorus commerson. In terms of characteristics, the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particle was found in the form of fragment, fiber, and sphere while the polystyrene was in the form of fragment. Our results provided useful information for the assessment of the environmental threats posed by microplastics in Sabah, with a focus on the perspective of marine organisms.

Hermawan Wahyu Setiadi   Siti Irene Astuti Dwiningrum   and Ali Mustadi   

Several studies in the ecosystem field have found that ecoliteracy competence plays an important determining role towards preserving the natural environment. Although there is a lot of research on environmental issues in various countries especially in Indonesia, only a few studies have been conducted on ecoliteracy competencies, let alone on elementary school students. The implication is on the quality of human resources who have low environmental awareness can cause many problems related to environmental damage and natural disasters. This research aims to explore the portrait and influence of elementary school students' ecoliteracy competencies on nature conservation and investigate supporting and inhibiting factors for implementing the concept of ecoliteracy in Indonesia. Based on the results of a questionnaire with 170 respondents in five districts/cities that are Purbalingga, Pekalongan, Jambi, Sleman and Surabaya, this research found a positive and significant influence of ecoliteracy competence on environmental sustainability among elementary school students in Indonesia in 2022/2023 (F_count = 14.025 > F_table = 3.906; p = 0.000), so this research shows that the Adiwiyata school program and Nature and local wisdom are supporting factors for implementing the concept of ecoliteracy among students. In conclusion, students' ecoliteracy competencies need to be developed, especially in formal education by integrating government programs such as nature schools and Adiwiyata schools and supported by local wisdom with the hope that students will be able to have a sense of concern for environmental sustainability.

Lalita Zakharikhina   Sergey Zakharikhin   Polina Lesnikova   and Olga Bykhalova   

Seawater intrusion (SI) into deep freshwater aquifers is a serious problem in coastal areas around the globe that has been exacerbated in recent decades by climate change and rising sea levels. Pumping and seawater upcoming can intensify the mixing of groundwater and seawater within the aquifer to the point where fresh groundwater becomes unfit for drinking. Here, based on the study of subsurface and overland runoff (seepage, springs, and streams) conducted in the pristine Utrish Nature Reserve on the Russian Black Sea coast, several geochemical characteristics of the runoff indicating the occurrence of SI have been identified for the first time. We have termed the diffusion of highly diluted seawater from the seawater-freshwater mixing zone into deep aquifers and subsequently into subsurface and overland runoff the secondary contamination (SC) of subsurface and overland runoff. The identified characteristics are: positive correlation of excess trace elements with Cl and SO4 anions predominant in seawater, consistently higher Br content (marine factor) in spring water compared to stream water, and, conversely, lower concentrations of Al, Cr, Zn, Cs, and all rare earth elements (REEs) (terrestrial factor). Furthermore, overland and subsurface runoff exhibited anomalous REE fractionation relative to rocks, channel sediments, and soils. The occurrence of europium (Eu/Eu* = 3.96 in spring water and Eu/Eu* = 1.44 in stream water) was a positive anomaly attributed to changes in redox potential at the geochemical barrier at the seawater-freshwater interface. The impact of SI on stream water and springs fed by perched aquifers was linked to the topography of the area characterized by low hypsometry. The geochemical indicators described in this study will help establish the occurrence and magnitude of SI in groundwater aquifers in coastal areas without resorting to suboptimal sampling methods, such as drilling, which can damage aquifers. Furthermore, these indicators can serve as reference benchmarks for monitoring SI intensity in heavily used coastal aquifers to control pumping rates and reduce contamination by seawater due to upcoming and mixing for enhanced coastal water security.

Ivone Wulandari Budiharto   Surya Kusuma Wijaya   Dwi Budiono   and Citra Buana Sari   

The increase in vehicle ownership is directly proportional to the increase of lubricant oil usage (used oil) which has an impact on the environment. The purpose of the study was to determine the ability of the co-composting method to reduce the content of pollutants in soil contaminated with used oil by adding organic waste with ruminant livestock waste which contains many microorganisms. The used method for co-composting is a laboratory-scale rotary aerobic composter for 10 days of treatment with treatment components of 500ml used oil lubricant polluted soil, 1kg leaf litter, 2kg ruminant waste and 150ml agricultural EM4. The measured parameters were temperature, colour, texture, pH, humidity, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) and red spinach plants. The results showed that there were changes in the test parameters during the 10 days of treatment. The results of the T test data analysis showed that the application of compost fertilizer from the remediation results had a very significant effect on temperature, pH, humidity and a significant effect on the number of leaves due to the content of nitrogen (N) in compost that stimulates the formation of stems, roots and leaves. Isolated and identified microorganisms that consist of 14 bacterial isolates derived from ruminant livestock manure Application of microorganisms and EM4 bioactivator influenced the degradation of pollutants. The longer the composting process, the higher the percentage of TPH degradation.

Zuhal Abdul Hadi Hamza   and Ahmed Makki Al-Sulaiman   

One of the most crucial and difficult duties jobs performed by meteorological agencies in the world is the forecasting of weather, particularly rainfall. Furthermore, it is a difficult process that calls for knowledge from many different specialist domains. In this study, a model based on an artificial neural network (ARNN) is suggested as a method to forecast successive rainfalls according to Meteorological Station based on analyses of previous rainfall data. It is for 11 years from 2010-2021 at the Hay Al Hussian in Basrah. Based on three informative meteorological factors, the feed forward neural networks with back propagation algorithm are used for learning and predicting. The created models have been trained, validated, and tested using observations of temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity. The research discovered that the neural network ARNN organized (3-30-1) was capable of long-term rainfall forecasting at the study region with one hidden layer and layers (3-25-5-1) were capable of long-term rainfall forecasting in this region with two hidden layers. The model was able to learn the events that it had been trained to recognize, according to the results, which were backed up by strong correlation coefficient (R) values and low mean squared errors (MSE) values. The root MSE was 0.0016187, and R Value was found to be 0.997 for one hidden layer and the root MSE was 8.4731E-8, and R value was found to be 1 for two hidden layers.

Osuji E. E.   Opaluwa H. I.   Ben-Chendo G. N.   Ukoha I. I.   Nwachukwu E. U.   Osuji M. N.   Ibeagwa O. B.   Iroegbu C. S.   Orji J. E.   Anyanwu U. G.   Okpara B. O.   Ahamefule B. A.   Nse-Nelson F. A.   Nzeakor F. C.   Offor E. I.   Iwezor-Magnus D. N.   Maduike I. A.   and Obi-Nwandikom C. O.   

An examination of solid waste disposal in Southeast Nigeria was conducted, considering its ecosystem disturbances and impacts on soil productivity. A total of 416 respondents were selected using a multi-stage and purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and interview schedules. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, charts, principle component analysis and a probit regression model. Results show respondents produced various forms of solid wastes such as kitchen/food waste (100%), paper/cellophane (77%), textile (52.2%), and plastic (98.3%). About (70%) of the respondents produced solid waste at a maximal level, (21%) at minimal and (9%) at moderate levels. Major hazards caused by poor solid waste disposal include health issues (100%), land pollution/soil productivity loss (99.5%), climate change (99%), and air pollution (98.3%). Waste disposal in the zone includes open burning (17%), dumping in gutters and water bodies (9%), storage in tanks/landfills (17%), and dumping at designated sites (22%). Solid waste disposals could be improved via public awareness, government policy formulation, and implementation. Age, gender, distance to designated refuse sites, education, participation in waste disposal training, and solid waste disposal laws were significant determinants of solid waste disposal in southeast, Nigeria. The study implies that inefficient solid waste disposal disrupts ecosystems and biodiversity and causes health-related issues. Good environmental policies should be formulated and enacted to abate indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes in undesignated locations and sites in Southeast, Nigeria.

Lina Warlina   Sri Listyarini   Aceng Sambas   and Dian Syah Maulana   

The escalation in the prevalence of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles within urban locales, coupled with the presence of industrial zones situated on the peripheries of major metropolitan areas, constitutes the primary catalyst for atmospheric pollution. Notably, particulate matter (PM) emerges as a preeminent constituent in the compendium of air pollutants. PM denotes minuscule particles, exhibiting a diameter falling within the range of 2.5 to 10 micrometers or less. It becomes imperative to devise a continuous ambient air PM concentration measurement apparatus to enable the perpetual scrutiny of air quality. The PM2.5 monitoring system necessitates a sensor characterized by affordability, compactness, and a commendable level of precision. To this end, researchers have conceived a sensor predicated on the light scattering methodology for the quantification of airborne particulates. Nevertheless, these sensors mandate a rigorous evaluation phase before their deployment in real-world scenarios. Consequently, there arises a need for a calibration system designed to assess their performance. In the present investigation, the GP2Y1010AU0F Dust Sensor Module was selected for PM assessment. This paper outlines the design of a PM2.5 monitoring system utilizing sensors that have undergone validation within an aerosol chamber. The monitoring system integrates the AVR Arduino Uno microcontroller as the data processing unit, while the Internet of Things (IoT) framework, denoted by ESP8266, was employed in this study. The results obtained through the monitoring endeavor reveal that Car-Free Day (CFD) events yield a reduction of 14.55% in PM concentrations compared to typical operational days. The findings derived from the air quality assessment undertaken during CFD activities substantiate the sensors' aptitude for accurately quantifying PM2.5 concentrations in ambient air.

M. R. Khairul Muluk   Yusri Abdillah   and Asti Amelia Novita   

This study aims to review the root problems of inter-institutional conservation area governance using the theory of Governance Networks. This research seeks to gain an in-depth understanding of the political will of community groups in managing conservation areas collectively, institutional relations, and conservation legal systems and policies. This research uses a qualitative approach with the System Thinking method to explore the problem of developing the Governance Networks model in the context of conservation area governance which is then developed into ecotourism. The Soft System Methodology (SSM) method of System Thinking was used in this study to document the problems of cooperation between stakeholders in the management of CMC Tiga Warna ecotourism (Rich Picture) and formulate a conceptual model of cooperation in conservation area management (Conceptual Model), where all these processes follow 7 stages of SSM. Based on the results to be produced in this study and the methodological encouragement of the 7 stages of SSM, initial research was carried out to explore problems and compile a solution model (TKT 5) according to stages 1-7 SSM proposed in this research proposal. This research uses 3 stages of data collection techniques, namely observation, interviews and documentation. The output resulting from this research includes international journal publications and models to facilitate networking between CMC Tiga Warna management institutions with the institutions involved, as well as with tourists. The research location covers the entire Clungup Mangrove Conservation area located in Tambakrejo Village, Sumbermanjing Wetan District, Malang Regency.

Abdel Walid A. Mamaco   Mark Joseph J. Buncag   Ricmar A. Magarin   Kaleb P. Arreza   Mark Gregory Q. Rule   and Jenefer P. Calipusan   

The lake ecosystem in the municipality of Saguiaran serves as a habitat for various flora and fauna species and a main source of water supply for agriculture and livestock production in the surrounding communities. The lake experiences periodic drying and its surrounding ecosystem has been significantly influenced by various anthropogenic activities and the introduction of alien species. Thus, this study assessed the lake diversity and the residents' willingness to pay for the protection. This study used the belt transect method to assess the diversity and contingent valuation to determine the willingness to pay for the protection. Results show that diversity (H' = 1.324) and evenness (J = 0.533) are low. Carabao grass (Paspalum conjugatum P.J. Bergius) is with the most abundant species that accounts for about 62% (n = 457) of the total plant individuals assessed. There are four statistically significant variables in correlation analysis and there is a very low degree of multicollinearity among independent variables, with a mean Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) of 1.49. In a regression model, five variables are correlated to the dependent variable, which are all from the demographic profile of the respondent. It includes age, gender, monthly income, household monthly income and number of years living in the area. The average willingness to pay is Php 23.85, which is what respondents paid monthly for Basak Lake protection. The payment for the protection of Basak Lake can generate Php 109,324,931 annually.

Rita Retnowati   Indarti Komala Dewi   Rita Istiana   and Eka Puspita   

The issue of environmental pollution has a direct impact on the depletion of natural resources. Companies, as key players in development, exert influence on activities related to the exploration of natural resources. This study seeks to assess the efficacy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in enhancing community empowerment within the realm of environmental management. This research employs a mixed-method sequential explanatory approach, incorporating qualitative data analysis using the techniques proposed by Miles and Huberman. Additionally, quantitative data analysis involves the application of single and multiple correlation tests. The findings indicate a significant correlation between the effectiveness of the Community Development (CD) program and Environmental Responsibility (ER), with a correlation coefficient of r_y1=0.755 and an explained variance of 56.9%. The observed ER behaviors within the community include environmental protection efforts and active participation in environmental community initiatives. The quality of assistance provided by Community Development Officers (CDOs) serves as compelling evidence of the CD program's effectiveness, particularly in the context of the Green Think Ship Education Forest program. Furthermore, there is a noteworthy relationship between self-efficacy and ER, with a correlation coefficient of r_y2=0.646 and an explained variance of r₂=0.417. This perceived self-efficacy is influenced by several factors: (1) active community involvement as members of the Green Think Ship Education Forest program group; (2) training received; and (3) assistance received through the CD program. The effectiveness of the CD program and the level of self-efficacy among community members are interconnected and significantly impact ER behavior, with a correlation coefficient of r_y1.2=0.804 and an explained variance of r₂=0.646. These findings are consistent with previous research, highlighting the influence of both internal and external factors on human behavior. In summary, when the CD program is more effective and is supported by a high level of community self-efficacy, it contributes positively to the promotion of responsible environmental behavior.

Panse Isha   and Raval Pratap   

The urban area as an ecosystem involves natural, man-made elements of the environment and human aspects of culture and society. The development of the urban ecosystem is partially planned. Street vending is an essential urban activity that manifests itself without being 'formally planned'. Thus, the activity of street vendors is termed as being 'informal' and is not catered to in conventional urban planning and design. This study looks at street vending as an insert within the built fabric of the case study area. This concept gives rise to various relationships between the contribution and conflict of vendors to the multiple aspects of the urban ecosystem. These relationships are analysed through the framework of sustainability to identify the impact of street vending. The analysis of the activity and interactions of street vendors with the space and the residents of an urban area helps to understand their role in the urban ecosystem. The contribution of street vending to a range of urban ecosystem services such as social interaction and the local economy is explored in this study. The study establishes an epistemic framework focusing on understanding the structure and function of street vending in the urban environment.

Tito Mallma-Capcha   and MarĂ­a del Pilar ChĂĄvez-Pacheco   

The micro-basin of the Paca Paccha river is composed of surfaces made up of cultivated fields, forests, natural pastures and rocky areas. On this surface, there are rains with high intensities which cause runoff. This runoff erodes the surface of the micro-basin. These runoff waters transport the organic material that is made up of the fertilizers applied to the crop fields, which finally reaches the Paca Paccha river. This phenomenon occurs during intense rainy seasons, to finally flow into the Paca lagoon, becoming clogged at the bottom of said lagoon, the same one that quantifies a volume of 20.36 m³, this being one of the causes of the eutrophication process. On the other hand, the lagoon is bordered by crop fields that directly carry organic matter through runoff to the edges of the lagoon, which favors the spread of vegetation such as reeds, which caused the eutrophication of these areas due to the contribution of organic material. Due to this cause, the Paca lagoon has a eutrophied surface of 1.46 km². The surface that is in the process of eutrophication corresponds to 0.04 km² and the free surface that has not yet reached this process is 3.05 km². Once the physical-chemical analysis of the lagoon waters has been carried out, they give us a result of 170 ppm of SO₄^2-, 85 ppm of PO₄^2-, 28 ppm of NO₃^-, 5.3 ppm of O₂, color 3.5, turbidity 1.9, total hardness 33, hardness of calcium 15 and PH of 8.7. These results show that the degree of eutrophication is light to medium. To prevent the lagoon from continuing with the eutrophication process, in this way the contaminated water reaches the lagoon directly, for this it must be treated with treatment plants that include biological and chemical treatments that eliminate phosphorus and nitrogen. In addition, it is proposed to build a sand trap at the entrance of the lagoon to trap the material dragged by the river.

Elanda Fikri   Oryza Filial Zulkarnain   Anshah Silmi Afifah   and Yura Witsqa Firmansyah   

To develop into an environmentally friendly company, technological advancements must always accompany the company's growth. Consequently, sustainable environmental management becomes essential, including the implementation of an environmental management system (EMS) in accordance with international organization for standardization (ISO) 14001:2015 standards. The objective of this study is to evaluate EMS compliance with ISO 14001:2015. This article employs a literature review methodology with case study approach, involving the collection, examination, and conclusion drawing from up to nine articles published from 2017 to 2022, focusing on the application of the ISO 14001 environmental management system in different industrial sectors. The research measures seven assessments: organizational context, planning, support, leadership, operations, performance evaluation, and improvement. The study's findings demonstrate that the dimensions of the environmental management system's sustainability have been implemented in accordance with the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI-2017) ISO 14001:2015 method, and the implementation of the self-assessment checklist falls under the satisfactory sustainable category. Some studies have included assessment results based on the ISO 14001:2015 checklist for the organizational context field. Companies like PT Janata Marina Indonesia and PT Citra Abadi Sejati need improvement as they are still in the process of fulfilling the requirements for ISO certification. On the other hand, companies such as PT. Indonesia Power Up, PT. X waste processor, PT. X detergent manufacturer, PT. SAS International, PT. Nusa Konstruksi Enjiniring Tbk (NKE), PT. Adhi Karya, the Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Industry, and PT X Laboratory in Indonesia, which already hold ISO 14001 certificates, have shown good organizational context values. However, there are two companies that have not yet met the ISO 14001:2015 criteria.

Dyah Febria Wardhani   Deasy Arisanty   Agung Nugroho   and Umi Baroroh Lili Utami   

The research discussed here focuses on preserving the unique local wisdom of the Dayak Paramasan tribe, encompassing their distinct practices, beliefs, and traditions. This indigenous knowledge is under threat, and the study highlights the urgent need for intergenerational transmission through environmental education to ensure its continuity. The main aim of this research is to analyze the local wisdom of the Paramasan Dayak tribe in managing their environment. The qualitative research methodology involves in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis, with key informants being traditional leaders and community heads. The study's findings reveal the profound understanding of the Dayak Paramasan tribe regarding the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Their traditional rituals emphasize the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world. The research underscores that the local wisdom of this tribe highlights the crucial interdependence between humans and their environment, recognizing that the sustainability of their way of life hinges on preserving their natural surroundings. Consequently, they actively engage in biodiversity conservation, nurturing aquatic ecosystems, and demonstrating respect for all life forms through traditional rituals. In the modern era, the Dayak Paramasan tribe's local wisdom offers valuable lessons and inspiration for safeguarding and preserving the environment for future generations. Their practices and values can inform and guide efforts to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable coexistence with nature.

Eva R. Orlina   

Pollutant contamination from biosolids application is a major constrain of its utilization in the agricultural ecosystem. Alimodian (fine isohypherthermic, calcic halfultalf) soils planted with Red Spanish pineapple (Ananas bracteatus) in Aklan, Philippines were evaluated to determine the Pollutant Concentration Limit (PCL), Annual Pollutant Loading Rate (APLR), and the Site Life (SL) for biosolids enrichment of the area. Standards prescribed by the USEPA Biosolids Management Handbook, Department Administrative Order 2013-32, and the Bureau of Agriculture Fishery Standards in the Philippines were utilized. As per USEPA standards, the pollutant concentration (mg/L) of arsenic (As) is 0.0057, cadmium (Cd) 0.003, copper (Cu) 0.76, mercury (Hg) 0.0001, nickel (Ni) 0.26, lead (Pb) 0.03, selenium (Se) 0.0003, and zinc (Zn) 3.11. Similarly, based on the DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 2013-32 and Bureau of Agricultural Fisheries and Standard (BAFS), As, Hg, Ni, Se and Zn are within the permissible limits. The APLR in number of bags of biosolids that can be applied is 11,380 bags for one year to meet the 1.9 kg ha^-1 yr^-1 ceiling for Cd in one agricultural site for Red Spanish Pineapple. For all the other sites, the permissible number of bags of biosolids that could be applied is 9,260 to not exceed the Pb ceiling of 15 kg ha^-1 yr^-1. Site life or the period biosolids is safe based on the standard range of 20 to 21 years.

Ari Sandhyavitri   Bambang Sujatmoko   Mitra Adhimukti   F. Heru Widodo   Rizki Ramadhan Husaini   Ulviyya Mammadova   and Yulianto S. Nugroho   

Is there a technological way to decrease the carbon emissions caused by a devastating tropical peat land fire? This issue was addressed in this article. The objectives of this article are to (i) calculate the amount of carbon emissions that the tropical peat fire disasters in Pelalawan Regency, Sumatra Island, Indonesia, released into the atmosphere (2017-2020), and (ii) investigate the potential contributions that weather modification technology (WMT) can play to decreasing carbon emissions from these disasters. Peat fire catastrophes are especially challenging to put out because the flames may spread deeply into the peat soil layers and consume the peat soil materials. It was determined that the peat fires released 8,135 M tons of CO₂ in four years. The size of the burned regions and the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere both dramatically decreased following the 2020 WMT implementation compared to the 2017-2019 periods; as there was an increase in rainfall rates in 2020. According to the Target-only technique, the application of WMT (in 2020) was considered successful in lowering carbon emissions (CHS=0.0008<1). This article can be utilized as a reference by risk mitigation experts and policymakers to decrease carbon emissions through the application of WMT.

Yeshi Choden   Khameis Mohamed Al Abdouli   Pelden Singye   Anju Chhetri   Desh Maya Rai   and Nimesh Chettri   

Bhutan is said to be water abundant with extensive river systems flowing from north to south. However, access to these water resources still remains an issue due to the country's rugged terrain, highly dispersed nature of settlements, and low population densities. Water accessibility assessment will help in effective water resource management. It is seen that some areas under Paro Dzongkhag are water scarce whereas some of the water resource is not accessible. The Water Accessibility Index (WAI) is developed in order to measure the relative access to household drinking water of the people of Lamgong Gewog under Paro Dzongkhag. The data are collected through questionnaire surveys and field investigations to analyze the disparities in water distribution, accessibility across various villages of the same Gewog and the impacts of socio-economic factors on the water accessibility in the area. The field data collected on eight index components such as main water supply sources, distance travelled to sources, water lock off hours, etc., were analyzed and WAI was developed for five chiwogs under Lamgong Gewog. The results of this project revealed that out of five chiwogs, Chhukha has high accessibility for drinking water and its resources are also found to be plentiful. The overall trend of the Gewogs water resource increases towards the central region and the Gewog as a whole has an index value of 0.684, thus being categorized as a medium accessed area for drinking water.

Tiroyaone Albertinah Matsika   and Singh Satya Narayan   

Leaves and bark are important components of the litter in the Sydney area. This litter is prone to physical degradation, microbial decomposition or can get burnt. Many factors affect the rate, at which the burning or decomposition occurs. Amongst those, the chemical composition of litter and environmental factors play a significant role in regulating litter burning or decomposition. This study aimed to gain insight into the differences in caloric content in leaf and bark for different species. Moreover, the study examined the impact of caloric content on litter decomposition and flammability (time to ignition, flame duration and smouldering duration). Furthermore, the study wanted to understand how different chemicals contribute to interspecific differences in caloric content for both leaves and bark. To explore this, leaves and bark were collected from ten bark-shedding species around the Sydney region. Oxygen bomb calorimetry was performed on leaves and bark to get the caloric contents. The calorimetry results were then combined with already existing datasets on flammability, chemical analysis and decompositions to analyse interactions and responses of flammability and decomposition with changing caloric content. Leaf litter had a higher caloric content, averaging 21.8MJ/Kg whilst bark litter had a lower caloric content, 19.25MJ/Kg. On average, bark had nitrogen concentrations of 0.14%, while leaves had 0.4%. Bark had higher concentrations of lignin (35.6%) than leaves (19.8%). Consequently, more decomposition occurred in leaves than in bark. In addition, fuel with high caloric content ignited more quickly than fuel with less caloric content. Henceforth, this work concluded that higher caloric content results in slower decomposition and higher ignitability of fuel loads. These findings will aid in crafting informed fire predictions and management decisions for forests that deposit considerable fuel and pose higher fire risks.

Hassanatu Mohammed   Murjana Salifu   Abudu Ballu Duwiejuah   and Joseph Payne   

This study sought to investigate the remediation of lead (Pb²⁺) and mercury (Hg²⁺) polluted water using microwave-irradiated rice husk biochar treated with lemon juice. A completely randomised design (CRD) was used to set up the experiment with four (4) treatments i.e., rice husk biochar (RHB), microwave-modified rice husk biochar (MRHB), lemon juice-citric acid modified rice husk biochar (LRHB), and microwave-lemon juice-citric acid modified rice husk biochar (MLRHB) in three replicates. The experiment was conducted in mono and binary systems where each metal and the simultaneous adsorption of Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺ were determined. The treatments were effective in the adsorption with an efficiency range of 81 to 93 and 91 to 99 percent for Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺, respectively under the mono system. Under the binary system, an adsorption efficiency of 66 to 84 and 90 to 99 percent were observed across the treatments for Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺. The experiment showed aqueous solution pH influenced the adsorption capacities of the various treatments under both mono and binary systems irrespective of the heavy metal present. A strong positive relationship with an adjusted R² value of 0.69 (mono system) and 0.89 (binary system) was observed between pH and adsorption. The experimental data fitted both the Langmuir and Freundlich models very well (0.95 < R² ≀ 1), and the R_L and 1/n values were found to be favourable (i.e. < 1). Therefore, any of the treatments used in this study can be a good adsorbent of lead and mercury that find their way into the aqueous environment.

Minakshi Sharma   Rashi Jarial   Mohit Nain   A. K. Awasthi   Owais Aalam   and Bhanu Pratap   

The present study deals with the regional frequency analysis approach to analyzing rainfall data of Haryana state. From all over Haryana, 29 rain gauge stations were selected based on data availability. These stations were clustered into three groups namely, G1, G2, and G3 with the help of Ward's method. L-moments-based Heterogeneity test (H) was used to test the region's homogeneity and for each station, a discordancy measure (D_i) was calculated. Results of H test showed that all three groups were homogeneous and indicated that there was no discordant station in each group. Best-fit distribution was chosen using a goodness-of-fit measure (Z ^DIST) and L-moment ratios diagram. Results of these tests showed that Pearson type-3 (PE-3) was the best-fitted distribution for group G1 and Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) and Generalized Normal (GNO) were the best for group G2, while for group G3, GNO was the best-fitted distribution. Using the L-moments method, the parameters of the fitted distributions were estimated, and regional growth curves were generated for each homogenous group. Regional growth curves provided regional quantiles at various return periods for each group. Further, quantiles were estimated at each station using regional quantiles by taking the station's mean as a scaling factor. The results showed that estimated quantiles using the best-fit distribution were in close agreement with observed data.

Mark Joseph J. Buncag   Julienne Bariuan-Elca   Ma. Angelica R. Canizares   Mary Joy D. Capunitan-Abasolo   Jhuliet Arianne G. Lantican   and Samantha Lian D. M. Magsanoc   

Our study describes the process by which mangrove rehabilitation and sustainable management was and continues to be institutionalized in Binulasan through the development and continued operation of the people's organization BFARMA. We co-constructed a highly contextualized narrative of this institutionalization process, highlighting participant views, which we elicited through unstructured, informal interview-conversations. We found that in order to sustain collective action in mangrove sustainable management and ensure BFARMA's effectiveness and resilience as a grassroots NRM institution, it should: (a) improve its ability to adapt to future shocks and innovate by promoting the values emphasized and elevated during the initial stages of community mobilization and developing the capacities of its members; (b) contribute towards rural poverty alleviation objectives by facilitating local livelihood development so that the undertaking remains attractive to locals; and (c) continue to strengthen its capacity to influence as an NRM agent by working in close partnership with the LGU and by encouraging the participation of the larger community. Our study contributes to existing work that aims to better understand the issues that surround and affect the effectiveness and resilience of NRM institutions at the grassroots level.

R. Thanya   and Suganthan C   

India is facing one of the most pressing environmental issues, such as problems with deforestation, water pollution, climate change, plastic pollution, and so on. It is humanity's essential task and challenge to protect the natural environment. We're dealing with some tough changes in the environment, so we need to do what we can to help reduce our negative impact on the environment. In this context, it is essential that young generations understand and address environmental issues. Individual pro-environmental behaviors can help to create more eco-friendly standards of behavior, which in turn help to reduce environmental damage. On that note, social media has been proven to influence climate change attitudes and views, while also raising an individual's awareness of the need to act pro-environmentally. It is well known that social media is one of the most widely used communication and media channels in the world. With the increasing use of social media, especially among younger generations, and the growing importance of our climate disaster, it's worth exploring how a widely used persuasive communication tool could influence a person's pro-environment behaviors. This paper employs a qualitative study and aims to understand the level of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of young people in favor of environmental behavior and how social media plays a crucial role in positive change in environmental behavior and attitudes. The findings of this paper show that social media is effective in promoting pro-environmental behavior and it also helps to understand the threats of environmental issues, especially climate change.

Sandra Rachel Anil Job   

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) plays a tremendous role in affecting user comfort, health, behavior, and overall satisfaction. It is very important as it can be a cause for concern and troublesome in the long term if not treated in advance. To study user satisfaction with IAQ, variables such as human health, behavior, and circulation patterns were closely addressed. Moreover, residences were selected as the area of focus as most of one's time is spent at home. This study incorporated residents of Bahrain above the age of 20 who were segregated based on whether they were working or non-working. The study aimed at addressing user satisfaction with IAQ in Residences of Bahrain during the 'COVID-19 pandemic', especially, as residents spent a large amount of time at their households during the lockdown period. The research involved analyzing issues of IAQ both internationally and regionally, which was later implemented in the local context of Bahrain. Questionnaires and Interviews about user satisfaction with IAQ were conducted with a large group of residents and covered both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The data collected was analyzed manually. Altogether the study showed that most of the residents are satisfied with their experience of IAQ in their households despite facing pollution to a certain extent. Meanwhile, a smaller group of residents faced issues that directly affected their health, behaviors, and movement patterns which was contributed by the IAQ of their households. Nevertheless, the research helped to gain a deeper understanding of user satisfaction in general and gave new insights into issues faced by residents in terms of air quality.

Pavlo Lykhovyd   Oleksandr Averchev   Mykhailo Fedorchuk   and Valentyna Fedorchuk   

The paper presents the results of the study devoted to the determination of the interrelationship and interchangeability of five widely used indices of agricultural science and practise, namely NDVI, EVI, EVI2, NDWI and DSWI. The study was carried out for the fixed polygon, located in the cold arid steppe zone of Kherson region of Ukraine, during the period 2019-2022 using the cloud-free satellite imagery from Landsat-8, obtained at AgroMonitoring API. The strength and direction of the interrelationship were determined by a standard correlation analysis procedure for all pairs of vegetation indices. As a result, high discrepancies and inequality in distribution of the values of the vegetation indices studied by the years of the study were established. Analyzing the generalized data for 2019-2022, it was established that the strongest relationship and the highest possible interchangeability is attributed to the NDVI, EVI, and EVI2, where Pearson's correlation coefficient averaged to 0.8483-0.9090. The DSWI and EVI indices are moderately correlated (the correlation coefficient is 0.7698), therefore, their interchangeability is questionable. The NDWI index has the weakest correlation with the other indices studied (the correlation coefficient does not exceed 0.6269) and is a unique measure for the determination of water stress in plants. Further studies are required to determine whether the DSWI, NDVI and EVI could be interchangeable in crops monitoring.

Paul Kwame Essandoh   

Sustainability of cocoa farming is critical in the quest to improve the livelihood of Ghanaians. Though pesticides are needed in cocoa farming, their misuse can lead to health and environmental risks. The respondents' preference for specific pesticides, where they were obtained and how frequently they were used were assessed. Protection methods used during spraying, and the potential adverse impacts of the pesticides were determined. Data was obtained from 250 randomly selected respondents through pretested questionnaires, observations and discussions. The probit regression model, ordinary least square approach and total environmental impact quotient (EIQ) values were used to analyse the data. The respondents assessed pesticides from agrochemical stores and their colleagues. Data obtained from the respondents which included age, gender, educational status, years of farming, contact with extension workers, availability of agrochemical store, income from cocoa and membership of farmer-based organizations had varied influences on the choice of source of pesticides, frequency and the rate at which pesticides were applied. Chlorfenvinphos (60.03) and Glyphosate (13.85) had the highest and lowest total EIQ values respectively. Approved pesticides, Imidacloprid (Confidor) and Bifenthrin + Imidacloprid (Galil), and unapproved pesticides, Acetamiprid + Chlorfenvinphos (Buffalo-super) and Chlorfenvinphos (Buffalo) have the potential to adversely affect the environment. There was poor use of personal protective equipment among the farmers. The study suggests that Buffalo and Buffalo-super pesticides (highly hazardous) which were in the high impact category ought to be out-of-use. This study was carried out in the study region excluding other cocoa growing districts. Safe pesticide use should be enforced and monitored in the study area.

Shailendra Boora   and Meljo Thomas Karakunnel   

This research undertakes a framing analysis of news coverage from five leading Indian news portals, focusing on the environmental provisions of India's fiscal budgets for 2022-23 and 2023-24. These budgets marked a significant shift, being the first to prioritize "Energy Transition and Climate Action" and "Green Growth" as central themes. The analysis uncovers a spectrum of portrayals: from highlighting government initiatives and the potential economic windfalls of green policies to critical evaluations and concerns about their real-world implications. Specifically, the Times of India, with its 27 stories, leans heavily towards business and economic perspectives. The Hindu, through its five stories, both praises the government's green initiatives and critiques certain infrastructure projects. Hindustan Times offers a balanced view in its nine stories, juxtaposing government action plans against critiques of infrastructure spending. In contrast, The Scroll and The Wire, each with three stories, delve deeper, providing incisive, critical analyses of the government's environmental commitments. The study underscores that while independent news portals present nuanced insights, their narratives often stand in the shadow of mainstream portals that echo the government's perspective. Given the escalating global importance of environmental challenges, the findings strongly advocate for media outlets to establish dedicated environmental news sections. Such focused coverage could enhance public awareness and pressurize effective governmental action in the domain of green fiscal policies.

Lobna Ahmed Galal   and Nabeel El Hady   

This study assesses walkability in Borg Rasheed, a vulnerable coastal settlement in Egypt's Nile Delta. It also explores walkability in terms of women's accessibility to daily services. Moreover, it investigates the anticipated impacts of sea level rise on infrastructure, and accessibility. The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) is a survey that was used to examine the built environment's attributes that influence walkability. A Geographic information system (GIS) was used to represent the examined features of the built environment. Counting pedestrians and modes of transportation identifies gender and age divisions among pedestrians and the frequently used modes of transportation. The methods were conducted through structured site visits and observations. It is found that pedestrians in Borg Rasheed settlement walk to most of their daily trips. Nonetheless, they suffer from unsafe and uncomfortable walking conditions. Furthermore, women encounter challenges in accessing services and social networks due to lack of security, inadequate transportation, and cultural restrictions. Through using mapping and geographic analysis the study anticipates at least 23% of pedestrians, motor vehicles, and bicycle users will lose their designated spaces by 2050 due to rising sea level and submerged infrastructure. Recommendations to enhance walkability to mitigate climate change and empower women are provided.

Qomariah Hasanah   Andang Sunarto   Jackel Vui Lung Chew   and Mohammad Fadhli Asli   

Heavy metal concentrations in four different media like river water, river sediment, silver rasbora fish, and water spinach can be observed to determine the level of river pollution. A statistical evaluation based on two-way analysis of variance can be used to obtain detailed information about the effects of heavy metal concentrations and four different media on the level of river pollution. This study aims to investigate the river pollution level via the effects of heavy mental concentrations and four various media based on sampling locations of Code River, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The samples of river water, river sediment, silver rasbora fish, and water spinach are sent to Yogyakarta Nuclear Research Center for chemical analysis. The data retrieved from the chemical analysis is used in the statistics analysis. The statistical analysis results indicate an alarmingly high concentration of zinc element compared to the other elements based on the sample taken from river sediment, water spinach, and silver rasbora fish. In addition, the concentration of arsenic in the river water is the highest compared to the other elements. Besides that, the sampling from the downstream area reveals the highest pollution level compared to the other four sampling locations. This study also compared the concentrations of As, Hg, Cr, and Zn in silver rasbora fish and water spinach with the maximum limit set by Codex Alimentarius Commission (1995). This study suggests that the silver rasbora fish and water spinach in Code River are unsafe for human consumption. The findings of this study can be used as supporting evidence for the government to take necessary actions in reducing river pollution and improving water quality of Code River, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Pei Chang   and Boi-Yee Liao   

Reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry and promoting the low-carbon transformation of the construction industry are of great significance for achieving China's "dual carbon" target. This paper introduces factors such as government reputation costs, pollution compensation, and low-carbon subsidies, and constructs a multi-subject construction enterprise low-carbon transformation evolutionary game model with construction enterprises as the main body, government environmental regulation policy guidance, and public participation. The paper first analyzes the payment matrix of the tripartite subjects under different strategy choices, discusses the conditions for the strategy of the tripartite subjects to tend to equilibrium, and finally analyzes the stability of the equilibrium solution of the evolutionary game, and gives policy recommendations for China's low-carbon transformation goals in the construction industry. The research results indicate that: (1) The main factors influencing the government's choice of environmental regulation strategies are government management costs, reputation costs for not implementing environmental regulation, and fines for non-low-carbon construction enterprises; (2) The main factors influencing the choice of low-carbon transformation by construction enterprises are the cost of low-carbon transformation technology, the strength of government environmental regulation, and fines; (3) The main factors affecting whether consumers participate in purchasing low-carbon buildings are the level of environmental awareness in society and pollution subsidies.

Munonye J. O.   Osuji E. E.   Nwachukwu E. U.   Okpara B. O.   Agou G. D.   Opaluwa H. I.   Offor E. I.   Nse-Nelson F. A.   Amanze P. C.   and Aligbe J. O.   

The study explores the biofuel potentials of Nigeria. Provision of reliable source of energy in the country would help to reduce the limitations being experienced as a result of the inadequacy of the conventional energy and also reduce Nigeria carbon foot print. This calls for immediate attention in oil dwindling economy and environmental sustainability. Among the diverse forms of energy that abound, bioenergy seems to be the one that can be best explored. Secondary data was used for the study. According to studies, Nigeria can create a significant quantity of bioenergy from the millions of tons of agricultural waste and residue that are produced each year. This review aims to examine the nation's present energy situation and how it affects various industries. It also carried out a comprehensive study on the possibility of bioenergy being developed into becoming the solution that the country needs and the potential resources available that can actually aid its development. It evaluates various forms of biomass available and how they can be efficiently utilized in achieving a well-established platform for biofuel production. It also looked at the technological limitations and how they could be improved to ensure full realization of the biofuel energy project in Nigeria.

Mohamed Afandy   Ali AlAmrani   Osama Ibrahim   and Salma Al Maghawry   

Planning for sustainable development requires accurate information on potential future climatic changes. Such climatic information is provided by global climate models (GCMs). One of the key factors determining how biological systems respond to human-caused climate change is variation in temperature and precipitation volume and intensity. The implementation of remote sensing technologies is expanding and increasing in popularity, especially in the context of GCM. However, data are influenced by inaccuracies, even though they are frequently utilized, so correction is necessary. Recent studies show that satellite-based rainfall estimations are inaccurate and have lower values that need to be corrected [1]. In Sohar, Oman, ground station rainfall data were compared with satellite data from several sources, including Community Climate System Model 4 (CCSM4) and GSMaP_NRT, to assess the correctness of the data. During the evaluation of precipitation, temperatures, and observed and anticipated climatic trends, all sources overestimated the data, particularly rainfall in the summer months. The CCSM4 and GSMaP_NRT data differed from ground station data. Nevertheless, it is possible to improve the data to make sufficiently accurate estimates. When compared to monitoring with a single ground station, using this satellite data will yield significant advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, geographic distribution and coverage, timely issuance, and accuracy with additional or improved inputs.

Hoang Dung Ha   Nguyen Quang Tan   Tran Nam Thang   Hoang Thi Hong Que   and Truong Van Tuyen   

Traditional studies have predominantly focused on assessing the vulnerability of agricultural communities to climate change impacts, neglecting the examination of their resilience in relation to gender, social status, and ethnicity. This study aims to fill these gaps by employing the Livelihood Subjective Resilience (LSR) framework to measure household resilience and conducting a comprehensive analysis of the intersectionality across these dimensions. The research focuses on a sample of 188 ethnic minority households (94 Tà Ôi and 94 Pa Cî) in upland regions of Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. Findings reveal significant variations in resilience among these groups, particularly with lower LSR scores observed among women and the poor. Notably, poor women from Pa Cî ethnic households exhibit the most fragile resilience compared to other segments of society. This disparity is influenced by multifaceted ingredients including limited financial resources, restricted asset portfolios, patriarchal social norms, and psychological issues. The study thus emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to enhance the roles and rights of marginalized groups, particularly in terms of equitable access to resources like land tenure. Addressing poverty and inequality should be the most priority for achieving economic rural development, disaster preparedness, and resilience capacity building. The study highlights the importance of tailored training programs and non-refundable livelihood support to improve overall well-being and uplift disadvantaged groups. By combining these initiatives, a more inclusive approach to climate change resilience can be fostered, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Darmadi Darmadi   and Maria Kuznetsova   

This work provides a retrospective and dynamic investigation of the variety of hydrobionts making the main taxonomic components in freshwater reservoirs of the Angarsky Sor Bay in the northern section of Lake Baikal in September 2020 (reconnaissance), July 2020 (reconnaissance), and August 2021. In 2020, high-quality zoobenthos samples were collected through reconnaissance employing ichthyofauna and deep zoning. The data on zooplankton were gathered and processed using the quantitative method. Based on a modified numerical classification, 24 species of phytoplanktons, dominant species of zooplanktocenosis, 25 taxonomic groups representing the zoobenthos species composition, and 14 species from ichthyofauna groups were identified. Depending on the rise in depth, quantitative zoobenthos indicators were identified at all depths of the littoral zone. Based on the analysis of literary sources, the taxonomic identification of phytoplankton at various sites is determined considering the individual volume of their cell mass. The counting method was used to aggregate and process quantitative and qualitative data on zooplankton of epilimnion, metalimnion, and the upper horizon of hypolimnion. The species structure of the system-forming complex of zooplanktocenosis in the context of rotifers, copepods, and branched crustaceans is determined. The dynamic and dominant structure of zooplanktocenosis by sectors of deep sites is analyzed. This study provides insight to researchers searching for interspecies diversity, particularly in Baikal Lake. Moreover, the proposed research provides apprehension of several phytoplankton, zooplankton, and zoobenthos species by performing wide-scale reconnaissance of the freshwater depths. This study also provides qualitative characteristics of benthic invertebrates' diversity and zoobenthos productivity in the reservoir. This article assists the researchers in contributing to the effective management of biological diversity conservation. Although there are studies on the diversity of hydrobionts, very limited data is present on dynamic and retrospective analysis of hydrobiont diversity in the Angarsky Sor Bay situated in the northern part of Lake Baikal.

Roshan Varughese   and Soumen Mukherjee   

The current era is characterised by the Anthropocene. Anthropocentrism has already unleashed and continues to unleash irrevocable damages to the eco-system. The domination of the Anthropocene against the Symbiocene could be conceptualized in the framework of Ecocide. Ecocide in simple definition is the destruction of the ecosystem by different agents. The consequences of all anthropocentric activities in contrast to the victimization of the environment now reciprocate and posit a menace to mankind in the form of several ecological threats namely, climate change and global warming. Despite the constant initiatives from environmentalists and social activists, the exploitation intensifies far and wide. The situation postulates an immediate threat of existence to the global indigenous populations. Indigenous populations in several countries are being haunted by the adverse consequences of Ecocide. The Adivasis (Indigenous population) of India who inhabit the resource rich area are struggling with the capitalist neo-economic forces and natural agents of Ecocide for their basic sustenance. The possible identification of the Symbiocene existing among the Adivasis makes them more vulnerable to the consequences of Ecocide. This situates us into the question of indigenous rights and calls for a speedy resolution through law. The proposed paper endeavours to examine Ecocide and the various agents of Ecocide that negatively impact the existence of the Adivasi population of India, in the context of selected literary narratives from regional literature translated into English.

E. I. Igelle   M. A. Abua   C. N. Agbor   S. B. Esuabana   E. N. Akpanika   E. B. Arikpo   U. N. Onnoghen   O. A. Akintoye   M. B. Eneyo   and V. B. Eneyo   

Generally, it is believed that change in climate is driven by natural and human induced disturbances of the earth energy balance. In Nigeria, the perturbation of the earth energy balance is caused majorly by human induced carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is an important heat-trapping greenhouse gas, which is released through human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels, as well as natural processes such as respiration. The study examined the relative influence of XCO₂ on climate variables and rice yield in Ohafia, Abia State, Nigeria. The instrument used was the Greenhouse Gas Observation Satellite (GOSAT), which uses the Thermal and Near Infrared Sensor for Carbon Observation- Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS). Transform Spectrometer (FTS) exporter tool was used for scanning XCO₂. Regression model and forecast model were also employed in the study. The results indicated that from 2009 to 2020, XCO₂ increased from 390.98 ppmv to 399.59 ppmv. Maximum temperature moved from 32.51℃ to 33.23℃ and minimum temperature fluxed between 17.38℃ to 14.12℃. Radiation increased from 86.93 to 89.23 W/m² and albedo fluxed around 0.16 to 0.15. Relative humidity decreased from 87.69% to 85.31% and precipitation fluxed between 1,518.75 mm to 1,608.4 mm. Rice yield fluxed between 19306 100g/ha to 26709 100g/ha. The rice yield graph shows that rice yield from 2021 to 2030 is expected to be constant at 19,794.97 100g/ha if XCO₂ continues to increase from 400 to 404.83 ppmv. This means maximum temperature is expected to be constant at 32.59℃ and minimum temperature may decrease from 17.05℃ to 15.88℃. Radiation may increase from 89.59 to 99.3 and albedo is expected to remain at 0.16. Relative humidity is expected to decrease from 85.64% to 84% and precipitation is expected to be constant at 1,781.984 mm. The study therefore recommended that an ambiguous target of 30% reduction of carbon dioxide should be set to reduce the level of carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere before 2025 or 2030.

Nadia Ab. Shukor   Kumar Krishnan   Wong Ling Shing   Norlida Ariffin   and Wong Ling Yong   

The presence of heavy metal in environment is commonly associated with environmental pollution, which requires monitoring. Human activities have caused a tremendous increase in heavy metal pollution in aquatic environment that includes mangroves, rivers, estuaries, and coastal wetlands. With that, it is critical to assess environmental and health impacts of pollution in Sepang River. In this study, the presence of heavy metal in the mangrove sediment from Sepang River was detected. The concentrations of As, Mn, Zn, Cr, Fe and Co in the sediment were measured using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). It is found that the concentration of As was determined to be higher than the geochemical background value of shale, across all sampling sites, while Co concentrations were observed to be the lowest. The enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (I_geo) of the heavy metals were calculated. The study indicated that, both EF and I_geo of As, 8.09 and 1.84 respectively show severe to excessive enrichment and moderate pollution. Overall, the study suggests that heavy metal pollution in the Sepang River, particularly with respect to As, needs to be closely monitored to prevent it from becoming a major environmental and health hazard. The study also highlights the importance of using advanced analytical techniques, such as INAA, to accurately measure the concentrations of heavy metals in environmental samples.

Eni Devalsam Imoke   Michael Osy Onithebor   Uquetan Ibor Uquetan   Josiah Nwabueze Obiefuna   Asor Love Joseph   and Egbonyi Darlington Egbe   

The analysis of climatic variables is a fundamental task in the detection of climatic changes all over the world and its resultant effect on global warming. The study was undertaken at Mfamosing to evaluate the pre and post-cement production activities' impact on the environment. Data on climatic variables were obtained from Nigeria meteorological stations (NIMET) at Margaret Ekpo International Airport from 1966 - 2020. Insitu data on temperature, rainfall and relative humidity were collected for the study. Questionnaires were further distributed to the inhabitants of the area to actually identify the major problems associated with cement production in the study area. Direct observations were also done to determine changes in the immediate environment. The research findings revealed that the pre-production era 2002, showed a mean rainfall amount of 2719.98mm and 2832mm for the 1^st and 2^nd decade, which was lower than the post-production era that is the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th decades with a rainfall amount of 2963.62mm, 2944.92mm and 3300.21mm respectively. Also, the pre-production era mean temperature during the 1^st and 2^nd decades from 1966 - 1985 were 26.7℃ and 26.84℃ respectively and were lower than the mean temperature during the post-production era by the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th decades with temperature values of 26.98℃, 26.80℃, 27.23℃ respectively. Furthermore, the mean relative humidity for the 1^st and ^nd decades were 85.55 percent and 85.77 percent which were also lower than that of the post-production era with values of 84.5 percent, 84.63 percent and 85.6 percent respectively. The researchers concluded that there is a difference in microclimatic conditions between the pre-cement and post-cement production area. We further recommended that the industry producing cement in the area should attach a chimney to its evacuation chamber to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Arpan Sharma   Mousumi Gupta   Narpati Sharma   and Santanu Gupta   

The estimation of ice thickness or glacial mass in Sikkim Himalaya has been limited due to challenges posed by inaccessibility and harsh weather conditions during the accumulation season. This study aims to address this gap by utilizing the equation of laminar ice flow law (LIFL) and slope information to estimate ice thickness from surface velocity data derived using Offset Tracking (OT) at ERG, West Sikkim. Additionally, the delimitation of Radar Glacier Zones is performed through the application of Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix and K-Means clustering to separate debris from the glacier area. The estimation of total glacial mass is achieved by considering ice thickness, clean glacial area, and an ice density of 0.85 Gt km^-3. The results indicate an estimated ice thickness of 76.47m at ERG with a standard error of 0.81 and a corresponding glacial mass of 0.19 Gt. The accuracy of the OT results is validated by comparing them with field-based velocity data from 2018, resulting in an r² value of 0.83 and an RMSE of 3.12ma^-1. Importantly, this ice thickness approximation method demonstrates improvement compared to previously tested models. The contributions of this study lie in the successful application of the LIFL equation and slope information with SAR data to estimate ice thickness in the challenging terrain of Sikkim Himalaya. The utilization of advanced techniques, including OT, Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix, and K-Means clustering, allows for precise delimitation of glacier zones and separation of debris, leading to more accurate estimations. These findings offer valuable insights into the dynamics of glacial mass in the region, aiding in the understanding of climate change impacts.

Moetaz Elsergany   Athra Alkaabi   Amna Salah   and Mohammad Aljaradin   

The UAE has challenges to cope with the consequences of fast growth, environmental issues, and global warming. The UAE government places a high priority on two significant concerns: environmental protection and maintaining sustainable growth. UAE is not different from many other countries and is suffering from many environmental challenges such as water shortages, air quality, marine pollution, invasive species, and land degradation. Because of its geographic location, the marine environment of the UAE supports a diverse range of marine and coastal ecosystems. On the other hand, this marine environment provides many services to the people of UAE such as transportation, recreation, and fishing. Accordingly, this marine ecosystem is expected to be under growing strain due to different human activities within this sensitive marine ecosystem. The aim of this paper is to provide a thorough overview of marine pollution in the UAE and discuss the significance of the marine environment, and the causes and effects of UAE's marine pollution. This study is trying to provide a historical review of different incidents of marine pollution that occurred in the UAE, as a baseline study for any future planning and managing risk of any proposed developmental project. The review of all published studies reveals that there is not one single solution to protect the marine environment, but it should consider the multifaceted approach. The possible recommendations can be summarized as the development of protected marine areas that are being managed and monitored probably, encouraging marine protection initiatives, analyzing the gaps in the current laws and regulations for marine pollution prevention, applying proper monitoring, encouraging environmental stewardship, and encouragement of making solid abiding regional agreements with other neighbouring countries in the Gulf.

Ivan Ivanov   and Borislava Toleva   

Water potability is a key topic in ecology as it defines the areas where life can exist and the quality of health and food. Without potable water, vast regions can be unpopulated. Poor water quality affects the quality and quantity of food and the spread of diseases. There is a tendency that sources of potable water have started to deteriorate in recent years, so the topic of potable water quality has become central in environmental and ecology studies. A central question is prediction of water quality in various areas. This research proposes an improved machine learning algorithm for predicting the potability of water. The proposed algorithm is simple, and it is easier to apply compared to other existing algorithms. It can be applied to various datasets for water quality providing a quick insight into the question whether new water sources in the area are more likely to have potable water. It can also be applied to various datasets about water quality. Therefore, a quick review of the water and its quality in each region can be done using the proposed algorithm.

Chaisri Tharasawatpipat   Sirirat Kooptiwoot   and Suwimon Kooptiwoot   

Recycling has been pushed as a way to cut waste globally. The time and expense involved in gathering recyclable material to transport to recycling sites is one problem with recycling. Due to this issue, some waste pickers/waste buyers choose not to collect recyclable waste, preventing its recycling. Waste pickers / waste buyers wandering into homes without knowing where the recyclable rubbish is causes time and money to be spent collecting it. They will make more money while spending less if they can get recyclable waste at a reasonable cost and in a short amount of time. The goal of this study is to create a prototype for a decision support system that will lower transportation cost for collecting recyclable waste. The community's waste pickers and homes should both employ this system. The amount of each recyclable garbage generated by each home will be filled in. Additionally, all information about the overall amount of each recyclable trash type as well as specifics about the amount of garbage produced by each household will be automatically summarized. The waste pickers / waste buyers will use the data/information from this system to decide where, when, and how to collect recyclable waste. They no longer have to visit every home on a regular basis. To develop this system, we follow the software development life cycle (SDLC). This decision support system prototype is easily adaptable to suit the needs of any unique community. The recycling system can be effectively supported by this decision support system. More benefits might be anticipated if the cost is lowered. To create a cleaner planet, more recyclable waste will be collected and sent to recycling.

Tran Y Doan Trang   L. A. Zenitova   Pham Huong Quynh   Ta Thi Huong   and Lai Hong Dung   

This study focuses on oil spill adsorption by adsorbents based on polyurethane foam (PUF) grafted with chitin (PUFC) and its hydrophobic derivatives. The mechanism of hydrophobic modification has been shown when using waste silicone (WS) and stearic acid (AS) as hydrophobic agents on the foam surface. Some characteristics such as the oil and water uptake in only oil or water systems, the buoyancy, recovery of adsorbed oil, reusability, and the oil retention of three adsorbents are evaluated to suggest their suitable application in oil spill cleanup. To analyze isotherm oil adsorption on studied adsorbents, isothermal models, including Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich, are researched. It is established that the oil adsorption of the adsorbent PUFC and the hydrophobic adsorbent with waste silicone (PUFC-WS) is more suitable for the Langmuir model (R² reached 0.9756 and 0.9944, respectively), while the hydrophobic adsorbent with stearic acid (PUFC-AS) is more suitable for the Freundlich model (R² = 0.9218). The obtained adsorption and the Gibb energy demonstrate that the oil adsorption onto three materials is a physical and endothermic process, not spontaneous. The kinetic data of oil adsorption is researched by employing the intraparticle diffusion model and the Boyd equation. Based on the model parameters, it is indicated that the oil adsorption process by researched adsorbent is a complex process, including many simultaneous adsorption mechanisms. The obtained data demonstrate that intraparticle diffusion is not the only process that occurs and controls the adsorption rate. Film diffusion is considered the primary limited step of the adsorption rate.

Krishnan Kumar   Elias Saion   Yap CK   and M. K. Halimah   

Human-caused pollution creates instability in ecosystems, with heavy metal discharge having serious consequences for species' survival. The objective of this study was to analyze the degree of copper (Cu) contamination in Cerithidea Obtusa (C.Obtusa) and surface sediments across ten distinct sites along Malaysia's west coast. The study utilized Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) to analyze Cu concentrations in both samples, using blank samples and standard reference materials for calibration and quality control. The use of AAS as a method for analyzing Cu concentrations in environmental samples proved to be an effective approach in this study. The results of the study showed that enrichment factor values for the sediments ranged from 0.18 to 1.83, while the biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) for tissues varied between 2.0 and 22.29. Remarkably, the study found that the concentration of Cu in the tissues was significantly higher than that in the sediments. The study's findings suggest that the accumulation of Cu in C. Obtusa and sediments may have detrimental effects on the health of the mangrove ecosystem. Overall, the research contributes to the understanding of the impact of Cu contamination on the environment and highlights the importance of monitoring metal concentrations in ecosystems to ensure their long-term health.

A. Chaoui   W. Elkhoumsi   M. Laaouan   R. Bourziza   and K. Sebari   

Forecast models are essential tools used to make predictions about future events based on past data. These models use a variety of methods and techniques, such as extrapolation, simulation modeling, and judgmental approaches, among others, to analyze time-series data and make forecasts. In the context of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), predicting the influent quality parameters is crucial to improving their operation and design. This allows plant operators to adjust their processes to optimize treatment efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impact. Therefore, forecasting plays a vital role in ensuring that WWTPs operate effectively and efficiently, and it is an essential component of modern wastewater treatment management. In this paper, Zaio's WWTP (Morocco) BOD5 variable will be used as a case example. This will lead to other furthered studies for much better plant optimization and operation. The current paper starts with analyzing the plants' operation data, checking for stationarity and applying the ARIMA as well as the Holt-Winters model in order to provide more or less accurate predictions that will provide support to WWTPs management. Models will be compared using error terms such as RMSE, MAPE and R-squared. Other statistical tools will also be used as ADF t-statistic test and Box-Ljung test. After defining and proving the statistical significance of models, the RMSE and the MAPE provided a conflicting decision. For this, the selection of the best model was based on the coefficient of determination R-squared. This latter has a value of 0.527 for the ARIMA model and 0.517 for the Holt-Winters model. This concludes that within the ARIMA model, the total variance of the dependent variable is explained by the independent variable with a higher percentage compared to the Holt-Winters model.

A. I. Iwara   M. A. Abua   R. E. Udonwa   S. B. Esuabana   E. P. Archibong   D. O. Idika   I. E. Bassey   A. S. Antai   O. O. Egbai   and V. B. Eneyo   

This research looked at runoff, sediment and vegetation relationships in 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year-old fallows in southern Nigeria. Sixty-one significant rainstorms were registered with a total rainfall amount of 1,359 mm. Correlation results revealed that runoff was positively related to sediment loss across the plots. Vegetation parameters exhibited negative and negligible relationships with runoff volume on the 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year fallow plots. For the 10-year fallow plot, the high crown cover substantially decreased sediment loss (r = -0.232); Slight increase in crown cover on the 5-year fallow plot resulted in a significant reduction in sediment loss (r = -0.445). While for the 3-year fallow plot, tree/shrub density substantially reduced sediment loss (r = -0.534). The results obtained implied that erosional losses (runoff and sediment) occurred on all fallow treatments irrespective of fallow age and that the presence of vegetation considerably decreased the amount of sediment loss. Based on this, the study suggested that vegetation should not be wholly destroyed during land preparation for crop cultivation to speed up vegetation restoration and decrease land degradation.

T. Abu Hanifah   Sofia Anita   Ganis Fia Kartika   Itnawita   Mukhlis   and Winda Setyarini   

Background of the research: Fern with excessive or lacking of Fe as a result of peat burning was considered toxic to be consumed. Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the metals bioaccumulation of lead (Pb) and iron (Fe) in Fern (Stenochlaena palustris (Burm. F. Bedd)) grown on peatlands. Methodologies: Three classifications of peatlands were used in this study: unburnt peatlands, peatlands that burned once and peatlands that burned several (2-3) times. To examine the estimation, the research was conducted at Pakning, Bukit Batu District, Bengkalis Regency, Riau Province, Indonesia. Determination of Pb and Fe metals in the roots, stems and leaves of Fern growing on burnt peat was analyzed using ANOVA. Principal results: The result obtained showed that the concentration of Pb on Stenochlaena palustris decreased in the peatland burned, however, Fe concentration increased at once burned and burned several times. Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) result showed that Pb (II) and Fe (II) were > 1 (one) and translocation factor (TF) result showed < 1. Major conclusions: The results showed significant differences in roots, stem, and leaves of Stenochlaena palustris that grew on unburnt peatland, once burned and burned several times. Contributions to the field: This study provides empirical evidence of Lead and Iron Concentration in Fern (Stenochlaena palustris (Burm. F. Bedd)) grown under different conditions of peatlands. Important aspects of the study: Based on the BCF, Stenochlaena palustris was classified as a bioaccumulator's plant. Research limitations/ implications: The analysis only examines Fern as a bioaccumulator and the TF of Stenochlaena palustris (Burm. F. Bedd) against Pb (II) and Fe (II) ions. Practical implications: This practically emphasized that a lower Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) value decreases the possibility of Fern being consumed.

Nanang Sri Darmadi   Bambang Tri Bawono   and Jawade Hafidz   

The transformation of forests to other uses poses a significant threat to the existence of forest areas and leads to damage to forest ecosystems, which can have a detrimental impact on the welfare of people depending on forests, notably indigenous communities. Consequently, there is a need to safeguard the social welfare and rights of affected communities in forest conversion policy by recognizing their rights and protecting them from negative impacts. This research seeks to explore the legal protection of rights and social welfare for local communities in the context of forest function transfer for palm oil plantations in Indonesia, mainly examining Law Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry. This research employs a sociology of law approach and uses a qualitative method to analyze primary and secondary data, with triangulation as the data validation technique. The study concludes that expanding oil palm cultivation will result in environmental degradation and harm the people surrounding the area, as they lose natural and economic resources obtained from forests. Consequently, there is a pressing need for specific policies and legal regulations that safeguard the social welfare and rights of affected communities. Policies should consider balancing economic development with environmental preservation and prioritizing the maintenance of forest areas as undeveloped land. In particular, palm oil plantation development should only occur on degraded lands that are still abundant in Indonesia, and permits already granted for palm oil expansion must be reviewed, especially those affecting forested areas. Ultimately, a balance must be struck to promote sustainable economic development and conservation while ensuring that the social welfare and rights of communities depending on forests are protected.

A. Chaoui   W. Elkhoumsi   M. Laaouan   R. Bourziza   and K. Sebari   

Machine learning forecasting has been widely used in order to increase wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) performance and provide support to WWTPs management. Forecasting wastewater influent quality parameters is not only beneficial for operators and the plant itself, but it is also important environmentally, economically, and socially. In this paper, Chefchaouen's WWTP BOD5 variable will be used as a case example. The current paper applies ARIMA imputation model to have a complete time series variable and complete the dataset that will enable conducting a machine learning forecasting model that is Recurring Neural Networks (RNN) in order to provide accurate predictions. The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of the application of these models on providing support to the plants management and control. In addition to that, analyses will also assess the impact of implementing these models on the use of energy and the injection of oxygen. The models used are statistically correct. The forecasted BOD5 values were close to the actual provided values. BOD5 predictions were converted in order to suggest the total energy consumption per day as well as the total oxygen to be injected. Energy consumption could have decreased in the period of assessment by a percentage of 37% while the oxygen injected could have decreased by a percentage of 90%. Finally, this paper concludes with a discussion as well as the limitations of this work.

Nursahara Pasaribu   Alfarid Faqih Siregar   Julius Paolo Siregar   Oky Kusuma Atni   and Adrian Hartanto   

Lianas are an important group in tropical rainforest that contribute to the alpha and beta diversity along with its functional traits. The current study deals with the floristic aspect of lianas and tree stands as their host within the West Block of Batang Toru Forest, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Seven transect lines were explored constituting a total of 2.14 ha as a study area. Lianas exhibited a peak in distribution at altitudes ranging between 850 and 950 m, followed by a subsequent decline in abundance beyond altitudes exceeding 950 m. The study identified a total of 77 liana species representing 47 genera and 18 families, with Apocynaceae and Annonaceae being the most speciose families. The study also identified six distinct climbing modes, with stem climbing being the most commonly observed mode. Among the host trees, Palaquium spp. supported the highest number of liana species, and Sapotaceae was the most dominant host family, indicating that this family provides suitable ecological conditions for the growth and development of lianas. Majority of documented species were categorized into NE (Not Evaluated) based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species while Stephanotis floribunda (Apocynaceae) and Gnetum oxycarpum (Gnetaceae) as VU (Vulnerable) and EN (Endangered), respectively. Notophylls were majorly identified across liana species which may indicate their adaptation to the current forest condition.

Rahal Lachgar   Wadi Badri   and Mohemd Chlaida   

Casablanca Region is confronting strong demographic and socioeconomic growth which negatively affects the environment and the population. Exposure to air pollution of high levels can cause adverse health impacts. However, many recent epidemiological studies have shown positive associations between exposure to air pollution and health. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between air quality and human health in Casablanca region, Morocco. The possible link between air pollution and daily respiratory hospitalization is assessed for various age and sex groups from 2011 to 2013. The pollutants investigated are nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and particulate matter. The statistical study shows that: the levels of SO₂ and PM₁₀ are higher in the area of Ain SebaĂą-Sidi Bernoussi, which can be explained by the industrial activity. The concentration of O₃ is highest in the area of Casablanca-city, this result is due to the importance of road traffic. The results showed that road traffic and urban industry are the main causes of respiratory diseases in the region, which requires more action to reduce this pollution. Log-linear Poisson regression is used to model the relationship between the number of respiratory disease consultations and air pollutants and weather parameters. The results found show associations between O₃, SO₂, PM₁₀ and hospital consultations due to respiratory diseases, particularly for women.

Rr. M. I. Retno Susilorini   Iskhaq Iskandar   and Budi Santosa   

Demak Regency is one of several cities that are submerged by tidal flooding disasters caused by climate change, especially in Sriwulan Village, Sayung District, which threatens the sustainable built environment and also the women in the village. Even though the built environment has been disturbed by climate change, women can adapt and take the initiative during disaster events, including taking the place of their jobless husbands as breadwinners during the Covid-19 pandemic. A gender-responsive village master plan could become a crucial issue in village development, especially for the ones impacted by disasters. Therefore, this research is located in Sriwulan village, Sayung District, Demak Regency which wants to create a gender eco-friendly master plan for Sriwulan village for a sustainable built environment. A descriptive-qualitative method was conducted to produce a gender eco-friendly Sriwulan village's master plan. The result found a rapid increase in tidal flooding inundation and level in Sriwulan village. It was also reported that women have a limited role in tidal flooding disaster risk reduction and adaptation because of insufficient information, training, and workshop about climate change, disaster risk reduction, and adaptation. In conclusion, women should be given the opportunity as an actor in leading the community to cope with the climate change impact for a better future by increasing their capability and fair knowledge. In the future, village life will be prolonged by the "Gender Eco-Friendly Master Plan for Sustainable Built Environment of Sriwulan Village" which will change Sriwulan to a prospective Eco-Tourism Village.

Yaseen Ahmed Hamaamin   and Bahram Abdalrahman Faraj   

In developed urban areas, the natural water cycle is often disrupted by the presence of impervious surfaces such as buildings, roads, and sidewalks. Rainwater runs off these impervious surfaces, having a high flowrate, picking up pollutants like oil, dirt, and chemicals along the way which can cause flooding, erosion, and water pollution. Best Management Practice (BMP) is a sustainable approach to treating stormwater that seeks to mimic the natural hydrological cycle by using small-scale techniques that retain, infiltrate and evaporate the stormwater on-site offering numerous environmental, social, and economic benefits. In the present study, BMP Siting Tool (BST), which is an add-on to ArcGIS, was used to select suitable locations for BMP systems to manage runoff from industrial areas, in Sulaymaniyah city, KRG, Iraq. A set of four types of BMPs namely Bioretention, Vegetated Filterstrip, Grassed Swale, and Cistern have been selected for runoff management. The selected four types of BMPs can work as primary and secondary treatment of stormwater, which can be used afterward. The studied area land use is 59.63% impervious and 40.37% pervious areas. Results of the study recommend a total of 407 locations to construct the suggested four types of BMPs with a total area of 16.45 hectares to treat, control and manage the stormwater runoff from the industrial area. As a final point, a spatial distribution map of the four types of the selected BMPs has been presented as a green stormwater management infrastructure.

Sondang Siahaan   Rina Fauziah   Suparmi   and Supriatna   

Backround and Aims: The existence of domestic waste that is not channeled properly to processing tanks, such as septic pliers and infiltration wells, will cause several health problems. Objective. This research aims to know the determinants of ownership of sewerage channels. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 70 households in Tanjung Johor Village, Serving District, Jambi City, Indonesia, which was carried out in 2022. Variables were assessed using questionnaires and observation sheets. Data analysis used the Chi-Square test. Finding: The results showed that most of the households did not have sewerage with a total of 57 families (81%), a total of 55 families (79%) had less knowledge, a total of 41 families (59%) had a negative attitude, and 45 households (62%) had low income. Based on the results of inferential statistical bivariate analysis, the results showed that there was a strong significant relationship between knowledge and the availability of sewerage (0.001), attitude and availability of sewerage (0.001), income and availability of sewerage (0.001) in Tanjung Johor Village. Conclusion: The research concludes that sewerage ownership is associated with good knowledge, a positive attitude, and high household income.

Samsul Bakri   Henrie Buchari   Endang Linirin Widiastuti   Parjito Parjito   and Siti Herawati Sitorus   

Ecotourism is a non-extractive economic exploitation activity that can minimize damage to natural resources and biodiversity loss so that it is often claimed to have great sustainability performance, marine ecotourism is no exception. However, this claim needs to be proven, including the terms of ecological, socio-cultural, economic, technological and institutional dimensions. This research was conducted in Teluk Kiluan, Tanggamus Regency, Lampung Province, Indonesia from September to December 2021. This study aims to measure the sustainability of marine ecotourism. The multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) method was applied to determine the five dimensions of sustainability using RAPFISH Software. On a scale of 0-100, it is concluded that the sustainability indexes for the five dimensions are 57.21, 51.08, 42.40, 42.18 and 34.98 respectively, which means that the first two index values are quite sustainable while the rest are less sustainable. To increase the aggregate sustainability of this ecotourism activity, the lowest average ordinated value should be the top priority by selecting 4 sensitive factors (attributes). The sequence of priority scales is thus: (a) institutional dimension; (b) infrastructure/technology dimension; (c) economic dimension; (d) social and cultural dimensions; and (e) ecological dimension.

Rachida El-bouayady   and Hassan Radoine   

Urbanization profoundly affects the realignment of urban infrastructures through its multiple dimensions. With an unprecedented rate of population growth of 26% between 2019 and 2050 worldwide and 46% in northern African countries, most of this growth is expected to happen within cities. This significant increase in urban population is a major challenge to current and future built-up infrastructures. The urban system as a dynamic ecosystem is directly impacted by ongoing urbanization, which brings into sharp focus the multifaceted challenges of urban infrastructures as the main supplier of urban services. It is, therefore, essential to point out the discrepancy between the current urbanization trend and urban infrastructure development in the African region. This article thereby focuses on examining the effect of urbanization and urban growth on sustainable urban infrastructure development on the African continent. It highlights then the discrepancy between urban infrastructure and urbanization in Africa and the challenges that impinge on their sustainable development throughout diverse levels: 1) infrastructure overload 2) lack of investment 3) deficiency and inadequacy. These discrepancies will be examined following the categorization of urban infrastructures that are namely composed of transport, energy, water and sanitation, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In conclusion, multiple approaches and actions to meet the sustainable development of urban infrastructures have been proposed.

Elanda Fikri   and Yura Witsqa Firmansyah   

Every individual has a right to access safe medicine. However, in fact, drug contamination still occurs in several countries. The Indonesian authorities through the Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency or Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM) Indonesia declared five drug products contaminated with ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG) on October 19, 2022. The concentration of the chemicals exceeded 0.5 mg/kg body weight per day based on recognized pharmacopeia and BPOM Indonesia. Based on the pharmaceutical issues, this study aimed to disseminate information on drugs contaminated with EG and DEG in Indonesia along with their effects. The descriptive method with a case report approach was used in this study. Secondary data of previous research were obtained from the website of the Indonesian state authorities such as the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency, and some journal databases. Data collection was carried out from October 12 to December 22, 2022. A total of 323 cases of acute kidney injury and 190 deaths in children were reported by the Indonesian Ministry of Health. The investigation results show that contamination from EG and DEG as solvents was found in some drugs; as a result, the drugs did not meet the quality standards. A total of 103 syrup drugs contaminated had caused acute kidney injury and six companies that produced contaminated drugs were given several sanctions for their negligence.

Tran Thi Phuong   Nguyen Quang Tan   Nguyen Cong Dinh   Nguyen Hoang Khanh Linh   and Pham Huu Ty   

Floods are the most dreaded danger for household livelihoods, particularly those in coastal and estuary regions, due to their tremendous destruction. Proper assessment of the livelihood vulnerability of these communities thus becomes imperative for prioritizing policies. Applying the LVI-IPCC framework, this study investigates the flood-induced vulnerability of two coastal communities in Hai Duong and Vinh Hien communes of Thua Thien Hue province, Central Vietnam, and their vulnerable index's determinants. Data were obtained through three focus group discussions, twelve key-informant interviews, and a cross-sectional survey of 360 households between September and December 2021. The results disclosed that coastal fishery communities are highly vulnerable to flood risks due to their high exposure and sensitivity. Further analysis revealed that floods are an extra burden to impoverished fishermen and have sealed the poor into endless poverty traps and thus could reverse the poverty reduction efforts. Therefore, poverty alleviation should be integrated and prioritized in capacity-building programs to adapt to flood risks. Attention to issues that assist the resilience of poor populations, specifically allocating resources to vulnerable groups, strengthening access to information for hard-to-reach households, and well cognizance of the floods-relative poverty and inequality nexuses should be future priorities.

Ta Thi Huong   and Tran Y Doan Trang   

The creation of effective adsorbents from agricultural waste to remove heavy metals such as toxic lead ions has been widely used. The goal of this research is to remove lead from water using rice husk-manganese oxide (RH-Mn). The raw rice husk was processed in three stages: (1) treatment with hydrochloric acid (HCl) 1M and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) 1M; (2) keep treating the material at the first stage in an ultrasonic water bath with a solution of 50 mL distilled water and 5 mL ethanol (90°C) plus 1,5g potassium permanganate (KMnO₄); (3) Continuously adding few drops of 10% hydro peroxide (H₂O₂) to the solution and stirring until the precipitation solid turns brown or black. The material was filtered and dried for 6 hours at 80°C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to determine MnO₂ and observe the differences between the raw rice husk and modified rice husk. Besides, batch adsorption tests were carried out to investigate the influence of time, pH, and adsorbent dose on the adsorption removal process. Particularly, several outstanding performances in the research are: (1) Based on the statistically experimental design and response surface method (RSM) were applied to improve the adsorption system; (2) Pseudo-second-order kinetics and Freundlich isotherm models were shown to be effective in explaining lead adsorption on RH-Mn; (3) The modified adsorbent took four hours to reach the adsorption equilibrium. Over 99% of lead ions were eliminated from water under ideal conditions if the pH of the water was 4, the initial concentration was 15 mg/L, the contact period was 3 hours, and the RH-Mn dose was 1.5 g/L. This research can aid in the development of novel bioengineered low-cost adsorbents.

Yasser Wahyuddin   Akhmad Rizky Fernanda   L.M. Sabri   and Fauzi Janu Ammarohman   

Pekalongan City, Central Java, Indonesia, is an urban area that often experiences floods and tidal hazards. The topography of Pekalongan City is lower than the sea, resulting in frequent tidal surges. The existence of the Smart City concept encourages the use of digital instruments to identify the extent of built areas that have a threat of tidal floods. Enhanced Built-Up and Bareness Index (EBBI) were used to map built-up areas. At the same time, the GIS method is considered a digital instrumental tool to identify and obtain flood and tidal hazard classes. Results of this study demonstrate three categories of flood and tidal hazards: a low threat of 305,79 hectares or 6.67%, a moderate danger of 1897,94 hectares or 41.94%, and a high threat of 2321,25 hectares or 51,3%. The total area of built areas that fall into the low classification is 22.25 hectares or 1.58%, the medium threat is 784,54 hectares or 55.5%, and the great danger is 606,62 hectares or 42.8%. From this case, the study also stressed that the circumstances of the Smart City concept had brought more and more exposure to digital instruments employed by local government.

Ta Thi Huong   and Tran Y Doan Trang   

Hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) poisoning has been a serious concern for decades. Removal of Cr⁶⁺ in water in developing countries with simple and economical methods should be considered. Hence, the study aims to modify rice husk with sorbic acid (SRH) as an eco-friendly and economical adsorbent to remove Cr⁶⁺. The chemical structure and its surface morphology were investigated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Besides, driving effects among important independent variables were precisely carried out with pH (2-11), contact time (1-8 days), concentration dosage (1-4 g/L), and temperature (283-303K). The results indicate that SRH appeared in some new stretching vibration groups including OH- and COO- on FTIR analysis. Furthermore, its surface was shown significantly roughly with many deep holes in SEM analysis. It could be impressive evidence for efficient adsorption. It was demonstrated by the adsorption capacity being remarkably increased – being shown by the uptake efficiency of 99.9% Cr⁶⁺ at pH 2 and 4g/L concentration dosage with an initial Cr⁶⁺ concentration of 100 mg/L. In addition, the modeling study was well fitted with Langmuir, Freundlich, and Pseudo-second order through favorable coefficient correlation (R²). Its adsorption capacity was reported at 97.09 mg/g by the Langmuir model. For the thermodynamic study, its parameters indicate that the adsorption of Cr⁶⁺ is spontaneous and that physisorption contributes greatly to the removal of Cr⁶⁺.

Michael A. Clores   

Ecopath with Ecosim (EWE) modeling software was used in constructing steady-state trophic models of three diverse seagrass ecosystems to analyze the impact of biomass changes in each component of the ecosystems. The food web models were utilized to make predictions and management options regarding the impacts of biomass alterations in three varied actual scenarios: (1) pristine, isolated, and sheltered seascape; (2) increased connectivity with mangroves; and (3) increased connectivity with corals. The Mixed Trophic Impact (MTI) analysis was utilized to identify consumer compartments' cumulative effects on the producer compartment (i.e., seagrass). The stability and resilience of the seagrass systems were inferred from the network flow indices as the biomass functions. Then, the models were subjected to multiple dynamic simulations. The hypothesis is that the three different scenario simulations resulted in varied biomasses and trophic interactions that revealed insights towards possible management options of the seagrass systems in Caramoan Peninsula, Philippines. Results revealed that although all the seagrass systems are immature, the pristine, isolated, and sheltered seascape (Site A, Lipata Bay) should be given more management owing to its vulnerability that the presence or connectivity cannot afford with other ecosystems (e.g., coral reefs and mangroves). The seagrass meadow nearest to the mangrove forest (Site B, Manlawi Bay) needs unique management to maximize its potential as a refuge for crustaceans and other economically important invertebrates. The seagrass meadow closest to the coral reefs (Site C, Hurandayan Bay) can also be considered conservation sentinels since it is less susceptible to stress-induced changes and can recover from unexpected perturbations than the other seagrass meadows.

Heri Sulistiyono   I Wayan Yasa   Humairo Saidah   I Dewa Gede Jaya Negara   and Ery Setiawan   

Some information states that the world is currently experiencing climate change. Many scientists have researched the relationship between climate change and various natural events. Still, there has been no research on the relationship between climate change and extreme rainfall events. The relationship between climate change and extreme rainfall events needs to be clearly understood, as extreme wet events can cause losses such as landslides in hilly areas, submerged agricultural areas, and damaged residential facilities due to flooding. Meanwhile, extreme dry events can lead to droughts and forest fires. The authors have proposed a procedure to utilize the upper and lower threshold values to determine the extreme rainfall. The proposed procedure uses correlation coefficient and regression modeling. The authors hope that engineers can estimate the extreme rainfall after understanding the relationship between climate change variables and the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on local rainfall. This study applied monthly rainfall data from the Alas Rainfall Station in Indonesia, climate change data, and ENSO from 1992 to 2021 to demonstrate the proposed procedure. The results showed that climate change affects the occurrence of Extreme Rainfall at the Alas Rainfall Station. The predicted extreme wet was 118.11%, and the predicted extreme dry was 72.12%. Extreme wet events are becoming more frequent, while extreme dry events are decreasing. The ENSO has no significant relationship to the extreme rainfall at several stations.

Kanis Fatama Ferdushi   Mohammad Nayeem Hasan   and Anton Abdulbasah Kamil   

Bangladesh's environment and climate have changed a lot and Bangladesh has converted as the most exposed country. This vulnerability is exposed in adverse way in Bangladesh due to magnitude of changing climate. It can be said that for national food security, respective agricultural household should adapt to climate change. A large portion of inhabitants of Bangladesh are dependent on agriculture for their needs, living, income and maintenance, and most importantly economic growth also depends on agriculture. To adapt to climate vulnerability, farmers may face many challenges. In this regard, the first motto was to perceive the level of challenges faced in agriculture such as unpredictable weather, excess cost of inputs, restricted access to agricultural markets, etc. during production. For fulfilling this specific objective, adoption of resilience indices to agriculture were developed. Those adoption resilience indices were making hurdles for farmer's livelihood and adjustment due to climate change. The adoption resilience indices were calculated through the principal confrontation matrix, and it was found that "unpredictable weather" ranked as number one followed by the high cost of farm inputs. Another objective of this exploration was to explore how those adaptation resilience indices affect farmers' enthusiasm for their adaptation. To fulfil this objective, the ordered logit model had been used using 378 boro cultivator's data which were collected from selected 'haor' (lowland) in Sylhet. The results show that the two variables namely "Changed in crop varieties" and "Changed crop to livestock" had a positive impact on the farmers' adapting strategies for changing climate. That means, those farmers were easily motivated to change their crop varieties and preferred rearing livestock during flood.

Abdallah Hussein Al-Khraisha   

Jordan's economy is one of the most robust and rapidly expanding in the Middle East. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation in the nation has dramatically increased due to the country's fast industrialization. Therefore, there is a raging concern over waste management infrastructure, particularly when most C&D waste in Jordan is disposed of informally. Hence, the research has reviewed previous literatures to identify the gaps in the body of knowledge about C&D waste management which helped in determining the method of quantitative questionnaires with practitioners and governmental bodies involved in C&D waste management in Jordan to be used. The literature analysis showed the construction sector and its components, legal frameworks, environmental, social, and economic ramifications, as well as the primary C&D waste management strategies and reveals that current strategies for managing C&D waste in Jordan are insufficiently developed. Thus, the purpose of the research in response to the findings of the literature was to ascertain what is lacking in the Jordanian context in terms of C&D waste management including informal dumping, aspects within Jordanian construction industry contracts, missing C&D waste management activities, encouragements to improve C&D waste management strategy, and the industry actors' perspectives. The main findings demonstrate that the construction sector has a significant impact on Jordan's environment by nearly informally dumping 50% of the total volume of C&D waste generated. The findings have identified that most problems relating to C&D waste are associated with governmental controls and industry actors (construction and demolition contractors). Including a general lack of legislative control and its enforcement accompanied with poor oversight and contractors' perspective and willingness. In addition, appropriate procurement methods are not adopted, particularly for demolition projects. Results have shown that the absence of design codes of practice for recycled waste materials and poor waste disposal systems are strongly influential factors too. The findings identify the measures necessary to push the Jordanian construction industry toward improved C&D waste management by developing a set of encouragements. The key aspects of these encouragements include modifying the current regulations, the imposition of penalties or fines on polluters, enriching the local market with recycled waste material market, increasing the fees of disposal, and providing tax exemptions. The research not only develops enhancements to Jordan's C&D waste management strategy, but also provides a future benchmark for a successful national C&D waste management plan.

Ika Rosenta Purba   Adrian Hartanto   and Bagus Prio Prakoso   

The community and composition of benthic macrofaunal species are determined in three sampling stations from upstream to downstream in Purba District. Sampling was performed in November 2021 during the rainy season. The results showed a population shift from upstream to downstream based on the predominance of insect and mollusk groups. The upstream was populated by Chironomus sp. (Insecta: Chironomidae) with 124 ind/m², followed by Helicorbis sp. (Mollusca: Planorbidae) with 90 ind/m², and Cambarincola sp. (Oligochaete) with 89 ind/m². Helicorbis sp. with 298 ind/m² had the highest density in the midstream, followed by Cambarincola sp. (Oligochaete: Branchiobdllidae) with 285 ind/m², and Melanoides sp. (Mollusca: Thiaridae) with 184 ind/m². Furthermore, Melanoides sp. (533 ind/m²), Helicorbis sp. (475 ind/m²), and Limnodrilus sp. (288 ind/m², Oligochaete: Naididae) were the three most dominant taxa in the downstream. The Shannon's diversity index (H') in upstream and downstream were both 2.12, while the downstream index was 1.90. There was a significant difference among stations based on relative taxa density (F_2,8 = 14.16, p = 0.005). Therefore, further research on other taxa groups, such as plankton and fish, should be conducted to increase the understanding of the anthropogenic effect on stream conditions in the Purba District.

Lalita Zakharikhina   Vadim Kerimzade   and Yury Litvinenko   

This study examines the regional geochemical anomalies in the soil of the Mzymta River valley in Russia, which was affected by large-scale construction works for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The study found that the elemental composition of soils not affected by human activity is influenced by the chemically rich parent rock and the presence of mineralized zones. The abundance and concentrations of excess and deficient elements in the soil were determined using mass spectrometry for 61 elements, and factor analysis was used to identify the causes of the variations observed. The study identified geochemical indicators that can predict soil-forming factors and revealed both natural and anthropogenic sources of chemical elements in the valley soils. Natural sources include geochemically rich rocks that contributed most significantly to the soil chemistry. The anthropogenic sources of elemental variation in the soil were a result of the construction of Olympic transit infrastructure using local geochemically rich materials. The heavy crushing and subsequent intense weathering of this material resulted in an increase in the concentration of excess elements in the soil compared to the parent rock or mineralized zones. This indicates a significant alteration of the soil's elemental composition due to construction activities in the area. The findings of this study can be applied to predict potential soil contamination in similar river valleys that are experiencing both natural and anthropogenic pressures.

Carolyn Payus   Siti Irbah Anuar   Baba Musta   Kawi Bidin   Felix Tongkul   and Pak Yan Moh   

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter Scale struck Ranau, Sabah, on the 5th of June, 2015. It was recorded as the most significant earthquake occurrence in Sabah and had many implications, such as casualties, house and facilities damages, minor injuries, and environmental disruptions. In addition, the combination of continuous heavy rainfall triggered mudflow through landslides, which impacted the river's quality and disrupted the local water supply. The degradation of water quality will be due to the excess rainwater that cannot be absorbed by the soil, bringing the remnants of landslides into the river. Therefore, this study aims to monitor and assess the water quality of selected rivers affected by the earthquake and the mudflow to ensure it is safe to be utilised by the local residents. A total of five affected rivers were studied by analysing their physicochemical parameters, namely pH, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and electrical conductivity (EC). The results indicated that the mudflow overall creates a turbid, foamy and smelly river. High turbidity readings associated with high suspended solids were detected on specific dates for respective river stations. The high readings were associated with the cause of mass fish death in Sungai Kadamaian. Next, Sungai Mesilou faced a high-temperature reading above two celcius, which was not favourable for aquatic life. Physically, Sungai Mesilou also became shallower and flowed slowly. However, overall monitoring data revealed that the river's water quality was in good condition, except for the high turbidity dates. Nevertheless, the water quality of the respective rivers can recover on its own with the drop in turbidity levels found by the end of the monitoring dates, specifically at Sungai Panataran (S1), Sungai Kadamaian (S3) and Sungai Mesilou (S4). Hence, the water quality of such rivers, in general, is practically good and safe.

Gautham Krishna   and Dushyanth V Babu R   

In this specific study, the elimination of antibiotics from wastewater accomplished by the process of adsorption as tetracycline serves as the pollutant of interest and commercial activated carbon (AC) as an adsorbent for removal of pharmaceutical micropollutants. The extremely porous nature, high adsorption effectiveness, low cost, and environmentally favourable qualities of activated carbon led to its selection as the material of choice for the investigation. In this work, the adsorption of tetracycline by activated carbon that had been manufactured commercially was investigated. Throughout the batch investigation, the following parameters were held stable: time, pH, adsorbent concentration, adsorbate concentration, and temperature - 25℃. Experimentation revealed that the optimum removal effectiveness of 90% could be attained when the pH was kept in the acidic range (between 3 and 7), the contact period is 1 hour and the adsorbent dose is 5 mg per 20 ml. The Langmuir Isotherm curve provided the most satisfactory explanation for the experimental results. The specific study focuses on the analysis of potentiality of the prepared activated carbon in removing pharmaceutical pollutants in wastewater which is not being experimented much. The method was tried on real time sample and was found effectual with a removal efficiency of 87%.

Shivangi Singh   and Sathyanathan Rangarajan   

This study examined the variability in salinity, colour, and texture in five sediment cores taken from three sites near Avicennia mangle and two sites beneath the fringing Rhizophora zone in the Pichavaram mangrove forest in Tamil Nadu. The results showed that there were significant differences in the salinity levels of sediment cores collected from beneath the two different mangrove species, suggesting that the distribution of vegetation in the area is largely determined by soil salinity. The sediment cores taken from the Rhizophora zone displayed signs of anaerobic conditions, possibly due to the presence of high levels of sulphur in the soil close to the surface of the cores. In contrast, the sediment cores from beneath Avicenna Marina exhibited characteristics of forest evolution. The texture analysis revealed that the cores were mostly composed of fine clay, with varying amounts of sand. Salinity levels were higher in the clay layers and lower in the sand layers due to the adsorption of salt. This research helps to understand how the characteristics of sediment cores in the Pichavaram mangrove forest vary seasonally and spatially. Previous studies have shown that rising salinity levels are a major contributor to species extinction in this forest, and this information on sediment core characteristics can be used to develop strategies for mitigating these effects.

Aruna Polisetty   Sowmya G.   Bindu Madhavi   and Rimjhim Jha   

This study develops hypothesised model that examines how strategically and successfully individual consumers establish and practice a concrete sustainable approach to achieve sustainable development. This empirical paper connects four distinct environmental dimensions of consumption patterns to encourage the integration of sustainability-related issues. The dimensions considered in the study are environmental concerns, perceived behavioral control, perceived consumer effectiveness, and environmental knowledge. Ten propositions related to these dimensions have been developed to craft ecological sustainability by exploring green purchase intention, and the data were collected from 356 respondents. This study contributes to existing research, reveals the relationship between sustainable environment development of organizations, and provides a plan for future comparative, longitudinal, mixed approach research. The study is circumscribed to the consumers’ initiatives in promoting ecological sustainability through practicing green purchase intentions. More studies that foster and hinder consumers’ contribution to environmental sustainability should be explored. Green purchase intentions act as a bridge between consumers and ecological sustainability. The usage and purchase of eco-friendly products are milestones in achieving ecological sustainability. The eco-friendly behaviour of consumers drives a sense of hedonic motivation, which sustains their green purchase intentions.

Norhafizah Ghazali   and Zalina Mohd Ali   

Water Quality Index (WQI) has been widely used in monitoring river water quality to get the information of the river water rapidly and easily. The basic measures of WQI development are variable selections, weight determination, development of sub-index functions and weighted sub-index aggregation. In Malaysia, the Department of Environment (DOE) uses the WQI formula which is calculated using an aggregation function based on six variables, namely: Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Ammoniacal Nitrogen (AN), Suspended Solids (SS) and potential of Hydrogen (pH) to indicate the general status of river water quality in Malaysia. However, the weighting of sub-indices determined by DOE and used in development of WQI is subjective in nature as it is published based on expert opinion. Besides, the natural inter-relationships between variables are also less applied. The relationships between these variables are important and should be considered due to the unique, complex, and diverse dimensional characteristics of the river. Therefore, based on the principal of the relationship that exists between river water quality variables, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach is appropriate to meet these requirements. Hence, in this study, three new models were introduced through modification of the loading calculation from PCA which was proposed for the recalculation of the Klang River IKA. The new calculation approach is through the PCA-WQI model with a) normalization of the square of component loading, b) normalization of component loading and c) normalization of the absolute value of the component loading. Comparisons are also made using the PCA-WQI approach commonly used by other researchers. The results showed that the PCA-WQI model using the normalization of component is the best model through a value of 65.54% of the training data (2008-2014) can be classified in the same general river status group as DOE while 73.60% was recorded for the test data set (2015-2018). Comparison was made with other existing PCs methods. The PCA-WQI new model also demonstrates an inversely relationship with DOE-WQI through the different score values with the existing PCA-WQI method which implies that the lower the value of PCA-WQI, the better the water quality.

Ulya Abdul Rahim   and Nurulkamal Masseran   

Nowadays, statistical modeling of air pollution data is an important topic, particularly for the purposes of forecasting and risk assessment. Thus, this study proposes the application of a univariate state space model in analyzing the time series data of air pollution. Several useful functions and packages available in R software for an easy application of the state space model are discussed. In a similar vein, several illustrative examples covering fitted local-level and local linear trend models, which particularly use the StructTS function, are also presented. A case study is conducted using the data of air pollution index (API) in Klang, Malaysia. Based on the model comparison and diagnostic evaluation, the results find that a local-level model is sufficient in providing a good fitted model to describe the behaviors of API data in Klang. However, in order to provide a better evaluation, we suggest that the state space model must be re-estimated to obtain the latest forecasting assessment of API values over time. To conclude, the state space model may be used as a good alternative tool for air quality forecasting.

Satoka Takahashi   Shin Murakami   Norie Kawano   Kyoko Kawaguchi   Miho Akita   Masayuki Ichinose   and Shigeru Aoki   

The world needs to work together to address global environmental issues. To this end, it is important to analyze the current status of environmental assessment indicators by understanding the characteristics and differences among such indicators around the world. In this study, each environmental assessment indicator is classified by an evaluation tool, and the categories used by each evaluation tool are identified. The analysis of 94 environmental assessment indicators resulted in 13 different tools to assess the subject. After organizing the category combinations and weightings for the seven major types of evaluation tools among them, we describe the evaluation trends and differences. All evaluation tools included a "local environment" category. The evaluation criteria for building evaluation tools are similar and can be classified into four types of evaluation criteria by category combination. Many building evaluation tools focused on "energy" and "life" category. Interior evaluation tools can be classified into two types of evaluation criteria and are unique in that it includes “indoor environment” and “transport” categories. Communities and urbanism evaluation tool can be categorized into three types of assessment criteria. And it is unique in that it includes social and governance categories. Tool users must understand the premise that climate, economic conditions, values, etc. differ from country to country, and to select environmental assessment indicators that are appropriate for their purposes. Now that the SDGs have finally been recognized around the world, each environmental assessment indicator is required to provide guidance and drive the realization of a sustainable built environment.

Mustamin Rahim   Firdawaty Marasabessy   and Syamsidarti Laming   

Indonesians had lived a lifestyle in the past that was very harmonious with their environment. Almost all tribes and communities had policies for preserving and managing their surroundings based on local wisdom that was passed down from previous generations. However, due to the increase in the development of modern cities, this knowledge began to erode. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the impact of waterfront city development on coastal resources and local wisdom in relation to the preservation of sustainable environments in the archipelago city of Ternate. This study was performed through a literature review, field observations, and interviews with 250 respondents. The results show that the increase in waterfront development activities can reduce the potential of coastal resources as well as have an impact on changes in regional characteristics and features of local wisdom in coastal areas due to reclamation. The conservation of environmental resources and the management of coastal areas based on local wisdom and sustainable development can improve the value of the environment and reduce the pressure on coastal resources. The findings of this study can improve insight into the importance of sustainable waterfront development based on local wisdom, specifically in archipelagic cities.

Nino Kiknadze   Nani Gvarishvili   Zurab Mikeladze   Shota Lominadze   Gultamze Tavdgiridze   Darejan Jashi   and Svitlana Shvydka   

The gorge of the Ajaristskali River and its surrounding areas are important habitats for biodiversity. The territories adjacent to the gorge are a refugium of tertiary moisture-loving Colchis relic forest ecosystems, which have been awarded the status of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Ongoing work on the construction of a cascade hydroelectric power station in the gorge poses a risk of loss of the natural habitats. The article presents studies of assessing the ecological state of forest ecosystems in locations: Shuakhevi settlement, Shuakhevi water intake and Shuakhevi hydroelectric power station (HPP). In order to evaluate the current ecological state in the Ajaristskali gorge, the phytoextraction capacity of the dominant tree species forming the main natural forest in this area was studied. The alkalization of the soil samples taken from the Ajaristskali gorge was observed at the Shuakhevi HPP intake and Shuakhevi HPP. The soils are poor in total humus and nitrogen evidencing their decreased fertility. Data of the soil pollution hazard ratio show that the hazard of pollution with heavy metals, As, Ba, Cd, and Pb, exceeds 1-near Shuakhevi HPP intake and Shuakhevi HPP; pollution with Mo, Zn is observed at Shuakhevi HPP location; and Mn pollution is observed at all three locations. Based on the calculation of biological absorption coefficient of heavy metals, we have identified the dominant tree species forming the main natural forests on the study sites, whose vegetative parts have a good phyto-extraction ability for toxic elements. Such plants are: pine (needles), oak (leaves), and alder (leaves).

Ari Sandhyavitri   F. Heru Widodo   Aryo Sasmita   Budi Harsoyo   Mitra Adhimukti   and Tukiyat   

The objectives of this research are to investigate the effectiveness of an application of weather modification technology (WMT) in reducing peat fire disasters; and to generate trends and correlations between the implementation of WMT with 3 variables, improvement of precipitation rates, reduction of hotspot cases, and reducing the size of burnt areas. A cloud seeding method was applied in the WMT processes by spraying ultra-giant nucleic (10-50 microns) of NaCl throughout airplanes within the Pelalawan Regency, Indonesia, 2020. The target-only method was applied for evaluating an increase in the precipitation rates during the TMC period of 2017-2020. Three satellites (TRMM, Landsat, and MODIS) data and geographical information system (GIS) were applied in the calculation of precipitation rates, hotspots, and peat fire (burnt) areas. The results showed that during 4 years of the observation period, the implementation of WMT in this research location was considered effective in improving the precipitation rates as PCH = 1.33 >1. There was also a trend that the higher the precipitation rates were, the lower the size of burnt areas would be (R² > 80%). This article is expected to be a reference for further research and development in peat fire mitigation and control.

Noah Al-Sababhah   

This study aimed to carry out a classification of landforms in Wadi Araba, southwest Jordan, using the topographic Position Index (TPI) by GIS. TPI was used at different spatial scales (mean, 50 m, 75 m, 100 m, 200 m, 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, and 2000 m) for such classification. Landform classification goes by ten levels: Valleys Bottoms, Midslope Drainage, Upland Drainages, Gentle Valleys, Plains, Open Slopes, Upper Slopes, Local Ridges, Midslope Ridges, and High Ridges. This requires defined classes using the TPI for all scales. The analysis showed that there were ten types of landforms; most of them were ridges, valleys, and steep slopes. In addition, the proportions of these types varied according to the variation of indicator values in the scale. Landform map according to the Neighborhood Values mean (m) showed that areas with upland drainages were about 14%, while areas with Gentle Valleys represented about 5.52%, of the total area of the study area. Finally, it was found possible to rely on the classification maps of the landforms for the purpose of spatial planning, as this included determining the land uses that are appropriate for each landform, as well as determining the levels of risk for landslides and floods.

Kangkana Medhi   Arup Kumar Hazarika   Suraj Chetri   Sasanka Sekhar Ghosh   Jyotismita Das   and Amlan Kumar Dey   

According to Indian Yogic concept, human body is made up of five elements – air, water, fire, earth and space. Water is vital for the survival of many small and big living creatures of mother nature. Great civilizations flourished on the banks of rivers. The Kolong river, which was once a vibrant river, has transformed into the most polluted river, due to anthropogenic activities. The present work needs much attention, as even Central Pollution Control Board (2013) listed the Kolong river among 71 most polluted rivers of India. It is very important to scrutinize the water quality and ecological health of the river by analyzing the fishery potential along with recent hydrochemistry of the river. The study has been undertaken in four sites – Samoguri, Nagaon town, Jagi-bhakatgaon and Kajalimukh (Mayong), respectively in pre- monsoon, monsoon, retreating monsoon and winter from the period of July 2021 to July 2022. Fish samples were collected through experimental fishing methods and with the help of fishermen. Physico-chemical parameters were analyzed as per guidelines of APHA (American Public Health Association), 2017. The study revealed the presence of 40 different species belonging to 32 genera and 19 families of fishes. The river is the habitat of 2 critically endangered, 2 endangered and 3 near threatened fish species. Analysis of physico-chemical parameters revealed that the water quality of the river is very poor in the urban site, due to anthropogenic activities. Literatures are very scanty regarding the fishery potential of the river. Therefore, the present study will highlight the measures of control of pollution, thus improving ecological health of the river. The study recommends the minimization of pollution caused by anthropogenic activities to revive the ecological health of the river.

Malebo D Matlala   

Economic expansion coupled with population growth and associated anthropogenic activities are a threat to water resources globally. This study assessed the dynamics in water quality and trophic status of one of South Africa's hyper-eutrophic reservoirs, the Hartbeespoort Dam. Spatio-temporal variability in water quality parameters was determined on historical data spanning a period of forty years (1980-2020), with the aim of determining decadal changes in the Water Quality Index (WQI), the Water Pollution Index (WPI), the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment-Water Quality Index (CCME-WQI) as well as the Nutrient Pollution Index (NPI) and TN:TP ratios in the Hartbeespoort Dam as well as the Crocodile River. The calculated indices provide a single aggregated standardized score of water quality. The efficiency of a bioremediation programme (2007-2012) implemented as a mitigation measure to combat eutrophication in the dam was assessed. The study also investigated the impact of rainfall on the variability of the concentration and level of selected physico-chemical parameters. The results of the study revealed that apart from turbidity, rainfall has no significant impact on the variability of other water quality parameters studied. Furthermore, the WQI, CCME-WQI, WPI, as well as the NPI classified the general water quality of the dam as extremely poor and highly polluted. Moreover, TN:TP showed an increase in TP over time, further exacerbating hypereutrophic conditions in the catchment. The study also showed that the bioremediation programme was effective in reducing external P loading, however, bioturbation resulted in the resuspension of historical internal P loads, thus maintaining high phosphate concentrations at the site downstream from the Hartbeespoort Dam.

Allan Vidad Alipio   

This study determined the level of awareness and practices on Coastal Resource Management of public secondary teachers in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. A descriptive research design was used in this study, and the statistical tools that were used to gather and treat data were frequency and percentage, weighted mean, and bivariate correlation analysis. Results of the study showed that the respondents were much aware of Coastal Resource Management with respect to the degradation of coastal habitats, overfishing, and open access to fishery resources, coastal law enforcement, and resource use of conflict and pollution. The respondents often practiced Coastal Resource Management with respect to the degradation of coastal habitats, overfishing and open access to fishery resources, coastal law enforcement, and resource use of conflict and pollution. Age, sex, civil status, educational attainment, and religious affiliation had a significant relationship with the level of awareness, while teachers' rank and sources of information had no significant relationship with the level of awareness on Coastal Resource Management. On the other hand, age, educational attainment, rank, monthly income, and sources of information (printed and broadcast) had a significant relationship with the level of practice, while sex, civil status, religious affiliation, and sources of information (printed) had no significant relationship with the level of practice on Coastal Resource Management. Moreover, age, civil status, educational attainment, rank, and sources of information had a significant relationship with the level of awareness and level of practice, while sex, religious affiliation, and sources of information (printed) had no significant relationship with the level of awareness and level of practice on Coastal Resource Management.

Hamza Arman Lateef   Ayodele Agboola   and Alexis Patanarut   

Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is ranked the 13^th leading cause of mortality across the globe. Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to assess the potential beneficial impact on air quality and possibly biologic outcomes. The main objectives of this project were to utilize NASA satellite-derived data and: 1) Observe changes in PM_2.5 across the four countries before the outbreak of COVID-19 and through the observed case peak months in 2020 and 2021; 2) Examine changes in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during, around, and subsequent to COVID-19 peak months; 3) Evaluate changes in precipitation and land surface temperature as other potential contributors to changes in plant health. Remote sensing datasets included "Aerosol Optical Thickness" to measure air pollution, and "Normalized Difference Vegetation Index" to examine vegetation health. We found that PM_2.5 concentration substantially decreased in some areas of the sub-continent, during the peak months, while NDVI improved. While accompanying precipitation and land surface temperature may account for some of the changes in NDVI, they alone cannot explain the improvement in plant health during shutdowns. Thus, at least some of the decreased plant stress may be attributed to lower emission of atmospheric pollutants, including PM_2.5.

Bambang Eko Turisno   Iga Gangga Santi Dewi   Siti Mahmudah   and Amiek Soemarmi   

Land conversion or commonly referred to as land conversion is a change in the function of part or all of the land area from its original function, as planned, into other functions that have a negative impact on the environment and the potential of the land itself. Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia places the community as the main group for the purpose of prospering the results of natural resources. However, this does not close the community's access to natural resources, so that any control over natural resources including the forestry sector must involve the community in making decisions on the status of land rights to the scale of enjoying the results of processing natural resources in the forest. This research discusses the policy on the conversion of mangrove forests and the role of the government in the conversion of mangrove forests for tourism in Sumenep Regency. The government role in tourism development as a result from land-change use policy to manage both spatial planning and environment protection is discussed in this study. Practical suggestions are also elaborated.

Asmaa Benbiyi   Mohamed El Guendouzi   Salma Kouniba   and Ali Zourif   

The purpose of this work is to study the effectiveness of date seed powder as coagulants in the treatment of malachite green (MG) in coloured waters. The seeds were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) before and after treatment by coagulation-flocculation. Determination of optimal process conditions was performed using the response surface methodology using the Box-Behnken design (BBD). Three independent variables were chosen and set at three levels, namely the initial pH of the solution (2, 6 and 10), the dose of coagulant (100, 300 and 500mg/l) and the settling time (10, 30 and 50min) while performing 15 experimental trials. The results found showed that the maximum dye removal efficiency is 84.12% for a coagulant dose of 493.8 mg/L, a settling time of 50 minutes and a pH of 8.7. This confirms that date seeds can be considered as an alternative coagulant comparable to chemical coagulants, biodegradable and eco-friendly.

Sri Listyarini   Lina Warlina   and Aceng Sambas   

As a result of pollutant emissions, air pollution occurs which causes various problems such as global climate change, environmental degradation, and diseases due to reduced air quality such as respiratory infections, asthma, and even lung cancer. Polluted air cannot be insulated; therefore, a tool is needed to monitor air quality. So far, in Indonesia the tool for monitoring air quality in the form of an ISPU (Indeks Standar Pencemaran Udara = Air Pollution Standard Index) monitoring station submitted the data daily or not continuously. Whereas air pollution creating from emissions needs to be carried out continuously, so that in 2021, the Minister of Environment and Forestry issued a regulation on the Information System for Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS). Monitoring using CEMS is deemed necessary because correct, accurate, and continuous emission data and information need to be carried out to find out emissions in an integrated manner. This research was conducted to develop CEMS based on internet of things. Pollutant sensors in the form of methane (CH₄), butane (C₄H₁₀), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate (PM_2.5), and ammonia (NH₃) are assembled on the Arduino Uno microcontroller. MQ-4 sensors are used for measuring methane (CH₄), MQ-2 sensors for butane (C₄H₁₀), MQ-7 sensors for carbon monoxide (CO), GP2Y1010AU0F sensors for particles (PM_2.5), and MQ-137 sensors for ammonia (NH₃). Data from the sensor is transmitted to the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) via the Arduino Uno microcontroller, where it is shown on smartphones as numbers. This web-based air quality monitoring program should continuously track air pollution emissions. The main finding shows that the concentration of particulate matter has the highest concentration (above the emission quality standard) among other sensors, namely 52.29 ”g/m³ on June 15, 2022 in South Tangerang, Indonesia. Based on these results, air quality monitoring for (PM_2.5) should be checked periodically.

Bello A. A.   Abua M. A.   Yelwa S. A.   Undiyaundeye F. A.   Iwara A. I.   Abutunghe M. A.   Bassey B. J.   Egbonyi D. E.   and Owalom S. O.   

The study focused on Geospatial mapping of areas at risk to flooding along Sokoto-rima river basin, Sokoto Nigeria. Five Local Government Areas were considered for this study. Natural factors causing flood in the river basin such as: soil type, precipitation, land use, slope, drainage density, and elevation were considered. Landsat 7ETM+ of 30m resolution, ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, Global Positioning System and Precipitation Data were the methods and materials used for the study. The weightage generated for the factors through Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), revealed that precipitation has more effect on the flood with a total of 34%. The analysis further revealed that slope had 30%, elevation 18%, soil type 4%, drainage density 9% while land use land cover had 5% in that order. Flood vulnerability was evaluated in five classes that are: less vulnerable (1.25%), vulnerable (20.04%), more vulnerable (63.04%), very vulnerable (11.32%) and highly vulnerable (4.35%). The reclassification results further revealed that water body is less vulnerable to flood with a weight of 3, agriculture and wet land areas are highly vulnerable with a weight of 20, built-up areas are extremely vulnerable with a weight of 42, forested areas are very vulnerable with a weight of 10, while bare land surfaces are more vulnerable with a weight of 5. Vulnerability map of the study area and a percentage area of each vulnerability class was produced as the final result. This will assist decision makers in the implementation of preventive or rescue work on the menace posed by the disaster.

Kumar Krishnan   Elias Saion   Chee Kong Yap   and Nadia AS   

In tropical and subtropical latitudes, woody plants known as mangroves flourish in slimy, anaerobic soils on the boundary between land and sea. They can withstand extreme weather conditions like high temperatures, unreliable tides, strong winds, and salt. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of nine trace elements (Hf, Ga, Ba, V, Cs, Sc, Sb, Ta, and Co) in the sediment of the mangrove forest along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was employed to determine the distribution of the elements within the sediments. The concentration of trace elements in the sediment in descending order are Sb < Co < Ta < Sc < Hf < Cs < Ga < V < Ba. The degree of elemental contamination in the sediments was assessed using the enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo). The EF and Igeo of trace element ranged from 0.41 to 20.76 and -3.56 to 1.41 respectively. The EF and Igeo values of a few trace elements in the sediments at Kampung Panchor (L6) suggested that the area had probably deteriorated.

I Wayan Yasa   Heri Sulistiyono   Yusron Saadi   and Hartana   

Climate is the average weather conditions over a relatively long time. Climate change is a problem for living things, such as the agricultural sector. It affects the availability of community food reserves, public health, and socio-economics. The impact of climate change causes dramatic changes in agricultural patterns and shifts in planting time. Water availability for agricultural needs is complicated to predict, so the failure rate of agricultural production is getting bigger. Failure is due to a mismatch between the availability of water and the applied cropping pattern. This study aims to analyze and predict the spatial distribution of the Schmidt-Ferguson climate classification on Lombok Island from 2018-2035. This study generated rainfall data using the Thomas Fiering method from 18 rain stations on Lombok Island for 24 years (1994-2017). Determine the dry, moist, and wet months based on the Schmidt-Ferguson classification. From the analysis results, the most significant Q value is at the Geres Daya, Sapit, and Sopak rain stations with the classification "Extraordinarily Dry," and the smallest Q value is at the Sesaot, Perian, and Dasan Cermen rain stations with the "Very Wet" category. The Lombok Island has four dominant climate types based on Schmidt-Ferguson for the years 1994-2017, namely slightly wet (C), moderate (D), slightly dry (E), and dry (F). Meanwhile, for the years 2018-2035, the dominant climates are very wet (A), wet (B), slightly wet (C), and moderate (D). The results obtained can be used for planning in determining cropping patterns based on spatial climatic conditions, and they can be used to mitigate floods and droughts, and regulate water allocation in the irrigation sector. Especially in regional planning, it helps plan drainage systems.

Ajake A. O.   Eneyo V. B.   Ushie M. A.   Odey S. A.   Akeh L. B.   Owan J. E.   and Udonwa R. E.   

Natural disasters have continued to attract attention due to increased human, economic and environmental consequences. The study assessed the effects of disasters and the effectiveness of the response infrastructure in communities of South Eastern Nigeria. The questionnaire survey, participatory research method and field measurements were used to generate data from purposively sampled locations in the region. The data were analysed using descriptive and analytical techniques. The result showed that flooding, landslide and windstorm ranked as the most common disasters affecting the area. These disasters have significantly resulted in food scarcity (food insecurity) and property loss, representing 26% and 25% of the study population. Furthermore, the study reveals several infrastructures as mitigation measures, including financial donations, reconstruction of damaged buildings, bridges, provisions of household materials, and food, among others. The One-way Analysis Variance (ANOVA) results showed a significant difference in the effectiveness of stakeholder involvement in natural disaster mitigation (F-value of 7.737, > the table value of 2.17 at a 0.05 level of significance). This analysis implies that the activities of government, communities, and donor agencies were rated differently in terms of their overall performances in infrastructure provision to disaster-affected areas and people. It was recommended that disaster management education, early warning signs and participatory disaster management response be practised in South Eastern Nigeria.

Le Thanh An   Nguyen Cong Dinh   Trinh Quang Thoai   Nguyen Duc Kien   Truong Quang Dung   Nguyen Thai Phan   Truong Tan Quan   and Pham Xuan Hung   

Extending protected areas has enabled global species and habitat protection, especially for endangered species. In addition, understanding social preferences for species protection is essential to contribute to the biodiversity conservation efforts of protected areas. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the preferences of international tourists towards the protection of the northern yellow-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus annamensis) through a proposed wildlife conservation program in Bach Ma National Park, Central Vietnam. Data for the study was collected from a face-to-face survey of 361 randomly selected foreign tourists visiting Bach Ma National Park. By using the dichotomous choice contingent valuation approach, we estimate international tourists' willingness to pay (WTP) for the proposed conservation program of gibbons and identify elements that influence their WTP for the conservation program. We found that international tourists strongly support conserving gibbon populations in the Bach Ma. The findings from the logistic regression model in the study reveal that the respondents' bid level, education, knowledge, biodiversity conservation, climate change, and revisit variables were all significantly predictive of WTP. The estimated mean WTP amount for one-time funding of the species conservation program was US$7.83 per international tourist. The obtained results of this study suggest that policy-makers and managers of national parks should consider the significance of international visitors' support for gibbon conservation efforts when designing and developing their social strategies, programs, and policies for protecting nature and preserving biodiversity, particularly with regard to tourism segmentation in protected areas.

Sitti Nurani Sirajuddin   Amidah Amrawaty   Siti Nurlaelah   and Nur Dwiana Sari Saudi   

The existence of the Bolu animal market, Indonesia is not only a source of local revenue from market levies, but also a tourist attraction for both domestic and foreign tourists so that the animal market needs to be managed including the waste produced from livestock that is marketed. This study aimed to determine public perceptions of waste pollution from the Bolu Animal Market, North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. This research was conducted from May 2022 to July 2022. The type of research used was descriptive research. The number of samples used in this study was 22 respondents using the purposive sampling method or those chosen intentionally. The data collection methods used were observation and interviews. The analysis of the data used was descriptive. Based on the results of the study, the perception of the community around the Bolu Animal Market shows that the average community is disturbed due to waste from the animal market in terms of air pollution and fecal waste that has not been appropriately managed, which can interfere with public health.

Inah E. O.   Eneyo V. B.   Odey S. A.   Ushie M. A.   Udonwa R. E.   Esuabana S. B.   Ekpo E. E.   Akintoye O. A.   and Ajake A. O.   

Anthropogenic activities on water sources have continued to attract the attention of scholars worldwide due to their increasing negative impacts on man, the economy, and its associated environmental consequences. The study examined the anthropogenic impacts on the water quality of the Kedong stream in Idomi, Yakurr, Nigeria. The participatory research method, field observation, and global positioning system (GPS) were used to generate data from the purposively sampled location. Samples were collected weekly during the rainy (May, June and July) and dry seasons (October, November, and December). The data collected were later compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) acceptable standard. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results of the independent t-test analysis statistics showed that the calculated t-values were pH (-5.137), DO (4.040), specific conductivity (-17.614), BOD (.559), NO₃ (-5.561), NH₄ (34.774), PO₄ (-5.799), SO₄ (-6.810), Fe (1.836), Zn (.545), Mn (-3.687), total coliform (2.811), and faecal Coliform (.242). These parameters differ from the critical because of the numerous human activities in the area. This implies that the water quality varies with the seasons and that anthropogenic activities have significantly impacted on water quality indicators of the Kedong stream in Yakurr local government area, Nigeria. Results revealed that the water quality of the Kedong stream has a significant difference from the World Health Organisation (WHO) permissible limit with the calculated t-value for pH (-6.277), DO (2.559), specific conductivity (-5.880), BOD (-1.627), NO₃ (-91.929), NH₄ (.444), PO₄ (.663), SO₄ (-326.976), Fe (.323), Zn (-179.722), Mn (-14.158), total coliform (2.319) and faecal coliform (2.517) were all different from the critical t-value of about 2.069 at the normal 0.05 level of significance with approximately 23 degrees of freedom. Therefore, the study revealed that the stream receives various inputs, including municipal, industrial, and agricultural pollutants, resulting in considerable changes in water quality. The study recommended improving the stream's physical state cost-effectively and ensuring a low pollutant to meet the requirements of the WHO standard. Again, rural people should be trained to treat contaminated water through boiling and filtering before it can be used for domestic purposes.

Patta Tope   Mohamad Ichwan   Erna Tenge   and Suparman   

The geographical condition makes Indonesia very vulnerable to natural disasters. Various natural disasters that have befallen Indonesia have claimed many lives and property losses. Some of them are the earthquake, tsunami, and liquefaction in Central Sulawesi, especially Palu City, on September 28 2018, which claimed thousands of lives and caused huge property losses. The socio-economic impacts caused by the disaster need to be repaired through rehabilitation and reconstruction in education, health, and the economy. To measure the level of recovery in the form of rehabilitation and reconstruction, a general measure in the form of an index number is needed, called the Indonesia Post-Disaster Recovery Index (Ina-PDRI), which consists of three aspects: the education aspect, the health aspect, and the economic aspect. All basic indicators use primary and secondary data. The basic data used is data for 2017 (100 percent) and it is compared with post-earthquake data, namely data for 2019. The higher the recovery index percentage obtained, the greater the socio-economic condition of recovery in Palu City. It is found that after one year of natural disasters in the form of earthquakes, tsunamis, and liquefaction, the results for the recovery of the new education sector were 54.67 percent, the health sector had only reached 77.78 percent, and the economic sector had only reached 19.84 percent. Total recovery only reached 44.20 percent. Therefore, the disaster recovery acceleration program in Palu City still needs to be improved so that the socio-economic conditions are recovered as before.

Noah Mohammad Ali Al-Sababhah   

The purpose of this study is to develop landslide susceptibility mapping using the GIS Technique of areas at risk of landslides in Jordan's Northern Highlands within the regions of Jerash and Ajloun, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), harmonious with GIS layout. The main factors considered in this study were geological structure, slope, flood susceptibility, rain intensity, runoff, aspect, elevation, and land use/land cover, which were reclassified and weighted for mapping the levels of landslide hazards in the study area. Each factor/criterion was weighted and assigned a rank or score by using the Pairwise Comparison method for making a decision about the severity of the landslide. Consequently, landslide risk areas can be categorized into five risk levels namely very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. The landslides risk map obtained for the study area shows that the landslides phenomenon is threatening the road network clearly, the percentage of road network; lengths located within the high and very high landslide risk areas was about 53.8% of the total road network length. Also, the results show that about 44.2%, of these, are high and very high landslide risk areas.

Fitryane Lihawa   Mahrifat Ismail   Daud Yusuf   and Rakhmat Jaya Lahay   

Changes in land use in the Alo Pohu watershed have concerned the government in preventing the siltation of Limboto Lake, along with floods and slides. On that ground, the present study was conducted to analyze the spatial prediction of land-use changes in the Alo Pohu watershed, Gorontalo Regency, Indonesia, in the 2000-2017 period for the 2030 land use prediction. The method and analysis of spatial data to predict land-use changes involved the Powersim Version 10 and Idrisi apps. Further, the data consisted of two maps, i.e., the Indonesian topographical map and land use map. The Markov chain model applied to predict the land in the site area for the year of 2030 has an excellent suitability/agreement. Based on the validation test with the Kappa Index of Agreement, the value of K-standard gets 0.8 from 0-1 scale. Another validation using Google Earth is also employed, in which it shows an 83% of suitability level. Confirmed by the integration of the dynamic system simulation model, the map of land use resulting from the modeling is therefore scientifically acceptable. The study concluded that land conversion in the Alo Pohu watershed in Gorontalo Province has occurred.

Lee Leon   and Neil Oculi   

Climate change and its adverse environmental impacts are major concerns for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), such as Saint Lucia. In particular, the annual atmospheric temperature and rainfall continue to receive a great deal of attention in the Caribbean and worldwide. Subsequently, looking at the spatiotemporal elements of meteorological factors with regard to the evolving environment, especially in countries where tourism and agriculture activities are dominating, is essential to evaluate climate prompted changes and propose feasible adaptation techniques. The present study attempts to examine and provide findings on the long-term deviations and fluctuation in atmospheric temperature and rainfall over the island of St. Lucia using data for the last three decades (1990-2020). The problem was analyzed using soft computing techniques of Gene Expression Programming (GEP) and a nonparametric statistical trend analysis technique of Mann Kendall (MK) and Sen's slope (Q) tests. The results showed the descriptive capabilities of the GEP output and significance as a prediction tool when compared to MK and Q tests. The results of the detailed analyses indicated that there was no significant trend of rainfall on the island over the last 30 years. However, the GEP analysis indicated that during the next 10 years, the country will experience drought-like instances of low rainfall volumes. Further analysis showed that the island's mean temperature will increase at a rate of 0.032℃ per year. Subsequently, due to the island becoming warmer with little to no increase in rainfall, the island would require in-depth planning in the area of energy consumption as well as mitigation measures due to the potential impact of increased storm activities that can be correlated with these climatic variabilities.

Kumar Krishnan   Elias Saion   Chee Kong Yap   and Nadia AS   

Pollutants are persistent in the environment, taint the food chain, and harm people's health because of their toxicity. In this study, mangrove snails called Cerithidea obtusa (C. Obtusa) were gathered from Southwest Johor, Malaysia, and the amounts of macro and micro elements Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, As, Mn, and Zn in their soft tissues, shells, and related surface sediments were analysed. The Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) method was used to calculate the elements concentration. The mean concentrations of Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, As, Mn and Zn were found to be followed by the order Fe > Na > K > Mg > Ca > Na > Mn > Zn > As in the sediment, while Ca > Na > K > Mg > Fe > Zn > Mn > As and Ca > K > Na > Mg > Fe > Mn > Zn > As in the soft tissue and shell of C. Obtusa respectively. The Enrichment Factor (EF) of Ca, K, Mg, Na, As, Zn, and Mn ranged from 0.58 to 2.58, 0.82 to 1.04, 1.14 to 2.34, 2.32 to 4.18, 1.31 to 3.45, 1.11 to 1.52, and 0.23 to 0.38, respectively. Mn had the lowest EF (0.23), and 4.18 had the greatest (Na). Most of the elements showed geoaccumulation index (Igeo) < 0 except for As and Na. Based on the Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF), the shell of C. Obtusa acts as a deconcentrator for all the elements except for Ca.

Chinthia Larhas Rembulan Purnama   Nia Rossiana   Erni Surmalinda Butarbutar   and Tarzan Sembiring   

Phytoremediation of heavy metals containing textile wastewater using vetiver grass (Chrysopogone zizanioides) associated with Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been performed. Two levels of heavy metal in wastewater (<1 and 100 ppm) in two replication were treated using C. Zizanioides associated with Bacillus sp. and C. Zizanioides associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Assessment of C. zizanioides capability was determined by the efficiency of heavy metals (Cu and Cr) removal and its accumulation in both of leaves and roots of the plants. It was obtained that the experiment of low concentration of Cr was totally eliminated from 0.06 to 0.00 ppm and on the other hand, about 42.6 percent (of 118.65 to 66.06 ppm) for high concentration decreased using C. zizanioides with Bacillus sp. The use of C zizanioides associated with P. aeruginosa was also able to eliminate totally low concentration Cr in textile wastewater (0.08 to 0.00 ppm) and about 69.2 percent (158.76 to 48.9 ppm) of the high Cr concentration. Elimination of Cu from wastewater was 74.4% (0.48 to 0.12) and 55.7% (61.34 to 27.16 ppm) for the treatment using C. zizanioides with Bacillus sp. at a low and high level of concentrations respectively. Meanwhile, combined C. zizanioides with Pseudomonas aeruginosa absorb the Cu 100% (0.36 to 0.00 ppm) and 65% (64.93 to 22.77 ppm) for wastewater with low and high concentrations of Cu respectively. Combination of C. zizanioides, Bacillus sp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are fruitful in heavy metals containing wastewater remediation.

Ganna Sobko   Maryna Halkevych   Olena O. Yatsukh   Julia Shuldiner   and Tatyana I. Bernevek   

The environmental situation in Kyiv has changed as a result of the transformation of industry and its territorial structure, the role of motor vehicles. Therefore, the study of the impact of urbanization on the environmental conditions of Kyiv during the development of the post-industrial economy is topical. The aim of the research is to identify territorial specifics of environmental changes in Kyiv in the period of the post-industrial economy development in 2000-2022. General regularities and specifics of the urbanization of Kyiv and other major cities of the world in the post-industrial period were determined. The assessment of changes of sources and types of environmental pollution caused by urbanisation was conducted, which allowed estimating specifics of the post-industrial ecological conditions at a macro level, using statistical indicators of urbanisation. The methodology of the assessment of ecological usage intensity and efficiency of urbanisation reorganisation of Kyiv was developed, a comparative analysis of the urbanisation level from stationary sources and the level of ecological intensity of the use of industrial zones. Key features of dynamics and territorial structure of influence of automobile and aviation transport in Kyiv were distinguished. The methodology of complex assessment of the environmental quality change in municipal areas was applied. The practical significance of the work consists in the development of the system of ecological assessment of urbanization, which can be used to create the ecological-urban development concept of Kyiv, as well as in teaching courses and the development of practical tasks on the city ecology.

Shanty Oktavilia   Fafurida   Amin Pujiati   Yozi Aulia   and Firmansyah   

Along with increasing development activities and population growth, the need for land is increasing, such as for settlements, industry and facilities and infrastructure. On the other hand, the availability of land is relatively constant, causing land scarcity or excess demand. The existence of excess demand for land availability causes land use competition, which will lead to land conversion. The study aims to empirically examine the antecedents of land use change that occurred in Indonesia in the 1981-2018 period. This study aims to determine whether industry and population growth influence land conversion that occurred in Indonesia in 1981-2018. This study uses secondary data published by World Bank for the 1981-2018 period. This study analyzes the effect of population and industrial growth with medium to high technology on land conversion in Indonesia. In this study, the ECM method used was the Engle and Granger two-stage procedure method, namely by running The Engle-Granger two-stage procedure. This study applies the Error Correction Model (ECM) dynamic model. The use of dynamic models is important in economic analysis because dynamic specifications are concerned with the formation of models of an economic system related to changes in time. In ECM estimation, all variables in the study must be stationary. These conditions must be met so that the estimation results are not biased or do not show spurious regression results. The results empirically prove that the variable of industry has a significant effect in the short term on land conversion in Indonesia. Growth with medium-high technology including construction that occurred in Indonesia (INDUSTRY) was 1.64E-05 which means that an increase in industry of 1 percent will increase land conversion by 1.64E-05 percent in the short term. The novelty in this study is to use a variable ratio of agricultural land area, which is reversed mathematically to measure land conversion variables in Indonesia.

Rossy Carhuanayocc   Netzie Cisneros   Richmar Condori   and Giovene PĂ©rez   

Clean water and sewerage systems are essential for global and local development. In PerĂș, even though most of its urban population has access to these services, it does not mean that those services are enough for the population's necessities. Moreover, they usually do not have acceptable quality. Consequently, it is necessary to invest public funds to provide clean water and sewerage systems to the possible people. However, it does not mean spending money carelessly on projects that might not fulfill people's demands. Then, the current research applied a Monte Carlo-based risk analysis for a public investment project seeking to improve those services in a poor human settlement on the northern coast of Peru. Hence, the Monte Carlo simulation was employed along with its sensitivity analysis. The research found that the project had an excellent chance of being sustainable. Still, it was necessary to make real improvements in the service to meet the population's needs, for instance, by improving the water quality or expanding the hours of clean water supply. Also, due to the investment's quantity, the project's sustainability depends on population growth and public expense efficiency. Finally, the importance of correctly maintaining the works to keep and improve those services was highlighted.

Abimbola Babatunde   Jacob O. Oluwoye   Deden Rukmana   Joyce Ann Pressley   and Aschalew Kassu   

The U.S. transportation sector is the second largest energy consumer in 2020 with about a 35% usage rate. However, the sector accounted for the largest proportion (29%) of the total greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Compared with the use of personal automobiles, public transportation is believed to be cost-effective and provides low emissions, which tends to reduce the need to travel long distances and lower the carbon footprints of transit operations. This study examined the impact of alternative fuels (various blends of biodiesel, hydrogen, methanol, and ethanol) versus conventional fuels on greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. public transit system. The research was anchored by three regression models to analyze the joint and individual impact of both conventional fuel and alternative fuel. Secondary data were extracted from the American Public Transit Association 2021 Fact Book, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 1999-2019 (EPA 2021). The descriptive statistics, correlation, and stationarity tests were established on the variables, and the regression models were estimated using ordinary least squares. The findings revealed that while conventional fuel expands the flow of carbon emissions, alternative fuel is a drag on the total emissions from public transportation. However, it was concluded that the utilization of alternative fuels in the U.S. transportation industry is still very low, thus there is a need to put all machinery in motion to embrace this fuel type to reverse climate change issues, especially in the public transit system.

Ameen M. Noon   Anas Mohamed Elmolla   Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed   and Ayad Sleibi Mustafa   

In terms of the importance of achieving a successful integrated sustainable management to the agricultural sector within the light of the tangible decrease in Euphrates discharge, this research was initiated with the objective of investigating water demand under different irrigation methods, numerically. Primarily, literature in field of modeling and water scarcity was assembled and scrutinized. Anbar in Iraq was selected to be a case study, to which site visits were carried out and data were assembled. WEAP was selected to be implemented to the case study, where it was calibrated and verified against real data sets. Confident with the calibration process and based on previous studies results, WEAP was applied to the study area. 2010 was taken as the base year and simulations were carried out over a span of 30 years (2010-2040). Two scenarios were considered to calculate the water demand and the unmet demand. The 1^st scenario considered the present condition (i.e. using traditional irrigation methods), while the 2^nd scenario is a virtual condition (i.e. using modern irrigation techniques). The results indicated that the water demand decreased from 5846.59 to 4232.29 MCM, for the 1^st and 2^nd scenarios, respectively (i.e. decreased by 38%). Accordingly, it is recommended to implement modern irrigation methods to achieve successful integrated-sustainable-management in the agricultural sector.

Offiong E. E.   Eneyo V. B.   Ushie M. A.   Agbor C. N.   Ephraim I. E.   Ajake A. O.   and Antai A. S.   

A survey and ethnobotanical investigations were done in six Local Government Areas (LGAs), Cross River State, Nigeria, to examine the social and economic value and management practices of the primary Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in home gardens and sacred forests. The six LGAs were purposively selected based on the vegetation types. The vegetation types include tropical high forest/freshwater swamp mosaic as ecotype 1, tropical high forest as ecotype 2 and tropical high forest/savannah mosaic as ecotype 3 for Akpabuyo and Akamkpa, Ikom and Obubra, and Obudu and Boki. The study was conducted in 12 sacred forests and 60 home gardens in 30 randomly selected communities within the 11six LGAs. A stratified multi-stage random sampling was used with group interviews, personal observation and structured questionnaires as study tools. Also, a simple close traverse was adopted for area determination for home gardens and sacred forests, while the stock survey approach was used for identification, enumeration and measurements of NTFPs/ tree species in the study areas. One thousand and fifty questionnaires were administered to respondents randomly selected from 30 communities in the six LGAs to provide data on NTFPs. Results showed that 69.5% and 61.5% of the respondents were involved in home garden farming and sacred forest conservation, while 64.2% were farmers and only 21% were involved in NTFPs production to supplement farm income. The product contributed significantly to household food security, and the majority of the respondents (62.9%) were women. Volume production in ecotypes 1, 2 and 3 was 18.40, 14.00 and 13.18 m³/ha, respectively. The analysis of variance showed that the number of stem/ha, the dbh (cm), the based area (m²/ha) and the volume (m³/ha) were not significantly different in the three ecotypes. The results also showed that ethnobotanical practices of NTFPs in home gardens and sacred forests have assisted in having proper methods of conservation and sustainable management of the existing forest products. Recommendations were proffered to eradicate or ameliorate the perceived problems. Finally, this study provides relevant information which would be inestimable in promoting and improving improper management of NTFPs in home gardens and sacred forests.

Muh. Yunus   Andi Tenri   and Aziz Thaba   

This study aims to analyze gender variables in the disaster management system in Indonesia, by taking cases from the Provincial Disaster Management Agency South Sulawesi. The aspect of the analysis is the dimension of the female variable in the identification, design, implementation and evaluation of the disaster management system. The research method used is descriptive qualitative research. Data collection techniques used interviews and documentation. The data analysis technique used interactive data analysis techniques and Harvard gender analysis Step 4. The results showed that the implementation of the Provincial Disaster Management Agency South Sulawesi was not gendering responsive, because there was still a gender imbalance in its implementation, both pre-disaster, during disaster and post-disaster. The implementation of the disaster management system by the Provincial Disaster Management Agency South Sulawesi does not utilize gender-disaggregated data to carry out gender analysis and formulate gender-responsive budget plans. The dimension of women in system identification, design, implementation and evaluation of disaster management systems by taking into account women's needs has not been taken into account. Access, participation, control and acceptance of women's benefits in the system have not been fulfilled. Thus, the implementation of the disaster management system at the Provincial Disaster Management Agency South Sulawesi tends not to be gender-responsive.

Iskandar Shah Mohd Zawawi   Mohd Ridza Mohd Haniffah   and Hazleen Aris   

River water pollution requires continuous water quality monitoring that promotes the improvement of water resources. Therefore, the trend analysis on water quality data using mathematical model is an important task to determine whether the measured data increase or decrease during the time period. This paper is intended to highlight the applicability of the least squares regression models to fit the WQI data of the Skudai River, Tebrau River and Segget River located in Johor, Malaysia. As per the 12 years of trend analysis, the data of WQI are collected from the Environmental Quality Reports 2009-2020. The least squares method is utilized to estimate the unknown constants of the linear, quadratic, cubic, polynomial of degree four and degree five regression models. The advantage of using proposed models is that it can be implemented easily even on relatively low computational power systems. The results show that the higher degree polynomial model fits the data reasonably well, in which the polynomials of degree 4 and 5 have lowest average error. Assessment of actual and predictable values of WQI shows that the trends in WQI for all study areas are downward year after year.

Cordelia Onyinyechi Omodero   and Philip Olasupo Alege   

Due to the obvious intensity of carbon footprint in developing nations' vicinity, the United Nations has developed a guidebook that focuses on carbon taxes as one of the solutions to industrial contamination in emerging regions. Green fiscal policy is a major topic of discussion in the public debate over climate change around the universe. This study investigates the influence of fiscal policy measures in reducing carbon emissions in the ecosystem. The analysis spans the years 2000 to 2020 and makes use of World Bank Development Indicators data on CO₂ emissions in million metric tons. The data on tax income are taken from the Federal Inland Revenue Service in billions of Naira, while the data on government investment and debt are derived from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. After establishing the adequacy and appropriateness of the datasets and model, the study employs econometric tool of multiple regression approach to examine the effect of fiscal tools on climate change improvement. The results suggest that government funding has a negative intangible impact on climate change mitigation. Further findings reveal that tax income collection is positively irrelevant, however debt has a positive influence on CO₂ emissions reduction. The study strongly suggests government drive for green fiscal policy which should incorporate efficient and cost-effective green-financing options, carbon taxation, environmentally friendly government budgets and investments.

Giovene PĂ©rez Campomanes   and MarĂ­a PĂ©rez Campomanes   

The objective of this research is to evaluate the effects of climate change on agricultural production in the town of Rinconada in the district of Santa, Ancash, Peru. Climate change variables (Precipitation and Temperature) vs. agricultural production were analyzed. We worked with the information collected from the SENAHMI (Servicio Nacional de Methodology e Hydrology del Peru), Lima - Peru through the database of the Pisco station, the Santa Users Board, the La Rinconada Irrigation Commission and the integrated system of agrarian statistics of the Ancash region, Peru [20]. The perception of the irrigation commission of the town of La Rinconada, district of Santa, Ancash, Peru was also evaluated through a survey with questions about the effects of the 2 variables of climate change: precipitation and temperature vs agricultural production of the main crops: corn, cotton, and rice. Climate change was modeled between the periods of 2006 and 2010 and between 2011-2015, through the variables of maximum precipitation and average precipitation in comparison with the variables of planting area, yield, and agricultural production [22]. It can be concluded that it is possible to predict the planting, yield and production of the crops evaluated: corn, cotton, and rice, using only the variables of maximum rainfall, and average rainfall, and that it is necessary to keep investigating the presence of transgenic crops in the Rinconada valley.

Chetna Singh   Alok Agrawal   Amresh Kumar   Anuj Kumar Agarwal   and Piyush Kumar Tripathi   

Using a non-linear differential model, investigations were conducted to determine the harmful effects of two reprotoxins simultaneously in the reproduction process of the biological species. Reprotoxins are chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer in various parts of the reproductive system due to their effect on biological species and getting affected as their multistep protection network fails. The simultaneous effect shows various harmful effects depending upon the increasing concentration level or the quantity of uptake doses. Reprotoxin enters the body in various ways and produces deformities in various parts of the reproductive system. It can be seen in various forms including additive form, multiplicative form, or synergistic form. Both direct and indirect reprotoxin have a harmful impact on the reproduction process. Here, in this paper, we provide stability analysis at the equilibrium points for numerical solutions that characterise solutions of dynamical behaviour based on the parameters that are being used in the formulation of the systems. Toxification and detoxification, as well as some repair, occur inside the cell, organ, or other sites of the reproduction system. This includes enhanced protein synthesis to replace damaged or non-functioning proteins. The goal of this work is to determine the circumstances or the level of growing reprotoxin at which the system is said to become entirely destabilized. To comprehend the movement of the trajectory path in the attractor basin towards or away from the fixed point, different mathematical structures have been developed. It concludes that the level of a species' population may be preserved by regulating the amount of various reprotoxins in the environment.

Mohamad Nor Azhari Nor Azli   Muhammad Aidil Khasri   Azian Hariri   Chong Zi Yao   Amir Abdullah Muhamad Damanhuri   and Mohd Syafiq Syazwan Mustafa   

Thermal comfort is essential for students' wellbeing, health, and performance. A conducive classroom must consider the acceptable range of heat and its impact on student performance. The study aims to conduct a pilot test for the determination of thermal acceptability and student performance in existing Malaysian classrooms using physical and subjective assessments. The methodology requires physical measurement using KIMO AMI 310 instrument, as well as subjective assessment via satisfaction survey adapted from ASHRAE 55 and performance assessment adapted from WHO Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (WHO NCTB). Physical measurement parameters, such as indoor temperature, air velocity, relative humidity, and prevailing mean outdoor temperature, were measured in parallel with subjective assessment of thermal acceptability and performance assessment. Three days of data collection were conducted in the secondary school located in Endau, Johor. There are three classes involved with a total of 46 students. Each class was equipped with two ceiling fans and both ceiling fans were regulated to the speed of four. The overall physical and subjective assessment procedure took approximately 60 minutes per classroom. The findings showed that all the investigated classes were in the range of acceptable operative temperature and complied with ASHRAE Standard 55 for both 80% and 90% acceptability limits. Pearson correlation analysis showed a small positive relationship between thermal sensation vote (TSV) and learning performance was obtained. The results also showed a higher performance score at the TSV value of -1 suggesting the students tend to have higher performance scores when they voted feeling slightly cool. Thus, the results of the pilot test gave new insight into the effective method to improve the methodology for the actual data collection.

Kumar Krishnan   Nadia AS   and Chong MY   

The impact of heavy metal contamination caused by human activities on mangroves, rivers, estuaries, and coastal wetlands has gained attention recently. In this study, the presence of heavy metals in the mangrove Sepang Besar River's surface sediments was examined. As, Mo, Pb, Cr, Co, Cd, Ni, and Hg concentrations in sand were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Across all sampling sites, Cr concentrations were the highest and Hg concentrations were the lowest. The concentration of As was found higher than shale's geochemical background value. The range of EFs for As, Mo, and Pb are 4.38 to 12.9, 1.71 to 3.67, and 0.94 to 2.68, respectively. The eight heavy metals and other environmental components were compared using the correlation coefficient. The ecological hazards posed by eight heavy metals (As, Mo, Pb, Cr, Co, Cd, Ni, and Hg) were assessed using the comprehensive enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo). The Enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index, in particular, revealed that Arsenic is the most prevalent heavy metal pollutant in surface sediments in Sepang Besar River mangrove sediments, with some stations requiring specific attention due to high pollution levels.

Manvendra Singh Chauhan   Shiwanshu Shekhar   Atul Kumar Rahul   Santosh Kumar   Rishi Srivastava   and Akash Priyadarshee   

The life cycle installation process for wastewater treatment is the advanced treatment assessment measure for the wastewater treatment and reuse of water resources. Utilizing the methods and concepts of "Life Cycle Assessment" for wastewater treatment and reuse of water is carried out using LCA software like Umberto, SimaPro, Gabi, etc based on the infirmity of calculations of "Life Cycle Inventory Data". LCA method helps in analyzing the various emissions and impacts of the "wastewater treatment plant" (or WWTP). A secondary data analysis study is designed on the basis of various data and information collected from 15 research papers with applicable and defined sources on wastewater treatment plants in India and LCA method. The data analysis configured the positive impact of the researched categories. LCA data analysis provided the idea that positive effects tend to override the negative impacts of recycling wastewater treatment process. The assessed categories for LCA data analysis are "global warming potential", "eco-toxicity potential", "fossil depletion potential" "particulate matter formation" and so on, which are highlighted in this project. The negative impacts can be associated with the effects of untreated sewage and compost produced by the "wastewater treatment process". The project analyses and evaluates the various aspects of the "life cycle assessment" application in the "wastewater treatment plants" in the Indian subcontinent. This is done particularly in the Madurai city, of the Indian subcontinent. The LCA assessment highlights the environmental impact of the water purification processes adopted in the mentioned waterplant. The ecological impact is measured on various scales like "ecological toxicity", "marine toxicity", "freshwater Eutrophication" etc. Similarly, the assessment highlights the impacts on the resources like fossil fuels, and most importantly on the human health. In addition, the project also highlights the various mitigation measures and techniques to increase the ecological efficiency of the wastewater processes.

Nur Hanie Mohd Latiff   Suhair Kamoona   Wan Syibrah Hanisah Wan Sulaiman   Farah Ayuni Mohd Hatta   Razanah Ramya   and Rashidi Othman   

Phytoremediation is a plant function that degrades, eliminates, and inactivates potentially hazardous and toxic compounds in the polluted water, soil, and air. In phytoremediation mechanisms, phytodegrading enzymes break down the pollutants taken up by plants (phytodegradation). Additionally, the microorganisms found in the plant-related rhizosphere can also degrade the pollutants in the soil (rhizodegradation). The plants can extract the pollutants from the soil and accumulate them in their tissues (phytoextraction) or immobilise the contaminants in their root zone, remove the harmful compounds from the water and soil through transpiration into the atmosphere, and regulate the heavy metal pollutants across their root system (phytostabilisation). In this study, researchers characterised the development and aptitude of different fern species to remediate the heavy metal pollutants present in the highly weathered soil (i.e., laterite soil). For this purpose, soil samples from 3 different sites in Perak, Selangor and Johor were collected. The phytoremediation ability of 4 different fern species (i.e., Dicranopteris linearis, Nephrolepis bifurcata, Stenochlaena palustris and Acrostichum aureum) was determined to understand the pattern and distribution of heavy metal contamination in soil. The ICP-MS technique was utilised to determine the concentration of heavy metals. The results indicated the presence of a high concentration of heavy metal at many of these sites, while the concentration of Al and Fe ions varied. In addition, a significant difference (P<0.0001) in the concentration of heavy metals was discovered between fern species. All the interactions were detected using the Analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique. Phytoremediation is considered an alternative technique for reducing the heavy metal concentration in soil in light of various factors that lead to the accumulation of heavy metals. Furthermore, the remediation of numerous sites that are polluted with heavy metals, like landfills, is a cost-effective solution employing green technologies, like phytoremediation.

Rahmat Safe'i   Citra Farshilia Gayansa Rezinda   Irwan Sukri Banuwa   Sugeng P. Harianto   Slamet Budi Yuwono   Nur Arif Rohman   and Yullia Indriani   

Forest quality is essential to comprehend, as a healthy forest would provide various benefits. The quality of forests may be found through the measurement of forest health. Internal and external factors could be measured to determine forest health. Internal factors are factors related to the biophysical state of the forest ecosystem, whereas external factors are related to the manager' s state. Forest health could be identified in forests managed by communities, such as forest areas managed by the Community Forest System (SHK) Group Lestari located in Teluk Pandan District, Pesawaran Regency, Lampung Province. This study aims to identify internal and external factors related to forest health managed by the SHK Group Lestari. This study utilized the multiple linear analysis method. The results indicated internal factors that improved the forest health levels are biodiversity indicators, in which the parameter is tree species diversity index (H'), vitality indicators, in which the parameter is tree damage (CLI), and site quality indicators, in which the parameter is soil pH. External factors that affect forest health levels are farmers' knowledge level (FKL), farmers' participation (FP), and farmers' motivation (FM).

Iga Gangga Santi Dewi   Bambang Eko Turisno   and Emy Handayani   

The conversion of forest functions has often occurred in Indonesia with the background of regional development, tourism and plantation business. The various impacts of this forest conversion can be categorized into environmental impacts, namely hydrology, erosion and sedimentation, fires, extinction of flora and fauna, and impacts on the socio-economic community around the forest. The aim of this research is to analyze the policy of forest conversion into oil palm plantations in Lamandau Regency, Central Kalimantan Province. The research was conducted using the socio-legal method with a qualitative approach which is expected to find hidden meanings behind the objects and subjects to be studied. The data in this study were obtained through observation, interviews, document interpretation (text), and personal experience. The results showed that the policy of the Lamandau Regency Regional Regulation was in accordance with the Forestry Law No. 41 of 1999 Article 48 paragraph (5). The policy is to ensure the best possible forest protection. To ensure sustainability, communities with their local wisdom are involved in forest protection efforts through the provision of assistance, services, technical assistance, education, training and socialization about forest management processes. As suggestions, State Forest Company in Lamandau Regency is expected to increase socialization to palm oil companies and communities around the Lamandau forest area regarding policies related to forest protection. For forest village communities, in order to maintain the sustainability of production forests in Lamandau Regency, they are expected to be more concerned about natural resources in production forests.

Syaifullah Yophi Ardiyanto   Retno Saraswati   and Eko Soponyono   

Purpose: This study attempts to analyze the reconstruction of law enforcement on illegal logging based on community participation and the values embodied in Pancasila as a national philosophy in Indonesia. Methodologies: This study was conducted using a normative empirical method, by employing data-driven approaches. Principal results: The results revealed that combating deforestation and illegal logging can be achieved by participatory measures with the implementation in the grassroots through community participation being taken as an important consideration to instill the principles of sustainable forest management. To obtain optimal and equitable benefits of forest resources, local community empowerment is carried out, through capacity building and providing access in order to improve their welfare. Major conclusions: The prevention and eradication of deforestation should pay attention to the principles of sustainable forest management by the government and regulatory agencies with involving grassroot level to obtain sustainable and optimal benefits of forest management. Contribution to the field: This study contributes to the intertwined relationship between law enforcement in developing forest management and social participation through a series of mechanisms and practices based on local wisdom. Important aspect of the study: The findings highlight social forestry as a sustainable forest management practice in balancing natural sustainability and social justice as law enforcement priorities. Research limitations/implications: The theoretical scope is specific to the idea of natural sustainability in the context of social justice. This has theoretical implications for further studies to provide empirical and practical justification for the implementation of social forestry in Indonesia. Practical implications: The findings practically underline the need for social forestry activities through efforts to provide legal access to local communities in the forms of forest management, business permits, plantation, partnerships, recognition and protection and customary law for community welfare and forest resource conservation. Social implications: The principles and practices of community involvement in social forestry are required to reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality in the management/utilization of forest areas.

Rheisa Gusmendasari   Imas Sukaesih Sitanggang   and Lailan Syaufina   

To prevent and suppress forest and land fires, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry conducts forest and land fire prevention patrol activities by forming a fire fighter team for each operational area. Previously, a mobile application and website had been developed for data acquisition carried out by the patrol team for forest and land fire prevention in the Sumatra region. The data that have been recorded through the Patroli Karhutla mobile application are still primary data. Presentation of primary data into data that users easily understand can be done through a business analytics approach. This study aims to develop an application that allows users to easily view data from reports and patrol activities to support decision-making. This study uses a geographic information system to analyze the data from patrols for forest and land fire prevention. This study focuses on analyzing and developing information systems using descriptive analysis and prototyping. Data visualization is presented in the form of maps to monitor the patrol data that have been collected through the mobile application. The functionality of the system has fulfilled the user's requirements.

Hardeep Kaur   and Manvendra Singh   

Environmental pollution is a global health concern. Air, water, and soil pollution cause 16% of premature deaths worldwide. Rapid urbanization and industrialization result in the environmental pollution in developing countries, including India. Environmental degradation is a grave issue in developing countries due to a lack of awareness, inadequate legislation and faulty enforcement. This research is mainly concerned with the issue of environmental pollution and various policy initiatives undertaken by the Punjab state of India. Punjab is a predominantly agrarian state. Anthropogenic activities such as burning fossil fuels, stubble burning, excessive chemical fertilizer and industrial waste are significant contributors to environmental pollution in Punjab. This study explores the causes and effects of environmental pollution in Punjab. It is exploratory, and secondary data used in this research were collected from newspapers, e-journal articles, reliable internet sources, government reports, "Punjab Pollution Control Board", and "Central Pollution Control Board" websites. Despite environmental legislation, findings revealed an alarming upsurge in Punjab's pollution levels, leading to air, water, and soil quality degradation. It causes serious health issues. Malwa region is identified as the "Cancer capital of Punjab" due to the shocking surge in cancer cases. It concludes with measures to control environmental pollution. It recommends a crucial need for a comprehensive awareness program and the proper implementation of policies to curb the harmful effects of pollution in Punjab, India.

E. M. Erebor   E. O. Ibem   I. C. Ezema   and A. B. Sholanke   

This study investigated the extent to which building professional practices in Abuja, Nigeria are knowledgeable and integrate 29 energy efficiency design features in selected office buildings in the study area, with a view to making contributions on how to enhance users' comfort and satisfaction within office environments. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 80 participants drawn from architectural and engineering design firms in the study area. The survey data were analysed by descriptive statistics, and the key finding is that the knowledge and integration levels of the energy efficiency design features in the selected office buildings by the sampled firms, are high. Appreciably, 71% of the respondents declared that they are aware of the energy efficiency design features in question, while only 29% of them acknowledged having little or no knowledge of any of the features investigated. On the level of integration of the features in office buildings, 64% of the firms stated that they have integrated some of the features, while 35% of them declared not to have integrated any of the features under investigation in this study. One of the recommendations of the study is that relevant professional bodies of the building industry should provide forums such as seminars and training workshops towards promoting the benefits of energy efficiency design features in communities, thereby fostering better understanding and wider deployment of the features by more building design and construction professional practices. This will ultimately help in reducing global warming and the adverse effects of buildings on the environment, both locally and globally in the long run.

Kaleb P. Arreza   Janice S. Garcia   Mark Joseph J. Buncag   Janice B. Sevilla-Nastor   and Lorele C. Trinidad   

Road dust samples around human settlements nearby mining areas in Carrascal, Surigao del Sur, Philippines were investigated to quantify the levels of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) and assess the potential health risks from selected heavy metals. Metal concentrations of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) in road dust were analyzed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer. Analytical results showed that the average concentrations of Cr, Ni, Mn, and Zn were very high at 15,668, 14,814, 7,054, and 684 mg/kg, respectively. Measured concentrations exceeded standards stipulated in international regulations and guidelines by several orders of magnitude. Mortality and morbidity cases with causes probably related to dust inhalation (e.g., upper respiratory tract infection and pneumonia) noticeably increased during the peak years of mining operations. Non-carcinogenic health risk assessment revealed that children are more prone to develop non-carcinogenic health effects than adults (HI values >1 for Cr, Ni and Mn for children and only Cr for adults), owing to their smaller body weight and activities exposing them to these metals via the ingestion route. Assessment of carcinogenic risk value or the lifetime probability of an individual to develop cancer due to exposure to Ni revealed that such risk is negligible. This study suggests that mining companies and government units should proactively take measures to reduce dust exposure (e.g., dust inhalation) of mine workers and residents in nearby communities. In developing management measures, children should be provided with attention given their greater risk of developing dust-related illnesses and diseases.

Nasirova A. I.   Mammadova R. N.   Aliyeva M. M.   and Hasanova T. A.   

Since Azerbaijan is a country with little soil, the cultivation of environmentally friendly industrial crops is very important and relevant in recent years and is one of the most important issues for soil scientists in the study of soil ecology. At present, the world has clearly defined the ecological direction in the use of natural resources, giving preference to the preservation of the natural environment and the development on this basis of resource-saving projects for the rational use of natural resources. The uniqueness of the nature of the Ganja of the Kazakh massif, as a habitat for zonal plants and animals, requires the development of modern methods for ecological assessment. The Republic of Azerbaijan is one of the most widespread countries for growing grapes. Collection orchards play an important role in the conservation of the grape gene pool. At the experimental station in Ganja, 258 native and introduced varieties are grown. The purpose of our research is to study the agrochemical and biological properties of soils of grape agrocenosis in the current ecological state of wet soils of natural cenosis, and the involvement of wet soils in agriculture. Hybrid forms like Tavkeri x Xindoqni; Tavkrevi x Gara Lkemi; Tavkveri x Medrese; Bayanshira x Saparavi; Bayanshira x Semilyon; Aloqote x Bayanshira; Sisaq x Bayanshira; Katta Kurqan x Tabrizi; Agshani x Gara shiraz; Agshani x Iskenderiyye muscat were taken as materials for research in agrocenosis. The study of phenological phases is closely connected with meteorological conditions and water regimes, which allows us to determine the need for heat, light, moisture and other elements of the external environment at different stages of the growing season. As a result of agroecological studies carried out on wet soils of natural cenosis, arable land has been identified and our analysis is very important for transferring them to grape and sunflower agrocenosis. Mathematical processing of diagnostic data of the main types and subtypes of soils of the massif and the long-term yield of the main agricultural crops - vineyard, sunflower, and cereals showed a close correlation between them.

Sebastian Kuƛ   Iwona Jelonek   and Zbigniew Jelonek   

Fuel combustion conditions in modern boilers are currently fully automated. Controlling the combustion process with preset parameters with an appropriate air distribution adapted to the type of fuel ensures maximum use of fuel properties. Combustion of heating materials in such controlled conditions allows to minimally affect the environment of emitted flue gases and solid residues (ashes). Unfortunately, the best boiler with the best regulator will not provide optimal combustion conditions without good fuel quality. Contaminated biomass (pellets, wood chips, wood) with plastic, fossil coal, colored metals not only effectively affects the low emission burden, but also the failure rate of boilers. Analogically, the use of poor-quality solid fossil fuels translates into the formation of smog and sometimes irreparable damage to CO equipment. According to the authors of the study, in which the combination of low and medium power boilers with dedicated tested fuels to a given type of heating installation will ensure maximum reduction of low emissions. In the summer period, we can observe the phenomenon of fog caused by the use of grill fuels to prepare dishes. In case of high insolation and accumulation of devices (grills), e.g., on plots, recreational areas, smog phenomenon may also occur. The more the grills are polluted, the more the combustion fumes are burdensome and harmful for users of both active and passive barbecues. Based on the analysis of flue gases from the combustion of charcoal and charcoal briquettes, it can be stated that their particulate matter emissions, which are mainly responsible for the formation of smog, range from about 110 mg/m³ to 280 mg/m³. It was found that charcoal briquettes show extremely high emission levels for both PM 2.5 and PM 10 and other compounds emitted during the combustion process. Optical analyses performed on fuels used in household furnaces revealed, in the case of the samples analyzed, a low content of additives such as plastics and metals; the only significant and unnecessary component in all the fuels analyzed was the mineral matter.

Sobhan Mishra   Vazeer Mahammood   and Durga Rao K. H. V.   

Assessment of irrigation performance for any irrigation scheme becomes necessary to know about effectiveness in terms of its operational management and socio-economic impacts. This study will focus on the performance assessment parameters computed using meteorological, optical datasets, and ground measurements for the Narayanpur Command Area. Net crop area is calculated for both Kharif and Rabi seasons using Optical Datasets for 2018-19. Atmospherically calibrated Sentinel 2 MSI images were used to identify major crop types by using supervised algorithms. Actual and Potential Evapotranspiration was also computed from meteorological datasets for the same duration. The surface Energy Balance algorithm was used for calculating potential Evapotranspiration. Crop water stress index and crop coefficient were computed and multiplied with potential evapotranspiration for getting actual evapotranspiration. It was observed that the actual evapotranspiration for both Kharif and Rabi crops varied from 700 mm to 1550 mm. The temporal scale for each growth stage was evaluated to analyse operational performance based on the growth phase of major crops grown in the Narayanpur command area. For performance assessment, depleted fraction, relative evapotranspiration, and relative water supply index were calculated. Most of the growth stages' depleted fractions varied from 0.6 to 0.9 and relative evapotranspiration varied from 0.7 to 0.92. The relative water supply for Kharif was estimated as 1.05 and for Rabi, it was 0.69.

Sebastian Kuƛ   Edyta Sierka   Iwona Jelonek   and Zbigniew Jelonek   

Processes associated with surface mining promote the creation of artificial water reservoirs. In most cases, these post mining reservoirs can be adapted for recreational purposes after slight modifications. The authors analyzed the characteristics of inland reservoirs created as a result of opencast mining of diverse types of deposits in terms of the possibility of their best use for recreation and the identification of good management practices. The solutions and methods of monitoring the current status of anthropogenic waters and aquatic ecosystems serving the local community and tourists are briefly presented. The typical conditions for the formation of artificial water reservoirs and the risks associated with the genesis of such reservoirs for users and administrators of these facilities are discussed. The possibilities of managing anthropogenic reservoirs for economic purposes, considering their origin, shape, depth, and water quality, are also presented. The development of recreation infrastructure was discussed, not only the one directly in contact with the water reservoir, but also the one located at a distance, which corresponds to the definition of water-based tourism, which also takes place in the areas surrounding the lakes. Considering the innovative and constructive view on the risks of the use of post-anthropogenic ecosystems, both from the user's and administrator's perspective, we believe that the manuscript will be a useful compilation of knowledge on the subject and could be of value to wide readership.

Yasser Wahyuddin   L. M. Sabri   and Firman Hadi   

This article looks at the economy-politico of the Linky Smart meter initiatives in France as part of the Ecological Transition campaign proposed by EDF, the State Utility Company. Introducing Linky, EDF brought forward the idea of R&D consortium composed of dozens of industrial companies in home appliances products. Linky is claimed to be digitally eco-friendly and could be the fundamental movement toward the ecological transition. This research, sketched through a qualitative method, an in-depth interview with dozen key informants, empirically proved and argued that despite the ecological campaign of Linky, the device could play a central role as knowledge capital for the R&D industry members. At this point, research results briefly argue at the first place, EDF, as the leading institution, introduced Linky to be generally more reliable to the current digital home appliances market development. In bearing so, this article should provide a critical point of view in which the ecological transition campaign is on the cutting edge of the market development rather than a clear view of the ecological transition.

Atirah Sufian   Chai Jia Chi   Hartini Azman   Nor Azah Abdul Aziz   Fam Soo Fen   and Ammar Afif Mohd Zamri   

Flood is a natural disaster experienced by Malaysians including residents in Melaka. Floods cause huge damage and loss, and can affect the health of the flood victims. However, flood prone residents' awareness and preparation towards floods are still lacking. Despite many efforts done by different organizations to reduce the flood risk, flood hazard remains the main problem in Melaka. Several studies had been conducted to investigate the level of flood preparedness in some regions in Malaysia, but the level of flood preparedness amongst residents in Melaka is still unknown. Therefore, this research is conducted to assess the Melaka residents' flood preparedness using the Adoption of Protective Behaviour (APB) scale. The nine measurements APM scale is utilized and another three measurement items are created and added into the scale which makes it twelve measurement items. The mean for the twelve measurement items ranges between 2.85 to 4.03 while the likelihood percentage ranges between 31.67% and 74.17%. The twelve measurement items are significantly correlated with flood preparedness of the residents in Melaka. The result shows that flood preparedness among the residents in Melaka is still low. Most respondents are not well prepared in facing the flood. As the study was conducted on the states of Melaka only, it is recommended that future study should be carried out in all states in Malaysia especially in the east coast of Malaysia where large scale flooding occurs every year. The findings in this research can assist the authorities and the government to plan on creating public awareness and education for flood disasters. This helps the residents in Melaka to increase their knowledge on flood risk and establish an emergency plan for their families. The study also shows that residents in flood prone area put inadequate efforts in preparing for a flood event.

Mark Joseph J. Buncag   

Community-based mangrove forest management is the national strategy of the Philippines for mangrove protection. However, aquaculture, resource extraction, and tourism activities of the community may cause degradation and no assurance of sustainability. A number of generalizations may be drawn as to the purposes of this study. This study is useful in developing the contextualized evaluation tool and evaluating the mangrove management system of the communities. This study evaluated the sustainability of mangrove forest management systems by the local community in Tagpait, Aborlan, and Bacungan, Puerto Princesa City, using applicable criteria and indicators (C & I) of sustainable mangrove forest management that were identified through FGDs. This study also identified seven applicable criteria and 35 indicators. The formulation of the verifiers through the rating scale for each applicable indicator was conducted through FGDs and KIIs. The formulated verifiers were used to evaluate the sustainability of mangrove management systems in both communities using HHI, FGDs, KIIs, and secondary data analysis. The results show that Tagpait has a grand mean of 2.31, while Bacungan has a grand mean of 2.47, in which Bacungan has a higher rating of sustainability of mangrove forest management system. Both communities fall under the fair status of sustainability. Also, the Overall Sustainability Index value of Bacungan is 0.35 (moderately sustainable) while Tagpait has 0.33 (moderately sustainable). Hence, Bacungan has better management, but by looking at the Sustainability Index for Individual Criteria, each community has its strengths and weaknesses in sustainable management. Lastly, this study may be utilized by concerned agencies to evaluate the sustainability of the mangrove management system of each community.

Rania Rushdy Moussa   and Laila Atef Elsawaf   

The first digestion plant was built in Bombay, India, in 1859. But since 1895, anaerobic digestion has been used to recover gas as a waste management system in England. Anaerobic digesters are one of the most well-known systems that are used worldwide to get rid of waste and generate energy, yet they have never been employed in Egypt. This research aims to determine the economic, social, and environmental impacts of anaerobic digesters in Egyptian cities and districts. From an economic perspective, the study estimates the energy produced from storing organic wastes in anaerobic digesters, using a quantitative approach to measure the efficiency of anaerobic digesters in Egyptian districts. In this study, the data were collected using surveys among residents and cleaners in the study area. The information gathered in this study was used to estimate the amount of organic waste (OW) produced by area 4 El-korba in Heliopolis, which will be stored in an anaerobic digester (AD) and used to generate heat, electricity, and fertilizer. In terms of social impact, the study relied on a site questionnaire to measure the impact of waste accumulation on the Egyptians. The aim of this paper is to study the storage of the OW collected from El Korba district in AD and how it can save electricity consumed by the district residential sector. Finally, the study applied a quantitative method to measure the amount of waste disposed of and burned in one Egyptian district from an environmental standpoint.

Nguyen Thi Phan Thu   Pham Hong Hanh   Nguyen Van Dinh   Hoang Dinh Luong   and Do Thi Minh Hue   

In recent years, the signs and consequences of climate change have become increasingly evident in every continent and country, and are expected to increase in the coming years, posing risks to human health, food security, and global economic development. Therefore, controlling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the basic cause of climate change, has become a hot issue for all countries, including Vietnam. CO₂ emission is considered one of the main components of greenhouse gases. This paper was conducted to identify factors driving the change in CO₂ emissions in Vietnam based on the extended IPAT model, decomposition method, and OLS regression analysis. The cross-sectional data in the model (including population, GDP per capita, energy intensity, emission intensity) were collected mainly from the World Bank and ourworldindata.org during the period 1986 - 2016. The analysis results show that GDP per capita is the variable that has the most significant influence on the increase in CO₂, followed by energy intensity and population, while emission intensity is the only factor that contributes to the reduction of CO₂ emissions. Based on these results, the study has proposed a number of policy recommendations to control and cut CO₂ emissions in Vietnam, better orienting future decisions to deal with the threat of climate change.

Nisha Khatik   

Wetlands are the areas where water covers the ground or is accessible at or near the ground's edge throughout the year or for varying periods of the year, including the developing season. Wetlands, the supports of biodiversity and key constituent of our climate, are among the most useful biological systems lodging more or less all botanical and faunal taxonomic units. Wetlands are an important part of our natural habitat; they protect our shores from wave action, mitigate the effects of floods, assimilate toxins, and improve the water quality. They provide habitat for plants and creatures, and various encompass a diverse range of life, supporting creatures and plants found nowhere else. Wetlands provide an essential range of social, natural, and monetary administrations. Wetlands environments are essential pieces of hydrological cycle, exceptionally useful in supporting rich biodiversity and supplying a wide scope of biological system administrations like water stockpiling, water decontamination, flood relief, storm cushions, disintegration control, spring re-energize, miniature environment guideline, tasteful upgrade of scenes while at the same time supporting numerous huge sporting, and social exercises. Assessment, monitoring, and reporting of wetlands in the country is critical for protecting and managing the country's remaining wetlands. Wetland monitoring is the assortment of explicit data for the executive's purposes and the utilization of these observing outcomes for execution purposes. Monitoring comprises of making foreordained estimations of chose physical or organic components at standard stretches. Normal components to gauge incorporate water profundity, disintegrated supplements, and number of calling creatures of land and water or birds.

Nino Kiknadze   Nani Gvarishvili   Nunu Nakashidze   Gultamze Tavdgiridze   Darejan Jashi   and Svitlana Shvydka   

Seasonal research of two relict lagoon-type lakes of Batumi (Adjara Autonomous Republic, Georgia) – Nuri-Gel and Ardagan waters has been carried out to assess their modern ecological condition. To assess the eco-situation of the lake waters, some physical, organoleptic, biochemical, chemical microbiological qualitative parameters have been experimentally determined. The topicality of the research is due to the fact that people often have an irreversible negative impact on the current sanitary-bacteriological condition of the waters of Lake Nuri-Gel and Ardagan. Based on the research, it has been revealed that in many cases the environmental quality mitigation parameters of the above-mentioned lakes are not within the maximum permissible concentration (MPC), which is caused by the negative impact of anthropogenic factors (such as draining faecal water fecal waters and various waste in lakes, caused, in many cases, by negative human activities). Due to the strategic importance of the research lakes, it is necessary to systematically research the ecological condition of their waters in order to assess the degree of cleanliness of these important ecosystems and to take timely preventive measures. At the same time, it should be noted that both lakes have recreational value and they are used for fishing, water sports and active relaxation, which further exacerbates the problem. To solve the ecological problems of Nuri-Geli and Ardagan lakes, we consider it necessary to carry out systematic cleaning works on them and to carry out periodic sanitary-bacteriological and hydrochemical control over their waters. It is necessary to work in a complex way to successfully overcome the tasks of rational use of their resources.

Hariharan R.   Senthil Kumar Arumugam   and Seranmadevi R.   

Climate finance is an alternative financing source in which private and public at domestic and global levels invest their funds to support mitigation of and adapt to present and upcoming climate change. It is an enormous challenge since it is incredibly susceptible to climate impact. The main challenge lies in identifying risks of climate change, appropriate response measures, and prioritizing them to control climate change. The paper aims to determine the perception of climate finance among the public while assessing India's current situation concerning climate change. A well-structured questionnaire was prepared, and data were collected from 253 respondents in Chennai city from December 2020 to February 2021 using a convenience sampling method. A chi-square tool was used to examine the association between the demographic profiles of the respondents and the respondents' perception of climate change-related activities. Type of family, age, and number of family members are significantly associated with most statements connected to the perception of climate finance. The majority of the respondents had insufficient knowledge about climate change policies. Forty-two per cent of the respondents believed that the investment made in climate finance is used effectively for sustainable development. It explores the present scenario of climate finance in India during the Covid 19 pandemic period. The study results will be helpful to the social investment companies, and the regulators frame suitable strategic policies.

Nabsiah Abdul Wahid   Sharifah Fairuz Syed Fadzil   and Shaizatulaqma Kamalul Ariffin   

The issue of consumer water wastage is a serious issue in Malaysia. A reason for wastage behavior, particularly in Penang state, may be because water is a public good and the population enjoys paying low price for this natural resource. Wastage reflects not only the population's unsustainable behavior; it also reflects the difficult position faced by water providers in managing the nation's increasing demand and related costs. The aim of this study is to identify whether problem awareness (PA), awareness of consequences (AC) and ascription of responsibility (AR) influence an individual's personal norm (PN) in preventing water wastage behavior as theorized in the norm activation model (NAM). NAM is a popular theory applied by researchers in the investigation of individual pro-environmentalist behaviors. The study distributed a total of 500 questionnaires online and managed to collect 262 usable responses. The study respondents were mainly from Malaysian households who pay for water they consume. According to NAM, all moral norms factors (PA, AC, AR) are proposed to influence individual's personal norm. This study treats personal norm as a proxy variable for a consumer's pro-environmental behavior (water wastage prevention). Results from Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analyses show significant relations to Malaysian consumers' personal norm by all three moral obliged factors tested. In addition, AC also influences consumers' AR. From these findings, the government and water providers will obtain insights into how Malaysian household consumers have developed their personal norms on prevention of water wastage behavior. It is now known that Malaysian consumers' moral obligations, including problem awareness, awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility, play important roles in shaping their personal norms in terms of the prevention of water wastage. From these insights, state governments and providers like Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang could use these moral obligations when planning for educational campaigns for the public at large to accept changing their water wastage behavior for the better.

Sharifah Meryam Shareh Musa   Muhamad Faizal Mostaffa   Norpazlihatun Manap   Azlina Md Yassin   and Rozlin Zainal   

Water is a life-sustaining resource for humans and all other creatures. Humans, animals, and plants all need water to survive. A proper rainwater harvesting system (RWH) could produce clean and efficient water resources. This study aims to identify outdoor water consumption in UTHM main campus, to choose the appropriate capacity for RWH tank, and to suggest a rainwater harvesting design for outdoor water consumption in UTHM's main campus. This study involved fieldwork, literature study, collection of rainfall data, simulations using Tangki NAHRIM software, and a semi-structured interview with UTHM's assistant engineer. The results of this study identified a few outdoor water consumption in the UTHM's main campus, namely vehicle cleaning and watering the garden. Based on the rainfall data and the catchment area, the average daily harvested rainwater for a week is 2286.3ℓ. Therefore, a water tank system with capacity of 3000ℓ has been proposed as a solution. The results demonstrated two possible RWH designs, first, a stainless steel tank with a capacity of 3000ℓ, second, two polyethene tanks, each with 1500ℓ in capacity. Simulation results from Tangki NAHRIM showed that the proposed RWH system has high storage efficiency up to 97.86%. This research could serve as a guide for future researchers, the Center of Development and Maintenance UTHM (PPP UTHM), and contractors in designing future small-scale rainwater harvesting systems for outdoor water consumption in the UTHM Main Campus.

Ta Wee Seow   Wei Guan Lim   Sulzakimin Mohammed   Indera Syahrul Mat Radzuan   and Muhamad Azahar Abas   

Solid waste generation has seen a sharp increase over time as a result of population growth, changes in socio-economic conditions, and lifestyle changes. In Malaysia, we are also facing the same scenario, as a result of which, the solid waste generation has been increasing over time. Improper solid waste management can cause environmental pollution. As such, solid waste management is a challenging problem in the Malaysian context. To tackle this, the government had launched the recycling programme in the year 1993 and had re-launched the programme in the year 2000. Nevertheless, the recycling rate was still found to be low, at 10.5% in the year 2012, and 17.5% in the year 2016. Furthermore, Malaysia has set a recycling target of 22% for the year 2020. The objective of this research is to determine the good governance practices of effectiveness and efficiency, transparency, responsiveness, rule of law, consensus-oriented, responsibility, and participation in recycling programme implementations. A total of 384 respondents were randomly selected as part of the sampling size in the study area. The scope of research is in the areas of Batu Pahat, which are under the administration of SW Corp. SWM Environment has provided the waste collection services here. The method of research used is a survey by a structural questionnaire, analysed by descriptive analysis. The study found that good governance practices are not comprehensively implemented in the recycling programme in Batu Pahat. In general, it was found that the practices of good governance still need further improvement. This paper has recommended the total integration of good governance practices into each level of formulation of the recycling programme, from planning, implementation, to monitoring and improvement.

Mardiha Mokhtar   Muhammad Azri Fikri B. Ariffin   Mohd Effendi Daud   Masiri Kaamin   Mohamad Azim Mohammad Azmi   and Nor Baizura Hamid   

This paper was carried out to identify the sediment properties at eroded areas where Sungai Lurus and Pantai Punggur located in Batu Pahat were selected as the study area for this research. This study is prompted by the factors from climate changes which lead to the increase of sea level and vicious behaviour of sea waves. These factors are related to the erosion of coastline or the coastal changes along the south-west coast of Malaysia. The vulnerability of Malaysian coastline towards the coastal changes is something that is vital to deal with as Malaysia is surrounded by sea, and the coastal region plays a great role towards the socio-economic activities. In order to fathom the erosion at the coastline, it is crucial to grasp the fundamental of the soil physical properties which will clarify how the sediments might be transported. Based on the soil samples collected, Pantai Sungai Lurus can be classified as sandy clay with moisture content between 92% to 158% and 8.41% to 20.9% of organic content. Meanwhile, Pantai Punggur can be classified as silty clay with moisture content between 109% to 134% and 14.29% to 14.52% of organic content. The specific gravity of the samples is found to be between 2.624 to 2.651. The settling velocity at Pantai Sungai Lurus is about 79682x10^-5 m/s to 0.088x10^-5 m/s, and Pantai Punggur about 433x10^-5 m/s to 0.552x10^-5 m/s. The soil erodibility at Pantai Sungai Lurus is about 0.05776 (ton/ha) (ha.hr/Mj.mm), while at Pantai Punggur about 0.01264 (ton/ha)(ha.hr/Mj.mm). The erosion rate is estimated to be 2.91x10^-3 kg/m²/s at Pantai Sungai Lurus, and 0.812x10^-3 kg/m²/s at Pantai Punggur. It can be concluded that the erosion rate of selected points at Pantai Sungai Lurus is higher than Pantai Punggur.

Robiya Sobirovna Toshboeva   

The importance of environmental information in public administration in the field of environmental protection in the context of the digitalization of the economy is increasing every day, which is directly related to the improvement of the economic. The article reveals the concept of "environmental information" and the importance of reliable information about the qualitative and quantitative state of natural resources as one of its main parts in the context of aggravated environmental crises. In this regard, an important place is occupied by international norms regarding the formation and provision of environmental information. Analyzing the problem of the implementation of international legal norms in the field of formation of environmental information and ensuring access to it for interested bodies and persons in national legislation, the author substantiates the advisability of Uzbekistan's accession to the Aarhus Convention, which regulates, in particular, the issue of providing access to environmental information. On the basis of a comparative analysis of the current legislation in the field of obtaining and using information, as well as international law, the author analyzed some problems of national legislation (the distinction between the concepts of "request" and "appeal", lack of detailing the grounds for refusing to provide environmental information, etc.) and proposals were developed to further improve legislation in the field of formation of environmental information and ensure access to it, which are aimed at legal regulation of the collection, storage, updating and provision of global information about the natural resources of the planet, as well as further improvement of the information environmental resource. At the same time, the author proposes to adopt a law "On environmental information", which provides for the concept and types of environmental information and information resources, regulating the right of access to environmental information and its restrictions, as well as transfer the function providing environmental information of state bodies to the Unified Register of Electronic State Services, thus ensuring the possibility of obtaining environmental information about the country's natural resources through the "Electronic Government".

Intissar Askri   

Tunisia, due to its location between the Mediterranean and the Sahara, is an arid country on most of its territory. Indeed, there is a marked difference between the availability of water in the North of the country and its use for irrigation in the Center. This difference, combined with the variability of the Mediterranean climate, makes water resources scarce and unequally distributed in time and space. These problems led me to search for an alternative that reduces water consumption. The present paper heads towards the creation of markets for irrigation water rights in asymmetric information on the quality of this resource to minimize water consumption. Since important consequences result from the asymmetry of information in a water market, in the case where one of the parties in a market (buyer or seller) has more information than those of the other side. The purpose of this work is therefore to consider the exchange market of water rights to measure the economic efficiency of water markets on the one hand in the presence of total asymmetry of information on water quality and on the other hand in the presence of variable costs of information. And then to see what better strategy can reduce water consumption during years of scarcity. In response, we proposed to conduct a laboratory experiment (we used 8 sessions included 32 exchange periods), to test a variety of auction treatments and to measure the impact of unequal distribution of the cost of information on water quality between the different users (buyers and sellers). Results show that small changes in the distribution of information can have a large and considerable impact on the economy. The higher the information cost, the lower the number of high-quality permits sold, and thus the lower the efficiency of the market. Thus, it can be concluded that the high responsiveness of the demand for information on the quality of the resource suggests that pricing policies can be a potential instrument to minimize water consumption.

Adib Mashuri   Nur Hamiza Adenan   Nor Suriya Abd Karim   Mohd Shahriman Adenan   and Nurulhuda Che Abd Rani   

Forecasting accuracy should be prioritised in flood plain areas. This research focuses on data split of water level time series datasets in producing excellent forecasts as measured by coefficient correlation (CC). The datasets involved 6000 hours chosen from a recent research location at Sungai Dungun water level, which the data was split into different ratio datasets (50:50, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20, 90:10). A recent study has proved that the chaotic dynamic existed in time series data when running the data using the Cao method. The dataset used was divided into training and testing data to evaluate the performance based on the local linear approximation method. Those sets of data required a combination of parameters for prediction. In this study, the data split of water level time series data gave impacts to the combination of parameters for prediction. The result obtained was in the range of strong forecast using chaos approach with over 95% accuracy in every dataset. In addition, the dataset with a 50:50 ratio showed the highest CC obtained, and its values decreased in ascending order of 60:40, 70:30, 80:20, and 90:10. It showed that the splitting data of training and testing had an impact on prediction results. The higher number of training data ran, the lower number of CC was obtained. However, the chaos method still gives excellent prediction results, even when forecasting using different ratios of data set.

Ma. Teresa S. Alvarez   Exequiel M. Perez   and Elmer A. Rosete   

Goal 6 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations 2030 Agenda and SDGs is a national call for Clean Water and Sanitation. For society's demographic, social, and economic development, reliable and outstanding water quality and long-term water supply services are deemed essential. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Santiago City's Local Water Utility (LWU) system in terms of water supply and wastewater management. The performance evaluation was based on the following domains – (a) sustainability of water supply; (b) consumers satisfaction; and (c) waste management practices; including compliance of the local government unit and service units by water security and management. The International Water Association's assessment framework and indicators were employed (IWA). The method used to collect information and/or data for this study, key informant interviews, and field surveys were conducted, with a total of 395 respondents drawn from 12 active barangays using stratified random sampling. The results showed that in terms of water sustainability for the next 30-year considering the future population and based on the present demand as of 2019, water demand will skyrocket with an equivalent percent increase of 8.97%, 17.95%, and 28.20% for 2030, 2040, and 2050 respectively. The result analysis does not include the agricultural demands or groundwater withdrawal for agricultural purposes and individual domestic wells within the City of Santiago. Overall acceptability on water quality was acceptable with a rating of 52% wherein 66%, 67%, 65% and 56% acceptability ratings were attributed to quality, taste, odor, color, and pressure, respectively. The Santiago water district has two water treatment facilities located within the city. For the water waste disposal, it is observed that there is direct disposal of waste to water bodies specifically to farms and drainage. The city of Santiago along with SANWAD has implemented ordinances and enabling laws on water/wastewater management for sustainable water resources utilization. Furthermore, on the issue of sustainability, it is highly recommended to develop alternative water resources that could increase water distribution efficiency, eliminate or lessen illegal tapping/ connection, increase coverage area, and maintain water quality valuation as a sustainable approach to sufficiently and dependably supply water demand for future generations.

Mayda Lam-Maldonado   Yolanda G. Aranda-JimĂ©nez   Edgardo J. SuĂĄrez-DomĂ­nguez   Kenya SuĂĄrez-DomĂ­nguez   Carlos A. Fuentes-PĂ©rez   and Ruth C. Galindo-Lopez   

Crude oil data analysis is necessary to know the possibilities in energy reduction in transport and some uses in many areas, such as materials construction or emissions reduction. Currently, extra-heavy crude oil is produced in Mexico and other countries like Canada, Venezuela, and the United States. For Mexico, in many cases, it is found as a part of "chapopote" in soils; solids and oils can be mixed to produce valuable materials on building construction. Models and representations of oils and many liquids are essential in the industry, allowing to predict a priori the characterization in many application cases. This first paper presents the experimental results related to the behavior of the surface tension of crude oil and a mixture of crude oil and a flow improver and the behavior of the viscosity concerning the temperature and the improver fraction in volume by statistical analysis and application of a mixing-rule for two liquids. From these results, statistical models were adjusted to be taken as a basis for interpreting the physical-chemical mechanism. It is possible to improve the transport and extraction of heavy crudes through chemical additives that act as flow improvers opening the possibility to combine with solids for some proposes as permeability change.

Marhawati Mappatoba   Chairil Anwar   Fachruddin Z. Olilingo   Sahlan Ilyas   Saharia Kassa   Hadayani   and Mustainah Mappatoba   

The community agreements on conservation in the villages surrounding the LLNP are promoted by NGOs that differ in their objectives and value orientations. The objective of this article was to explore the strategies applied by different NGOs and the contents of the agreements. Descriptive analysis had been used to analyse both the negotiation process and the contents of the agreement. Interviews with stakeholders were conducted in these 6 villages as basis for the selection of research locations. In view of the comparatively small number of villages to choose from the large variation among them, a purposive sampling method was applied. The criteria included the coverage of the three districts where agreements had been signed and coverage of the three NGOs promoting agreements that were already signed. The result shows that these three NGOs played a pioneering role in establishing the agreements: (1) Yayasan Tanah Merdeka (Free Earth foundation – YTM), an NGO which concentrates on advocacy for indigenous rights, (2) The Nature Conservancy (TNC), an international NGO which deals with conservation, and (3) CARE, an international NGO which concerns on rural development.

Shahidah Othman   Rosnalini Mansor   and Fakhrurazi Ahmad   

Forecasting is the process that uses statistical tools to make predictions based on past and present data. In the water treatment plant systems, forecasting is useful to increase the efficiency of energy-water units by forecasting the amount of energy used in the current and future time. Fuzzy time-series (FTS) employs an algorithm or statistical model to predict the future condition. By analysing the patterns of data, fuzzy time-series forecasting can forecast the future condition of a system. The FTS approaches have been increasingly popular in recent years, as there are so many methods available for a researcher to apply to forecast the future based on the needs of the user. This paper proposed the modification of the classical fuzzy time series by applying weighted subsethood Fuzzy Time Series (WeSuFTS) in the water management industry. 2 sets of monthly data, which are water production and energy consumption data from January 2017 to December 2020, are used in this study. To measure the performance of the proposed model, the forecast results of the proposed model were compared with the forecast results of Chen and Cheng models. This study compares 3 different models using Absolute Percentage Error (APE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). The WeSuFTS model delivers a good performance in the evaluation part with MAPE 0.9252% and APE value between 0.02226% and 1.7877%.

Muhammad Nawir   Henny Pramoedyo   Bagyo Yanuwiadi   and Dan Syarifuddin Nojeng   

The Jeneponto Steam Power Plant is the largest 2 unit coal-fired power plant in South Sulawesi with a total capacity of 520MW. Unfortunately, this plant emits a large number of greenhouse gases (GHG), especially CO₂, which are detrimental to human health. Therefore, this research aims to determine CO₂ emissions from 2013-2019 and estimate possible ways to reduce them from 2020-2029 using the mass balance method to link emissions to its sources' activity measurement. The data shows that a total of 12.39 million tonnes of CO₂ were emitted from 2013 to 2019. This data was obtained using the Chronological Production Modeling System (PROSYM) software to calculate, analyze and compare the emissions from various types of coal calories used in the Jeneponto Coal-Fired Power Plant. Furthermore, it is estimated that CO₂ emission from 2020 to 2029 is likely to reach 31.551 million tonnes. In addition, the coal was replaced from sub-bituminous to bituminous because, according to the technical specifications of the plant, there was a significant reduction in emissions compared to current coal, bituminous with emissions of 30.658 million tons (EF=1.02), anthracite of 32.069 million tons (EF=1.06), and lignite of 32.943 million tons (EF=1.09). However, this is still smaller than the average emission factor standard for coal power plants in Indonesia according to the UNDP study.

Bimal Bahadur Kunwar   Basanta Raj Adhikari   Nantakan Muensit   Kuaanan Techato   and Saroj Gyawali   

Natural resources as well as watersheds are vulnerable all over the world by a variety of natural and anthropogenic activities. Mountain watersheds in the Nepal Himalaya are severely degraded due to active tectonics and Asian Monsoon. The Phewa watershed is one of the vulnerable watersheds in this region, which is also included in the Ramsar sites. This watershed has degraded due to soil erosion, weak geology, fragile landscape, encroachment and climate change. Therefore, this research focuses on the status of the watershed and the role of vegetation for preserving it from further degradation. Protecting and conserving water, vegetation, and soil, as well as reforesting, have been the most common means of preventing watershed risks. Vegetation can help with slope stability, velocity reduction of water, and surface roughness, as well as soil infiltration, better soil structure, and increased soil strength. Species that are native to the area offer superior erosion control because of their fast growing properties and the ability to reproduce quickly, which are important for the watershed's protection.

Summer S. Hamad   Yasser M. Moustafa   and Marwa H. Khalil   

Independent mobility has a positive impact on children's cognitive, physical, and social development. Many factors affect how children utilize spaces surrounding their homes. The characteristics of both the physical and the social environments are important influencing factors. The aim of this study was to explore children's independent mobility and free exploration within their home range extent. The study investigated children's home range extent and independent mobility-related activities in two different settings selected to represent two of the most common socio-physical contexts in the new settlements being developed around Cairo. Methods of data collection included semi-structured interviews with children and parents in addition to neighborhood walk-through observations. The forty children interviewed were categorized into two age groups, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12-year-old and included an equal number of girls and boys. The findings of the study appear to confirm the influence of gender, age, socio-economic context, and physical characteristics of the neighborhood environment on middle-aged children's independent mobility in the Egyptian context. The study suggests that land use diversity and residential density are issues that are closely related to parents' perceptions about the safety of their children around the neighborhood and need to be carefully considered in the planning of new settlements and housing projects.

Yuriy Tymoshenko   Dmytro Kyslenko   Elizaveta Kuzmichova-Kyslenko   Ihor Leonenko   and Ivan Servetsky   

Concern for the regulation of relations between man and nature cannot be only an internal affair of an individual country, especially in matters of atmospheric air and the commission of crimes in this area. Most current environmental problems have a global aspect, which means they can be solved only through international cooperation. In today's reality, the European Union is taking decisive legal and organizational steps towards combating air pollution as a crime against the environment. At the same time, the legal regulation in this area needs to be updated, and the methods of conducting investigative actions need to be generalized, coordinated and involve more experts. The aim of the article was to conduct a comparative analysis of the procedural actions of competent authorities during the pre-trial investigation of air pollution in the territory of EU Member States and identify their typical features. The leading practical methodological tools were methods of observation and comparison. The study revealed the imperfection of the procedural actions of law enforcement agencies in the EU and the low level of crime detection in this area. At the same time, the involvement of experts by law enforcement agencies at the stage of the initial inspection of the scene can help to qualitatively increase the effectiveness of the investigation. As part of the research, it was proposed for the Member States to establish independent institutions in the environmental field at the national level. The reasonability of developing a unified EU Coordination Program for pre-trial investigation of air pollution in the national and transboundary context at the interstate level is substantiated. The gradual implementation of the changes proposed by the author in the territory of the EU member states will be a vector of further research in the long run.

Eneyo V. B.   Attah F. M.   Antai A. S.   Adie H. I.   and Ochiche C. A.   

The tourism viability status of an eco-tourism site is distinctively an assessment of the tourist attractions that have potential for a given destination. It evaluates the prospects of a tourism destination and confirms whether the tourism site is functioning and its contributions to the host destination's sustainable economic growth. This study assesses the tourism viability status of the Kwa Falls eco-tourism site of Aningeje rural community, Cross River State, Nigeria. The objectives were to evaluate tourist perception of the study area and the patronage level across different years (2011-2020). The study took a qualitative approach and used stratified random sampling to select respondents, while data was collected using a simple random sample procedure. The study reveals that the study area is still viable, attractive, and unique, and tourists are still visiting the site even though there is a decline in the number of visitors. The result further reveals that from 2011 to 2015, the number of tourists visiting Kwa Falls has increased, and from 2016 to 2020, the study area experienced a sharp decline in the volume of visitors at the site. The first hypothesis shows significant variation in tourists' perception of Kwa Falls eco-tourism sites. The second hypothesis also offers a substantial variation in patronage status in the study area across the years. The study concludes that the government and other stakeholders should provide subvention as well as other necessary support services and facilities at the site.

S. A. Bhamare   and V. R. Kakulte   

Melanoidins are the natural condensation products present in distillery spent wash. It is the result of Millard reaction which occurs between glucose and glycine. From environmental aspects, melanoidins are very important because of the complex structure and caliginous colour and objectionable odour, which can cause damage to the surroundings. All these characteristics of melanoidin modify the photosynthetic activity of plants, reduce the dissolved oxygen of aquatic ecosystem, soil fertility is affected to a large extent, and it also slows down the sprouting of seeds. Bioremediation is an environmentally friendly technology for the treatment of chemical and hazardous waste. Bacteria from the nearby contaminated soil have a high potential to convert complex bioorganic substances to simpler absorbable form. With reference to this utilization of bacteria, Leuconostoc mesenteroides is an economical technology for the treatment of contaminated water having melanoidin. After treatment, the distillery spent wash was tested by using the analytical techniques as spectrophotometry, modified spectroscopy as Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), chromatography with high performance i.e. (HPLC). In the present research paper, the results of above-mentioned techniques helped to make conclusions, as distillery spent wash polluted site contains a novel microorganism, which would be effective for the decolourisation as well as degradation of distillery spent wash. Application of Leuconostoc mesenteroids showed 40% distillery spent wash which contains melanoidin. Thus, the use of this novel microorganism in the field of environmental biotechnology will be an effective way to solve the biggest problem of water and soil pollution.

Hasakarn Thongzunhor   and Nopparat Pochai   

Air pollution is the release of pollutants into the atmosphere that are harmful to human health and the ecosystem as a whole. Initially, urban air pollution was considered to be a regional problem caused largely by domestic heating and industrial emissions, both of which are now well under control. The building's canyon structure and the geometry of the streets in urban areas are street canyons. Side Street connects the two sides of the street, which are made up of portions of buildings. Street canyons, which are urban streets bordered on both sides by structures, have shown high levels of pollution. Pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and residents will most likely be surrounded by pollution concentrations higher than current air quality limits on these walkways. The research is focused on detecting air pollution in a street canyon. There will be an introduction to a transient two-dimensional advection-diffusion equation. A two-dimensional vertically averaged air pollution measurement model is utilized to characterize the air pollution concentration along a street canyon. The model delivers the pollutant concentration in the air each and every time. The model's air pollutant concentration is approximated using a finite difference technique. An approximation approach to open and closed boundary conditions is proposed. Wind direction effects are also modelled. The suggested numerical approaches performed well in producing a high level of agreement. Simple explicit schemes have the benefit of being simple to compute. These techniques may be used to simulate air pollution measurements in a variety of street canyons.

Nor Hafizah Hussin   and Fadhilah Yusof   

Renewable energy and energy efficiency are the key factors to ensure a safe, reliable, affordable as well as sustainable energy system for a better future. One of the most congruous, environment-friendly, and renewable energy sources is wind energy. However, it is consequential to examine the suitable probability distribution function to study the wind speed characteristics before the element can be harnessed as a source of energy. In this study, five probability distributions, Gamma, Generalized Extreme Value (GEV), Lognormal, Rayleigh and Weibull distribution were selected to model the wind speed data from four wind stations in Johor in a ten-year period. In addition, the method of maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) was applied to obtain the parameter estimation for each selected distribution function, followed by the plotting the graphical representation of probability distribution function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF) for the theoretical distributions against the provided wind speed data. To determine the best-fitted model of the probability distribution, the Kolmogorov Smirnov (KS) test and Anderson Darling (AD) test were employed to assess the goodness-of-fit for each model distribution. Based on the plotted graph and calculated goodness-of-fit results, GEV distribution was found to be the best-fitted model for the wind speed dataset in Senai, Mersing, and Batu Pahat wind station, while Gamma distribution established the optimum model for the actual wind speed dataset in Kluang station.

Eni Sumarminingsih   Solimun   Djihan Wahyuni   and Triardy Satria Wibawa   

Water is a basic need for the survival of every living thing. Rainfall is the main source of water availability. Lack of water supply can have a tremendous negative impact. On the other hand, heavy rainfall can cause flooding which has a bad impact. Accuracy in rainfall prediction is useful in crop planning strategies and flood and drought prevention. Research on rainfall used several models including Autoregressive (ARIMA), Seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA), Vector Autoregressive (VAR) and Feed Forward Neural – Network (FFNN). The purpose of this study is to establish a VAR with Seasonal Indicator and FFNN model for rainfall in Malang and Karangkates and compare the performance of the models. The novelty of this research is that we added the seasonal indicator variable to the VAR model as an exogenous variable and as an input to the feed forward neural network model. The best VAR model for rainfall in Malang and Karangkates is the first order VAR model (VAR(1)) with seasonal indicator variables. While the FFNN model for rainfall in Malang and Karangkates is the FFNN model with the tangent hyperbolic activation function and the number of units in the hidden layer is 15 and the inputs are seasonal indicator variables, rainfall in Malang the previous day and rainfall in Karangkates the previous day. The result of this study is VAR (1) with indicator variables model which is better than the VAR - NN with indicator variables model based on RMSE, especially on testing data.

Patrick Armstrong   

H.M.S. Beagle in 1835-36 spent 127 days on the transect of the South Pacific Ocean with Charles Darwin aboard. 54 of those days were spent in or near island environments as the ship visited several of the Islands of the Galápagos, the main island of Tahiti and the Bay of Islands, New Zealand: Darwin also had good views of about a dozen other islands. His methods of working were largely similar to that adopted on other sectors of the voyage – the transects of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. He was relatively well-equipped, observed and recorded carefully, constantly revising his notes as new information came to hand and as he compared one island environment with another. Although there are few signs of evolutionary insights at this stage, he was using conceptual frameworks that were important to him later. Thus, he was interested in the behaviour of animals, sometimes adopted an ecological approach, and was considering landscapes in the context of change through geological time. There are signs that he was already adopting a ‘Lyellian' or gradualist viewpoint, particularly in the context of the development of volcanic and coral islands. This paper evaluates these visits, where appropriate, making comparisons with recent visits by the present author, in which he has attempted ‘to take the archives to the field' comparing the present situation with Darwin's records.

Zawari Muian   and Woei Keong Kuan   

Agricultural activities have been identified as one of the major sources of groundwater pollution. The large quantities of agrochemicals discharged from the agricultural land into the water bodies had posed risks to the aquatic ecosystems and human health. Nitrate is the most common chemical contaminant discharging into the aquifer system from agricultural area. A numerical model was developed in this study to investigate the influence of fertilization on the groundwater contamination in a paddy field in Langkawi Island. The investigation on the nutrient transport was conducted by applying an instantaneous injection of nutrient to mimic the fertilization under two different scenarios: low flow condition (dry season) and high flow conditions (wet season). The results showed that the extent and transport of nutrient plume in both study cases under short-term transport simulation (≀ 1 year) was not significant. The concentration of nutrient was found to take approximately 5 years to reduce to less than 10% of its initial concentration at its release location in the study area. The relative concentration of the dispersed nutrient plume was remained at 16.7% and 8.6% under low flow and high flow condition respectively after 30 years. The results suggested that the best practice of minimizing groundwater contamination in agricultural activities is to match the fertilizer usage with the crop requirement so that the cumulative impact of nitrate leaching into the groundwater system can be reduced.

Aini Sofia Md Isa   and Zadariana Jamil   

The performance of two types of spent coffee ground (SCG), (i) untreated spent coffee ground (USCG) and (ii) acid-treated spent coffee ground (TSCG) on the Cu (II) removal from aqueous solution was investigated and compared in this study. The effects of operating parameters such as pH, contact time and initial Cu (II) concentration on the adsorption rate were studied in batch adsorption mode. The USCG showed better results than the TSCG. The highest removal efficiency of Cu (II) (50 mg/L) by USCG was 91.03% with an adsorption capacity of 45.52 mg/g, which was achieved at pH 6 and 90 min of contact time. The TSCG showed lower performance with a removal efficiency of 44.18% and adsorption capacity of 37.06 mg/g. This may be due to the flushed off in the functional groups of SCG that used for metal binding in the adsorption during acid treatment and the existence of Cl- ions on the TSCG surface, interfering the Cu (II) adsorption and reduces its adsorption capacity. Freundlich fitted well with the equilibrium data for copper (II) removal, as indicated by the R2 coefficient, for USCG and TSCG were 0.9912 and 0.9622, respectively. These data indicate that both USCG and TSCG have high sorption capacity and affinity for metal ions. The USCG showed a better Cu (II) removal than the TSCG, indicating a promising function as a low-cost natural adsorbent for Cu (II) and also other heavy metals removals.

Nur Fatin Aiman Ahmad Ridzwan   Norrahilah Abdul Aziz   Nor Azliza Akbar   Zaidi Abdul Ghani   Nurakmal Hamzah   and Nur Shaylinda Mohd Zin   

The potential of the dried cockle shell had been studied using an adsorption experiment to determine the effectiveness of Mn and Cu removal from wastewater. A continuous batch adsorption study was carried out to determine the optimum dosage with a range of 3 g to 24 g of dried cockle shell and contact time from 15 minutes to 150 minutes. The equilibrium data for adsorption were analysed by three isotherm models (i.e., Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin) and three kinetic models (i.e., Pseudo-First Order, Pseudo-Second Order, Elovich) to define the best correlation for each metal adsorption. The result shows that the highest percentage removal of Mn and Cu using dried cockle shells were 77.8% and 88.9%, respectively, with an optimum dosage of 15 g and 105 minutes of optimum contact time. Among these three isotherm models, the Temkin model fitted with the equilibrium isotherm for Cu with the value of r² of 0.963, while the Langmuir model best described the experimental data for Mn with a recorded value of r² of 0.953. From the result, the cockle shell has the ability to adsorb heavy metals such as Mn by the process of a monolayer on the outer layer of the adsorbent and Cu with a Gaussian energy distribution onto a heterogeneous surface. Kinetic studies have shown that the adsorption of Cu and Mn towards the cockle shell follows Pseudo-Second Order with the determination of coefficients of 1 and 0.997, respectively. The findings from characterisation analysis found that a high percentage of CaCO₃ with 95.47% influences the adsorption of Mn and Cu from wastewater. The SEM image of dried cockle shell exhibits needle-like aragonite morphology and cubic-like calcite. Cockle shells have a great potential for removing Mn and Cu from industrial effluent. Thus, it can be used as a filter material and helps increase the economy at a modest pace by recycling low-cost waste for wastewater treatment.

Nurakmal Hamzah   Muhammad Arif Fahmi Roshisham   Md Faizal Zakaria   Muhamad Hasbullah Hassan Basri   and Nor Azliza Akbar   

Aluminium sulphate (Al₂SO₄)³ or commonly known as alum has been used as a coagulation-flocculation agent by water treatment industries around the world, including Malaysia. Regardless of its effectiveness in purifying the raw water, it produces a large volume of alum sludge. In Malaysia, alum sludge is categorized as scheduled waste where it requires to be transported only to approved landfills and the costs could be high. Hence, reusing and recycling the alum sludge may be beneficial for water treatment industries in reducing the disposal cost. In this study, acidification method using nitric acid at a molarity of 0.5M – 2.0M is employed to recover a maximum percentage of aluminium from alum sludge. The findings showed that the difference in molarity of nitric acid is proportional to the recovery rate of aluminium up to 99% of the recovery. The performance of recovered coagulant in removing turbidity from raw water was evaluated at variations of dosage (0.5 – 12 mg/l) and pH (2 – 13). At an optimum dosage of 2 mg/l, the recovered coagulant efficiently removes the turbidity of raw water at 93.32% and achieved 99.47% at pH 7. Consequently, the use of recovered coagulant can promote a sustainable environmental approach to converting waterworks residuals into usable resources, particularly in water/wastewater treatment industries.

Olena Kryvda   Svitlana Tulchynska   Serhii Smerichevskyi   Nataliia Lagodiienko   Maksym Marych   and Aysel Naghiyeva   

The research is devoted to the actual problem of harmony of ecological development in the conditions of the circular economy formation. The aim of the study is to develop methodological principles for determining harmony of the environmental development in the circular economy formation. To achieve this goal, the main principles of the concept of circular economy were identified, a step-by-step methodological approach to assessing harmony of the environmental development was developed and the proposed developments were tested on the example of the regions of Ukraine. Harmony of ecological development of regions in the conditions of the circular economy formation gives a chance to define a certain balance of the condition of environment that further provides development of directions of circular economy for reception of bigger efficiency of economic and ecological processes. In order to determine harmony of ecological development of regions in the conditions of the circular economy formation, it is offered to define the integrated index of ecological development, and on its base to calculate harmony of ecological development. To determine harmony, it is proposed to apply the " golden section " method using a modified formula of the hyperbolic Fibonacci cone. According to the results of the analysis, the regions are grouped depending on the level of the ecological development harmonization. Calculated and presented data on harmony of ecological development in the circular economy formation demonstrate that the highest average value of harmony have: Odessa (=0.402), Lviv (=0.349), Khmelnytsky (=0.347), Zhytomyr (=0.343), Ivano-Frankivsk (=0.343) regions. The regions with the lowest level of harmony are Dnipropetrovsk (=0.248), Donetsk (=0.157), Transcarpathian (=0.156), Luhansk (=0.143), Kherson (=0.171) regions. It is suggested within the study that not necessarily a high value of the integrated index of ecological development guarantees a high value of harmony of ecological development in circular economy, and vice versa.

Cordelia Onyinyechi Omodero   Michah Chukwuemeka Okafor   Josephine Adanma Nmesirionye   and Eke Onyekachi Abaa   

Due to the obvious ozone layer depletion and continual contamination of the air and water, environmental protection has become a global priority. In an environmentally challenged country like Nigeria, the difficulty of having clean water and air is a significant cause for environmental taxes to become unavoidable. Although these taxes are presently levied in the form of fines for gas flaring, gas exploration tax, and petroleum profit tax, which are 85 percent more than the standard business income tax of 30 percent of revenues. The argument is based on the fact that the business operations of the oil and gas sector cause a significant degree of pollution to the environment. As a result, this research looks at the influence of environmental taxes on CO₂ emission control in Nigeria. The research spans the years 2010 to 2020. According to the regression findings, the gas exploration tax has an inconsequential negative influence on CO₂ emission management, but the petroleum profit tax has a negligible positive impact on CO₂ emission control. On the other side, the cost of environmental preservation has a large beneficial influence on CO₂ emission control. As a result, the study suggests the implementation of more suitable environmental taxes and levies in order to lower pollution levels in Nigeria.

Josiah Nwabueze Obiefuna   Ebin Okah Inah   Joy William Undie Atsa   and Emmanuel Asuquo Etim   

Ambient air pollution is a global concern. It accounts for an estimated 4.2 million deaths yearly as a result of its ability to cause stroke, lung cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory diseases. It has also been estimated that about 91 percent of the world's population lives in places, mostly urban centres, where air quality levels exceed World Health Organization (WHO) limits. Fortunately, efforts are regularly made in most developed countries to monitor and reduce the level of air pollution and ameliorate its negative consequences. Unfortunately, the case is not the same in most developing countries of which Nigeria is a member, as air pollution status is rarely monitored religiously. This study geospatially assessed ambient air quality footprints vis-Ă -vis urban land uses in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria. Data on emission level of CO, NO₂, SO₂, H₂S, and SPM_2.5 were collected for 6 months in both dry and wet seasons in the year 2020, using Crowcon Gasman, while point coordinates were collected using Garmin GPSMap 60CSx device. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) infrastructure was deployed to generate the ambient air quality maps for the metropolis. Descriptive and parametric analytical techniques were also deployed, based on the objectives of the study. From findings, F-ratio is significant for both season and land use for all the tested parameters (F-ratio for season is F(1,3224)=574.516, at p<0.05, while for land use, F(3,3224)=429.946, at p<0.05). The interaction between seasons and land use (season * land use) for all the parameters is also significant. It was concluded that there is a significant variation in air quality (CO, NO₂, SO₂, H₂S, and SPM_2.5) in Calabar Metropolis in relation to either land use types or seasons of the year. It was therefore recommended that there should be protection of residential land uses to avoid encroachment by incompatible uses that cause pollution.

Musthaza Mohammad   Wan Laailatul Hanim Mat Desa   Norazura Ahmad   and Norhaslinda Zainal Abidin   

It is well recognised that numerous demands from the human population, such as food and housing, have resulted in widespread deforestation, which has been directly linked to climate change. These demands impose negative impacts on the environment, resulting in the problem of global warming and eventually climate change, hence inflicting an existential threat to our environment. Therefore, this paper discussed the development of a hypothesis of the cause-and-effect relationships between population and deforestation towards climate change in Malaysia. Using a causal loop diagram (CLD), a hypothetical framework depicting the cause-and-effect interactions of the connected variables of deforestation and population on climate change was built based on various reports from government agencies and a review of existing literature. The developed CLD shows that the impact of population and deforestation on climate change has negatively affected the sea level and excessive rainfall. The dynamic hypothesis enables the modeller to grasp the complex behaviour of the interrelated variables. This dynamic hypothesis will be used as a basis for the development of a dynamic simulation model in future work.

Aloshree Choudhury   Vazeer Mahammood   and K. H. V. Durga Rao   

Drastic changes at a global level in land use and land cover are having a negative impact on the environment, both directly and indirectly. One of the most important factors contributing to global warming is rapid urbanization, which is affected by surface temperature and water resources. One of the primary contributors to climate change and global warming is temperature. Rapid urbanization, which results in polluted water and causes other human activities in nearly every section of the country, has a significant impact on surface waterbodies. Land surface temperature can be determined using the Landsat series' thermal band. Temperatures have risen from 2005 to 2020, according to image analysis. Land surface temperature is directly affected by changes in land use and land cover. According to the report, urban areas and built-up regions should be developed in tandem with additional plantings and vegetation; this will result in keeping the temperature under control. The purpose of this research is to identify how land surface temperature changes over time, how it influences land use and land cover changes, and how it affects surface waterbodies, as turbid waterbodies have higher temperatures than clear waterbodies. The time-series change in water spread area over key waterbodies from 2005 to 2020 is also discussed in this study. Long-term rainfall analysis (1984-2014) has also been carried out to determine how drought affected the study area during the year 2015.

Le Thi Hong Phuong   Truong Quang Dung   Duong Ngoc Phuoc   Le Thi Thanh Thuy   Tran Cao Uy   and Truong Van Tuyen   

The marine environmental incident causing mass fish death in Central Vietnam by Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Plant in 2016 severely impacted people's livelihoods in four provinces. Several previous studies have indicated that diversifying livelihoods is one of the best solutions to increase the resilience of households to overcome such incidents. This study investigated the relationship between livelihood diversification and the stability of small-scale fishing households. Our findings showed that impact levels and resilience capacity under family perception are important aspects for impact assessment in the context of the environmental shock. Local families can diversify their livelihoods based on their resources as well as through government-supporting policies. The livelihood diversification of impacted households is significantly valuable in increasing the resilience process after the Formosa incident. Families with more livelihood activities related to income sources have better resilience than families with less livelihood activities. By the effort of households and government support policies, impacted households have gradually improved their livelihood resilience.

Kari HĂ€nninen   

The aim of this meta-study is to provide an understanding of the Atlantic Ocean Circulation as the driving force for the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) and Millennial Scale Climatic Variability. In addition to continental ice sheets, during the Great Ice Age (GIA) there was also a 900-m thick floating ice shelf (FIS) in the Arctic Ocean. Below the FIS, it was likely freshwater. It is plausible that around 11,700 BP the Gulf Stream established the present flow route. Until around 10,800 BP the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (GBN) diverted part of the Gulf Stream flow west towards the north-eastern American coast, where the HTM existed between ca. 11,600 and 10,800 BP. Soon after the Gulf Stream was able to flow over the GBN, the HTM started in Ireland ca. 10,700 BP. By ca. 10,000 BP, the Gulf Stream arrived on the coast of Norway, which diverted the outflow south through the English Channel for approximately 2,000 years. In Northern and Central Europe, the HTM existed between ca. 9,500 and 7,000 BP. Due to the melting of ice, the outflow turned brackish, and was mainly surface currents, having a temperature of around 0℃. The formation of descending salty water (DSW), which creates the suction of the Gulf Stream, was low. Between ca. 6,000 and 4,500 BP, there was Mid-Holocene cooling. Then the Arctic Ocean water was salinated by double diffusive convection (DDC). When DSW formation increased to its present-day volume, the Neoglacial period started ca. 4,500 BP. Since then, outflow has taken place mainly through cold (approximately –2℃) undercurrents. At this time, the intensive millennial scale cycling of warmer and colder periods also started. When increasingly larger areas in Arctic Ocean are covered by insulating multi-year ice (MYI), DSW formation and the suction of the Gulf Stream decrease, and vice versa. The amplitude of the cycle is approximately 750 to 800 years.

Siti Malikhatun Badriyah   Siti Mahmudah   Amiek Soemarmi   R. Suharto   Marjo   Muhammad Haidar Fakhri Allam   and Adina Larasati   

As the largest maritime country in the world, Indonesia has extremely large and diverse natural resources, both in the form of renewable and non-renewable natural resources. The natural wealth must be managed optimally to improve the welfare and prosperity of the Indonesian people. In the operation of marine economy, financial services also have a huge effect on the development of marine industry as a whole. This paper aims to analyze the supporting activities of auxiliary operations of financial services, especially pawnshops, in supporting the development of the ecologically friendly marine economies, particularly for vulnerable small fishermen. The research method used is empirical juridical by conducting library research related to legal principles, legal rules and legal norms related to private pawning. In addition, field research was also conducted to obtain primary data related to the existence of private pawnshops in the development of the fishing industry and its environmentally friendly approaches. The results of the study show that pawning has actually great potential for industrial development, including the fishing industry; but even though there are arrangements to facilitate the supervision of private pawning businesses, in practice there are still not many private pawns registered. Although not many have been registered, from time to time it shows progress. The existence of private pawnshops in Indonesia in the direct development of the fishing industry is still not widely used.

Nyoman Wijana   Desak Made Citrawathi   Sanusi Mulyadiharja   Ketut Srie Marhaeni Julyasih   and Ni Putu Sri Ratna Dewi   

Taman Gumi Banten Forest is located in Wanagiri Village, Sukasada District, Buleleng Regency, Bali Province. This forest was previously managed by the local government. When managed by the government, illegal logging occurred and expansion of cultivated plants into the forest. The government then grants the forest for its management to the customary village. The forest that is managed by this customary village is based on local wisdom so that this forest remains sustainable until now and there is no illegal logging and expansion of cultivated plants into the middle of the forest. The purpose of this study was to determine the various species of medicinal plants and their mapping in the perspective of traditional medicinal plant use, processing methods, usage methods, designation of medicinal plants, tourism perspectives, and local wisdom-based conservation. The research population was all plant species in the forest of Taman Gumi Banten. The research sample for (1) mapping study was the entire forest area of Taman Gumi Banten. (2) Plant species samples are all plant species covered by squares with a size of 20x20 m² (for trees), 5x5 m² (for saplings), and 1x1 m² for seeds / seedlings). To find out the various types of plants that can be used as medicinal plants, deep interview methods, observation, questionnaires, and check lists are used. The informants were Balian / Shaman (2 people), Village Head and staff (5 people), Traditional Village Head staff (5 people), Stakeholders / Pastors (3 people), General Community (10 people). Total informants were 25 people. The collected data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed: (1) The overall plant species and medicinal plants in the Taman Gumi Banten forest, Wanagiri Village, Sukasada District, Buleleng Regency have been mapped. (2) The traditional use of medicinal plants by the Balinese people generally has three properties, namely tis (cold), dumelade (not cold and not hot), and anget (hot). (3) In the perspective of developing forest tourism, there are opportunities to be developed as a tourism object.

Sadeq Oleiwi Sulaiman   Nabeel Shaker Mahmood   Ammar Hatem Kamel   and Nadhir Al-Ansari   

In the present research, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used for the prediction of surface runoff amounts of the catchment of Al-Masad, in the Western Desert of Iraq. The prediction period was from September 2020 to January 2030. The calibration and verification of this model were performed according to the daily surface runoff data that were measured between 2010 and 2014. Statistical parameters were employed to determine the performance of the model. These parameters were RSR (ratio of the root mean square error to the standard deviation of measured data), NSE (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency), and PBias (percent Bias), which were calculated as 0.58%, 0.71%, and 13% for calibration and 0.55%, 0.74% and 11% for verification, respectively. The results from the model verification and calibration prove that this model was sufficient in simulating the catchment surface runoff. Furthermore, the SWAT model was applied for the prediction of daily, monthly, and yearly surface runoff value of the catchment from 2021 to 2030. The results obtained from the model showed that the annual surface runoff volume of the catchment, throughout the period of the simulation, was between 0.65 and 8.3 million m³ with an average value of 2.622 million m³.

Yasmeen Gul   Gul A. Jokhio   and Zahid Sultan   

Physical activity (PA) is pivotal for health, and Neighborhood Environment (NE) is understood to play a significant role in increasing physical activity. The investigation into the combined effects of NE on PA considering the differences between gated and non-gated types of neighborhoods in developing countries is relatively scarce. As an effort towards filling this gap, this paper reports an investigation that focuses on the association of PA with NE; moreover, it compares the PA in gated and non-gated neighborhoods in Karachi, Pakistan. Data were calculated through objective and subjective methods. 8 out of 16 neighborhoods were gated. 499 out of total 1042 participants were from the gated neighborhoods. Partial correlation and binary logistic regression analyses were carried out. The effects of age, gender, and employment status were controlled for the purpose of statistical analysis. Positive relationships were identified between walking and street connectivity and land-use mix. The relationship between walking and housing density was negative. The number of physical activity facilities (PAF) was found to positively influence vigorous physical activity (VPA). It was noted that there were more PAF in gated neighborhoods, hence an enhanced VPA there, but only among young age group people. Therefore, it has been concluded that new policies for neighborhoods design should be formulated to provide multiple choices for every individual so that they can achieve the required levels of physical activity.

Dinh Duc Truong   

Because of its fast economic expansion in recent decades, Vietnam, a developing country, is increasingly plagued by environmental degradation. Vietnam is also one of the five countries most affected by climate change. In 2012, the government enacted the Environmental Protection Tax Law, which included a broad-based package of environmental levies. The implementation of the Environment Protection Tax (EPT) is one component of a larger process of greening the Vietnamese economy. Environmental taxes have the potential to alleviate some of the environmental issues that developing countries face. At the same time, it promotes long-term patterns of production and consumption. This offers financial resources required to enhance social and environmental indices. However, environmental taxes may have both direct and indirect consequences, such as increased prices for products and services, which have a detrimental impact on social justice, particularly in low-income households. This page will give a more in-depth explanation of environmental protection tax implementation, accomplishments, and impacts. It is also responsible for analyzing issues and making recommendations for future EPT improvements.

Laura C. Moreno-Chimely   M. Teresa. SĂĄnchez-Medrano   Yolanda G. Aranda-JimĂ©nez   Eduardo Arvizu-Sanchez   Kenya Suarez-Dominguez   and Edgardo J. Suarez-Dominguez   

Mortars based on cement and sand are common in buildings; however, cement is characterized by consuming large amounts of energy. It is stated that there is possibility of reducing emissions to the environment if soil-based mixtures are obtained from the land near the house where they are used, but this is not generally demonstrated through a functional life cycle analysis. The life cycle analysis is carried out "from the cradle to the grave." In this research, we analyzed the environmental impact of materials used in earth-buildings in Mexico, which are typical in rural houses; three coatings cases were used: one traditional cement-sand, a second based on Earth with lime and fiber, considering that it is transferred manually from the surrounding soil, and another modifying the transfer but with industrial machinery. The fiber was produced from Agave lechuguilla torrey, a plant grown in the same field of housing location; the experimental part was developed at Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, to obtain the selected composition and coating thickness. The results show that the impact on the environment and climate change can be reduced by up to 65%. Using transport processes with fossil fuel-based equipment considerably increases the impact, so nearby material collection areas should be considered to reduce environmental impact effectively.

Iryna Ksonzhyk   Yuliana Lavrushchenko   Oleksiuk Marcin   Volodymyr Saienko   and Buryk Zoriana   

This article reveals the economic importance of solar energy development in the European Union in recent years. It defines the structure of energy consumption in EU countries. This structure allows us to determine how much income energy companies receive from solar electricity consumption by the population and industry. The article determines that solar energy is essential for the countries. Therefore, like any other sectors of the national economy, it forms the gross domestic product. In addition, energy companies pay taxes to the budget, which shows the economic importance of solar energy development, comparing state investments with tax revenues. The research aims to show the financial importance of solar energy for the state, i.e., how much income the state will receive in the budget by supporting solar energy development. To achieve the goal, methods of economic analysis and economic-mathematical modeling were used. They allowed confirming the hypothesis about the feasibility of investing in solar energy in European countries. The research is based on the statistical materials of 2014-2019 on the generation of solar energy, investments in it, and state budget revenues from the taxation of produced solar power. This study proves for the first time that an increase in solar energy production is beneficial to the state, despite the low level of return on investment in the construction of solar power plants by the state. Based on economic and mathematical modeling results, a linear dependence was built, which allows forecasting the volume of tax revenues from the construction of solar power plants and electricity prices. Thus, the hypothesis about the economic feasibility of investing in solar power is confirmed.

Aminah   Nur Adhim   and I Gusti Ayu Gangga Santi Dewi   

The condition of existing forest use in Sekaroh, East Lombok is dominated by forest change function to increase the production of corn, leading to the massive deforestation. The research is to analyze the deforestation and land use conversion in Sekaroh, East Lombok. It is also to analyze local government policies in facing the rampant conversion of forest function to corn plantations in East Lombok. The research was conducted using the socio legal method with a qualitative approach with evidence-based data analysis to demonstrate the deforestation and economic interest of corn production in local level. The results showed that forest protection is part of forest management which falls under the authority of the central government and local governments. The implementation of forest protection aims to protect the forest area and its environment so that the protection function, conservation function and production function can be achieved optimally and sustainably. Moreover, the policy also needs to consider the limited production forest and geographic conditions in local context considering that the function of production forest is limited to maize plantations.

Hany Ahmed Aly Ibrahim Khattab   and Ramadan Ahmed Mohammed El-Sayed   

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is one of the modern methods that contributed extensively to facilitating the tasks and performance of planners during decisions related to the development or analysis of a particular problem with a spatial dimension, and this technique has been used in many different scientific fields such as the study of the distribution of services, analysis of land uses, or the division of transportation. The paper aims to highlight the benefits of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in tourism planning, identify the basic stages of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications in tourism planning, and to identify the importance of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the tourism planning of archaeological sites in Fatimid Cairo. This study was based on a descriptive analytical approach and the field survey method was applied in the sample method to reach conclusions that serve the objectives of the study. This study was finalized by several results, most notably: The need to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in documenting the monuments by transferring all images, data and written inscriptions on them and illustrating them through pictures and videos, to form a database to be available to the tourist, researcher and planner. The planning of archaeological sites using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the study area (Fatimid Cairo), saves time and effort by relying on aerial and space images and topographic maps with high accuracy and conducting analysis and reaching accurate results in a very short period, compared to the time required using traditional methods.

Andrey Vladimirovich Kozlov   Nataliya Nikolaevna Koposova   Irina Pavlovna Uromova   Elena Aleksandrovna Krotova   Anna Vladimirovna Matveeva   and Nadezhda Vasilevna Polyakova   

The paper assesses the ecological state of the Cheboksary reservoir based on the criteria of the total abundance, biomass, and species diversity of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthos. During the study period, no significant changes in the indicators of the development of algocenoses, their distribution over the water area of the reservoir were noted. The average phytoplankton biomass for the reservoir turned out to be in the dynamic norm, the trophic status was assessed as eutrophic; The revealed ratios of the leading systematic groups of planktonic algae and the composition of cenosis-forming species had also been in the previous years of the study. According to the level of the saprobity index, all sampling stations belong to class III (moderately polluted waters). The benthos of the reservoir was also characterized by sufficient diversity with the dominance of mollusks and chironomid larvae in the taxonomic composition. Thus, despite the presence of a certain anthropogenic impact on the water area of the Cheboksary reservoir, its hydrobiological state remains satisfactory, which is determined by a wide buffer limit to the level of pollution of the water body.

Elamaran Manoharan   Norazli Othman   Roslina Mohammad   Shreeshivadasan Chelliapan   and Siti Uzairiah Mohd Tobi   

Construction industry around the world is well-known as a massive contributor of waste materials and environmental impacts. Among the types of waste materials generated by this industry are concrete, plastic, wood, ceramic, and asbestos. These waste materials, in general, are chemically fused through various manufacturing processes before being transported for the construction usage. Addition of chemical compounds such as arsenic, copper, cyanide, nickel, chromium, lead, sulphate, and zinc are mainly for enhancing the mechanical and physical properties of the materials so that the materials could last longer, perform well and withstand external forces. However, construction materials that are made up of these chemical compounds are threatening the nature and human beings once the materials are used up and the leftover from the construction industry are thrown away without proper waste management practice. The aim of the study was to review hazardous compounds presented in construction waste materials and suggest ways to manage it effectively. The methodology is literature review, data collection from published articles, and data analysis. Findings from this study showed that concrete, plastic, wood, ceramic, and asbestos are among the waste materials that are made up of hazardous compounds, which impact the environment and mankind living today. As a mitigation measure, a proper waste management practice is necessary among the construction practitioners to protect humans and biological factors, save some landfill spaces, preserve some natural resources, prevent soil and underground water channel contamination, avoiding illegal dumping activities, and promotes sustainability factors. Obeying the enforced rules and regulations, utilisation of various waste management technologies, on-site waste segregation and proper storage, waste substitutions, and making use of well-structured framework developed by researchers and construction consultancy are among the methods that can be adopted in polishing the current waste management practice.

Rasheed Adeniyi Tiamiyu   and Umar Taiwo Salman   

Continuing generation of carbon dioxide by some nations in flagrant disobedient to the Paris Agreement of 2015 on greenhouse gas emission limitation is a matter of great concern to those who know the negative impact of climate change on the planet and human immunity in particular. The disobedient to the content of the Paris Agreement of 2015 is observed to be a resultant effect of deficit in the qualities of leaders of countries. Therefore, this paper examined the literature on climate change with a view to extracting what could be done to bring the nations acting against the interest of the world in limiting greenhouse gas generation to cooperate and collaborate with other nations in making the planet better for the living. It discovered that the collaborative efforts displayed by the World Health Organisation and individual nations in combating COVID-19 should be adopted to combat climate change as it has shown that no nation is independent of other nations in solving the problem of climate change since action/inaction of a nation has effects across the globe and that heads of countries must be educated and persuaded to be humane and relate with all human race as one to address climate change and make the planet a save abode for the livings.

Marlina Br Purba   Lazarus Tri Setyawanta Rebala   and Nanik Trihastuti   

This paper aims to describe the role of the state in carrying out its public services for the utilization of natural resources by using the outlook of Indonesian philosophical insight of Pancasila in managing archipelagic state. This paper was conducted by using normative juridical approach to describe national management of marine resources. The management of marine resources is carried out through a legal framework to provide legal certainty and benefits for all communities as an archipelagic country characterized by an archipelago. The findings highlight that policies to maintain and manage marine natural resources, which will then be written about marine resources, must provide legal certainty and benefit value. The main contribution of this research is to explain the intersection of interests between uses within the national scope and at the same time containing the interests of use within the scope for the international community. This paper qualitatively examines the role of state as the main public service provider in administering institutions, corporations, independent institutions established by law for public service activities, and other legal entities established solely for public service activities in the context of utilization of marine resource. Empirical relationship between public sector performance and marine resource utilization was not tested in this study. The results encourage the state to maintain the integration of the nation and state both ideologically and territorially by realizing reliable public service through the improvement of utilizing marine resource as a means of increasing people welfare, especially in an archipelagic state such as Indonesia. The description is in relation to the role of the state in implementing public services in the utilization of marine resources in an archipelagic country based on national insight.

Egbai O. O.   Oba D. O.   Ambe B. A.   Abang P. O.   Eneyo V.   and Ochiche Christopher Abua   

A study on the agro-ecological influence on nutrient status and physicochemical dynamics of ultisols was conducted in Ehom in Cross River State, Nigeria. The objective was to ascertain the effect of key traditional farming practices on nutrients and physicochemical properties of soils in the area. Soil samples were manually collected for laboratory determination of these properties. Descriptive statistics was used to determine variation in the textural characteristics of soil while Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test variation in soil chemical characteristics. Results proved that traditional bush burning has beneficial effects of adding potassium (K) into the soil while nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were adequately enhanced through the application of artificial fertilizer on one hand and the incorporation of plant's residues into the soil on the other. Tillage and slashed treatments facilitated soil organic carbon and other plant's nutrients absorption but exerted little or no influence on the textural characteristics of soil. The reason is the value of soil textural classes was not statistically different across treatment blocks. Descriptive statistics also proved that all nutrients/chemical properties of soil were altered considerably as mean pH values of 5.32 B/F and 6.62 A/F in burn treatment practice and the soil Organic carbon content also altered considerably from a mean of 2.8 to 4.56. Analysis of variance indicates that there was a significant difference in all nutrients/chemical properties of soil at 0.05 probability level indicating that on farm treatment methods altered soil nutrient and chemical properties considerably. The study recommends adoption of sound agricultural practices taking into consideration the prevailing soil and environmental condition.

Ahmed Eteba   M. Bassyouni   and Mamdouh Saleh   

This study aims to achieve the highest removal efficiency of direct blue dye using a low-cost adsorbent. The adsorption of direct blue 78 dye (DB78) with commercial name (Tubantin blue GLL 300) from a synthetic wastewater using a raw coal fly ash was studied. The ability of coal fly ash (industrial by product) as cost-effective adsorbent to remove dyes from textile wastewater effluent was investigated in detail. A series of batch experiments were conducted in terms of adsorbent dose, contact time, pH, and initial concentration of dye. The raw coal fly ash was characterized by physico-chemical analysis namely; X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). It was found that the major phases for coal fly ash are quartz and hematite. Loss of ignition percentage and surface area are 36% and 9.6113 m²g^-1 respectively with average particles size 624 nm. The adsorption tests showed that the removal efficiency increases with increasing adsorbent dosage and contact time. Removal efficiency decreases at high initial concentration of direct blue 78 dye. The maximum capacities for dyes removal reached to 99.1% with initial concentration 10 mg/l and fly ash dose 3 g/l. Dyes removal (98.4%) was obtained using initial concentration 20 mg/l and fly ash dose 4 g/l. At higher initial concentration (30 mg/l) using fly ash dose 5 g/l, lower removal efficiency was obtained with 97.2%. The Langmuir isotherm model was shown to have a higher coefficient of determination R² than the Freundlich isotherm model in representing the fly ash adsorption process.

Ayoub Benmhammed   Abdelmourhit Laissaoui   Nezha Mejjad   El Mahjoub Chakir   Nadia Ziad   Azzouz Benkdad   Adil El Yahyaoui   and Hasna Ait Bouh   

Rare Earth Elements and yttrium (REEs+Y) were measured by inductively Coupled Plasmas – Mass Spectrometry in two previously dated sediment cores collected from Sidi Moussa lagoon, located in the Moroccan Atlantic coast, in order to establish the historical inputs of these elements and to determine the contribution of anthropogenic activities. In an attempt to clarify the phase associations of REE+Y, the Ce anomaly profiles were partitioned into three parts: the upper part with negative anomalies, except for a positive Ce/Ce* peak in 1983, the middle part with positive anomalies rising to high Ce/Ce*, and the lower part with also fairly increasing positive anomalies. Pearson correlations were calculated between REE+Y and major elements (Mn, Fe and Al) in different parts of Core-1. REE+Ys, except for Pr, were significantly correlated only with Mn, which suggests that the associated phase in the upper part consists of Mn oxides. The central part is characterized by a negative correlation of REE+Y with Mn and a positive correlation with Fe. The maximal concentrations were observed in two horizons in the sediment cores being attributed to both natural and industrial sources. The association of REEs with manganese oxides, iron-rich minerals and detritus material was changing in different parts of the cores. Only in specific layers, all REEs were weakly to moderately enriched, while yttrium was moderately to strongly enriched. The notable reduction in the upper layers is a reflection of the environmental management plan implemented by the phosphate company and the change in the morphology of the lagoon, which has reduced communication with the ocean.

Josiah Nwabueze Obiefuna   Gertrude Nnanjar Njar   and Francis Ebuta Bisong   

Poor air quality is widely considered as one of the major environmental hazards confronting several urban centres worldwide. This study examined regional trend in ambient air quality footprints in Calabar Metropolis. Data on emission level of CO, NO₂, SO₂, H₂S, and SPM_2.5 were collected using Crowcon Gasman, while point coordinates were collected using Garmin GPSMap 60CSx device. Interpolation algorithm in Geographic Information Systems infrastructure was used to generate the regional trend maps for the metropolis. Parametric analytical techniques such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were employed to test the hypotheses, while descriptive statistics including tables, maps and standard deviation were also used to present the data based on the objectives of the study. The results of the trend surface analysis for the five (5) measured parameters show that CO and SPM_2.5 were not significant at P˃0.05 with F-ratio of 0.99 and 2.45 respectively. Thus, the null hypothesis which states that there is no significant change in the regional trend in air quality across Calabar Metropolis was therefore accepted. Analysis for NO₂, SO₂ and H₂S, were significant at P < 0.05 with F-ratio of 3.47, 3.35 and 7.79 respectively, causing the null hypothesis to be rejected. It was therefore recommended that mitigatory measures should be employed for the purpose of ensuring a sustainable, clean and green urban environment.

Syafiqah Hanis Mohd Fauzi   and Norazaliza Mohd Jamil   

Reverse osmosis is a treatment process to produce highly purified water in wastewater management. However, the depth study on exploring and visualization of the publication in this area has not been made in detail. Hence, this study is designed to assess the worldwide research trends of the reverse osmosis field in terms of publication output, keywords, journals, countries, institutions, collaborations, research areas, authors, document types, and languages. This study aims to analyze the distribution patterns of reverse osmosis journal articles, the terminology, and the research topics. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 6,939 research articles obtained from the Web of Science (WOS) database that were published from 1970 to 2019. The bibliometric map and network were generated using VOSviewer software. Results have shown that the most related keywords are desalination and nanofiltration. The most preferred journal with 40,314 total citations was published by Elsevier. Researchers from the United States contributed the most global publications. The most productive academic institution was the National University of Singapore among 25 leading countries. The reverse osmosis topic is mostly used in Engineering and Water Resources area. The researchers from South Korea were the most productive authors in this area. The findings of this study will enable interested researchers to understand the performance of reverse osmosis research worldwide and provide recommendations for further research.

Aina Izzati Mohd Esa   Syafrina Abdul Halim   and Norhaslinda Ali   

Projecting the mortality of cardiovascular disease in future is crucial in preparing the mitigation strategies. The purpose of this research is to estimate number of deaths of the cardiovascular disease in Peninsular Malaysia based on future temperature projections using the cluster approach. Ward's method is used to identify the number of clusters of 45 meteorological stations by calculating the shortest distance between the two coordinates of the stations. The output of global climate model (GCM) is incredibly useful for the projection of future temperature, but the large bias in the observational datasets may lead to inaccurate projection. To tackle the bias, a good fitted model for temperature series is important in order to ensure that the mean and variability of the observed series are well captured. It is important to estimate the parameters for each cluster precisely. Furthermore, a good fitted model for temperature series is also crucial in order to ensure that the mean and variability of the observations are well captured. Thus, this study proposed the appropriate statistical distribution for the temperature series to be associated in the bias correction method (BCM) using the quantile mapping (QM) technique to reduce the biases between observations and historical GCM temperature data series. Next, Ward's method is applied to determine the optimal number of clusters for Peninsular Malaysia. The results have shown that the proposed model is able to reduce the temperature series biases between the GCM and the observations. Six clusters throughout Peninsular Malaysia have been selected based on Ward's method. The projection number of deaths of cardiovascular disease under is estimated to increase between 2006 and 2100 in all clusters across Peninsular Malaysia, based on the temperature projections.

Siti Mariana Che Mat Nor   Shazlyn Milleana Shaharudin   Shuhaida Ismail   and Kismiantini   

In high dimensional data, Principal Component Analysis (PCA)-based Pearson correlation remains broadly employed to reduce the data dimensions and to improve the effectiveness of the clustering partitions. Besides being prone to sensitivity on non-Gaussian distributed data, in a high dimensional data analysis, this algorithm may influence the partitions of cluster as well as generate exceptionally imbalanced clusters due to its assigned equal weight to each observation pairs. To solve the unbalanced clusters in hydrological study caused by skewed character of the dataset, this study came out with a robust method of PCA in term of the correlation. This study will explain a RPCA to be proposed as an alternative to classical PCA in reducing high dimensional dataset to a lower form as well as obtain balance clustering result. This study improved where RPCA managed to downweigh the far-from-center outliers and develop the cluster partitions. The results for both methods are compared in term of number of components and clusters obtained as well as the clustering validity. Regarding the internal and stability validation criteria, this study focuses on the cluster's quality in order to validate the results of clusters obtained for both methods. From the findings, the amount of clusters had improved significantly by using RPCA compared to classical PCA. This proved that the proposed approach are outliers resistant than classical PCA as the proposed approach made a thorough observation assessment and downweigh the ones which were distant from the data center.

S. Y. P. Liu   X. M. Peng   X. Y. Zhang   and B. B. H. Yuen   

Soil pollution, particularly of petroleum hydrocarbons and lead contamination, has become increasingly concerned due to rapid urbanization and industrial development. Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon pollution using microorganisms is a promising solution due to the absence of secondary contamination. In this study, two bacterial isolates (B-7 and B-10), with distinctive colony characteristics, were screened from petroleum contaminated soil collected in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China. Using 16S rRNA sequencing technique and biochemical analyses, B-7 and B-10 were identified to be closely related to Achromobacter denitrificans, and Mycolicibacterium phocaicum N4, respectively. Petrol degrading rates of the two isolates were determined by UV-visible spectrophotometer in this study. With consideration of recovery rate and background evaporation rate, in the absence of lead, in a five-day interval study, the petrol degradation rate of B-7 and B-10 was observed at approximately 2.4g petrol/L for both isolates. Co-contamination with lead at 1, 5, 10 and 20ppm significantly inhibited petrol degrading potential of both isolates, with B-10 demonstrated significantly higher lead tolerance. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effects of other abiotic factors, such as pH, temperature, nutrient contents and concomitant exposure to other pollutants and biotic factors, such as microbial community, on the petroleum hydrocarbons degrading efficiency of these isolates.

Nurul Bahiyah Abd Wahid   Helmiah Abdul Razak   Intan Idura Mohamad Isa   Mohd Talib Latif   Noorlin Mohamad   Thunwadee Srithawirat   Doreena Dominick   Suzita Ramli   Nor Zila Abd Hamid   and Tengku Noor Arbaee Tg Azhar   

Surfactant is one of the pollutants derived from atmospheric aerosol that can adversely affect the human health and environment. This study aims to characterize the level of anionic surfactants as Methylene Blue Active Substances (MBAS) and Linear Alkylbenzene Sulphonates (LAS) extracted from atmospheric aerosol from urban (Kuala Lumpur) and suburban (Bangi) area of Malaysia. For aerosol sampling, a high volume sampler (HVAS) with a cascade impactor was used to collect atmospheric aerosol sample according to particle size (coarse mode (> 1.5 ”m) and fine mode (< 1.5 ”m)). The level of MBAS was determined using UV-Vis Spectrophotometer based on colorimetric method, while the concentration of LAS was determined using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that the composition of MBAS and LAS for both sampling stations was dominated by fine mode particles compared to coarse mode with a significant difference (p < 0.05). Kuala Lumpur showed higher concentration of MBAS (81.69 ± 13.01 ng m^-3) compared to LAS (2.96 ± 1.22 ng m^-3), while Bangi recorded lower level of both MBAS and LAS (44.58 ± 10.05 ng m^-3, 2.48 ± 1.28 ng m^-3), respectively. In terms of monsoonal effect, the highest level of surfactants as MBAS and LAS in both stations was recorded during southwest monsoon. A positive correlation was detected between MBAS and LAS. However, it was not significantly correlated (p > 0.05). From this study, it can be concluded that MBAS concentrations in urban and suburban atmosphere are not fully affected by commercial LAS. Majority of MBAS may be presented from other natural activities and anthropogenic sources such as motor vehicle emission, combustion of biomass, and the earth's crust. The management of surfactants' use needs to be reconsidered to enhance a better atmosphere especially in urban and suburban area in the future.

Nor Zila Abd Hamid   Nur Hamiza Adenan   Nurul Bahiyah Abd Wahid   Siti Hidayah Muhad Saleh   and Biliana Bidin   

The aim of this study is to model the temperature time series at Malaysian high population area during dry season through chaos theory. The selected high population area is Shah Alam located in Selangor state of Malaysia. Chaos theory modelling is categorized into two parts namely analysis and prediction. Analysis by the phase space plot showed that the nature of the observed temperature time series is chaos. Hence, the time series is predicted via the chaotic model. Results from the chaotic model showed that the temperature time series is well predicted with Pearson correlation coefficient near to 1. The result is compared with the traditional method of autoregressive linear model. Based on the computed values of average absolute error, root mean squared error and Pearson correlation coefficient, the chaotic model is found better in predicting temperature time series at Shah Alam area during dry season. This indicates that the chaos theory is applicable for temperature time series at Malaysian high population area. This finding is expected to facilitate stakeholders such as Malaysian Meteorological Department and Department of Environment Malaysia in managing temperature and climate change problem.

Fazilatulaili Ali   SAS Ali   SB Rahayu   ND Kamarudin   and ASA Rahman   

The growth in car ownership, demand for personal mobility and traffic congestion all generate negative impacts on the environment. In addition to adverse impacts, car use contributes to urban sprawl, unhealthy micro environments and increased accidents. In western countries, chronic traffic congestion due to increasing travel demand resulting from economic growth is placing governments under pressure to promote and incentivise mode shift to non-motorised modes. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the relationships of car users' perceptions and attitudes with age-gender factors to investigate respondents' willingness to reduce car use for the sake of the environment. A log linear model for categorical data was developed using Bayesian inference approach. Models were constructed separately with and without interaction between age and gender effect. Attitudinal data from British Social Attitudes (BSA) surveys from 2011 to 2014 were used in this study. The application of the Bayesian inference approach to the BSA data demonstrated useful properties shared by population groups. The results indicate that significant differences exist among different age and gender groups. The knowledge is useful to policy makers and transport managers in designing targeted solutions to specific population groups. The outcome of this research will be vital from a policy-making perspective, as appropriate clusters of the population can be targeted when implementing sustainability policies.

Wasu Timpitak   and Nopparat Pochai   

A vast number of patients visit the facility every day, causing a major air pollution issue that may pose a risk of exposure of respiratory infectious diseases in outpatient rooms and harm human health. TB, COVID-19, MERS, and SARS are dangerous communicable diseases that transmit from person to person through the air or aerosol in a variety of forms, such as coughing, spitting, sneezing, speaking, or through wounds. COVID-19, TB, MERS and SARS are risks and the chances of success toward lethal infection make more patients ill in the hospital. We should also be notified of the care and control of these diseases. As a result, effective air quality monitoring is needed to monitor and reduce the potential for infected air, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations. Measuring and controlling carbon dioxide in a hospital with a ventilation system where the number of patients in each room varies in time is challenging. In this research, the numerical model of carbon dioxide concentration measurement in a space with an opened ventilation system is proposed. The model sets the concentration of carbon dioxide at any point when the number of people and the rate of ventilation varies. The classical fourth-order Runge-Kutta method is employed to approximate the model solution. There are many cases of scenarios for improving air quality in the proposed simulations. In the air quality management process, the proposed model provides a balance between the number of persons allowed to stay in the room and the capacity of the air ventilation system.

Kittipol Nualtong   Thammarat Panityakul   Piyawan Khwanmuang   Ronnason Chinram   and Sukrit Kirtsaeng   

Every year, many basins in Thailand face the perennial droughts and floods that lead to the great impact on agricultural segments. In order to reduce the impact, water management would be applied to the critical basin, for instance, Yom River basin. An importing task of management is quantitative prediction of water that is stated by water level. This study proposes the hybridized forecasting models between the stochastic approaches, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models and machine learning approach, artificial neural network (ANN). The proposed hybrid model is called seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average and artificial neural network or SARIMANN model for average monthly water level (AMWL) time series of Yom River basin. The study period is from April 2007 to March 2020, over thirteen hydrological years. The forecasting performance is the minimum values of root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between SARIMA models, ANN models, and SARIMANN models. Results indicated that: The three models reveal the similarity of RMSE and MAPE for both four water level measurement stations for wet and dry seasons. The forecasting performance is the minimum values of RMSE and MAPE of three models. The SARIMA model is the best approach for Y.31 Station [Wet Season], Y.20 Station [Wet Season], Y.37 Station [Wet Season], Y.31 Station [Dry Season], Y.20 Station [Dry Season], and Y.1C Station [Dry Season, while the best method for Y.37 Station [Dry Season] is ANN model, furthermore the SARIMANN model is the best approach for Y.1C Station [Wet Season]. All methods have delivered the similar results in dry season, while both SARIMA and SARIMANN are better than ANN in wet season by RMSE for all stations. Even though the downstream is affected by many disturbances, it is still more accurate than the upstream. This is the visible evidence to indicate that the stochastic based models, SARIMA and SARIMANN proposed in this study are appropriate for the high fluctuation series. Furthermore, the dry season forecasting is more accurate than the wet season.

Kari HĂ€nninen   

The aim of this meta-study is to provide an understanding of the events which slowly ended the Great Ice Age (GIA) and caused the formation of the Sahara Desert. During the GIA, a layer of floating ice 900 m thick in the Arctic Ocean and grounded ice in the North Sea prevented the flow of the Gulf Stream into the Arctic Ocean. An 8-km layer of salt at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico suggests that the gulf has been an inland sea for a long period. It might have been separated from the Atlantic Ocean by an overflow via the Straits of Florida and a land bridge in the Yucatan Channel, which was reflected the North Equatorial Current (NEC) flow towards the coast of Northwest Africa as the GIA-Gulf Stream (GIA-GS). During the GIA, the return waters by the GIA-GS were warm, and the Sahara was "green." About 11,300 to 11,600 years ago, an earthquake might have cut the land bridge connecting the gulf to the Atlantic Ocean. This allowed the Gulf Stream Currents (GSC) to occupy their present flow route. Within 4,000 to 5,000 years, grounded and floating ice and continental glaciers had melted and the global sea level risen by 10 to 15 meters. By then, the return flow of water carried by the GSC into the Arctic Ocean was fully developed: first via undercurrents (mainly) into the Labrador Sea, and then from there to the coast of Northwest Africa as the North Atlantic Undercurrent (NAUC). Its upwelling waters desiccated the sea-air entering the Sahara. Paleobiological, paleohydrological, and paleontological observations confirm that the drying of the Sahara started in earnest about 6,000 years ago.

Ameen M. Noon   Hany G. I. Ahmed   and Sadeq O. Sulaiman   

The water issue has posed a great challenge in the past twenty years in most Arab countries, including Iraq in particular, due to the establishment of many dams by Turkey, which led to a decrease in the annual rate of water resources and non-compliance with international law of trans-boundary water management. The west of Iraq is considered as an arid region and suffers scarcity of rain, which has led to severe drought and seriously affected water resources in terms of quality and quantity. In this study, a numerical model of water resources management for the Euphrates River is applied by using Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP). Anbar Province is selected to apply this model, in order to assess past trends in water resources management and to simulate current demand scenarios which must be known for the decision-makers and water resources managers, namely the reference scenario and the water tax scenario. The results showed that the demand for water in the reference scenario (2040) will be 2819.35 million cubic meters per year while the corresponding demand in the other scenario will be 2639.54 million cubic meters per year, which amounts to 179.81 million cubic meters per year saving that can be exploited.

Natalia V. Karmanovskaya   Olga V. Nosova   and Victoria V. Galishevskaya   

The problem of environmental pollution and degradation of all elements of ecosystems is becoming more and more urgent. Therefore, the main purpose of the work is to monitor the quality of water bodies. The objects of the research were Norilsk, Kayerkan, Talnakh, Dudinka, and Lama Lake. The study was conducted in August-September 2019. The work investigated the organoleptic characteristics of water bodies: smell, color, turbidity, salt content, pH, alkalinity, hardness, SO₄^2-, COD. Organoleptic, visual, potentiometric, titrimetric methods were used as research methods. The work identified the causes of odor, turbidity, the color of the water; an evaluation scale for determining organoleptic indicators is given. The color of the water was determined by comparing samples of the test liquid with solutions that imitate the color of natural water. The categories of water salinity are revealed. It was found that the hardness and odor of the water samples did not exceed the norm. The acidic pH is highest on the Ambarnaya River at two sampling points and also on the Daldykan River. It was concluded that the ecological situation in the region requires the adoption of serious measures since the level of pollution of water bodies in many respects exceeds the norm.

Abdi Shukri Yasin   

This study examined household’s willingness to pay for improved solid waste management services in Jigjijga town, capital of Somali Regional State, Ethiopia. Using a semi structured questionnaire, primary data were collected from 178 household heads in Kebeles 10, 16, 17, 7, 5 and 8 that were selected purposively based on their income group. The socioeconomic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics while the independent variables were assessed using Logit Regression Model. The average willingness to pay amount was found to be nearly 4 United States Dollar (150 Ethiopian Birr), and the logit regression model results showed that income, and family sizes were statistically significant at 1%, where occupation and quantity of waste generated were also statistically significant at 5%. Furthermore, educational levels, period of stay, and environmental awareness of households were statistically insignificant. Lack of sustainable waste management financing is the major challenge (51%) reported by waste managing bodies followed by household’s unwillingness to pay, Inadequate protective equipment’s of staffs, poor connection between the kebelle administration & the waste collecting companies, less access to roads , and lack of recycling centers in the study sites. Private agencies should, therefore, be empowered via providing them incentives and necessary materials. Waste managing companies should increase the frequency of collection, while at the same time modifying their service price according to the average amount which most household are willing to pay. Finally, serious measures must be taken against households that illegally dispose their waste in unwanted places.

Tokuo Yano   Masatomo Nakayama   Kazuhiro Yamada   Akiko Inoue-Kohama   Shinya Sato   and Keijiro Enari   

In this study, the effect of reed vegetation on evapotranspiration (ET) and treatment performance was estimated, and a commonly used meteorological estimate of potential evapotranspiration (PET) was compared with ET with vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands (VSSFs) in the treatment of the high salinity of landfill leachates. The experimental approaches consisted of three runs: Run A was a poor reed vegetation bed, Run B was a dense reed vegetation bed, and Run C was a bed without reeds. The results of this study are as follows: The salinities of the leachate inflow in Run A and Run B were 15.8 ± 1.9g Cl-/L and 15.5 ± 2.8g Cl-/L, respectively. The average ETs of Run A, Run B and Run C were 4.2mm/d, 7.4mm/d and 3mm/d, respectively. The annual ET rates of Run A, Run B and Run C were 1535mm, 2702mm and 1101mm, respectively. On the other hand, those of PET estimated on the basis of the Hamon equation of 2017and 2018 were 741mm and 791mm, respectively. The PET rate was much less compared to the ET rate in the dense vegetation bed. It was necessary to consider site-specific factors such as growth of plants in the evaluation of the water budget. The water loss by evapotranspiration in Run B was much more than those in Run A and Run C. Although the removal rates calculated from the concentration between inflow and outflow did not differ between the dense vegetation bed and the poor vegetation bed, the load reduction rates calculated from the water budget differed between dense vegetation and poor vegetation.

Sanaz Shobeiri   

Today, one of the most growing discourses in design and planning City Centres worldwide is inclusiveness. Identification of major and minor groups of users thus forms a primary step to achieve an inclusive City Centre. To this end, this paper investigates Central Tehran and its network of street with a focus on three "shopping–recreational–pedestrian"-based paths called 15-Khordad Street, Berlan Alley and Sepah-Salar Street. The reason for this selection is their ongoing revived or remaining presence of pedestrians despite the prevailing vehicle domination in Tehran's City Centre. In this research, scale (mental and spatial), age and gender, and speed (accessibility and mobility) have been considered to individually and collectively study the concept of inclusiveness in the three case studies. Accordingly, this comparative study depicts how divergently and similarly, the streets of Central Tehran can fully respond to the expectations of various age-gender groups of Tehranians. The applied methodology incorporates the literature review, direct appraisal, photography, and dot-based analysis. For this qualitative-quantitative study, direct observation has been carried out in three consecutive week days in September 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to cover all potential effects of time on presence of users. Despite the short lengths of 15-Khordad (2.8 km), Berlan (1.2 km), and Sepah-Salar (0.5 km), these paths can significantly contribute to revitalisation of the physical, mental and spiritual connectivity of Tehranians with their City Centre. As a result, this paper aims to elucidate the potentials and problems to realise this reconciliation in an all-embracing sense.

Bandana Dhiman   Bhupender Dutt   and K R Sharma   

Wood is being a biological asset for timber purpose, liable to degrade easily than other material products. For its protection and longevity, chemical preservative industries are using chemicals and fixatives for their treatment under pressure. Mostly chemical used in wood preservative industries are heavy metals (Chromium) and have harmful impacts. AS chromate-production workers are exposed to a variety of chromium compounds, including hexavalent (VI) and trivalent (III) compounds. According to US ATSDR 2000 report, about 52% of all chromium compounds used in the U.S. chemical industries was used in the production of wood preservatives; the rest were used about 7-13% in pigments, tanning metals, leather finishing, etc. Environmental exposure from chromium (VI) compounds is difficult to quantify. The chromium (VI) compounds in the environment may be reduced to chromium (III) compounds, but hexavalent forms can persist under some conditions. People who live near industrial facilities that use chromium (VI) compounds have the greatest potential for exposure as it leaches out with prolong use and can become carcinogenic. Not only humans but chemicals from industrial effluents are affecting aquatic biodiversity too. On this serious note, researchers and wood technologists are trying to use herbal extracts in place of chemical preservatives. In this experiment extract of Acorus calamus (monocot-marshy plant) has been tried as biopreservative which could fix chromium in wood samples substantially. A difference in chromium (preservative fixative) retention was observed with different concentration of application of Acorus calamus extract on the studied wood samples.

Yuvaraj R. M.   

Identifying the land use/land cover pattern and its changes plays a considerable role in assessing the impact of man's activity towards natural ecosystem. This study focuses on the agrarian land use change over the study region of Pudukkottai district which is situated in the semi-arid region of Tamil Nadu, India. Agriculture is one of the significant sources of income for the economy of the country and most of the people engaged in agriculture and its related activity in the study area. It needs deep monitoring of the changes in the agricultural land use at time to time to prevent mismanagement and poverty among the people of the Pudukkottai district. The present research observes the land use change of agriculture for two periods i.e. 2005 – 2010 and 2010 – 2015 using Landsat images from USGS. To execute the land use characteristics, the study adopted four indicators they are net total area of change, annual area of change, annual rate of change and dynamic degree. The study concludes that maximum changes happened during 2010 – 2015 and minimum changes happened during 2005 -2015. Maximum of agricultural land has changed into wasteland followed by built-up land and wetland.

Onuorah Samuel   Ndumdi Dominic   and Okoye Patrick   

Water is the most abundant of all known chemical substances, which occur naturally on the surface of the earth. Iyifeyi stream is the major source of drinking water for the inhabitants of Ugwobi Abbi in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. The stream shows significant reduction in volume during the dry season but increases in volume during the rainy season, therefore, studies were conducted on it to determine the effects of seasonal variation on the physicochemical characteristics, with a view to determining its suitability for drinking. Samples were collected in triplicates upstream, midstream and downstream during the dry and wet seasons and analyzed physicochemically using the standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. The results showed that the colour, turbidity, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, total acidity, total hardness, total chloride, sulphate, nitrate, nitrite, biological oxygen demand, iron and aluminum were within the WHO standard for drinking water quality during both seasons while the pH, chemical oxygen demand and lead levels were not. This indicated that the water from the stream is unfit for drinking without adequate treatment. Liming, filtration, boiling and ozonation are recommended.

Paschalidis Ch.   Sotiropoulos S.   Papakonstantinou L.   Petropoulos D.   Kavvadias V.   Paschalidis D.   and Christodoulou Ch.   

This paper analyzes the quality of the soil resources of arable lands of the Hellenic Republic. Greece is characterized by mild winters and high sunshine. Greece's agricultural potential is hampered by poor soil conditions, inadequate levels of precipitation in spite of having also fertile soils and important water resources, especially in Western Greece. The mild climate allows Greece, especially in its southern regions, to produce early fruit and vegetable products. Data on the presence of saline, acid, and calcareous lands and the reasons for their formation in the country are presented. It refers to the basic characteristics of pathogenic soils, which have been studied in detail in recent years, their origin and their classification into several categories. Particular attention is paid to the serious problem of erosion and desertification of soil resources in many areas of Greece. It describes the important role that agricultural production has always played in the Greek economy. It is referred to the extent of cooperative organization which stays at low comparative levels, despite the efforts mainly of European Union. The total value of agricultural production in Greece amounts to 9.95 billion euros. Of this total, 69% comes from crop production. Consequently, crop production has a dominant position in the country's agricultural economy. Greek agriculture has remained at about the same level in terms of the value of agricultural production since 2010. As a percentage of the EU as a whole, however, it has dropped from 2.9% to 2.5%. It also describes the agricultural economy and policy of the country, the prospects and the economic impact of the increase in the problematic agricultural lands. Some suggestions on measures to preserve national wealth, such as the country's land resources, are indicated.

Abderrahmane Djoher   

Nowadays, water resources fluctuate between the extremes. In one hand cyclones, floods and other climatic events provide water in overabundance, and on the other hand drought and desertification cause paralyzing scarcity and wretched living circumstances for the populations. This contrast between scarcity and abundance covers the whole planet, whether within the developed countries or within the developing countries. Algeria experienced more than a decade of drought, during which the conventional water resources were unable to satisfy the needs of the population, and this situation incited the Algerian authorities to look for other resources in order to ensure the provision of drinkable water to the population. The most adapted solution, which does not depend on the climatic riskiness, consists in seawater desalination. The objective of our paper is to show why Algeria opted for the desalination as a miracle solution for the problem of water scarcity and drought in the country. In one hand, Algeria is affected by the impacts of the global climate changes: abnormal temperature rise, drought, severe storms, a very low rainfall in the western regions and very high rainfall in the eastern regions of the country; and on the other hand, the desalination process has somehow solved the problem of drinkable water. Seawater desalination is sometimes presented as a miracle solution for the problems of scarcity in drinkable water. Besides being financially inaccessible to the poor countries (in terms of revenues or oil), these technologies are large consumers of energy, moreover their environmental impact issue is by far not yet resolved. Usually, the execution of desalination plants is a means to workaround problems of wastage or bad governance of water and to escape from the necessary reforms.

Edgar Teles   

This paper's subject is the inquiry of the impact of ivory consumption on elephant populations and their habitat in the course of the trading routes, in the late XVIII century and in the beginning of the XIX century (1790 – 1810) Angola. The information and the analyses for this paper was gathered and established, while doing research for a presentation in the Faculty of letters of the University of Lisbon; for an international conference where it was brought a study related to the Ivory trade from the port of Benguela to Lisbon in the mentioned period. Where, while undergoing the research, the author understood that it could be provided a quantitative universe related to the elephant population hunted in that region due Ivory demand. To undertake this article, the author consulted information available in several Portuguese archives, where he collected several documents that permitted him, based in quantitative sources, to establish an interpretation of the population of pachyderms hunted during the mentioned period. Another base of this essay, beside the quantitative data, is the references collected in XVI – XVIII century Chronicles about Angola, to establish in consonance with the archivist call sources, correlation between the hunting of the elephants with the impact, that caused in their habitat through that period. Keeping its interest in the interconnection of fields, the author investigates the notion of conservation in this period. In this case, the author tries to identify how many elephants were killed, and in what ages correspond to the most killing.

Fuyu Saito   Haruka Yamashita   Manita Shrestha   and Masayuki Goto   

There are serious problems with the increase of challenged persons in developing countries and we have to consider how to help them. Moreover, we also have to ask whether the Quality of Life (QOL) for them has actually improved. Do they feel despair over their real ambitions and are they content to be patient while in a state of unrealized potential? In other words, we have to have awareness not only how to deal with people who need help to live, but also how to make a society in which everyone can live independently and freely. In this research, we investigate the attitudes of Nepalese citizens who don't need a great support for living towards physically challenged persons and identify the problems with the current attitude of citizens towards them and discuss possible approaches and a vision for improving their QOL. To this end, we conducted a field survey in Nepal and Japan using a questionnaire, analyzed the data, and discussed to clarify the Nepalese awareness of physically challenged persons. In the end, we consider a possible solution to these problems from several viewpoints. By collecting data by various stratifications, it was found that there was a large difference in their awareness toward challenged persons by ethnic group, age, region, and gender as the major findings of the surveys. Also the Nepalese themselves are aware of the difference. Based on the above results, we point out that "unifying actual support and promoting citizens' awareness," "reviewing and strengthening the educational system," and "strengthening the leadership of the government to eliminate the differences between countries, genders, and caste groups" are three ways to address this issue. These three issues will have a positive effect on challenged persons in Nepal and also have a positive effect on society by reducing the burden on supporters.

Kari HĂ€nninen   

The aim of the study is to clarify the driving forces and flow mechanisms of ocean currents. The primary driving forces of the surface currents are the thrust by the trade winds and westerlies. For the undercurrents, the driving force is the thrust of descending salty water (DSW) formed in the Arctic and Southern Oceans by brine ejection from ice. The annual production of DSW in the Arctic Ocean is 21.7 Sv and in the Southern Ocean 26 Sv. The annual average downward thrust created for the outflowing undercurrents in both oceans is 44,000 N/m². Most of the DSW outflow from the Arctic Ocean occurs via the Labrador Sea towards the coast of northwest Africa as the North Atlantic Undercurrent (NAUC). The direction of the flow is towards the suction at the starting point of the North Equatorial Current. The flow and the fluid dynamics of the NAUC follow Pascal's law and Bernoulli's equation. Upwelling provides an unobstructed passage for the continuous flow of an undercurrent. The water molecules moving along streamlines trade speed for height or for pressure. Due to this exchange, the flow of the NAUC slows and the flow bed widens. Subsequently, it upwells along the 3,500 km of coastal area from A Coruña (NW Spain) to Dakar (NW Africa). In the abyssal oceans, the mixing of water is relatively weak and intermittent, driven by double diffusive convection (DDC). The phenomenon known as salt fingering is typical for the DDC. However, the DDC is vigorous where the temperature difference between warm water and the cold water below is great, like in the confluence of the Brazil vs. Malvinas currents. Then salt fingers which are several hundred meters deep and several hundred kilometres wide are formed. In these salt fingers, the water of the warm current downwells and the water of the cold current upwells. This slows down the horizontal movement of the water molecules in both currents.

Deon Furstenburg   and Jennifer L Currie   

Re-evaluation of bontebok following a multidisciplinary approach indicate its native habitat as the now submerged Palaeo-Agulhas Plain off the southern South African coast, and dominated by C₄ grasslands and savannah. Large grazer populations migrated across the plain and around the eastern end of the Cape Folded Belt into the Eastern Cape interior following climate oscillations and geographic-shifts of the winter-/summer-/all-year rainfall isohyets. Presently 77% of all bontebok are found on private farmland with grassland bioregions in the Eastern Cape, Free State and other. Bontebok showed enhanced performance in these grasslands if compared with poor performance on south-western Cape Lowland Renosterveld (SWC-LRV). Renosterveld (RV) was previously perceived as the bontebok's native habitat of origin. We argue that bontebok became trapped in RV due to sea-level rises and consequent multiple species congestion. Bontebok meta-population management on private farms showed significant species improvement when compared with government conservation actions in SWC-LRV. Geographic habitat constraints appear to have been the greatest factor limiting bontebok integrity. IUCN recognizes a global population size of 1,618 as reported by the Non-Detriment Finding of the Scientific Authority of South Africa, whereas actual population size is more than 7,000. We quantify post-1930s bontebok performance against phylogeographic and palaeoclimate proxies.

Izuma Joshua   Noutcha   and M. Aline E   

Succession patterns of arthropods associated with decomposing domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus, 1758) were investigated in exposed and sheltered habitats, located at 4^o 53'41.680 "N, 6^o 54'39.127 "E and 4^o 54'19.83"N, 6^o55'17.36"E respectively, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The decomposition of the six domestic rabbits was observed during the onset of the wet season (1^st March – 30^th April 2017) to identify forensically important insects attracted to them and determine temperatures and relative humidity influencing carrion decomposition. Five stages of decomposition: Fresh, bloated, active decay, advanced decay and dry remains stages were observed. The sequence of insect succession followed a distinct pattern: dipteran flies first colonized the rabbit carcasses and were succeeded by coleopterans. A total of 33 species of arthropods, in 23 families and 7 orders were collected. The insect families recorded were: Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Histeridae, Piophilidae, Drosophilidae, Bostrichidae, Stratiomyidae, Staphylinidae, Tabanidae, Carabidae, Tenebrionidae, Scarabaedae, Cleridae, Formidae, Sphecidae, Curculionidae and Dermestidae. Three unidentified insect taxa in Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Odonata were collected in the exposed habitat, while two unidentified species in the class Arachnida; a Macrocheles mite and a non-acarine were collected in both habitats. Based on frequency of occurrence and role of Calliphorids, Chrysomya chloropyga and C.albiceps were the most forensically significant insects. Temperature apparently accelerated the rate of decomposition although but there was no significant difference (p>5%) between the rates of decomposition of the carcasses in the two habitats.

Carlos ChĂĄvez-Veintemilla   and Adalberto Val   

Oil spills have increased in frequency worldwide and biodiversity hotspots, such as the Amazon Basin, are under increasing threat of oil spills. The toxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are poorly known for Amazonian fish species. The acute and sublethal effects of phenanthrene (Phe) on tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), an important Amazonian food fish, were analyzed in the present study. The Trimmed Spearman-Karber method was used to determine 96h-LC₅₀ for Phe, which was 940 ug/L and represented roughly 70% of its regular water solubility at 30℃. Tambaqui specimens were exposed to 47, 235 and 470 ug/L, representing respectively, 5, 25 and 50% 96h-LC₅₀ for Phe, for four weeks to analyze Phe effects on growth and haematological properties. Fish exposed to Phe showed high mucus production, expansion of lower lips, and the loss of both hydrodynamic balance and orientation. The condition factor has decreased by over 10% during the last two weeks of exposure to all Phe concentrations. After four weeks of exposure to 47 ug/L Phe (5% 96h-LC₅₀), there was observed a decrease of nearly 47% for final weight gain, 55% for specific growth rate, and 9% for blood haemoglobin. Additionally, plasma glucose increased up to 49% in animals exposed to 470 ug/L Phe (50% 96h-LC₅₀) and lactate increased up to 37% in animals exposed to 235 ug/L Phe (25% 96h-LC₅₀). The main finding was that tambaqui exposed to Phe even at the lowest level analyzed (47 ug/L Phe, 5% of the 96h-LC₅₀ Phe) exhibited disturbances of basic biological and physiological functions.

S. Espinosa Martinez   M. A. DĂ­az   J. Antonaya Avi   and Y G. Calero Diaz   

In order to study the origin of the salinity and the salinization mechanisms that operate in the Pliocene Aloha Aquifer, hydrochemical and isotopic environmental techniques have been used, due to their known effectiveness and usefulness in the identification of water-rock interaction processes, location of recharge zones and its origin. Analyzing major ions, trace elements, ionic ratios and isotopic ratios of the elements of the water molecule, stable isotopes (ÎŽ¹⁸O and ÎŽ²H) and ÎŽ¹⁸O and ÎŽ³⁴S of sulphate. Previous hydrochemical studies of the Pliocene Aloha Aquifer indicate high concentrations of Cl^- and Na⁺ as well as HCO₃, SO₄ and Ca that should be indicated the interaction with waters of highersalinity, but also with rocks (longer residence time in the aquifer). Therefore, as a starting hypothesis, two possible origins of the high salinity are considered: mixture with seawater or connate waters stored in Pliocene formations. Finally, the study confirmed that the salinity of the Aloha Aquifer is of a localcharacteristic and not due to seawater intrusion.

Hongmei Wang   Spencer Taylor   Bret Henninger   Margaret Minzner   Ben Braeutigam   and Jessica Spencer   

A non-native invasive shrub, named Amur honeysuckle, has caused various problems to the habitats of native plants and animals. Local governments, private landowners and non-profit groups spend numerous efforts on removing these species from forests. The first step to remove the species is to know their spatial distribution. The major objective of this study is to explore how to quickly map honeysuckle distribution by using high resolution satellite images. The case study is located in Great Parks of Hamilton County (GPHC), Ohio. A World-View2 satellite image acquired on Nov. 9th 2013 was classified into several land use types, including low density honeysuckle area, medium/high density honeysuckle area, grass/crop, bare soil/construction, and water/wet land. Half of the field data that we collected in Nov. 2013 and some high resolution aerial photos (with 4 inch spatial resolution) were used to validate the classification result. The study result demonstrates that the World-View2 image delineates honeysuckle distribution fairly well, in particular, for medium/high density honeysuckle areas. As a pilot program utilizing advanced geospatial analysis, this project will provide important information for understanding the status of wildlife habitats and for implementing site-specific management in parks and nature preserves.

Mark A. S. McMenamin   

The Hypertopia Option, described here, uses the inherent connectivity of the land biota to combat the anthropogenic accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The crux of the proposal is that we must soon establish new towns (Hypertopias) in arid and marginal land areas, with inhabitants hand-nurturing nascent forests until these are sufficiently established to be self-sustaining. Irrigation will be required to initiate Hypertopias, but the need for irrigation will decrease once the Hypertopias are established due to enhancement of rainfall as a function of aforestation. Close attention to and encouragement of hypermarine (that is, associated with Hypersea) symbioses between vascular plants and mycorrhizal fungi will enhance efforts at reforestation. Hypersea theory maintains that the establishment of the land biota in the middle Paleozoic was dependent on such symbioses. Hypertopias will induce localized reestablishment of the land biota, simultaneously generating favorable human habitats, with local economies initially based on caring for the newly established plants, later transitioning to economies based on foods and other forest products that can move us away from plastics and other environmentally deleterious materials. Carefully sited and maintained, Hypertopias promise to rapidly absorb carbon dioxide, leading us to a regime of sustainable and favorable climate.

DilƟad AKAL   

Noise is broadly defined as unwanted sound that generally prevents people from performing at maximum ability and efficiency. Following air and water pollution, noise pollution is the third most critical environmental subject. Noise can be industrial noise, military noise, traffic noise, other kinds of environmental sourced noises, etc. Exposing noise by such ways can result in increased nervous tension with associated psychological effects, some impairments to the audio-sensory mechanism, and lead to premature and/or permanent loss of hearing. Statistics show that among worldwide, exposing the high doses of noise, hearing loss and tinnitus are significant public health issues and the prevalence of these conditions among employees in industry is significantly greater than the general public. This study is a compilation of literature which presents noisy workplaces, negative effects of noise on workers' health and the prevention plan of negative effects. In this research, the current situation about noise exposure in workplaces and its negative effects on workers are presented according to the statics and literature in Turkey and around world. After drawing the present frame of the picture, some recommendations will be given in order to prevent noise exposure and its negative side effects in industry.

Sagar Raj Kandel   

With the increasing threats to leopard associated mainly with human activities and decline in prey species, leopard population is at risk and is known to use areas outside the protected areas. Community forest might be the important source for the long-term population sustainability of leopard. This study was conducted in Thuli community forest of Lamjung, Nepal. In this study, non-invasive sampling techniques for the collection of scats adopted. Total (n=40) scats were collected opportunistically. The presence of leopard was confirmed by indirect signs of pugmarks, scats, scratches and kill of cattle in the shed. A total of 12 prey species were successfully identified based on the medullary and cuticle structure of hair samples. Around 55.20% of leopard diet was contributed by domestic animals followed by wild animals, which signifies the conflict with the study area. Rodents and bird's species had also contributed in the diet of leopard with 10.98% and 7.54% respectively. Around 8.17%, portion of diet contribution was from primates. Devoid of wild prey and abundance of domestic animals in scats contents highlight the urgent need of conservation intervention in the area and strengthening the community tolerance.

Kari HĂ€nninen   

The helium bulge in the thermosphere above the winter pole demonstrates that solar wind strips helium from the thermosphere into space. The existence of the bulge shows that helium flows from the interior of the earth replenish what the solar winds strip away. The calculations of Lord Kelvin showed that the primordial heat would have been exhausted within the first 98 million years of the earth's existence. There may be as much as 45 times more heat and helium generated by the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium in the earth's core than has been previously estimated. A plausible mechanism to trigger tectonic movements is the pressure exerted by helium as it ascends from the earth's core. In the mantle, helium pierces the rock and strips its bound water and the resulting steam intensifies the gas flow. Mathematically, the vertical thrust of gases per square meter in the asthenosphere more than equals the weight of a 100 km high and 1 m2 wide column of stone. Basalt in the oceanic crust diverts a major part of the upwelling flow of gas below the sea areas to horizontally push the continental plates. Only a minor part of the flow is liberated through black smokers. The combined effect of vertical lift and horizontal thrust of the gases then moves the tectonic plates. If a tectonic plate moves on one of the poles, it will accumulate ice, which causes the sea level to drop dramatically. This occurred when the movement of Antarctica on the South Pole lowered the sea level by 83 m from the elevation which prevailed in the early Cretaceous period 124 million years ago. Variations of the helium flow may be used as an indicator in assessing the possibility of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

R. D. Gwisai   O. O. Areola   and E. M. Segosebe   

The aim of the study was to ascertain the pollution levels in water sources in the areas surrounding the closed Gaborone landfill site. The study focused on the physico – chemical analysis of surface water resources around the closed Gaborone landfill site. The specific objectives were to determine the properties of surface water around the landfill and compare them along a transect with the water sources upslope and downslope of the landfill. Furthermore, the probable impacts of the wastes on water resources are highlighted and the levels of heavy metal contamination in surface waters around the closed Gaborone landfill are shown, in addition to compare the findings in this study with set standards (WHO, USEPA, FAO, EU, USSR and BOBS) and other yardsticks from previous studies. Due to scarcity of water resources and poor drainage water levels, five (5) existing surface water samples were collected offsite along a spatial gradient transect while the sampling interval was based on the length of the slope below the landfill. Field sampling and laboratory analysis of surface water resources was done so as to ascertain physico – chemical and heavy metal pollution levels. The findings of the investigations show that physical parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductivity, turbidity, TDS and TCU levels at the closed Gaborone landfill are above the drinking water standards BOS 32: 2000, WHO (2004) and USEPA (1991) limits and there is a general decline in pH, EC, TSS, TVS, TSD and TCU with increasing distance from the landfill site. While the chemical properties show that alkalinity, nitrates, phosphates, sulphates, chlorides, calcium, magnesium, chromium, and ammonia levels for the closed Gaborone landfill are higher than BOS 32: 2000, WHO (2004) and USEPA (1991) limits indicating toxicity. The general trend patterns show that there is a general decline in alkalinity, BOD₅, sulphates, phosphates, nitrates, magnesium, calcium and chromium levels with increasing distance from the closed Gaborone landfill while chlorides levels are increasing. There was a significant decline in alkalinity, EC, sulphates, and calcium with increasing distance at P = 0.05. On the other hand, BOD5 levels can be classified as clean to moderately polluted. Overall, sanitary landfills have a far-reaching impact on the surrounding water resources and if left unmonitored increased pollution levels could lead to compromised drinking water quality, public health deterioration and descending environmental eminence.

Mariyana Lyubenova   Snejana Dineva   Kristiana Cala   Branislav Dinich   and Silvena Boteva   

Purified industrial waste water (PIWW) has been evaluated for probable toxicity using test-systems with Pseudorasbora parva (topmouth gudgeon) and Lepidium sativum L (garden cress). The acute toxicity of PIWW was calculated according to mortality of Pseudorasbora parva in dilutions 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 times, and distillate water (DW) was used as a control. The LC₅₀ has been calculated after 96 h of treatment and it was at approximately 8x (7.69) times dilution of PIWW. The toxic effect of PIWW with and without copper ions, added as CuSO₄ have been measured using Lepidium sativum L. The comparison of the toxic effects of the same concentrations of copper in PIWW and DW, mixed and non-mixed contamination has been evaluated. It was found that Cu⁺² has inhibitory effects on the root's and stem's growth of Lepidium sativum L seeds, and that effect appears in concentrations over 2 mg/l Cu⁺². The 50% inhibition of root's growth in DW was EC₅₀=7.26 mg/l of copper ions, while for PIWW that concentration was EC₅₀ =17.23 mg/l Cu+2. The calculated EC₅₀ for stem's growing in DW was 54.57 mg/l Cu⁺² and 72.07 mg/l Cu⁺² in PIWW. The observed EC₅₀ differences in DW and PIWW perhaps are due to the formation of ligand compounds among copper cations and other impurities in the waste water and hence as consequences the reducing of free Cu⁺² or their bioavailability, hereafter reduce copper toxicity. It was registered that PIWW diminished growth inhibitory effect of copper ions on Lepidium sativum L seeds lessening its amount by involving free Cu⁺² in complexes with other waste products.

Janet C. Korir   

The recognition by the government of Kenya of the adverse effects caused by climate change prompted the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources collaborating with other stakeholders to develop the National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) in 2010 in preparation for the adversity. However, the aim of attaining Kenya's Vision 2030 has remained a problem in implementation especially due to the lack of awareness by the local communities. This has resulted to food deficit and nutritional challenges that have deepened the poverty levels of most rural and urban households. This is evident in Narok County where frequent droughts and floods have threatened the pastoral livelihoods in the recent past. Climate change awareness is critical in ensuring successful response and adaptation at local level in developing countries. This paper is a result of a study that sought to assess the level of awareness of the pastoral community on the causes and impact of climate change (ICC) in Narok County. The findings of the study were based on a detailed survey conducted through face-face interviews from a sample of 415 households that was determined through multistage cluster sampling and simple random sampling techniques. An analysis of the collected data indicated that pastoralists have observed changes in climate change related indicators such as temperature, vegetation cover, and rainfall over the past two decades from their locally acquired knowledge. While the majority (84.1%) of the respondents indicated awareness of climate change causes and impacts, and the overdependence on their locally available knowledge (88.2%) portrayed that most (37%) had a belief that climate change was a punishment from the gods and ancestral spirits for man's offences. On the contrary, only (2.2%) and (23.4%) attributed climate change to greenhouse gases and deforestation respectively, scientifically proven causes upon which mitigation could be drawn. The belief misguides and could explain why the pastoral communities are still hit hard by the effects of climate change. The level of awareness was significantly different across respondent categories (Pearson Chi Square of 19.139 and p-value of 0.001) and regions (Pearson Chi Square of 30.396 and p-value of 0.000). Therefore, to enhance resilience of pastoral communities to impacts of climate change, effective and appropriate dissemination of climate information at the local level and those that provide access to socio-economic institutions such as capital, water and information should be formulated and implemented. The study findings are aimed at benefiting the local community through creating awareness on the adoption of new livelihood technologies proposed in the study hence improving their resilience to climate change.

Sanaz Shobeiri   

One of the key challenges in studying the human-nature relationship in urban contexts worldwide is the current issues in hitherto implemented projects. The term ‘issues' here refers to the needs, potentials and problems of the two spheres of citizens and the city's natural structures. Investigating the present issues in implemented projects reveals how people perceive and subsequently interact with the nature in cities at the present time. This paper aims to open up a research platform in order to revive, improve and strengthen the human- nature interaction in current and future projects. To this end, Tehran and its seven river-valleys have been selected as the case study for this research. Three linear parks and four mountainous recreational areas are the principal projects that have been implemented along specific lengths of some of the seven main river-valleys in Tehran. This paper focuses mainly on the interaction of Tehranian residents with the natural structures of the river-valleys in the three implemented linear parks. The applied methodology consists of a literature review, followed by related analysis and direct observation. The findings are categorised into seven sections: dealing with height differences and a definition of the horizontal layers; physical perceptions of the river; physical perceptions of the height difference; bridges over the river; facilities; lighting; and accessibility and parking spaces. As the main conclusion, this paper will introduce the design and planning strategies and objectives that could improve the possibility and quality of the human-nature interaction in current and future linear parks in the river-valleys of Tehran.

Wondwossen Birke   and Firdu Zawide   

On April 7, 2015 when WHO celebrated the World Health Day, the slogan was "From Farm to Plate, Make Food Safe". On this day the Jimma University launched the campaign to create public awareness on food safety by organizing a one-day workshop for over 100 residents representing consumers, food service providers, government regulators, health extension workers, teachers and community leaders. The Jimma University's, Environmental Health and Technology Department has been conducting research on food safety since 2009 and the event of the 2015 World Health Day created an opportunity to present the research findings to the community members in order to reach a consensus on how to transform research results to concrete action in a participatory approach. Our research on food safety constituted community based cross-sectional survey of randomly selected 825 households and 718 food establishments in 13 Sub-cities of Jimma town, Southwestern Ethiopia. Evaluation of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practice of households and food service establishments was conducted using pretested and structured questionnaires for the interview. The proper enforcement of the current food safety laws and regulations by local government health inspectors and health extension workers and the procedure applied was evaluated on the basis of the critical role inspection plays in providing the different stakeholders the education, information and motivation necessary to make informed decisions on food safety. Different levels of compliance of food establishments to current food laws and regulations were assessed including reasons for noncompliance. Intervention measures to remove barriers to compliance were identified and the necessary actions to be taken to improve hygiene practices of food handlers and the sanitary condition of food premises to prevent the outbreak of foodborne diseases in the community were presented in the workshop. The outcome of the workshop was awareness creation and preparation of action plan to improve food safety of households and catering establishments in Jimma town. The study provides evidence based food hygiene and safety behaviors of households and micro and small food establishments that have significant health and economic impact. The study recommends the strengthening of the food inspection and laboratory services; development of laboratory based foodborne disease surveillance system, extension of the local, regional and national information, education and communication services and ensuring the safety of food imports and exports. It concludes by suggesting the way forward to advance food safety in Ethiopia with specific recommendation.

Theresa Y. Baah-Ennumh   and Gifty Adom-Asamoah   

Mining and its related activities usually attract people to host communities. High population and intense mining activities pose numerous challenges to land use management. The study examined the planning responses to the land use challenges in mining communities in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of Ghana. The case study research approach was used to address the research objectives. The study covered the Tarkwa township and its peripheral communities, such as Nsuta, Tamso, New Atuabo and Abonteakoon (Akoon), which were purposively selected. The paper reveals that mining in the Municipality has resulted in increased population without corresponding infrastructure and related services. Due to the intense nature of mining activities coupled with increased population, there has been strong competition over available lands which have resulted in changing land uses outside formal planning schemes, encroachments, and building in waterways and wetlands. The study recommends among others, an effective collaboration between the traditional leaders and city authorities to clearly define the mandate of each stakeholder within the urban land market. There is also a need to build institutional capacity and contextualize planning ideals as key for managing rapidly growing mining towns in emerging economies.

Wasike P. W.   Nawiri M. P.   and Wanyonyi A. A.   

Worldwide, over one billion people lack access to clean drinking water, this being attributed to industrial effluents, agricultural chemicals and residential wastes. As such, contaminants in drinking water including heavy metals pose fears on human health especially if levels exceed limits set by WHO and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). Water sourced from River Kuywa in Bungoma County, Kenya and its adjacent wells risk heavy metal contamination due to the surrounding industrial and agricultural activities. Never the less, the waters are used for domestic purposes. Water samples from River Kuywa and in adjacent wells were analyzed for Pb, Mn, Cu and Cd during a dry and rainy season employing Flame atomic absorption spectroscopy and ANOVA for instrumental and data analysis respectively. The mean values (mg/l) of Pb, Cu and Cd in water from the river during the two seasons were: Pb (0.57 ± 0.09 - 3.36 ± 1.15), Cu (1.01 ± 0.12-1.92 ± 0.14) and Cd (0.32±0.02-0.99±0.67). In wells, the waters had the ranges: Pb (1.43±0.34-2.43±0.41), Cu (1.39±0.24-1.92±0.14) and Cd (0.35±0.03-0.46±0.03). These were above those set by KEBS and WHO with significant differences noted between seasons (p<0.05). Strategies that would reduce further contamination of water in river Kuywa and in the adjacent wells are called for to intervene for the unforeseen health risks associated with heavy metal poisoning.

Kari HĂ€nninen   

The absorption of UV, visible and near IR radiation by O₃ produces transient, electronically excited O₃. The absorption of thermal IR radiation ( = 9.065, 9.596 and 14.267 ”m) produces vibrationally excited O₃ molecules. Thermal absorption is likely the main factor in the self-decay of O₃. Photoexcitation of ground state by IR and red light radiation produces singlet oxygens and . Chemical reactions in the stratosphere produce them as well. When reacting with ozone, singlet oxygen produces O (³P) and . By doing so, they tend to maintain the prevailing ozone concentration and are thereby important for the stability of the ozone layer. During the daytime, O(¹D), and reach their maximum concentrations at altitudes of 45 to 48 km. This manifests fast ozone turnover which generates the maximum stratospheric temperature at those particular altitudes. During the night-time, the self-decay of ozone and absorption of light from the nightglows, moon and stars by O₃ and O₂ generates so much heat that the stratospheric temperature decreases by only a couple of degrees. Being a heavier gas than O₂ and N₂, ozone lacks buoyancy in the atmosphere, and it starts to descend immediately when formed. Chapman calculated that ozone in the stratosphere would descend 20 m per day. At the North and South Poles, during the four to six months of darkness in the winter, ozone descends by 2.4 to 3.6 km. This descent is likely the main reason for the stratospheric ozone depletion above the poles during winter.

Nan-Min Wu   

The Hsinchu City incinerator generated 35.6 kilotons of incinerator bottom ash (IBA) annually. Most of the IBA were landfilled, while part of them was reused as construction materials for public works. Although the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) of IBA met the Taiwan's current environmental regulations, either landfilled or reused applications were still subject to public concerns. This study evaluated the biotoxicity of IBA leachates using Daphnia magna. The IBA samples were collected from the bottom ash storage pit, following a modified leaching procedure to prepare the leachates. The total elemental analysis of IBA leachates showed that contents of Cu and Zn were in the range from 0.35 % and 1.05 %, respectively, and were higher than other heavy metals in IBA leachates. In the TCLP testing, all results indicate the metal ions concentrations are well below toxicity standard of the regulation. Daphnia magna was employed to test the static 24-h acute toxicity, and mortality data obtained were further analyzed using the Probit and Spearman-Karber statistical models. Results in the biotoxicity testing indicated that as dilution ratios in 1:10, the toxicity unit (TU) values were in the range from 66.7 to 71.4, and dilution ratios in 1:500, the TU values were in the range from 2.9 to 3.1. The higher the dilution ratios of the leachates, the lower the TU values, indicating that the dilution ratio has a significant effect on the IBA leachates. Experimental results indicated that though the chemical-based TCLP test results were in compliance with regulatory standards, the biological-based toxicity test may reach a certain level of TU value. Accordingly, it is suggested that a biotoxicity program for IBA should be well established in parallel with current TCLP testing to increase the public acceptance for subsequent applications.

Ramadhan Sumarmin   Rahmat Hidayat   Rian Putra   Fazli Saldayu   Sausan Hanifa   M. Ichsan Fajri   and Zia A.Z. Putra   

There are two types of areas of Kayu Tanam District as highland form Anai Area and as lowland form Kapalo Hilalang. The two types of landform have been accord to frog life span of the anuran. The Anai areas have been an education-tourism area to domestic and international tourism. Koto Hilalang area have been paddy farming area without pesticides treatment. Koto Hilalang have been an education-tourism area to domestic and international tourism too. The aimed of this study to inventory and to comparison the Anuran species in two type's area of Kayu Tanam District. The data were collected using Visual Encounter Survey (VES) method modified by Time Search Method. The result showed that there are 21 species of frogs (Polypedates leucomystax, Polypedates colletti, Polypedates macrotis, Polypedates otilophus, Rhacophorus pardalis, Duttaphrynus melanostictus, Pelophryne signata, Phrynoidis asper, Kalophrynus palmatissimus, Kalophrynus pleurostigma, Microhyla heymonsi, Megophrys nasuta, Limnonectes blythii, Limnonectes kuhlii, Limnonectes malesianus, Occidozyga lima, Occidozyga sumatrana, Fejervarya cancrivora, Fejervarya limnocharis, Hylarana nicobariensis, and Hylarana erythraea) from 12 genera of six families. Only six species (Duttaphrynus melanostictus, Fejervarya cancrivora, Hylarana erythraea, Megophrys nasuta, Occidozyga sumatrana, and Polypedates leucomystax) from 21 species has found in Kapalo Hilalang.

Edgar Teles   

This paper's subject is the deforestation of Pau-Brazil in late XVIII century Brazil witch can be integrated in the academic inquiry into the question of the natural and cultural heritage. In this subject the author has written this paper not only in a statistic data, but in connection with the history of environmental ideas. The author has obtained some percentage values that allowed him to provide some realistic dimension to the lack of the woods in this area, and connecting the same data with the ecological and economical thought dimension. About the subject in the end of the XVIII century (1796 – 1798), there is a shortage of Pau-Brazil timber in Pernambuco, that takes an effort both of searching for new forests and a strong effort also of developing preservation measures in that period. The trade of Pau-Brazil in the late XVIII century could reach as profit the percentage values of (778, 71%) in the European markets of the end of the XVIII Century. In this case, the author's argumentation concerns – in this historical context – how an economical interest paradox has triggered an interest about environmental protection to save an important accent. This involves at the beginning to identify the species of Pau-Brazil that were in use at the time in the same region to, in a second stage, integrate the same in the economic importance in Portuguese trade economy. The third step is to understand the correlation between economy and environment in the search of new forests and preservation of the already known ones. In this part, it is important to remember that early modern economies were natural commodity based and thus very dependent on the environment. That (should have) urged them to insure that they had a continuity on the access, and to ensure the existence of the same resources. This enters in Richard Groove's theories about environmental history in connecting them with economy. And also Wades' theories, that cross ecology with other sciences. Being a work in history, the main propose here is not to give a solution of mine, but rather to present the question in which the context were occurred and how and what solutions were found in the same period, and to what degree.

Suiven John Paul Tume   

Sensitivity of water resources to hydro-climatic variations is a key constraint to development. Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) was employed to assess vulnerability of water resources to climate variability by computing mean annual rainfall for five stations with the least record of 20 years. SPI values in Bui range from -0.1 to -0.45. These extreme conditions have led to severe water shortages. Water output was collected from Kumbo Water Authority and Camerounais Des Eaux (Jakiri). Population perceptions on changing water levels and reliability were captured through 200 questionnaires administered across six hydrological basins. Results revealed that springs, streams, pipe-borne water, wells/boreholes have reduced significantly. Respondents also perceived that rainfall has become unreliable because of inconsistent onset of first rains and cessation of the wet season. This calls for enhancement of existing water resources and protection of watersheds to ensure sustainability.

Hongmei Wang   Jessica Spencer   Margaret Minzner   Zurijanne Carter   and Amy Code   

The majority of land within Great Parks of Hamilton County (GPHC), Ohio, USA, is managed as natural area; and while threats to preservation are growing more numerous, resources to manage these natural areas are limited. We develop a quick method for GPHC staff to prioritize the natural areas in GPHC parks through the use of GIS tools and existing data. This study applies the scoring approach, which evaluates candidate sites individually using scores for multiple factors and then selects priority sites from the top of a ranked list. Three sets of multiple factors are used to compute the prioritization index, and they generate similar priority index maps. This method will help GPHC staff to make a better plan for habitat restoration activities in their parks.

Pooja Sharma   Pooja Jain   Pragati   and Sanjeev Kumar   

The paper attempts to evaluate health benefits individuals can derive by reducing the expenditure on health related diseases by deploying the methodology of health production function. The study is based on survey of households located around half kilometer of monitoring station for ambient air pollution of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) situated at Siri Fort and R.K. Puram in the South Delhi region. The survey was conducted in the winter season of 2015.The results reveal that individuals can reduce the expenditure on health by controlling indoor pollution, awareness index, habit index, averting activities, nutrition index, and outdoor pollution. The paper identifies the role played by habits and nutrition status of individuals in affecting the number of sick days of individuals thus reducing the expenditure on mitigating activities. The study holds socio-economic and political implications as it highlights the role of better living conditions in the society and the significance of reducing indoor pollution and policies promoting clean energy fuel.

Doug Kelbaugh Faia   

The urban heat island, a lesser known local phenomenon than global climate change, which is heating up most cities twice as fast as their surrounding countryside or the planet as a whole. Taken together, many cities suffer extreme heat, which threatens health and livability. Heat waves are growing more frequent, more intense and longer, with lethal impact. This essay presents strategies to combat extreme heat, including reducing waste heat from tailpipes and chimneys, lighter colored pavements and rooftops, better ventilated street canyons and more trees. The strategies to address heat islands are more like a Trojan Horse than the long frontal assault needed in the larger war to mitigate and adapt to climate change. In a world where urban living affords lower carbon footprints per capita, urban heat needs to be diminished so that people continue to migrate to cities, and that urban dwellers do not decamp to the countryside. Greater detail on the antidotes to this worldwide problem can be found in the author's new book THE URBAN FIX, Resilient Cities in the War Against Climate Change, Heat Islands and Overpopulation.

Sanaz Shobeiri   

One of the current global challenges in landscape urbanism is how to ensure that cultural attitudes and preferences are reflected in the design and planning. The rituals that take place in each cultural context contribute to social and cultural interactions and connectivity with nature. Despite the continuity of some cultural traditions, other rituals have been weakened throughout history and need to be strengthened, revived, or revitalized. This paper investigates the aforementioned aspects of rituals associated with the Persian New Year and their interrelation with Tehran's natural structures, and in particular the river valleys. The study will be two-fold. First, it aims to familiarize both international and Iranian readers with the existing and fading traditions related to the Persian New Year. Second, the paper studies the characteristics of a particular context from users' points of view in order to present the specific traditions of this key annual event. For the main conclusion, this paper will consider the integrated whole of human nature – or, more precisely, culture-nature – regarding the Persian New Year. The applied methodology consists of a review of the literature and an appropriate comparative analysis (in the first part), along with direct observation, interviews, and design practice (in the second part).

Ben A. Bergmann   and Solomon B. Ghezehei   

Paulownia elongata, Paulownia fortunei, and Paulownia × 'Henan 1' were grown for 21 years to determine growth and productivity potential of Paulownia in North Carolina, USA. One site included P. elongata only and was designed to test variability among clones within the species and the influence of application of dairy cow or poultry litter during the first six years. A second site was used to examine influence of species, clone, and propagation method. Species and clone within species frequently influenced tree performance, indicating that the planting of select clones could increase yields. By using the best approximately one-third of clones rather than all clones, tree survival could increase from 74% to 98%, and individual tree productivity as estimated by stem dry mass could increase by 21%. Trees of all three species grown from seed had lower survival, and seed-propagated trees that survived had inferior growth compared to trees of the same species grown from rooted shoot cuttings or microshoots from tissue culture. Application of dairy cow waste or poultry litter during the first six years did not influence tree survival or height to live crown, but early application of either animal waste resulted in taller trees compared to the control trees. Trees established with poultry litter applications had greater stump diameter, diameter breast height, stem volume, and stem dry mass than trees in the dairy cow waste or water-only control treatments.

Karapet Mouradian   Aida Hayrapetyan   and Lusine Muradyan   

The article considers recent problems of developing a national program on the use of raw mineral resources and environmental protection in the Republic of Armenia. These issues have many perspectives and are discussed in various aspects. The need for these studies is obvious in connection with the restoration of promising branches of the mining industry in the RA and development of the national and scientifically sound market programs for the Safety of Global environmental protection management. The raised matters related to the use of mineral resources and measures undertaken in the nature of our country must be under State Governmental control and should be studied thoroughly at a scientific and professional level, otherwise, the unnecessary interference of any individual or any foreign investor could cause ecological disbalance in the environment. For the prospective development of the economy, it is necessary to ensure that the Government should take all possible measures to ensure harmless use of mineral resources and other related actions that are undertaken not only by local but foreign investors as well. Amendments in the law of the Republic of Armenia on the protection of the environment and their appeals must strictly be solicited for the high-efficiency production of multipurpose units, anti-seismic monolithic constructions in the purpose to maintain mining and environmentally-friendly geological and ecological balance. Due to these measures, the present and future generations will also take the advantage of uncovering and using natural resources.

Zheng Xingrong   

Using ab initio Hartree-Fock self-consistent field method combined with many-body expansion method, the investigation is based on the first-principles. We have considered two-, three- and four-body potential energies of face-centered cubic (fcc) solid neon of which the atomic distance ranges from 1.6 to 3.0. By discussing the truncation and convergence of many-body potential of solid neon, we obtain the cohesive energy, the zero-point vibration energy and equation of state (EOS). The results show that, when the number of neighboring atoms increases, two-body, three-body, and four-body potential energy tend to a saturation value for a certain atomic distance (). The even many-body contributions to the cohesive energy, such as two-, four-body terms and so on, are positive, whereas the odd many-body contributions to the cohesive energy, such as three-, five-body terms and so on, are negative. The zero-point vibration energy of solid neon is only 6% of the total atomic interaction energy, but should not be neglected. Compared with the experimental data, the importance of the four-body interactions in compressed solid neon is emphasized. Only taking into account the two-body term, the pressure is overestimated, and our calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental values at the low-pressure regions (<15GPa). Adding three-body term up to 55GPa, considering the four-body term, it has a good consistency at the experimentally studied pressure range of 0~237GPa, and maybe helpful to accurately explain the phenomenon of the experiment above 237GPa when the higher many-body effects are considered.

Albert K. Sunnu   George Afeti   and Francois Resch   

The Saharan dust which is transported over many countries in West Africa near the Gulf of Guinea (5°N) during the northern winter, known as the Harmattan period, is presented. The Harmattan dust phenomenon has influence on the climate of the region. The dust has been studied over a 15-year period, between 1996 and 2011, using a location at Kumasi in central Ghana (6° 40â€ČN, 1° 34â€ČW). The suspended Saharan dust particles have been sampled in situ by an optical particle counter, and the particle size and concentrations within the particle size range, 0.5–25 ÎŒm were analysed. The highest daily average particle diameter, number and mass concentrations during January-February reached 3.17 ÎŒm in Harmattan 2005, 148 particles/cm³ in Harmattan 1997 and 6199 ÎŒg/m³ in Harmattan 2005 respectively. It was found that the daily mean size has increased from D=1.01 ”m in the period, 1996-2000, to D=1.76 ”m in 2001-2011. The mass concentration has also increased from M=370 ”g/m³ over the period, 1996-2000 to M=1262 ”g/m³ in the period, 2001-2011. The increased particle size and corresponding concentrations are likely due to increased stronger winds. The diurnal characteristics of the peak Harmattan which is a period of 4-13 consecutive days of highest concentration within January – February, were also anlaysed over the 15 years. This allows the study of the trends of the physical characteristics of the suspended dust.

Giorgos Catsadorakis   Eleni Papadopoulou   Michalis Petrakos   and Irene Koutseri   

Prespa is a remote mountain area in NW Greece, with two lakes shared between three countries. Monitoring data about fish and fisheries are absent. This paper presents the results of a census, designed to explore the socio-economic status of commercial capture fisheries based on data obtained from fishermen themselves. Interviews were held in 2012 with 51 persons owning or participating in the 53 fishing businesses of the area. Fisheries importance for local economy has shrunk but its role in employment, especially for the tertiary sector and its cultural dimensions retain some significance. Differences in fisheries between the two lakes were attributed mainly to environmental and physical differences. Fishermen number declines and age increases. Initial investment for starting a business was close to the average for other European countries. Fishing methods used are mostly passive and less demanding in investment and effort. The average yield (2.06 tonnes / fishing business) were close to the average values for Greece and other European countries. Income from fisheries represented c. 1.4% of the local annual gross product. Fishing has a good potential to survive as a supplementary occupation. The main issue that relates to the transboundary nature of the two lakes is the need for harmonised management measures and restrictions.

Ryotaro Shimizu   Brenda Bushell   and Masayuki Goto   

In 2015, Nepalese people faced two serious problems: a number of massive earthquakes, and a political crisis. After the end of the civil war in 2006, the Nepalese government worked for several years on drafting the new constitution; however, it could not be realized due to political disagreements. Triggered by a massive earthquake in April 2015, the general opinion was to establish the constitution, and it was finally ratified in September, 2015. However, it was not accepted by the Madhesi, one of the communities in Nepal that has its origins in India. As a result, the transportation of supplies from India was blocked at the border between India and Nepal for several months. Nepalese people could not buy gas, oil and other commodities. The media reported that the Nepalese economy was strongly impacted by the chain of these events, as a result of this political crisis. For contributing to the future development of Nepal, it is meaningful to properly evaluate and record the impact of such political turmoil on the economy and the lives of the general public. In this research, we investigate the influence and impacts of this crisis. It was not merely the lack of the new Nepalese Constitution that caused the political crisis, but by the lack of oil which paralyzed economic activities in Nepal. This situation strongly impacted the lives of all Nepalese. Through analysis of data from field interviews, we identify the influences of the political crisis on the daily life of Nepalese people in Kathmandu and Sauraha. Through the field interviews, the influences on the economic and social sectors are clarified. For example, we found that the political crisis made Nepalese feel some inconvenience in their lives, regardless of sex, job, caste, and etc. In addition, it became clear that there was an overall lack of citizens' consciousness of the parties leading up to the political crisis. Adding to these findings, this paper reports the recognition of the situation at the time in Nepal, clarified by the field survey. We discuss and consider the best solution for these problems from several different viewpoints.

Omagor James Gideon   and Barasa Bernard   

The biggest threat to wetland ecosystems in Kampala is posed by increasing and dimensionless anthropogenic activities that infringe and transform them biologically, often for short-term human consumptive purposes. The principal objectives of this study were to examine the extent of wetland temporal changes between 2000 and 2018 and to establish the causes and consequences of human wetland encroachment. Geographical Information Systems and Remote sensing techniques were used to analyze high-resolution satellite imagery captured during 2002, 2015 and 2018, coupled with ground surveys involving interactions among wetland communities. Our results reveal that the areas covered by diverse wetland vegetation in 2002 represented 96.3% of the total land cover which was the largest, this gradually decreased to 82.5% in 2015 and finally 80.6% in 2018. There was a general increase in Murrum (laterite soil) deposited areas within the wetland system. Smallholder agricultural lands also increased from 0.2% in 2002 to 1.6% in 2015 and 7.7% in 2018. Settlements also experienced an increase from 3.2% to 7.8% in 2015. The encroachments are mainly driven by high population pressure, inadequate enforcement of wetland regulations and political interventions. The wetland extent is narrowing at a high rate due to settlements. This process is broken into phases: depositing of murram or tree planting or farming activities and later settlements. This study demonstrates more shortfalls in the monitoring mechanisms of wetland conservation and wise use in Kampala.

Mahboubeh Mirzahosseini   and Mohsen Mohseni Saravi   

The tree cutting in the forests can affect different environmental aspects such as snow accumulation, density and temperature. This phenomenon was investigated in the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests (Namkhaneh seris, Kheiroud, Mazandaran province, Iran) from year 2001 up to 2005. A region with tree cutting was compared with region without any cutting (control). For measuring snow accumulation, 10 pickets in each region were installed and snow height was measured every 5 days. For determining the density, sampling was done with 500 cm³ sampler from different snow depths every 5 days. Finally, snow temperature was measured at different depths with thermometer. The results indicate that the average of snow density in cutting region and control region are 0.178 gr/cm³ and 0.151gr/cm³, respectively and there is not any significant difference between them. Also decreasing in canopy due to tree cutting has a significant relation with snow accumulation and its depth. Also, the average snow height in control region was 13.88 cm and after cutting increased to 21.15 cm. Snow temperature increasing is significantly related to the decreasing in canopy. Therefore, the average snow temperature in control region is -3.3℃ which decreases to -10.3℃ by cutting the trees.

G. K. James   I. M. Jega   A. S. Halilu   O. O. Olojo   A.S. Oyewunmi   J.T. Shar   H. Onuoha   S. Victor   S. Mustapha   I. Shehu   A.N. Waziri   M.M Mahmood   K.S. Salman   and A. Isah   

Land degradation and Desertification (LDD) are critical issues facing most states in northern Nigeria, with severe consequences for national food security. Land degradation refers to total loss of the productive capacity of the soils for present and future use while desertification is seen as a process whereby the productivity of arid or semi-arid land falls by 10% or more. The Environmental Sensitivity to Desertification Index (ESDI) is the most frequently applied indicator-based system for accessing Land Degradation and Desertification. The research reported here adopted the MEDALUS (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use) approach for identifying environmentally sensitive areas (ESA) to desertification in Katsina State, Nigeria based on Soil Quality Index (SQI), Climate Quality Index (CQI) and Vegetation Quality Index (VQI). The findings from each of these indicators show the variability between the northern and southern parts of Katsina State. The northern part of Katsina state was found to be the most vulnerable area to desertification and is covered by soil having the highest sand depth while the southern part of the state was found to be the least affected by desertification. This result specifically highlights areas in the State that requires urgent attention and remediation. Findings from this research can be used to support informed decision-making and policy development to focus on sustaining the environment, as well as the livelihood of the communities in the affected local government areas in the northern part of the State, given the high sensitivity of the area to desert conditions.

Orkun Alptekin   and Gulser Celebi   

In environmentally-friendly architectural approaches, the importance of the building materials in the construction of buildings is undeniable. As with all products, the environmental effect of building materials is defined according to many environmental impact classes, and the values of such classes expressed in line with various criteria. In an environmentally-friendly architectural approach, criteria, such as embodied energy and local resource reserves play a significant role in the selection of materials. Therefore, a mixed material selection method that allows the comparison of different criteria and that lists them as part of a multiple-criteria decision-making method is indispensable when deciding upon the most appropriate materials. This study proposes a material selection model that is based on the Life Cycle Assessment method, and which can be used by all architects and disciplines, particularly in the construction sector. This study tests the model to support its validity.

Mohammad Qasim   Shabbir Ahmad   Saira Akhtar   Shakeel Imran   and Kashif Nazir Qureshi   

The scarcity of potable and drinking water has created great economic constraint upon the urban public in South Asia. The demand has increased ten folds while the supply although being abundant in ground and surface water rich areas has dwindled. Sustainable approaches to managing water require integrated management while community engagement lacks due to the technology unawareness and being deficient of water policies. Community acceptance regarding water policies is based on the knowledge which is a by-product of information and active engagement. While identifying community engagement, we verified local population knowledge-base and awareness about sustainable and integrated water management. To gain full knowledge we developed a case study to learn it from the community across Pakistan. The research instrument was designed to measure knowledge about water and the related factor contributing to conservation. The study was based on interviews of twenty-five thousand households selected through stratified sampling method in five large cities of the Punjab namely, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad. We selected five thousand households in each of the urban areas. The study also measured psychological, health, environment, and water related activities. We also measured the impact of the monsoon season which impacts and recharges the ground water during the summer months. The responses were explanatory directing our attention towards strict water policy, urban water cycle issues, lack of proper solid waste disposal and absence of sewage treatment facilities. However, our finding of water knowledge was directly connected with the seniority in age, coupled with higher education and knowledge of health and water borne diseases. While the deficiency of knowledge and related actions towards policy formation were the direct result of not knowing modern languages of education, poverty, lack of access to information and gender biases. Lower water knowledge was a by-product of non-comprehension of the water filtration techniques, water harvesting of rainwater and knowledge of water scarcity and the procedures of protecting ground and surface water from the pollution of several types.

Merve Özlem Vurmaz   and HĂŒlya Boyacioglu   

The study focused on water consumption footprinting and development of water efficiency plan for an airport located in Turkey. Airports are facilities having large water consumption, generally for non-potable purposes such as water cooling systems, fire control, cleaning and washing of vehicles, runways and aircrafts and also public uses (WC, food service). Research period covered 12 months and consumption data obtained from 116 water meters were evaluated for water footprinting. Along a year the airport served to about 12 million passengers and 81 thousand aircrafts. These passengers and aircrafts were served by various services by airport authorities. These services were linked by water consumption directly or indirectly. Study results showed that annual water consumption was about 436000 m³/year. Irrigation, fire control system, cooling towers and terminal WC uses accounted high use with rate of 23%, 7%, 26% and 20 %. While water used for WC changed between about 6-8.5 L per pax, this value was between 1-1.5 L per pax for food consumption. Therefore passenger based uses fluctuated between 6.5-10 L per pax in the airport. Based on this analysis several methods were suggested to minimize water consumption. Among them “training and education of airport staff” was proposed as the most economical solution. Furthermore “improved water consumption monitoring” system could be suggested as applicable method considering economical and physical aspects and should gain priority. Then alternative measures could be chosen based on their economical and physical applicability.

Okwu-Delunzu V. U.   Iwueke, N. T   and Aniagolu C. O.   

This paper assessed the environmental impact of gully erosion in Eke, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, South East Nigeria. Data on the gully sites were collected using measuring instrument; observations were made with regards to the effects of the hazard on the study areas. Simple random sampling techniques were used to select respondents. A total of 150 questionnaires were returned out of 200 questionnaires distributed. Findings show that the gully in Enugu Eke has a mean cross-sectional dimension of 15.67 + 14.01m, that of Oma Eke 13.00 + 12.49m, while Ogui Eke has a mean cross-sectional dimension of 7.60 + 5.70m. From the mean values, differences was observed among the various study sites, however, with very high standard deviations and standard errors for Enugu Eke and Oma Eke, supported by the ANOVA results, having calculated F-value of 0.395, which is less than the critical F-value of 5.14, and the p-value of 0.69 > 0.05. The difference observed among the three study sites is not significant. Hence, the null hypothesis is accepted. The study revealed that the initiation and development of erosion gullies in the area is facilitated by natural (rainfall, topography, engineering geological properties of soil especially texture, etc) and anthropogenic factors especially road construction, excavation, drainage structure, farming, animal grazing. The study observed that gully erosion have caused a lot of pain and damage such as loss of life's, properties, communication routes, roads and has also modified the topography of the area. Recommendation made include planting of vegetative cover, construction of erosion channels, educating the populace and creating awareness on adequate practices to curtail the menace.

Hanadi Al-Thani   Muammer Koc   and Rima J. Isaifan   

This preliminary study investigates and reports on the sources, characterization and possible mitigation of dust fallout in urban Doha, Qatar. Nine samples were collected from three different sites in close vicinity to the Solar Test Facility (STF) in west Doha during the winter of 2016 in Doha. The morphology and size distribution of the samples were analyzed using scanning electron and optical microscopy imaging techniques. It was found that the particulate matter had different shapes with an average particle size of 7.38 ÎŒm. The mass concentration of the elements, in order from greatest to smallest, was: Ca, Si, Fe, Mg, Al, Ti, K, Na, S, and Cl. The enrichment factor showed extremely high ratios of Cl and S, while Ca had significant enrichment value. The sources of PM samples were identified to be mainly of natural origin (around 60%) with the balance attributed to anthropogenic sources. The natural sources were related to soil/crustal matter, marine salt and desert dust while the anthropogenic sources were mainly due to transportation and construction activities, which have been experiencing dramatic increase during the past decade in Doha along with its rapid economic development. To this end, several possible mitigation strategies to abate urban PM and its harmful effects were also proposed considering the local living and cultural conditions in Qatar.

Rita Serrano   

A toxic plant is a plant that when touched or ingested in sufficient quantity can be harmful or fatal to man or other animals. When used in small amounts and correct proportions, these plants can be used as herbal drugs with medicinal properties. According to official sources from several countries, injurious and poisonous plants are responsible for many cases of intoxications worldwide. The beauty of these plants hides their toxicity and the unawareness potentiates these situations. Therefore, this bibliographic revision is about examples of some plants associated with poisoning but used for their medicinal properties, focusing on species with anticholinergic poisons (Atropa belladonna L., Datura stramonium L., Hyoscyamus niger L.), with calcium oxalate crystals (Philodendron spp.), with cardiac glycosides (Digitalis purpurea L.), with convulsant poisons and with nicotine-like alkaloids (Conium maculatum L., Nicotiana glauca Graham), with mitotic inhibitors (Catharanthus roseus L., Colchicum autumnale L.), with pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Senecio vulgaris L.), with sodium channel activators (Aconitum napellus L., Rhododendron spp.), with cyanogenic compounds (Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.), and with toxalbumins (Abrus precatorius L., Ricinus communis L.). The knowledge about toxic plants is still insufficient and makes it so important to characterize some species that cause intoxication and lethality in humans.

Ekhlas M. M.   and Abdel Bary   

Since the mid-fifties scientists noted a change in the global climate. Previously, reasons for the climate change have been postulated and linked to solar activity and cycles causing events such as cyclical droughts. Climate change was once speculation, an observation, and then backed by scientific evidence and, now, there is no doubt or denial of its impact and real consequences on human lives. It is known that climate change is increasing the incidence, frequency, and magnitude of natural disasters, climate-related hazards, including droughts, fires, powerful typhoons or sea level rise. In the 1990's warming sea temperature related to high temperatures led to coral bleaching which was attributed to El Nino conditions. Climate change disrupts national economies, increases the risk and stress of water, sewer, drainage and transportation systems as well as infrastructure including the risk to human lives. Moreover, there is fear of more drastic effects in the near and far future including solar radiation, volcanoes, etc. More recent observations of a crack in the Antarctic ice caused alarm as what would an increase in sea levels would mean particularly, to lowland countries and islands. The iceberg of Larsen C has eventually separated off West Antarctica (July 2017). Many have felt recent devastations by hurricanes. It is now accepted that human activities have led to global warming. The majority have now realized that there is a problem and that we have to deal with it. Firstly, we need to take actions to minimize the impact of global warming by finding solutions and taking actions to deal with climate change. The UN led the effort and took action by holding "The Climate Summit" [1] in New York. This undertaking is a partnership between all sectors including farming, range, forest, academia, government, NGO, others to form a serious, legally binding commitment to take effective actions considering mitigation adaptation, and future investments in the energy, biodiversity, sustainability as they relate to climate change. This paper presents the case of Qatar with suggestions for how to deal with climate change and its commitment to the international agenda to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger   

'Beyond the Verbiage' are encounters with the environment. So much has been written about our consumerist contemporary society and Climate Change. This paper is an artistic examination of research conducted by Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, through onsite investigations, spanning a four-year period, of small islands and isolated environments. Chapters will explore research undertaken on Lord Howe Island N.S.W. Australia, Galapagos Islands Ecuador, Faroe Islands the North Sea and Deception Island Antarctica. Through video, sound, and installations these investigations work to create awareness about the impact the international traveller is having globally, but especially in places once deemed only for the experienced intrepid traveller. This paper explores how the consumer is enticed not just by the tourist industries' images, specials and catchy jingles but also via the documentary beautifully edited to capture this planet's extraordinary environment. These inducements create a desire within the viewer to be immersed in these fragile isolated places; however, the resulting manifestation explored here creates a window into the vacationer's impact on the viewed utopian destination. 'Beyond the Verbiage' is just one part of a discourse to increase awareness of how society's seemingly simple actions in travelling potentially have a disastrous 'butterfly effect' on such remote and utopian destinations.

Macarena San Martin Ruiz   Martin Reiser   Gerold Hafner   and Martin Kranert   

Throughout the world, agriculture, sanitation and waste management sectors are mainly carried out in isolation, resulting in permanent nutrient drainage and large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions due to inadequate or excessive use of fertilizers. Currently in Costa Rica, after a study of coffee waste treatment practices in conjunction with NAMA Coffee and based on previous studies carried out in the country, certain questions have arisen regarding the practices and management of coffee by-products to produce organic compost. During this study, a methodology to measure the impact of the application of an aerobic treatment technology for coffee by-products was developed and applied. With this method, different techniques of composting were compared regarding their emission of greenhouse gases, especially methane. As a next step, the reasons for the higher emission rates were examined. The emission rates are given in units of [g/m² h] and the categorization and emission ranges were obtained according to the type of treatment and movement at the composting piles of each mill visited in the country. Moreover, ranges of emission factor in this article are given in g CH₄/kg raw material. The duration of the project was from December 2017 until July 2018. In total 7 mills were visited in the country, divided in 4 cooperatives or mills and 3 private mills (small coffee farms). The methane emissions that have been observed during the different types of treatment applied to the coffee by-products indicate that the conditions must be optimized in order to create high-quality compost without any negative impact on the environment. The results obtained give an overview about five categories of treatment techniques that are used in Costa Rica to convert coffee by-products into compost which is used as a fertilizer. To some of these composting-categories, methane emission factors were calculated. It was found, that depending on the type of treatment, the methane emissions are between 10 times and more than 60 times higher than emission rates at garden waste or bio-waste composting plants referenced in literature. German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) established a NAMA support project (NSP): Low-carbon coffee Costa Rica. Within this framework, the actual activities are carried out.

John William Burn   

It is thought that a significant factor in the fall of the Egyptian Old Kingdom was the occurrence of a number of lower than average inundation events that led to a decline in agricultural output, causing a famine that undermined the authority of the government. However, very little consideration has been given to how a lesser volume of water may have impacted upon the Nile itself. This composition investigates the potential for ecological change that may have developed as a consequence of a lower river. Since a lower river exhibits less force, its physical properties should change, which would in turn alter the chemical and biological factors that are expressed. A low Nile should therefore have resulted in changes to the distribution and abundance of plant life along the river. Four plants characteristic to Pharaonic times were investigated to see how they may have responded. Papyrus and Phragmites are suggested as plants that would benefit from a situation where the nutrients remained within the river, whereas Typha and Lotus display characteristic that benefit less when the river retains nutrients that would have normally been lost to the surrounding landscape.

Kari HĂ€nninen   

Due to their buoyance, methane and water vapor (H₂O_(g)) ascend into the mesosphere where they are destroyed by chemical reactions or photolysis. In the mesosphere at 81 to 83 km, H₂O_(g) condenses to ice which then, due to the lack of buoyance, descends to 70 to 75 km where ice sublimates back to H₂O_(g). A mesospheric minicycle of water forms. In boreal summer evenings the ice layer is visually observable from the ground as noctilucent clouds (NLC). The middle mesospheric ozone maximum (MMM) forms in the wintertime at a height of 70 to 75 km. It is located between the mid-latitudes and somewhat north from the Arctic Circle, and symmetrically in the Southern Hemisphere. In the daytime solar radiation keeps the ozone concentration at a low level. During the civil and nautical twilight the intensity of the sun's rays decrease dramatically. Ozone gains from this decrease most. At high latitudes the solar radiation angle (Ξ_s) decreases more slowly than at the mid-latitudes. IR radiation has more time to photoexcite O₂(¹Î”g) and triplet state ozone (O₃^*). O₂(¹Î”g) maintains the ozone concentration and O₃^* spontaneously provides oxygen atoms. As a result, the amplitude of the MMM layer in terms of ozone concentration increases towards the high latitudes.

Tigor Butarbutar   

This preliminary study aimed to identify the forestry and environmental issues, initial delineation of "hydronomic zones" and typology of governance and the opportunity to develop an authority agency for Toba Water Catchment Area (WCA) and Asahan Watershed (W) management. This study was conducted by field visited, desk study, interviewing and discussion. There were 9 (nine) issues which related to forestry and environment, especially their impact to the water utilization, such as: 1) forest cover conversion; 2) water supply; 3) water and air pollution around Asahan W; 4) lake water body pollution; 5) erosion and sedimentation from catchment area; 6) land degradation on Samosir island; 7) customary forest; 8) family conflict and 9) ecotourism and geopark. The alternatives solutions to those issue can be used as the basic for initial delineation the "hydronomic zone" scheme and for strengthening governance and as the entry points to develop a vision and mission of authority agency to be formed. The proposed of an authority agency for environment and forestry not only to strengthen the power but it is also an opportunity to harmonize the powers and role between 9 districts around Toba WCA and Asahan W with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

Senar Aydin   Mehmet Emin Aydin   Havva Kiliç   and Arzu Ulvi   

In this study, concentrations of analgesics including acetaminophen (ACETAM), indomethacin (INDO), acetylsalicylic acid (ACETYL ACID), phenylbutazone (PHENYL) and codeine (CO) were determined in wastewaters and risk assessment for organisms in the receiving environment was carried out. The analytical method for determination of analgesics in wastewater was optimized. The detection of analgesics was carried out by HPLC-MS/MS. Limit of detection (LOD) values for studied compounds were determined between 0.017 and 0.197 ”g/L. Wastewater samples were taken from Konya Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant influent and effluent. ACETAM, CO, and INDO compounds were determined as 13000, 150, 80 ng/L in influent samples, respectively. ACETYL ACID and PHENYL were determined below limit of detection in influent samples. While INDO was determined about 84ng/L in effluent samples, ACETAM and CO were determined up to 25ng/L. The analgesic compounds indicated insignificant risk for algae, Daphnia magna and fish in the receiving environment

Kirsten Erin Ironside   David J. Mattson   Terence Arundel   Tad Theimer   Brandon Holton   Michael Peters   Thomas C. Edwards, Jr.   and Jered Hansen   

Topographic measures are frequently used in a variety of landscape ecology applications, in their simplest form as elevation, slope, and aspect, but increasingly more complex measures are being employed. We explore terrain metric similarity with changes in scale, both grain and extent, and examine how selecting the best measures is sensitive to changes in application. There are three types of topographic measures: 1) those that relate to orientation for approximating solar input, 2) those that capture variability in terrain configuration, and 3) those that provide metrics about landform features. Many biodiversity hotspots and predators have been found to coincide with areas of complexity, yet most complexity measures cannot differentiate between terrain steepness and uneven and broken terrain. Currently characterizing terrain in landscape-level analyses can be challenging, especially at coarser spatial resolutions but developing methods that improve landscape-level assessments include multivariate approaches and the use of neighborhood statistics. Some measures are sensitive to the spatial grain of calculation, the physiography of the landscape, and the scale of application. We show which measures have the potential to be multi-collinear, and illustrate with a case study how the selection of the best measures can change depending on the question at hand using mountain lion (Puma concolor) occurrence data. The case study showed a combination of infrequently employed metrics, such as view-shed analysis and focal statistics, outperform more commonly employed singular metrics. The use of focal statistics as a measure of topographic complexity shows promise for improving how mountain lions use terrain features.

Delphine Ouattara   Souleymane Nacro   RĂ©my Dabire   HervĂ© Bama   and Dona Dakouo   

Lepidopterous stem borers cause extensive damage in irrigated rice in Burkina Faso and regularly compromise the harvest of the dry season rice in the rice-growing area of la Vallée du Kou in western Burkina Faso. Yield of losses of 40% were observe during the dry season. The study conducted during the wet season in 2015 examined the effects of areas and of transplanting dates on the evolution of population of stem borer's damage and of parasitism. Rice irrigation area of la Vallée du Kou was divided into three areas within which 12 farmers were selected on the basis of three dates of transplanting rice; they were total 36 for the days three transplanting dates. According to agronomic evaluation, the transplantation dates are influence by the number of tillers and by the number of panicles. The maximum average number of tillers was observed in the second area within the first date of transplantation. Otherwise the second area and the second date recorded the highest number of panicles. Entomological observations were carried on every 7 days from the 21^th day to 91^th day after rice transplanting in each of the 36 fields. Late transplanting (August) are the most exposed to Orseolia oryzivora attacks. The genus Chilo spp, Maliarpha and Diopsis spp were the most important pests in rice plants on the perimeter of la Vallée du Kou. Periods of greatest damage were observed in tillering. They were responsible for the deadhearts damage, for white panicles and for the highest rates. These damages were recorded during the first date of rice transplanting. Parasitism associated with the genus Chilo was observed in the first transplanting date. The hectare average yields were most important in the second transplanting date of within the third area. These results on the pre-imaginal populations are important data. These data can be taken into account to improve the development of a strategy to fight against the major insect pests of rice plants. All these elements are linked to the climatic variations.

F. Abdullah   M. Matsuoka   K. Okuyama   and A. Hanazawa   

Global warming continues to be a major concern around the world. The Integrated System Engineering Lab in Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) launched a small balloon to the stratosphere to study the ozone layer and greenhouse gases in order to understand global warming. It is a part of the Project Based Learning (PBL) course in KIT. The project mission objectives were to obtain photographs and video of the Earth surface and space and to perform measurement of the ozone gas (O₃) and carbon dioxide gas (CO₂) concentration in the atmosphere. The payload was launched into the stratosphere using a small balloon. After the balloon exploded at maximum altitude, the payload descended using a parachute before being recovered at sea. This project was divided into three (3) groups which were the structure, electrical and transmission team. Simulation of the flight path was performed to aid in recovering the payload. The project started from April 2016 and the balloon was successfully launched on October 30, 2016 from Saiki in the Oita prefecture of Kyushu, Japan. This paper will describe the procedure and result of this project.

Bradley Y. Bartholomew   

This paper presents a new and positive theory of evolution, as distinct from instancing certain unique features of the phenotype of whatever species, and asking the question 'How could this come about by natural selection of random genetic mutations'. Essentially this paper starts with the premise that intelligence and consciousness comes from the DNA, and that therefore these particular features of life must actually be embedded in the DNA. Once this premise is accepted then not only does the orthodox Neo-Darwinism as 'natural selection through random genetic mutations' appear an over-simplified, if not facile, explanation for the immense complexity and diversity to be found in Nature (which contrary to popular belief actually incudes human civilization as well), but also opens up the possibility that there really could be Intelligent Design coming from within the DNA itself. Erwin Schrödinger's theory of quantum biology that genetic mutations occur as discreet jumps according to the principles of quantum mechanics is also presented and explained.

Amujiri A. N.   Nwosu M. O.   Nzekwe U.   Osayi E. E.   and Sani M. B.   

Studies on the phenology of African breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne) Moraceae was carried out monthly for three years (2012 - 2014) in five Southeastern States of Nigeria in two seasons, dry and wet. The study covered five towns across the States namely: Isulabor (Abia), Agulu (Anambra), Ezzamgbo (Ebonyi), Nenwe (Enugu) and Mbato (Imo State). The species was investigated to provide information on the species periods and pattern of leaf exchange, leaf dispersal, flowering, fruit formation, maturity and dropping. The species is semi-deciduous and fruits throughout the year with two fruiting periods (heavy and lean) which alternated each other. The reproductive and vegetative phenophases overlapped each other. The observations were consistent in all the location. Early October showed various degrees of vegetative growth; bud flush, leaf formation, maturity and leaf abscission, which spilled into November thus starting the dry season phenophases. In dry season, light flowering, fruit formation and maturity stretched from November to late March, while fruit dropping lasted from February to March. April as in October also showed various degrees of vegetative growth which spilling into May in the wet season. In the wet season, heavy period of flowering was from May to June, fruit formation, maturity, ripening and dropping began from July to September. These periods were shorter in the wet season than that of the dry season. T. africana had highest fruit dropping (heavy periods) in the wet season, alternated with lean periods in dry season. Therefore, the species is an indigenous Nigerian food crop that can mitigate seasonal food scarcity throughout the year.

Ebru Bakaç   

This research aims to determine how engineering faculty students perceive climate change. Such perceptions of climate change were also investigated according to gender. Participants included 23 engineering faculty students who are continuing their education at a university in Turkey's Northwest Black Sea Region during the second semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. Data were collected through a climate change perception scale developed by the researcher. At the end of the study, it was determined that engineering faculty students had a high level of awareness of climate change. Further, it was found that climate change perceptions of engineering faculty students did not differ across genders.

Mary C. Kayombo   and Aloyce W. Mayo   

This study was undertaken to assess microbial quality of fresh vegetables irrigated with polluted waters from Msimbazi River in Dar es Salaam City. Samples of river water were taken from seven sampling stations along Msimbazi River stretching 20.4 km from Pugu to Jangwani and its tributary (Ubungo River) at Mabibo. Vegetable samples of 5 different species were taken from two different vegetable gardens in different locations along Msimbazi river valley and its tributary (Ubungo river), and from six markets including one super market. The examination of samples was carried out in accordance with the standard methods. Results revealed that water from the Msimbazi River contains high concentration of salts and pathogenic organisms. Fecal coliforms were found in all river water samples with a maximum count of 2.1x10⁶ cfu/100ml. Pollution of the river was increasing downstream and varies seasonally with wet season having poorer water quality than dry season. Vegetables from all the markets including super market were highly contaminated with fecal coliforms of up to 10⁸ Cfu/kg-wet vegetables. Pathogenic organisms were detected on vegetables and all river water samples examined had Ascaris Lumbricoides except for the sample collected at Pugu station. Fresh vegetables were contaminated with pathogenic organisms such as Escherichia coli, Citrobacter ssp, Proteus ssp, Klebsiella ssp, Salmonella spp and Basillus spp. Vegetable samples collected from the markets were more contaminated than those collected from the gardens. High number of fecal coliforms in the markets was due to poor handling of these vegetable by contaminated hands and sprinkling of vegetables with polluted water to keep vegetables moist. It was concluded that water used for irrigating vegetables along river Msimbazi was highly polluted and vegetables from gardens and markets are not safe for consumption.

John K. Kayima   Aloyce W. Mayo   and Joel Nobert   

The Lubigi is one of the largest Lake Kyoga drainage basin wetlands located in the north-western part of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It receives stormwater and polluted water from Kampala city and discharges it into Mayanja River and finally Lake Kyoga. Unfortunately, there is lack of information and knowledge on the capacity of the Lubigi wetland to protect the downstream water bodies from pollution. In an effort to address this it was necessary to investigate ecological and morphological characteristics of the Lubigi wetland. Pertinent field investigations, surveys, data collection and field tests and analyses were carried out. The results revealed that the area of drainage basin feeding the wetland is about 40 km². The width of wetland main study area varies from 250 m to 450 m and water depth varies up to a maximum of 2.5 m. The wetland study area has a total surface area and volume are 1.09 ha and 1,073,000 m³, respectively. The wetland soil is dominated by thick loose peat near the inlet, but thickness of loose peat decreased rapidly towards the downstream end. Nine plant species were dominant in Lubigi wetland, but the most dominant species are Echinochloa pyramidalis, Cyperus papyrus, Thelypteris acuminata and Paspalum crobiculatum.

Kenneth G. Oertel   

In July 2008, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was sued by an environmental public interest group, Earthjustice, over the manner in which Florida regulated nutrients through its water quality regulatory program. The suit accused EPA of being lax in allowing Florida to apply a water quality standard to control the discharge of nutrients into waters of the United States which was ineffective to achieve an adequate control of nutrients. The suit demanded that EPA take action to adapt and impose its own rule to control the discharge of nutrients in Florida. EPA decided not to defend itself in this lawsuit. Instead it issued a finding that a stronger, more stringent and objective water standard should be adopted for Florida. EPA settled the case with Earthjustice in August 2009 and entered into a consent decree with the Plaintiff which committed EPA to adopt numeric nutrient criteria for the State of Florida. EPA then, through its plenary powers under the Clean Water Act (CWA), proposed to adopt a numerical nutrient discharge regulation to supersede Florida's existing regulations. EPA's regulations were published in the Federal Register as a predicate to final adoption. EPA's action stimulated a host of legal challenges from the State of Florida itself and a large array of municipal, utility, industrial, agricultural and other interested entities. The litigation was heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and resulted in the bulk of EPA's proposed regulations being disallowed by that Court. The Court's decision was based upon a lack of a demonstrated relationship between EPA's proposed discharge concentrations and a negative response within the receiving waters. EPA failed to show its rule set the correct standards to prevent harm to the receiving waters. The Court's decision stands for the proposition that since the CWA stands for the protection of the "integrity" of the Nation's waters, limitations on discharges must be determined on what will actually cause harm to the receiving waters.

Parviz Ghojogh Najad   Anuar Ahmad   and Irina Safitri Zen   

Environmental pollution is a complex and rapidly evolving challenge faced by urban environments. University campuses are susceptible to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from energy use, particularly due to vehicular movement, solid waste generation and disposal, and electricity generation. The impact of GHG emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) on climate change, mainly global warming, which has emerged a contemporary concern. The recent increase in the number of proposals for regulatory legislations on emission control indicates the need for a clear methodology to address GHG emissions, as well as their environmental impacts. This paper deals with CO₂ emission arising from energy used and solid waste within the campus of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru. The objective of this study is only the environmental aspect, related to carbon emission from energy used in the study area under review. This emission sources on UTM campus include, transportation, electricity and waste generation. This work reviews the application of compliance plans and approaches for the monitoring and control of environmentally sustainable parameters and categories. The performance of each model which reflects the sustainability achievement goals was determined. Constraints to the practice of sustainability concepts are identified and measures to improve sustainability levels are suggested. It is concluded that by following the standard set by Universitas Indonesia (UI) ranking, sustainability coupled with, enabling environment will be enhanced for universities' dwellers.

Rainer Schenk   

On the basis of regulations and directives, since 2002 the particle model AUSTAL2000 has been mandatory in the Federal Republic of Germany for the calculation of the spread of air pollutants. In order to achieve harmonization, other model developments require that the physical basis of the AUSTAL be adopted. However, the author of this paper has variously proved that this dispersion model itself is not verified and therefore not suitable for carrying out propagation calculations. All reference solutions are faulty. Doubtful comparisons and test bills are carried out. So z. For example, 3D wind fields are compared with the rigid rotation of a solid and the position of sources is given in 200m, but their effects cannot be seen in the calculated concentration distributions. The authors of the AUSTAL address these objections with chimerical arguments and questionable definitions of deposition velocities and other dubious calculations of sedimentation and deposition currents. With each attempt to explain deepen the incomprehensibility, and you become entangled in other contradictions. This article describes that deposition currents are to be determined according to physically established laws and cannot be set arbitrarily according to amount and direction. It is shown that soil concentrations are calculated speculatively by the authors of AUSTAL. The definition of the deposition rate is substantiated physically. The author also analyzes by way of example that even further model developments are validated by the faulty reference solutions of the AUSTAL. Not only AUSTAL is not validated. In summary, further contradictions are described. AUSTAL is a further development of the dispersion model for air pollutants LASAT from the year 1984. LASAT is raised by the authors themselves and described as the mother model of pollutant spreading in Germany. For 34 years, faulty model developments have been extensively promoted.

Ma. Dely P. Esberto   

This study aims to determine the best fit frequency distribution of rainfall patterns for event forecasting in order to address potential disasters. The monthly rainfall data were taken from the PAGASA which are analyzed using Chi-Square and K-S goodness-of-fit tests. Rainfall data for the past 26-30 years was used to determine the distribution pattern fitted into more than 60 Probability Distribution Functions (PDF). The best fitted PDF both in Kolmogorov-Smirnov and in Chi-square tests were used in statistical inferences. Findings showed that each site has specific theoretical probability distribution functions to infer rainfall events. Varying levels of rainfall events were measured using the CDF. Consequently, the statistical inferences found in this study are important for designing optimum flood control facilities. Moreover, it is also contributory for the effective management of irrigation system of the National Irrigation Administration for a more efficient water supply to the agricultural sector.

Bambang Riadi   Baba Barus   Widiatmaka   M Yanuar JP   and Bambang Pramudya   

Coastal areas are an attractive place to live and/ or to perform community activities, therefore coastal areas are vulnerable to both natural and artificial damage and destruction. This study presents the problem of changes in land cover/land use in coastal areas caused by humans. Rapid environmental change due to population growth will require food, shelter and other infrastructure. The 2010-2015 population growth rate of 1.37% or the population grew 6.86% from 2010. Population growth and industrial development increased demand for housing, roads and industrial infrastructure that encouraged land conversion. Agricultural land is the most converted land. Land use in 2000, for paddy fields area was 120,371 ha (62.83%) and pond area was 4,484 ha (2.34%). In 2015 paddy fields were degraded to 98.462 ha (51.41%), and pond area to 20,839 ha (10.88%). Markov modeling had a correlation of 97.72% "r" square value, indicated this modeling could be done to predict land cover change until 2031. In an effort to optimize irrigation field potential and increase of farmer's income, minapadi system (combined farming/fish kept in the paddy fields) was done by previous monoculture farmers to diversification system agriculture. This pattern could increase the productivity of the land and also could increase the diversity of agricultural produce, increase farmer income, increase soil fertility, and also reduce pest disease in rice plants. The purpose of this study is to model spatial changes in land cover/coastal land use and its effect on rice production, fish paddy field production and fishpond production in coastal habitat.

Andrea Emma Pravitasari   Ernan Rustiadi   Setyardi Pratika Mulya   and Lutfia Nursetya Fuadina   

Sustainable development has been the subject of considerable discussion and it has attracted much attention among environmentalist, economist and policy makers. There are few studies of sustainable development measures in Indonesia, but still focused on partial dimension. This study tried to develop index to promote sustainable development assessment in Indonesia, especially at the regional (regency and municipality) level, called Regional Sustainability Index (RSI) using Factor Analysis (FA) with consideration of regional-scale spatial interdependency by employing Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) statistics. There are 416 regencies and 98 municipalities in Indonesia. The data used in this study were secondary data obtained from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2014. RSI was developed based on 30 regional sustainable development indicators which were divided into 3 major dimensions: economy, social, and environment. Some indicators which develop RSI is covering economic welfare, public services, infrastructure, social welfare, community health and education, physical condition, regional environmental sustainability and disaster resilience. Based on LISA results, it was found that sustainability performance of the regional-scale spatial units (regencies/municipalities) was strongly influenced by the sustainability conditions in its surrounding areas. The approach developed in this study was able to show the actual condition of regional sustainability performance in all dimensions without making it into one composite index so that it could show the index value of each dimension. According to the results, we can conclude that RSI is a very effective method to indicate the locations of the hotspot issues of sustainable development. By this index, we have a new approach for evaluating and reporting economic, social, and environmental conditions at the regional level to support the integration of three dimensions of sustainability. The study concludes that the country has attained high socio-economic sustainability which needs to be addressed. Producing a cluster map of regencies and municipalities by combining the RSI value of each dimension is very helpful for the decision maker to determine the appropriate policy for solving the problems in each region.

Tchindjang Mesmin   

Climate change (CC) in the form of planetary warming has many negative impacts on the development of many countries. Since the ratification of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), most African Francophone countries have recently incorporated climate change in their planning process done by environmental assessment (EA) or not. EA is a process of estimating and evaluating significant short-term and long-term effects of a program or project on the quality of its location's environment. It also includes identifying ways to minimize, mitigate, or eliminate these effects and compensate their impacts. The aims of this paper is to present the existing level of integration of situation of CC in EA. As part of a literature review, pertinent documents were assessed accompanied by fieldwork related to the COMDEKS (Community Development knowledge for Satoyama Initiative), studies of population vulnerability and resilience linked to climate change in the region and particularly in Cameroon, CAR, Gabon and Togo. Results show that in sub-Saharan Africa in particular, various strategies have employed environmental assessment techniques, including a participatory approach in developing policies, plans and programs. Climate change "proofings" developed by GIZ helped some countries to adopt appropriate practices. This approach consisted of a review of a particular system or entity vis-Ă -vis its ability to cope with the climate change to which it is likely to be confronted. Resulting measures have affected various sectors, including agriculture, forestry, and energy (i.e., the GHC emission sectors).

J. Mtembenuzeni   and J. Kushe   

Contrary to the nature of occurrence of floods in Malawi, for communities, floods have a social face and should be understood as a social disaster other than natural disasters. A study was carried out in Chikuse Traditional Authority area in Chikhwawa, Malawi, to understand why people are affected by floods despite the long history of their occurrence. Assessment of the vulnerabilities of people in the area was critically reviewed in relation to pressure and release model (PAR) and also the access model. Data was collected from the communities through interviews and focus group discussions and also the use of key informant's interviews. Cluster and circle approach was used to understand the interrelationships pressure conditions, access/release conditions, vulnerability and disaster situation. This approach help to find the relationship that exist between people normal life condition with inherent vulnerabilities and the way they react to, cope with and recover from hazardous situation and whether their condition will enable them avoid disasters or predispose them to disasters. An appraisal of the route to recovery or next disaster was made to explain the social causation of likelihood of recurrence of disasters in the study area. In this case an analysis common treats of the groups which ended into disaster situation were considered the causal factors of the disaster. The probability of the next disaster was considered as product of the social causation in presence of floods as pressure conditions. It was found out that the disaster in the study area varied between individual and families because of their vulnerability condition. Lack of access to land, wealth, natural and social resources and linkages was found to be the major cause of pressure condition. Those with low score of access to resources were more vulnerable and were likely to be driven into the disaster condition in presence of a flooding event. Ill health, poor nutrition, long duration of recovery was typical notable characteristics of the more vulnerable individuals than those with access to release condition. Families which had access to shelter, food, wealth natural resources and land recovered quickly from the hazard and some completely avoided the disaster unlike those who did have resources who ended up in waiting for relief from government and epistemic organizations. There was no or poor demarcation between normal life and disaster situation for the vulnerable groups and that was among the major obstacles to full recovery from a disaster situation. The research found a mismatch between what has been documented as the root causes of vulnerability in the study area and the actual situation. The research also founds out that apart from social, political and economic causes of vulnerability in flood areas, there were other factors that also make people vulnerable such as; attitude of people, cultural beliefs, poor social network, and not just the drainage density of the area. Uncoordinated and unplanned efforts in terms of mitigation strategies for reducing people's vulnerability compounded the disaster situation. The study concluded that during floods people will be pushed to a disaster situation because of their capacities the floods and their effects. The research suggested the need to build capacity for the people in this area which will help build resilience or ease relocation.

Asa Miura   and Eisaku Shiratani   

The purpose of this study is to examine the practical usage of charcoal as a biomass remediation material for cadmium (Cd) polluted soil in the environment. In the field application of this material, it is necessary to consider handling methods and the environmental impact of the used materials. The following types of experiments were conducted in this study: (1) heavy metals competitive removal in solution, (2) condition of Cd re-elution from Cd-adsorbed charcoal in solution, and (3) Cd re-elution from Cd-adsorbed charcoal left in columns of soil and charcoal for long periods. The competitive removals depended on the concentrations of heavy metals. All heavy metals included in the low-level concentration were removed by charcoal efficiently. Although 65-100% of the Cd adsorbed by the charcoal was desorbed by strongly acidic water (pH 1.5), 0.8-1.6% was desorbed by water with a pH of 4.5, equivalent to the pH of acidic rain. The Cd re-elution rates from columns by both acidic and distilled water were low immediately after beginning the experiments and were not detected after two and three months. Therefore, these three experiments demonstrated the possibility of simultaneously removing two or more heavy metals by using the charcoal, processing the contaminated charcoal by using strong acids, and allowing the contaminated charcoal to stay in the environment safely for long periods.

HĂŒlya Boyacıoğlu   

This study aimed to develop an approach to investigate grey water footprint-GWF of municipalities in the Aegean Region in Turkey. In this scope 8 out of 81 cities were analyzed in terms of their waste water production (volume), waste water treatment (type of treatment, waste water receiving media etc.) in the country. Data was handled, within the series of waste water official surveys at a municipal level published annually/ bi-annually by the National Institute of Statistics (TUIK) since 2001. "Total Nitrogen TN" has been selected as a reference variable for GWF calculations. The required additional data/information for the calculations was natural/background nitrogen concentrations, maximum allowable nitrogen concentrations for water bodies. Grey water footprint was calculated for each single city and then spatial differences were determined. Study results revealed that GWF was changeable from one city to another (450-1150 m³/ca.yr). Higher GWF (treated) amount compared to the GWF (un-treated) in some regions was explained by higher volume of treated wastewater. Observation of relatively high values for GWF (treated) in some places was due to type of water treatment processes. Availability of N removal process at treatment plants was major impact on low GWF value. It can be concluded that GWF could be indicator to investigate effectiveness of wastewater management strategies, and determine its environmental effects.

Boyacioglu Hayal   and Boyacioglu HĂŒlya   

A multivariate statistical technique, exploratory factor analysis-FA, has been used to assess the natural and anthropogenic impacts on surface water quality in two river basins in Western part of Turkey (BĂŒyĂŒk Menderes and KĂŒĂ§ĂŒk Menderes River Basins). The method attempted to explain the correlations between the observations in terms of the underlying factors, which were not directly observable and to reduce a great number of the water quality variables to a smaller number of attributes, grouped in common factors. Furthermore, by using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis-CFA method, the reliability of separated factors and the dimensionality have been determined. Then the path diagram was designed to investigate the structural model. Results revealed that ionic composition and water oxygenation of waters were factors controlling overall water quality in the region. Since components of first factors were observed in higher levels in BĂŒyĂŒk Menderes Basin, it can be concluded that this region was affected from anthropogenic activities severely, compared to the KĂŒcĂŒk Menderes Basin. Overall results revealed that FA confirmed by CFA can be used to identify probable pollution sources of surface waters.

Amar Nath Bhadra   and Subhendu Podder   

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is moving ahead with developmental path, and process. The Sustaining a fast-paced growth rate and driving a comprehensive development requires addition of major infrastructures like Power, Road, Communication, and Transportation. To ensure inclusive growth infrastructure should also grow side by side but to ensure the sustainability that growth shall be in the form of Green way. The rapid industrialisation and anthropogenic activities have vitiated the atmosphere and ailments like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cancer, and other vector-borne diseases have increased. Green House Gases (GHGs) that emits from coal-based combustions, vehicle exhaust, and irresponsible use of pesticides is causing a significant damage in the quality of atmosphere. The "Right to inhale fresh air" and the "Right for safe living on the Earth" shall be new demand of humanity. As a responsible leadership, The Government of India not only has become a signatory of Conference of Parties (COP-21) but also quickly and simultaneously implementing the eight points of India's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC). India recognises the need for sourcing the additional energy requirement mostly from the renewable sources like Solar, Wind, while balancing the gap through Advanced Ultra Super Critical Technology (AUSCT) to ensure the Green Growth. The obvious fall-out of the above will increase the business opportunity in renewables in one hand and obsolescence of existing coal based thermal power generating plants on the other hand. Authors intend to indicate that innovation is going to convert the apparent challenges into new business opportunities through "Decommissioning", "Disposal" and "Logistics" while absorption of advanced technologies and compliance to stringer environmental norms will also open up new vistas of business, driving the growth wheel in a green way.

Ahmed Gomaa   

As world population continues to expand, implementation of resource-efficient measures in all areas of human activity is imperative. The purpose of this research is to examine the history of Sustainable Building, main factors and categories and to provide a guideline for countries, parties and/or foundation interested in developing a Green Building rating systems. Various Green Building rating systems, their components, scoring system and main categories were discussed. It was found that, factors related to the economic dimension pillar was considered most followed by factors related to social dimension and the environmental dimension had the least intension from developers. The main goal of the study is not to rectify this action in rating system but to encourage rating system developers to choose the convenient to their specific cases and local conditions and to proceed with establishing a sustainable rating system. The research also invites the developers to balance the three sustainability pillars (Environmental, Economic and social) in their proposed systems.

L. A. Nuamah   J. Huang   and H. R. Dankwa   

The phenomenon of water pollution constitutes a massive threat to the very existence of freshwater bodies and can potentially eliminate vital benefits otherwise associated with these resources. In several countries such as Ghana, initial steps to salvage existing freshwater bodies have given rise to the need for effective water quality assessment and biological monitoring. This study was conducted with the aim of assessing the abundance, composition, and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate fauna in the Nima Creek, situated in Accra, Ghana. On the basis of findings in relation to identified macroinvertebrate types, we further determine the quality of water in the creek. Samples were collected at 8 different riffles with a Surber sampler. The benthic macroinvertebrates sampled consisted of 6 taxa and 5891 individuals belonging to Nematoda, Oligochaeta, Gastropoda, and Insecta classes. Chironomini were the predominant group with 99.04% on the average, followed by Psychoda sp (0.44%), Rhabitidae (0.26%), and Tubifex (0.26%) at the upstream stretch of the creek. The downstream was dominated by Chironomini forming 97.30% on the average, followed by Tubifex (1.52%), Rhabitidae (1.08%), and Psychoda sp (0.05%). The estimated diversity of the sampling area for both upstream and downstream was assessed by using the Simpson Diversity Index and was found to be 0.53, indicative of a fairly diversified community structure. Family Biotic Index (FBI) was used to determine the water quality of the creek and found to be 9.92, which indicates severely polluted water. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no significant differences between upstream and downstream abundances at both 95% and 99% confidence levels. However, Melanoides tuberculata was found only at the downstream reach due to low current, the formation of rocky substratum, and the absence of riparian vegetation making it a suitable habitat.

Yudi Firmanul Arifin   Siti Hamidah   Gusti Muhammad Hatta   and Fachrur Razie   

Cement mining activities PT. Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa (PT.ITP) in Tarjun Kotabaru has partly entered the post-operative stage and it is being prepared for revegetation. To restore the level of fertility of land according to the standards required to be revegetated with the species of plants belonging to fast-growing species. In order for successful planting activities it is necessary to know the level of fertility. The types of soil can be found in the study area included; clay, laterite, and lime-stone. This collecting of sample uses a purposive sampling method, in which sample points are placed on each soil type. The result showed that soil fertility level is relatively low with C-organic, P₂O₅, K₂O, CEC, and basic saturation parameters under secondary natural forest condition so that fertilizer addition is needed in each type of land to increase fertility.

Kari HĂ€nninen   

The secondary ozone layer is located at elevations of 87 to 97 km in the upper mesosphere – lower thermosphere. It overlaps with the ionospheric D-layer. Daytime intensive UV radiation is dissociating O₂ molecules to O atoms and photoexcitating O₂ molecules up to 11.07eV level. Ozone photolysis between the wavelengths of 118.7–121.6 nm produces three oxygen atoms from one ozone molecule. Collision reactions of and with produce additional oxygen atoms. The number of oxygen atoms is maintained at such a high level that a small but significant ozone concentration survives. UV radiation weakens radically during the night. The number of O atoms shows no diurnal variation in the MLT. This leads to a ten-fold increase of ozone concentration over the course of the night. Dissociative recombination of O₂⁺ (entered via diffusion from above) and reactions of O (³P) atoms with excited O₂ molecules generate O(¹S) atoms. The quenching of O(¹ł§)→O(¹D) emits the green nightglow. The reactions of O(¹D) with ozone and O₂ absorption of UV nightglow produce . When these molecules relax, they emit the O₂ UV nightglows. The relaxations of and emit infrared nightglows.

Marthina Tjoa   Didik Suharjito   Hariadi Kartodihardjo   and Endriatmo Soetarto   

Forest management systems of indigenous people have undergone many changes due to a variety of interests which is a form of adaptation. Various impacts of change can undermine custom values and rules. The purpose of this research is to facilitate the strengthening of custom system in forest resource management. This research used descriptive qualitative method with PAR (Participatory Action Research) approach. PAR is conducted by constructing meaning constructs together between researchers based on the concepts of experts and concepts of indigenous peoples on sustainable forest management and its issues. The results showed changes in the indigenous system implementation techniques, but basic values are preserved. These basic values serve as guidelines for action to achieve sustainable forest management and utilization.

Michael F. Vineyard   Scott M. LaBrake   Sajju Chalise   Morgan L. Clark   Skye T. Conlan   and Zachary H. Porat   

We performed a proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis of synthetic turf blade and crumb rubber infill samples to search for heavy metals and other possibly toxic substances. Samples were collected from eight FieldTurf athletic fields installed in the Capital District of New York between 2009 and 2016. The samples were bombarded with proton beams from the 1.1-MV tandem Pelletron accelerator in the Union College Ion-Beam Analysis Laboratory and the emitted X-rays were measured using a silicon drift detector with an energy resolution of about 130 eV. All of the infill samples contained Zn at levels above soil standards. Approximately 17% of the infill samples contained measurable concentrations of Pb and one had a level (110 ± 10 ppm) exceeding soil standards. Bromine was detected in approximately 42% of the infill samples with a maximum concentration of 1500 ± 200 ppm and may be due to the presence of brominated flame retardants. The distributions and relative concentrations of elements measured in synthetic turf blade samples of different colors are indicative of the metal-oxide pigments used to color the blades. For example, V and Bi observed in yellow blade samples are from the environmentally friendly, yellow pigment bismuth vanadate.

Himanshu Dubey   D. L. N. Rao   Seemab Akhter   Gayatri Mehta   and D. K. Shahi   

Biological processes account for approximately 60% of the biosphere's fixed nitrogen. As concerns mount to the growing input of reactive nitrogen into environment, as part of a 'nitrogen cascade', an increased need to understanding 'Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF)' has become of paramount importance. Rhizobium spp. survival in soil is influenced by a combination of many variable parameters, with soil-acidity being prominent ones. Using 16SrRNA Ribotyping analysis we have identified novel strains of Rhizobium (GenBank Accession Numbers KF309195, KF309203 and KF309204) from pigeon pea, which are tolerant to acidic soil pH regimes. 'Two-Dimensional GelElectrophoresis (2-DE)', followed by MALDI-TOF-TOF (Peptide-Mass Fingerprinting) was performed to characterize several important 'Unique' protein differences amongst acid tolerant / acid in-tolerant Rhizobium isolates. Analysis of 14 (Fourteen) 'Unique' protein spots identified the genes implicated in the acid-soil tolerance. These genes were found to encode a wide range of functions, which are implicated in modulation of the chemo-taxis system, required for virulence, enzymes that catalyze redox transformations, biosynthesis / intermediary metabolism / detoxification, export / import of a wide variety of substrate, receptors for osmotic solutes produced, movement of diverse solutes, catalysis of the transfer of a methyl group, transport large folded proteins / Na⁺ dependent unidirectional secondary transporters and cellular metabolism respectively. One of the important protein was identified as 'Chain A, Structure Of Periplasmic Binding Protein' (Accession Number: gi88192851, Molecular weight: 33,300Da and PI: 7.80). The periplasmic binding proteins serve as chemo-receptors, recognition constituents of transport systems, and initiators of signal transduction pathways. The existence of such unique proteins in the acid-tolerant isolates of Rhizobium is believed to explain the molecular basis of the factors responsible for imparting selective acid tolerance and better understanding of the molecular basis of leguminous plant nodules interaction, structure and function.

Boateng Ampadu   Evans Frimpong Boateng   and Miriam Adjei Abassa   

The research was undertaken at Pungu in the Kassena Nankana Municipal Assembly in the Upper East Region of Ghana, in order to assess the adaptation strategies of the impacts of climate change by indigenes with respect to the unpredictable change in climate at the area (Pungu). The study was based on climate change impact on health, water resources, agriculture and socio-economic statuses as questionnaire and interview were the scientific methods utilized in this findings. The results from the assessment showed that, indigenes sleep either outside or inside which is dependent on prevailing atmospheric temperature to prevent heat related illness such as cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) among others. The study also found out that unpredictable climate change had detrimental impact on water resources and agriculture in the area which inevitably affected their social and economic works. So, adaptation strategies such as hand-dug wells and boreholes are resorted to cope with the impacts of climate change on the aforementioned statuses. Frequent seminars and public education on the awareness of climate change, impacts and adaptation strategies are recommended.

Mutalemba Ntole Romain   Muhigwa Jean Berckmans   Katcho Katcho Karume   and Mukengere Bagula Espoir   

The world is facing several major challenges that regarding answer to the current economic crisis and the development of appropriate strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The objective of the study is to identify climate risks for maize and the development of an agricultural calendar from a global circulation model. From meteorological data, an agro-climatic analysis was performed during the period 1995-2013 and a forecast from 2015 to 2045 has been done. The results showed that maize is facing major agro-climatic risks from the shortening of the vegetative growth period consecutive to a screeching halt rains before the end of the rainy season which is one of the major agro-climatic constraints. From predicting Echam-5 model, the agricultural calendar was adjusted to avoid the drop in rainfall observed in October and plan the sowing period at the end of October instead of September.

Ahmad Ezanee Hashim   Siti Aida Samikon   and Mohamad Sufian Hasim   

Healthcare organisations have recognised the powerful impact of supply breakdowns and have exploited supply chain management for their quality program, especially regarding lean operations. There are many contributors to poor working environments in the healthcare sector. Some studies relate to inadequate equipment, such as patient lifts and facilities for safe disposal of syringes, needles, and medical waste. However, one area that has so far largely been overlooked relates to the built environment. This study aims to investigate strategic Facilities Management (FM) as a function to support the objectives of providing efficient services to healthcare sector through measuring user satisfaction focusing on public training hospital building. This research involved correlation analysis. The findings show that there is a strong significant relationship among the building performance criteria and the importance of post occupancy evaluation (POE) guidelines in functional and technical performance criteria. Based on the findings, this study proposed the establishment of facilities management and the implementation of systematic annual operation program to ensure that management and services are useful. Secondly, it is intended to establish certain policy instruments such as information tools and economic instruments for hospital management to meet the needs of patients in future hospital development.

Marwoto   Hariadi Kartodihardjo   Dudung Darusman   and Soeryo Adiwibowo   

Developing forests is synonymous with building communities around the forest. Forest destruction is related to the behavior of people living around the forest. Society will always adjust its life to the changes that occur around it in the process of adaptation to be able to live its life. The study found that the failure of forest management was caused by the failure of the process of adaptation of forest management policies with local communities' practice traditions and social systems. Forestry development policy often leads to exclusion of the state to the already living and resident communities in the areas established by the development of the forestry sector. This fact raises the issue of conflict of interest between the surrounding community and the forest manager. On the basis of the findings of this study I suggest; To prevent degradation and deforestation, a new paradigm of forest management systems is required which retains the ecological, economic and socio-cultural functions of local communities as subjects and uses local knowledge and culture as the basis for their governance, and involves other sector commodities to increase their economic value (incentives).

BerdĂłn BerdĂłn, J.   Montero Calvo, A. J.   Royano Barroso, L.   Parralejo Alcobendas, A. I.   and GonzĂĄlez CortĂ©s, J.   

Fast-growing forest species have become an alternative to take into account for irrigated land with lower profit margins. The objective of this project is to know the adaptation and biomass yields of the Paulownia crop for biomass and timber production, in the irrigated area of the Guadiana River 'Vegas Bajas' in Extremadura Region, (SPAIN). In 2012, two plots with 4 different Paulownia clones were planted (112, COT2, L1 and X1). One plot has been destined to timber production (T), with a 10-year rotation, grown at 4 by 4m spacing, and the other plot has been destined to biomass production (B), with a 3-year rotation, grown at 3 by 2m spacing. In February 2016, the first rotation stand of the biomass (B) plot was harvested. Clone X1 has showed a significantly lower performance in terms of dry matter production and growth, whilst among the other 3 clones, no significant differences were observed. The total production of the biomass plot was 24280.1kg dry matter ha^-1. Average annual total biomass yield was 8093.4 Kg ms ha^-1 for plot (B).

Nikolinka Atnasova   

Clusters are a way to organize thinking on many policy areas beyond the usual needs of the economy as tsyalo. Klasterat is one of the tools of competitiveness and helps to clarify the priorities and direction of policy in science and technology, education and many other areas. Prevention of waste generation has the highest priority in the management hierarchy, while landfilling is in the group of the lowest. Given the financial situation of Bulgaria, which is in transition and is still in crisis, our country's national policy is aimed at reconciling the two priorities in the most appropriate way. The Ministry of Environment and Water has adopted an approach for building new landfills on a regional basis, with the maximum utilization of recyclable waste meeting the European requirements. Both on a global scale and in the European Union, the shortage of raw materials and energy resources is increasing. This has also re-evaluated the waste management policy in our country based on sustainability and regionality. Following the European model, the Ministry of Environment and Water adopted the approach for the construction of landfills for waste disposal from several neighboring municipalities and meeting the overriding regulatory requirements laid down in Decree №209 / 2009 - "To provide funding for the construction of regional systems Waste management, regional pre-treatment systems for municipal waste and the closure of municipal landfills ". For the purposes of the Decree, a "Regional Waste Management System" is a set of measures that municipalities jointly take to ensure that the total amount of waste generated on the territory of the region is collected separately, transported, stored, treated and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. The report examines the practical steps in building a cluster policy related to environmentally sound waste management - Blagoevgrad Region, covering the municipalities of Blagoevgrad, Simitli, Kyustendil, Rila, Kocherinovo and Boboshevo. Future research aims at creating a cluster model "Resource recovery and mitigation Climate change, "which we hope will have a multiplier effect on future regional landfills for domestic waste disposal in Bulgaria.

Md Tanvir Hasnine   Md Emadul Huda   Rajada Khatun   A H M Saadat  Monjur Ahasan   Shirin Akter   Md Fakhar Uddin   Ashrafun Nahar Monika   M Ashikur Rahman   and Md Ohiduzzaman   

Higher accumulation of toxic heavy metals in rice grown in agricultural soil may lead to health disorder. The present study was carried out to assess the levels of different heavy metals like potassium, calcium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper and zinc in agricultural soil. The soil samples were collected by soil auger from the arable fields of Nolam near Dhaka Export Processing Zone Area (DEPZA), Savar, Dhaka of Bangladesh. The samples were irradiated using 3MV Van de Graaff Accelerator at the Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka and Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique was employed for the analysis. The results indicated a substantial build-up of heavy metals in surface soil andsub-surface soil. Average metal concentrations were calculated and compared with reference values. The persistence of heavy metals in surface soil was higher than the sub-surface soil and it exceeded the standard safe limit. Uptake and translocation factor of heavy metal from surface soil to sub-surface soil were quite distinguished for almost all elements examined. In terms of health risk, the observed highest concentrations of these elements in soil could have an effect on human health which may pose public health hazards and for this pretreatment process of waste water is necessary for reducing the amount of heavy metals before using it to the agricultural soil. Wastewater from industries or other sources carries an appreciable amount of toxic heavy metals therefore their discharge into the environment must be minimized and carefully controlled.

Smajl Rizani   and Perparim Laze   

The aim of this study is to assess the quality of the surface water used for irrigation purposes by examining the presence of trace elements in the main irrigation sources in Kosovo. Samples were taken from several of these sources (rivers, some reservoirs, pump stations and canals) and were then analyzed for trace elements content such as zinc, iron, copper, manganese, lead, nickel, cobalt, cadmium, chromium, and molybdenum, by Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (MP-AES 4100). The findings revealed no significant differences in terms of trace elements content in the samples coming from the various sources. Copper, manganese, nickel, cobalt, lead and chromium were found in normal concentrations in all the water sources, whereas zinc and iron were found to be in deficient concentrations. Cadmium was at recommended maximum concentrations. Molybdenum is found in high concentrations especially in the water samples taken from pump stations and irrigation reservoirs. In the future it is necessary to closely and continuously monitor the concentrations of molybdenum in the irrigation waters of this area. Furthermore, it is essential to identify the causes of the high molybdenum levels in these waters. However, these sources can be used for irrigation purposes without posing a threat to the soil and plants.

S. Gaete   and J. Deloumeaux   

Biological Resource Centers (BRCs) and their associated molecular biology platforms are the keys to the development of clinical research, by enabling the utilization and sharing of dedicated collections of human biological samples. Whether in the aim of identifying biomarkers for existing diseases, or improving knowledge of the pathophysiology of emerging diseases, these collections have the ultimate goal of improving patient care. The BRC of the University Hospital of Guadeloupe calls for the implementation of a Caribbean network between BRCs and Biobank-type structures across the Caribbean, in the following areas: cancer, infectious and emerging diseases, hematological, and cardio-metabolic diseases. This Caribbean Network of Biological Resource Centers (CNBRC) aims to become a key player in proposing specific ad hoc research topics, bringing together biological materials from Caribbean populations with similar health problems. A network of this type would facilitate academic and/or industrial partnerships, promote exchange of know-how through dedicated platforms, and link research teams through communication tools. Furthermore, collaboration between plant and animal BRCs could enable preclinical studies on Caribbean flora and fauna, and their impact on human health. Sharing expertise and processes, and ensuring a reliable delivery system for quality biological samples, would be at the core of the network's functioning. Therefore, setting up a CNBRC represents a unique opportunity to expand the scale and quality of clinical research in the Caribbean in two ways, namely:-firstly, by bringing together data from populations who share geographic, environmental and genetic similarities, but which may not have sufficient sample sizes to yield the required statistical power when studied separately; -secondly, by giving local scientists the tools to develop the expertise within their own communities.

Alina Maharjan   and Sadhana Pradhanang   

Vetiver (Chrysopogonzizanioides) is a perennial bunch grass of the Poaceae family which is popularly known as Kush, and which are suitable for the disposal of leachate and effluents generated from landfill and wastewater treatment with super absorbent characteristics. This experimental study was carried out to assess the efficiency of Vetiver plants in the water of Bagmati River, close to Kirtipur's Laboratory School. Data for design parameters- pH, Temperature, Conductivity, BOD₅, Chloride, Nitrate, Phosphate, Hardness and Alkalinity- were collected regularly for a month. Vetiver plants were planted in three buckets with 7.5 liters of sampled water, while another bucket was kept as a control. In each of the three buckets, nine Vetiver plants were planted and physico-chemical parameters analyzed for one month at ten-day intervals. The result showed that on the one month, the overall concentration of BOD₅, Chloride, Nitrate, Phosphate, Hardness and Alkalinity reduced by 71.03%, 42.90%, 93.93%, 88.4%, 46.4% and 22.2% respectively. pH and temperature of wastewater showed slight change while electronic conductivity lowered to normal levels after treatment in the bucket. Vetiver plant seems very effective in treating polluted water having high phosphate and nitrate levels.

Ghada Adel Mahmoud   Samia E. Abdel-Aal   Nabil A. El-kelesh   and E. A. Alshafei   

The adsorption performance of acrylamide/ starch hydrogel (AAm/starch) prepared by gamma radiation for removal of direct congo red (DCR) and direct blue (DB) dyes has been investigated. The physico-chemical parameters such as dye concentration, solution pH and temperature have been studied. Favorable adsorption occurred at pH 3 for DCR and pH 10 for DB. The adsorption of dyes onto AAm/starch hydrogels was endothermic process. Experimental data have been modeled by the Freundlich isotherm. Degradation test of DCR and DB dyes using gamma irradiation in aqueous solution under various radiation doses and pH was investigated and G-value was calculated. Destruction of 70% and 75% of the dye colour solutions was succeeded at radiation dose 40 and 30 kGy for DCR and DB, respectively. Comparing the removal percent of DCR and DB dyes by radiation degradation with that done by AAm/starch hydrogel adsorption was investigated. It was found that preferring removal of DCR and DB dyes by gamma radiation degradation. The remaining concentration of dyes was followed by adsorption onto the hydrogel. Complete removal of DCR and DB was performed by gamma radiation degradation followed by AAm/starch hydrogel adsorption.

Ekpe I. I.   B. U. Uzoho   Ahukaemere, C. M   and S. E. Okere   

A study to assess soil fertility status was conducted in the lowland rice growing soils of Ebonyi South-East Nigeria situated within latitude 60 41, N and longitude 80 51 E, and 104.40 m above sea level. The assessment covered all the villages that produce rice in the three major rice producing zones of Ebonyi state with Ebiaunuhu, Ogboji and Akaeze representing Ebonyi North, Central and South zones respectively. Soil samples were collected from the rice growing lowland zones at 0-30cm depth using soil auger attached to a core sampler. A total of 250 soil samples were collected from each of the 100 hectare lowland soils of the zones and analyzed for chemical fertility indicators. The data was analyzed for means and percentages and the results were ranked using fertility standard according to Landon. The results revealed that total nitrogen, organic matter and cation exchange capacity were in low in all the zones while P was adequate in all the zones and K was high for the soils studied. Calcium concentration was high in the north but low in the central and southern zones. The soils require good input of N-fertilizer and organic matter to boost CEC and therefore increase the yield of rice in these lowland soils of Ebonyi State.

Takumi Arai   and Masayuki Goto   

Tourism is one of the most important industries in Nepal. Based on trends, various positive impacts are realized through tourism development. The local people can also receive benefits from infrastructure development and sanitation improvement. On the other hand, there are various benefits that only people working in the tourism industry can receive. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the difference of the benefits in order to expand the ripple effects on other industries, for the further promotion of tourism development. In this research, the consciousness and opinions of local people in Nepal are investigated through a field survey, using a questionnaire. To identify the difference of consciousness across the spectrum of business activities in Nepal, the survey targeted Nepalese respondents having a variety of occupations, including those directly and indirectly connected to the tourism sector. Through the results of the field survey, the differences of the effects and the benefits by occupation are identified, and the problems of the differences and the ripple effect from tourism development on other industries are also pointed out. In conclusion, we propose the way forward for people working in various industries to receive benefits from tourism development in Nepal.

Asa Miura   

To determine the adsorption breakthrough curves of carbonized rice hull and beech sawdust, which were selected as candidate natural materials for Cesium (Cs) adsorption in our previous study, fixed-bed adsorption experiments were conducted. These experiments were performed using a glass column with a continuous flow system and a variable packed-bed height of the above materials. For carbonized rice hull, the breakthrough point appeared relatively early, although a long adsorption time was required to reach the end point. In addition, for beech sawdust, the maximum Cs concentration at the column outlet was approximately 1.2 times that at the inlet. Regarding the Cs mass balance in the packed-bed layer, the amount of Cs adsorbed per unit weight of adsorbent was greater for carbonized rice hull than for beech sawdust. Furthermore, the adsorption ratio in the packed-bed was higher for beech sawdust than for carbonized rice hull. However, following estimation of the length of the adsorption zone formed in the packed bed using the model formula commonly employed in the design of the fixed-bed adsorption apparatus, it was not possible to calculate the real length of the adsorption zone.

AmĂ©lie Robert   and Jean Louis YenguĂ©   

Different kind of nature can be observed in urban settings: forest or semi-natural spaces, ornamental gardens and allotment gardens (community gardens). Our article focuses on the last ones and questions some ecosystem services they offer, in order to know if they are urban green spaces like others. This study comes in the framework of the research program SERVEUR (funded by the French Centre-Val de Loire region), which is interested in the services given by urban green spaces. Here we set out one case-study, the Bergeonnerie allotments in Tours (France). To identify the services these allotments offer, we conducted: - in situ observations and surveys of Bergeonnerie allotments users, - interviews of some municipal stakeholders and decision-makers of several cities of the region Centre-Val de Loire. The in situ study revealed that allotments offered not only provisioning services - according to the MEA [1] ecosystem services list, in this case food. They also provide cultural services, becoming a source of well-being for the gardeners but not only. We could observe that some other people come in these green spaces, like in other ones, to walk. They are places of sociability and education, what the municipal stakeholders and decision-makers confirm. Allotments give more benefits for the population than expected; they are more than places used to cultivate vegetables.

John M. Diaz   Robert E. Bardon   Dennis Hazel   Jackie Bruce   K.S.U Jayaratne   and Anne-Lise Velez   

Encroachment of incompatible land uses increasingly threatens military training across the country. In many states, military training grounds are part of the rural landscape resulting in significant interest from military leadership in the maintenance and enhancement of land uses that are compatible with training operations. In the southeast, a vast majority of the rural landscape is under private ownership increasing the needs for policies that address the interests of landowners and provide meaningful incentives for maintaining land-use compatibility. Market-based conservation strategies have the potential to provide an effective means for conserving large landscapes used for military training. This issue is particularly salient in North Carolina that has an extensive military training footprint. We conducted a case study to evaluate a cross-sector partnership in the state that collaboratively developed a Market-Based Conservation Initiative Pilot to promote land use compatibility by engaging private landowners in performance-based contracts. This study determined the factors that influenced pilot project outcomes and lessons learned when developing market-based strategies that integrate military interests. Data analysis identifies five key factors that are 1) military funding authority to establish agreements, 2) development of landowner trust and program credibility, 3) military understanding the purpose and associated risks of a pilot program, 4) military perception of rural landownership patterns, and 5) institutional mandates of the Navy.

Stephen F. Stringham   Lynn L. Rogers   and Ann Bryant   

Conventional North American management of human-bear conflicts assumes that bears become more dangerous and destructive of human property if the bears have become food conditioned. Bears perceived as dangerous or destructive are usually killed. Conflict management to protect both people and bears focuses on minimizing bear access to anthropogenic foods. That can work where bears have access to sufficient wild foods. During famines of profitable wild foods, however, the key to minimizing conflicts can be providing food to bears – so-called diversionary baiting. Wild food supply is only one of numerous factors determining why provisioning bears intensifies conflicts in some situations, but minimizes conflicts in other situations. Identifying and quantifying the role of each factor is best done through formation of a more comprehensive conceptual model, followed by hypothesis derivation and testing. Literature synthesis and paradigmatic reconceptualization have thus far been hampered by terminological ambiguity. To overcome this constraint, we propose systematically integrated definitions for key terms: (a) conflict zones and sites, conflict foods, provisioning, incursionary feeding, baiting for diversion and other purposes; (b) numerous sorts of food conditionning: respondant, instrumental, opportunistic, transient, compensatory, agonistically induced, preferential, location- specific, person- specific, direct, indirect. (c) Food source descriptors: presence, abundance, density, accessibility, harvestability, availability, attractiveness, palatability, profitability, preference, reliability (predictability), and microhabitat suitability.

Tokuo Yano   Masatomo Nakayama   Kazuhiro Yamada   Akiko Inoue-Kohama   Shinya Sato   and Keijiro Enari   

In this study, the influence of growth of reeds on evapotranspiration (ET) was estimated, and a commonly used meteorological estimate of potential evapotranspiration (PET) was compared with direct measurements of ET. The salinity of the inside of HSF of the raw leachate inflow was 15.0±3.4g Cl^-/L and that of the double diluted inflow was 9.3±1.9g Cl^-/L. Although the growth of reeds in the raw leachate inflow was impeded remarkably compared to that of the double diluted leachate inflow, the reeds in the double diluted inflow bed showed healthy growth. The difference in the salinity gave rise to large differences in the growth of the reed. The annual ET rates in the poor vegetation bed, the dense vegetation bed and the unplanted bed were 656.5mm, 2,334.3mm and 22.2mm, respectively. The difference of the growth of the reed provided a large difference in the ET rate. The annual PET estimated on the basis of the Hamon equation was 751.6mm. The PET rate was much lower compared to the ET rate in the dense vegetation bed. It was necessary to consider site-specific factors such as the growth of plants in the evaluation of the water budget in the HSFs.

M. Mahalakshmi   K. Marisamy   and V. Ramasubramanian   

Heavy metals of soils due to intensive industrial activities and agricultural development is usually a source of environmental problems. Heavy metal phytotoxicity is considered to be main factor limiting plant growth when cultivate in metal polluted soils. Heavy metals have strong impact on human health through the food chain. The aim of this study was to investigate the ill effects of cadmium on the morphological, biochemical and enzymatic characters of Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper which are commonly used in the fireworks industries of this area. After ten days treatment with different concentrations of cadmium (2, 4, 6, 8 & 10mM), the plant exhibited a decline in growth, chlorophyll contents, soluble sugar and protein than in the control. In contrary, the content of free amino acid, proline, leaf nitrate and the activities of enzymes such as catalase and peroxidase were found increased with the increase in the concentration of cadmium while the activity of nitrate reductase were found to be decreased. Comparison of the parameters analyzed between the treated and control reveals that cadmium have seriously affected the Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper. Based on this, it was concluded that high concentration of cadmium severely affect the plant growth and result in growth inhibition, decline in physiological and biochemical activities of crop plants.

Robert Maponga   Fethi Ahmed   and Desmond Manatsa   

The study determined fire hazard zones in multiple tenure systems from 2001 to 2013 in Mazowe district, Zimbabwe, using Landsat 7 and 8 30m resolution images, a fire hazard model and weighted sum of burnt area. The model divided the district into high, moderate and low fire hazard zones across five tenure systems that obtain. Most of the district (50%) was in the high hazard zone. Fire events superimposed onto the zones confirmed that most of the fire events (60%) occurred in the high hazard zone. The weighted sum of burnt area revealed that 47% of the study area was not burnt. The level of fire risk in terms of pasture per livestock unit was substantially high. At 1% of land burnt four times in A2 and Communal systems involved losses of 2784 and 1682 livestock units' worth of pasture respectively. The hazard zones show hotspots needing monitoring, fire problem occurring irrespective of tenure and that the problem could be addressed. The study recommends setting up a fire command centre, involving all parties, urgent attention to the fire problem across tenure and adoption practices such as law enforcement, hierarchical structures and participation of grassroots communities in addressing the fire problem.

Arzu Teksoy   and Sevil ÇalÄ±ĆŸkan Eleren   

A primary concern of developing countries throughout the world is that of obtaining safe drinking water. Waterborne diseases are still common in developing countries since drinking water sources are contaminated and the conventional rural water treatment plants are often inefficient to produce safe drinking water. This situation in developing countries is a major problem in terms of preventing public health. It is estimated that diarrhea accounted for 99% of the 69 million deaths among children before the age of five. Inadequate operation and maintenance after installations caused by a lack of trained operators, by a treacherous supply of chemicals and spare parts, and by ïŹnancial problems lead to produce unhealthy drinking water. Since major urban water supplies are also not always capable of maintaining a regular supply of qualitatively good water, the distributed water is often considered unsafe for direct consumption. Treatment of water at the household level (etc. boiling) or purchasing of mineral water for consumption is more real than an exception in urban areas of developing countries. Recently, another small-scale approach using the lethal effect of sunlight has gained importance to sanitary contaminated water. Solar disinfection (SODIS) is one of the simplest methods for providing acceptable quality drinking water and consists of filling transparent containers (plastic bags, plastic bottles or glass bottles) with water and exposing the containers to sunlight for approximately 6 hours. Because of the low cost and easy usage, solar disinfection is commonly used in developing countries in Asia, Africa and South America. The aim of this literature review is to give information about solar disinfection mechanism, to compare the efficiency of solar disinfection on different microorganisms based on the past studies, and to discuss the several applications of solar disinfection in the world.

Stephanie Smith   and Steve Mark   

The present article discusses citizen action strategies employed to preserve the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in the United States. Ecological pioneers Henry Chandler Cowles and Victor Shelford deemed this region to be of scientific importance, and the region played a role in the formation of the Ecological Society of America and The Nature Conservancy. Citizen action strategies included creating grassroots nonpartisan voluntary organizations, soliciting signatures on petitions, organizing letter-writing campaigns, soliciting media coverage, legal action, and persuading politicians to support preservation efforts. The struggle between heavy industry, residents, and conservationists resulted in the eventual parceling of the Northwest Indiana shoreline between steel mills, public lands, and residential areas. In one of the longest journeys to the passage of a national park bill in the history of the United States, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was established by an act of Congress in 1966. Several tracts of land have been added to it, and today the Indiana National Lakeshore consists of 15,000 non-contiguous acres along 15 miles of the south shore of Lake Michigan, with almost two million annual visitors.

Ganiyu I. Agbaje   

Capacity building in Space Science and Technology as well as enhancement and retention of existing capacity, are critical for developing competencies to efficiently respond to societal challenges and addressing sustainable development. Following the UN General Assembly resolutions 37/90 of 10th December 1982 (UNISPACE), and 45/72 of 11 December, 1990 (UN-COPUOS), the UN-OOSA established the Regional Centers for Space Science and Technology Education in 1995. To date six (6) Regional Centers have been established with the main aim to build a high quality capacity and critical mass of indigenous Space Scientists/Educators in developing countries for the development and application of Space Science & Technology for Sustainable National & Regional Development. African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education has been established in Africa since 1998. This paper describes the achievements of the Centre since inception through their Postgraduate and Outreach programs. It is, however, observed that Member States have not optimally worked together to maximally utilize the opportunities that this Regional Centre present. By highlighting the capabilities of the Centre, the future plans for harnessing the human potential available for the next generation in Africa are discussed. Argument was made for the need for integrated space technology and applications to be domesticated at the UN regional Centers for ease of access to best practice and fast-track sustainable developments and regional collaborations. In conclusion, the challenges of the Centre, which in turn impact on the local space workforce, are mentioned and recommendations are made to this effect.

L. Rolle   

This case study is a part of a thesis we lead a botanical and ecological synthesis of Lesser-Antilles riparian forests by studying the forest connectivity in riparian area. The study employed geographic information system processing methods for assessing the integrity of riparian forest and the importance of this corridor function on the rainforest. The corridor function analysis is based on the structural fragmentation and the potential connectivity of the watershed patch forest. The principle of potential connectivity is constructed on the probability of a direct dispersion of floral and animal species between forest patch which is life habitat. This method allowed connectivity indices based on distance calculation between forest patches. The results order habitat patches by their significant weight in the connectivity graph. The question arises as to whether the riparian forest patch is a key habitat to maintain the connectivity quality of the watershed. Do they play their biological function of the corridor in the Lesser Antilles of Guadeloupe and Martinique?

Partha Nath Dutta   Tado Karlo   and Pallabi Dutta   

A climatological study has been done in five weather stations viz Dhuburi, Guwahati, Silchar, Tezpur and Dibrugarh for 45 years (1969-2013), for studying and comparing maximum, minimum and mean temperatures. Coefficient of variation, skewness, kurtosis are also calculated and plotted for comparing the results of the stations. The values of period mean of annual surface air temperature are different at different stations and this value does not show homogeneous distribution in the regions. The pattern of distribution of annual mean of daily surface air temperature (maximum, minimum and mean) are asymmetrical over all the stations and have different peakedness at different stations means over all the stations that the distribution are deviates from the normal distribution from slight to significant amount. In most of the cases winter months has shown highest variation while summer month are least variable. Variation in spring and autumn months are in between these two extremes. Almost over all the stations, the patterns of distribution of monthly mean temperature (maximum, minimum and mean) are not normal. The distributions are both positively and negatively skewed and have both platykurtic and leptokurtic peakedness.

Frank Mugagga   

The study investigated the perceived impacts of climate variability, response actions, as well as the physical and socio-economic factors influencing adaptation to climate variability by smallholder coffee farmers in Kaato sub-county, Manafwa District, Eastern Uganda. Data was collected from 157 proportionately sampled households, using Open Data Kit (ODK) Software installed on handheld Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Tablets and analysed by using the SPSS (version 18) software to derive descriptive statistics, notably, frequencies and percentages as well chi square tests to establish relationships between variables. A severity scale (1-5) was used to establish farmers' perceptions about variations in selected weather elements (specifically rainfall, temperature, wind and droughts) over the last ten years; with responses triangulated with meteorological data from Buginyanya Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute. Farmers generally perceive rainfall and temperature to have moderately increased, while, winds and droughts were noted to have significantly increased over the period. Available meteorological data (2007-2009) depicted decreasing trends in annual rainfall receipts while temperature minimally varied. Such variations significantly affected coffee production (p=0.003) with early rainfall onsets perceived to cause early ripening of coffee berries, while short rainy seasons resulted into reduced yields. Longer dry seasons led to drying of coffee berries and ultimately reduced crop yield. The common response actions included agronomic practices such as, planting shade trees, pruning, replacement, planting drought-resistant varieties and application of organic fertilizers. Several socio-economic factors influence response actions with the most significant being access to climate change information (p= 0.029), level of education (p= 0.029), access to credit (p= 0.019). The study recommends enhancement of adaptive capacity of the coffee farmers through provision of timely and accurate weather forecasts. Smallholder coffee farmers also need to organize themselves into farmer groups/cooperatives that will uplift their marketing and negotiation power to access credit. However, this will require concerted and collective efforts by all stakeholders including the technical personnel, local political leadership as well as the farmers themselves.

Hamayun Shaheen   Sidra Nasar   Shamshad Aziz   Nosheen Mumtaz   and Sadia Aziz   

Forest regeneration is a thrust area of vegetation studies having important implications and contributions for sustainable forest management. Regeneration pattern was investigated in western Himalayan moist temperate and subtropical forest sites in Bagh district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The anthropogenic pressure in terms of grazing and tree felling intensity was investigated. A very low regeneration values of 121 seedlings/ha was recorded for the whole area. Subtropical forests showed relatively higher regeneration value of 211 seedlings/ha. The seedling count for moist temperate forest sites was calculated as 119/ha. Stem/stump value of 1.62 was recorded for the forest stands showing immense tree felling intensity. Available grazing area per grazing unit was calculated as 0.16ha/grazing unit whereas average herd size was 3. Persistent grazing activity was recorded at all of the investigated forest sites. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed that anthropogenic disturbance stimuli were significantly correlated with retarded forest regeneration patterns. A gradual decline in tree felling and grazing intensity was observed with increasing altitude and distance from settlements; followed with an increase in seedling count.

Abdulraheem Mukhtar Iderawumi   Charles Eneminyene Friday   and Omogoye Adewale Mubo   

The demand for okra usually exceeds what is being produced in Nigeria. Poor soil fertility due to soil degradation partly accounts for the low yield of the crop. Inorganic and organic fertilizers have been found to effectively replenish soil nutrients' losses. Hence this study aimed at carrying out the nutritional evaluation of okra pod and mother soil as influenced by sawdust ash (SDA) on soil properties and okra pod nutrients when used alone or combined with Ammonium nitrate or NPK. There were ten treatments replicated three times in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Treatments were applied three weeks after planting by ring method with NPK or Ammonium nitrate and SDA mixed. The test soil indicated that it was marginal in organic matter, inadequate in available P and slightly acidic. Sole SDA increase the soil P relative to control and sole use of Ammonium nitrate or NPK in 2016. SDA and its combination with NPK or Ammonium nitrate increased soil N, available P, exchangeable K, Ca, and Mg in 2015. SDA alone with its varying combination with Ammonium nitrate and NPK increase the leaf N, K, Ca, P, Mg contents. Addition of SDA to chemical fertilizer such as NPK or Ammonium nitrate increases the soil and plant nutrients and also had liming effects.

K.K. Pramanick   K.K. Jindal   Girish Sharma   and A.K. Shukla   

India with its unique agro climate conditions favours cultivation of number of fruits. For decades together typical temperate fruits like apple, pear, stone and nut fruits were grown with adequate production and productivity. However, during the past 10-15 years on account of global warming many of the sites which were potential hub for temperate fruit cultivation have been rendering unfit for their cultivation. The productivity of temperate fruits especially apple in Himachal Pradesh is declining at a faster rate. Average yield of apple in India has been estimated at about 7.0 t/ha which is far below the level of 30 t/ha in most of advanced countries. The productivity has also not kept pace with the expansion in area under temperate fruits due to various biotic and abiotic problems faced by the farmers in the Himalayas. This has caused a serious concern not only to the hill farmer community but also to researchers, development agencies and policy planners. With the global warming, the decline in productivity is being mainly attributed to changing climatic scenario. It is clearly reflected that standard apple cultivar 'Starking Delicious' and 'Red Delicious' would not flower and fruit when chilling units are not adequately fulfil. Hence there is an urgent need to select appropriate low chill cultivars for plantation at low elevation location so that consistent yields are obtained and crop failures avoided. Results obtained revealed that cultivar 'Tropical Beauty' was the best genotype for the characters like plant height (6.60m), plant spread (5.67m), trunk girth (64.50cm), tree volume (111.20m³), leaf area (60.67cm²), number of fruit set per unit shoot length (15.25%), yield per plant (15.82Kg), fruit weight (129.80g), total sugar (8.48%) and non-reducing sugar (1.92%). Cultivar 'Parlin's Beauty' was the best genotype for characters like fruit breadth, reducing sugar and was recorded as promising next to 'Tropical Beauty' for many desirable traits. Cultivar 'Chahla' was superior for high number of flowers per unit shoot length, shoot length, fruit length and long duration of flowering. Earliest flowering was observed in cultivars 'Anna'. Maximum phenotypic coefficient of variability was observed for fruit yield per plant. High heritability and high genetic advance indicated presence of additive gene action for these traits. To meet the bulk requirements of the processing units and horticultural diversification, apple cultivation can be extended to mid hills by planting suitable low chilling cultivars. The low productivity of apple has become a serious concern for the farmers, research workers and development agencies at national and state level for the last two decades. Several factors can be attributed to the declining trend in productivity like expansion of apple cultivation to marginal areas, monoculture of Delicious varieties, declining standards of orchard management, improper chilling requirements and the fluctuating abnormal climatic conditions.

Alejandro Fierro-Cabo   and Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro   

Today the biggest incentive to attempt the restoration and protection of estuarine systems is their widely recognized ecological and economic importance. In the reconstruction of an estuary where the original aquatic communities disappeared before the restoration interventions, the fish assemblage is an adequate source of indicators of initial recovery. Following substantial restoration efforts, this study reports on the biannual for a lustrum monitoring and assessment of a severely degraded estuary (Garrapatas) in terms of its fish assemblage using a reference estuary (Barberena) in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Twenty fishes were associated with the restoring and reference estuaries. Species composition (richness, abundance, dominance) clearly showed differences among sites. No piscivorous estuarine or marine fishes were found in Garrapatas pointing at an unbalanced and incomplete trophic chain. On the other hand, the mangrove plant community appears to have fully recovered. Water parameters were more variable in Barberena compared to the restoring sites, especially salinity, DO, and pH, which were also higher. Estuaries are transitional systems with inherent variation of abiotic parameters. It is proposed that this variability of abiotic parameters still missing in the restored sites, and may be key to the full recovery of biotic assemblages and ecosystem function.

PatrĂ­cia Louro   and Walter Martin Widmer   

Alerts regarding marine contamination by microplastics motivated this study, conducted in Santa Catarina Island, South Brazil. During 12 sampling events, spatial and temporal distribution of plastic resin pellets, collected at two locations of Campeche beach, was analyzed, and polymer composition was identified. Plastic pellets were found in every sampling day, with a mean average of 1.16 pellets/ m². Their abundance was influenced by two factors: Sampling location and Sampling day nested in each Season. There was a variable abundance along the monitoring period, with an increase of pellets in autumn. A significantly higher amount of pellets was found in one sampling place. The composition of the sampled pellets was heterogeneous, with a prevalence of low density polyethylene polymers. It is clear that a series of proceedings regarding production, stocking, transport and transformation of plastic pellets, must be considered, to avoid pellets loss of into the environment.

Idoma Kim   Ikpe Elisha   Ejeh Lawrence   and Mamman Moses   

The study investigated farmers' adaptation strategies to the effect of climate variation on rice production in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State. Specifically, the study assessed the socio-economic characteristics of farmers, farmers' climate related constraints, the adaptation strategies employed by farmers and barriers to adaption practices. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select two hundred and forty respondents for the study. Data collected through questionnaire were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean distribution and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Results obtained showed that farmers in the study area were mostly males with a mean age of 42.8 years. Major climate related constraint cited were high rate of weed growth ( =2.8), stunted growth ( =3.2), incidence of flooding ( =2.6) and low rainfall ( =3.4). Pearson product moment correlation indicated that there were significant and positive relationships between perceptions of climate change indicators (increasing flood, increasing hot temperature, unpredictable rain and shorter duration of rain) and adaptation strategies. Therefore, efforts should be geared towards reinforcing farmers' adaptability to climate change through improved rice species that are tolerant to change in climate elements and weather extremes like flood and drought, enhancement of farmers' income through provision of credit facilities and encouragement of irrigation farming as supplements to rain fed agriculture in the study area.

Donald A. Luna   Davies V. Ocampo   Sarena Grace L. Quiñones   Efren C. Rivera   Charmina G. Sejalbo   Precious R. Zara   Kenneth Bernard M. Hizon   Jovy Anne V. Delos Reyes   Victor S. Ticzon   and Damasa M. Macandog   

The Phil-LiDAR 2 program aims to extract the natural resources of the Philippines from the available two points per square meter LiDAR data. Mangroves, being coastal resources, were one of the foci of this program under the Aquatic Resources Extraction from LiDAR Surveys (CoastMap). The object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach, and support vector machine (SVM) algorithm were utilized to classify three major classes from the LiDAR data, namely: mangrove, other vegetation, and non-vegetation. Object feature values used in the classification include the mean, standard deviation, mode, and texture values from the generated LiDAR derivatives. These derivatives include the Digital Surface Model (DSM), Digital Terrain Model (DTM), Canopy Height Model (CHM), Intensity, Number of Returns, Normalized DSM (NDSM), Slope, and Slope of Slope. Moreover, field data collection and validation provided key references in the supervised SVM classification and contextual editing of the extracted mangrove areas. From the implemented classification, an overall accuracy of above 90% was achieved. Focusing with the final classified mangrove coverage, management of the mangrove resources can be made proper and efficient. Furthermore, high resolution or detailed spatial information can support programs like Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) and biodiversity studies.

Nan-Min Wu   and Wen-Chin Chen   

This study assessed the aquatic toxicity of the River Keya during its passage through the Hsin Chu City, Taiwan. The River Keya receives effluent from the Union Wastewater Treatment Plant of Hsin Chu Science Industrial Park (UWTP-HCSIP) primarily covering more than 500 semiconductors-related high-tech industries. Although the effluent from the UWTP-HCSIP has met the current environmental regulations of Taiwan, the aquatic environment of the River Keya was frequently subjected to unknown interferences. The aim of present study was to assess the acute toxicity of the River Keya using Daphnia magna. Six sampling sites were arranged where four were at downstream from the confluence of the effluent from the UWTP-HCSIP to the River Keya, and the other two were at the upstream to serve as references. Daphnia magna was employed to test the static 24-h acute toxicity, and the data obtained were further analyzed using the Probit and Spearman-Karber statistical models. Results showed a significant increase of the electric conductivity, BOD₅, and COD in those sampling sites downstream of the confluence point. The toxicity unit (TU) of the river water showed an increase-then-decrease fashion, and up to a 3-fold increase of TU was found downstream the UWTP-HCSIP effluent convergent to the River Keya. In comparison with the TU of the samples taken at the discharge point of the UWTP-HCSIP and the downstream of the convergence, the former is two times higher than the latter. These comparative results revealed that the aquatic toxicity effect is close related to the effluent from the UWTP-HCSIP, and a carry capacity of River Keya, especially for aquatic toxicity should be established.

Yudi Firmanul Arifin   Siti Hamidah   Trisnu Satriadi   and Gusti Muhammad Hatta   

Gemor is one of the forest products of high economic value. The bark can be used for the manufacture of mosquito coils; so many people collect them for sale. The selling price of wet-bark reaches 231-385 USD per ton. High prices of Gemor lead to increased exploitation. Conservation efforts are not done yet, so this species will be endangered. This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of Gemor habitat and phytochemical confounds of leave, twig, and bark. From this research which part can produce insecticide besides stem bark can be known. It can be used for an alternative for utilization of Gemor besides bark. It was revealed that the Gemor tended to live well on habitats which have on peatlands, sometimes flooded, pH of 3.52-3.58, and pyrite of 0.17-0.21%. It needed N of 1.21-1.43%, P of 9.00-9.10mg/100g, C of 3.78-9.29%. This species was living generally in secondary forests with a light intensity of 3-5% and humidity of 88-99%. Phytochemical analysis indicated the other anatomy of Gemor besides the bark, namely leaves and twigs also contain secondary metabolites, such as; alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, and phenolic. Flavonoids and phenolic compounds were potentially as natural insecticides. Flavonoids and phenolic in leaves were higher than the bark, so it can be said that the leave of Gemor was potentially as natural insecticides.

E. Ray Garnett   and Madhav L. Khandekar   

The Canadian prairies are Canada's granaries, producing up to 75 million tons of grain (primarily wheat, barley, and oats) and oilseeds (primarily canola) during the summer months of June to August. Canada is a major grain exporting country; exports have a market value of about 30-40 billion US dollars. The Canadian prairie agricultural industry is a major socio-economic activity for western Canada, employing thousands in farming communities and in other industries such as transportation on a year-round basis. A good grain harvest in a given year depends critically on various summer weather and climate extremes which can adversely or favorably impact grain yield and quality. Typical among such extremes that can impact crop yield and quality are: extended drought accompanied by heat; wet and cool summers; and frosts during sowing period (late May to early June) and during ripening (August) and the harvest period (late August to mid-October). This paper presents a number of examples of how extreme weather is implicated in grain production and quality estimates and annual exports. The paper analyzes some of the weather and climate extremes and their linkages to large-scale atmosphere-ocean circulation patterns. Among some of the important large-scale parameters that impact prairie summer weather are: the ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) phase in the equatorial Pacific, the MJO (Madden-Julian Oscillation in the eastern tropical latitude) and the PNA (Pacific North American) atmospheric flow pattern. Also detected is the impact of solar variability as identified by a geomagnetic index called the AP index (averaged planetary index). Please see Glossary of Terms in the Appendix.

Maria Teresa Vilela Nogueira Abdo   Sergio Valiengo Valeri   and Antonio Sergio Ferraudo   

Atlantic forest biome in Brazil has high biodiversity that is threated due to fragmentation and its remnants retain important residual flora that should be preserved. Studies of environmental conditions that influence species occurrence in those areas are very important to preserve them. This study characterized two remnants vegetation in the Biological Reserve, Pindorama-SP, Brazil, classified as seasonal semideciduous forest sampled in 65 plots of 400 m², using soil attributes and vegetation data. Soil attributes altitude, basal area, height and number of trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≄ 5 cm were evaluated in the plots and non-arboreous species infestation was evaluated in a randomly drawn quadrant of 100 m². The hierarchical clustering, based on soil attributes, separated plots in two major groups and five subgroups of similarity used to characterize the vegetation and the species diversity, by the Shannon Index (H') and the Pielou Equitability Coefficient (J). Soil attributes influenced endemic trees and non-arborous vegetation showing that preservation of native vegetation should consider these species relationships. Plots with higher clay percentage and higher fertility had higher infestation of non-arboreous plants as bamboo, lianas and different grasses species and had lower species diversity, basal area and height of tree species.

Alev Akpinar Borazan   Duygu Gokdai   Caglayan Acikgoz   and Gunce Alp Adiguzel   

There is critical concern about meeting future global demand for materials because of the depletion of natural resources. In particular, the balance between future demand and sustainable supply will require a great deal of attention in years to come. The interest in the long term sustainability of material resources has led to advancements in bio-composite or polymer composite materials that are made from natural fibers and resin. Pinecones and chestnut waste are most often used as the biomass/biochar source. Nature proposes, and man disposes; we have to find or create new forms of pinecone and chestnut waste to increase their value and for environmental reasons. That is why the current waste was processed and transformed to filler in an up-graded state. In this study, composites were manufactured using chestnut waste and pinecone powder as filler and polyester as the polymer matrix. In addition, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide as hardener and cobalt naphthenate as accelerator were used to produce polyester composite. Raw materials of the fillers were treated with sodium hydroxide solution. The polyester amount was kept constant while the filler ratio was increased from 3% to 12% by weight. The similarities and differences between composites with different fillers and chemical pre-treatments were assessed by evaluating certain mechanical properties such as flexural strength, elastic modulus and hardness and various physical features such as density, open porosity percentage and water absorption. According to the experimental results, increasing the ratio of both chestnut and pinecone powder led to a decrease in the bending strength and an increase in the elastic modulus. Higher properties were associated with the chestnut waste/polyester composite than the pinecone powder/polyester composite.

E.Z. Samyshev   and N.I. Minkina   

Monitoring of the annual cycle of main components of ecosystem of the Black Sea was carried out in the economic area of the ex-USSR during 1992 – 1993. As a part of the programme, suspended matter content, organic fractions and sedimentation rates in photic zone of the sea were investigated with the involvement of research vessels of the Ukrainian Research Centre of Ecology of Sea (UkrRCME). The investigation has shown that at known prevailing of particulate organic matter over abundance of structural elements of seston, seasonal changes in its content in the open sea agreed with seasonal changes in the abundance of plankton organisms; sedimentation rate of organic particles in photic zone was high and is driven by the hydrodynamic activity.

Eunice MacPepple   Ngozikaa Okereke   Celestine Egwuonwu   and Asinyetogha H. Igoni   

This study investigated the effect of raw sewage on the quality of surface water in Opobo town, Rivers State, Nigeria. The investigation was occasioned by the predominance of direct disposal of raw sewage into surface water bodies in the study area. Opobo town is a coastal community in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria; and in coastal communities, surface water contamination by fecal and organic matter is a primary water quality issue, especially in inland rivers. In the study, samples of surface water were collected with 500ml bottles at seven different points, ranging from the upstream to the downstream of the river. The samples were analyzed for twenty-two different water quality parameters, including turbidity, suspended solids, pH, alkalinity, ammonia nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), with the following mean values respectively obtained: 5.6 NTU, 359.3mg/l, 5.8, 164.1mg/l, 146.3mg/l, 204.7mg/l and 262.7mg/l. There were also substantial doses of total coliform (172.3cfu/100ml), E. coli (110.5cfu/100ml), Enterobacter (106.0cfu/100ml) and salmonella spp. (162.7cfu/100ml). These results were compared with standard criteria for coastal waters designated for aquatic life, recreation, navigation, and industrial water supply. It was found that the discharge of raw sewage into the surrounding surface waters in the area presented water quality that is injurious to both human and aquatic life. The practice is strongly discouraged and treatment of the sewage before disposal also strongly recommended.

Salim Marzoog Al-Harbi   

Epiphytic microalgae on seaweeds are sessile microscopic plants grown with attached or associated to seaweeds hosts and seaweeds are multicellular and macroscopic macro-algae, which are abundant in intertidal zones of coastal environments. Study on epiphytic microalgae is rare at Jeddah coast of the Red Sea. Thus, an investigation on epiphytic microalgae species composition and dynamics on seaweeds of Ulvaphyceae was carried out at northern coast of Jeddah, the Red Sea. The Red Sea is narrow oceanic basin which is lying between the African and the Asian continental shelves. During the study, 3 species of seaweeds were recorded in Ulvaphyceae which were Chaetomorpha linum, Enteromorpha intestinalis and Ulva lactuca. A total of 70 epiphytic microalgae were identified, including 63 belong to Bacillariophyceae, 5 belong to Cyanophyceae and 2 belong to Dinophyceae. Among the identified epiphytic microalgae of the host seaweeds of Ulvaphyceae, the percent contribution of epiphytic Bacillariophyceae, Cyanophyceae and Dinophyceae were 91.53, 6.55 and 2.61%, respectively. The cell abundance of epiphytes on host seaweeds of Ulvaphyceae varied from 8.00 to 93.00 cells/ cells/100 g of Ulvaphyceae seaweeds. The highest cell abundance was in spring and the lowest was in summer. On host seaweeds of Ulvaphyceae, the epiphytes of Licmophora abbreviata, Gyrosigma fasciola, Leptocylindrus danicus, Navicula distans, Navicula transitans, Pleurosigma angulatum and Pleurosigma normanii, Thalassionema frauenfeldii and Nitzschia hungarica were above 10% among epiphytic microalgae though Amphora spp., and Cocconeis spp., were found throughout the year. This finding could be the important source for future explanation of marine epiphytes and their host seaweed eco-biogeographical phenomena in the Red Sea.

Yuri Ya. Latypov   

Dynamics of biodiversity research traced reef-building scleractinian on the reefs of Vietnam for more than 35 years. Found 376 corals species, pertaining to 80 genera (including nine ahermatypic corals), of which 153 species, belonging to 28 genera, were not previously known for that region, and 16 species from six genera were described for the first time. As in most Indo-Pacific reefs, the species diversity of Vietnam's reefs consists mainly of the members of five families: Acroporidae (98 species), Faviidae (42 species), Fungiidae (32 species), Poritidae (31 species), and Dendrophylliidae (26 species), making up altogether 64.48% of the total scleractinian species composition. The species composition and high diversity of Vietnam's coral fauna, as well as its close similarity to the Southwest Pacific coral fauna, allow one to refer it to the Indonesia-Polynesian center of origin of the coral faunas of the tropical Indo-Pacific. The whole Vietnam coast, from the Gulf of Tonkin to the Gulf of Siam, is a biogeographically single whole and is part of the Indo-Polynesian Province of the Indo-Pacific Area.

Erin C. McCance   and Richard K. Baydack   

Capture, handling, and collaring of wildlife in urban environments pose unique challenges compared to similar programs conducted in more remote locations. With urban white-tailed deer (WTD) (Odocoileus virginianus) populations generally increasing across North America, the need to gain a better understanding of urban deer behavior and ecology is essential for effective management. Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry collars can efficiently track animal movements, and therefore urban deer capture is likely to be increasingly used. This research note offers critical considerations for wildlife managers embarking on an urban deer-collaring program, specifically in northern latitudes, including suggestions for selection of tracking collar, cage trap specifications, and other aspects for capturing and physically immobilizing deer within metropolitan landscapes.

Ahmed Mohamed Nasr-Allah   and Malcolm William Dickson   

This article investigates the relation between fish supply volumes and sales values in El-Obour wholesale market. The study also examines market cointegration between farmed tilapia and imported wild frozen fish (tilapia, mackerel, Mediterranean horse mackerel, sardine and lizardfish). Regression and Johansen cointegration analysis was used for market data analysis. Market data includes fish sales volume and prices in El-Obour wholesale market in 2012. The results indicate that there is a negative relationship between the volume of farmed tilapia supplied to the market and sales values. Cointegration analysis shows that tilapia grade 1 and 2 prices compete together in market while catfish does not compete with farmed tilapia. Frozen lizardfish and sardines prices are cointegrated with tilapia grades 1 and 2 while tilapia grade 3 competes with lizardfish and Mediterranean horse mackerel, but there was no evidence of market cointegration between catfish and frozen wild fish. The implications are important as increased tilapia supplies to the market leads to declining sales prices. In addition, there is market competition between wild frozen fish and farmed tilapia, however they are not fully integrated. Increasing imports of frozen fish could reduce the selling price of farmed tilapia and negatively influence investment in fish farms.

Juliano CĂ©sar Rego Ferreira   Daniela Neuffer   and Karen Juliana do Amaral   

In order to remove micropollutants from wastewater, it is necessary to adopt advanced treatment technologies, one of which is adsorption with activated carbon powder (ACP). This study evaluated the process of ACP adsorption to remove 18 emerging micropollutants from secondary wastewater effluent in the wastewater treatment plant in BĂŒsnau, Stuttgart, Germany. Norit ACP was selected for this study. The contact time was 30 minutes. In this configuration, removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals was higher than 77% with 10mg/L of ACP, and with 30 mg/L it was higher than 90%. For PCPs, removal efficiency with 10 mg/L of ACP varied from 50% for triethyl citrate and up to 88% for tonalide (AHTN), while 20mg/L removed more than 83% of each PCP analyzed. For the FROPs, removal rates with 10mg/L of ACP varied from 49% for N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (TCEP) and 91% for tris-(1,3-dichloroisopropyl)-phosphate (TDCP), and 20mg/L attained removal rates of 86% for TCEP and 99% for TDCP. Finally, MTBT and BT obtained removal levels equal to or higher than 60% with initial doses of 5mg/L of ACP. It was confirmed that treatment with ACP is an efficient solution for the removal of examined emerging micropollutants.

Teodoro Georgiadis   Marianna Nardino   and Letizia Cremonini   

Architectural modification of existing urban morphology sometimes result as improvements of aesthetic characteristics of open spaces but could produce detriment of pre-existing wellness for residential population. An example of ex-ante/ex-post study allows assessing a methodology devoted to planners for the maximization of physiological wellbeing.

Ayse Dilek Atasoy   and Mehmet Irfan Yesilnacar   

Fluoride ions in drinking water higher than the permissible level lead to negative effects on the human health. More than 200 million people in the world were adversely affected from the high fluorine water. Endemic fluorosis originating from the consumption of high fluorine water was observed also in some parts of Anatolia, Turkey. Volcanic formations are found in areas with high fluoride concentrations in ground waters. In this study, fluoride concentration in ground water was researched in two villages in Sanliurfa where comprised generally sedimental formations thereupon the identified fluorosis cases on the primary school students.

Ioryisa Verinumbe   

1) Background: Evaluation of Acacia nilotica, Acacia Senegal, Azadirachta indica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Khaya senegalensis, Leucaena leucocephala and Prosopis juliflora for growth and interactions with soil and crops for agroforestry development was undertaken on Entisols in the Sudan Sahel region of North Eastern Nigeria. One hundred trees of each species were established at 2 x 2m spacing on a sandy loam entisol by intercropping with beans (Vigna unguiculata) for the initial 2 years. Tree growth was regularly recorded and changes in soil properties as well as yield of Sorghum vulgare on them also evaluated. 2) Results: The tree species recorded more than 60% survival and grew rapidly. The highest annual mean tree girth growth rate of 3.65cm occurred in Leucaena leucocephala, followed by Acacia nilotica (3.61cm), Azadirachta indica (3.01cm), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (2.78cm), Khaya senegalensis (2.72cm), Acacia Senegal (2.55cm) and Prosopis juliflora (2.23cm). The trees accumulated sand and improved nutrient status of the soil under them. Sorghum vulgare crop grown on the forest soils produced higher dry matter yield than the surrounding field soil. The best crop yield of 3.22 g/plant occurred on Leucaena leucocephala soil, followed by Azadirachta indica (2.92 g/plant), Acacia nilotica (2.33 g/plant), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (2.22 g/plant), Prosopis juliflora (1.80 g/plant), Acacia Senegal (1.71 g/plant), the control (1.59 g/plant) and Khaya senegalensis (1.22 g/plant). 3)Conclusions: The study ranked species according to their growth and agroforestry qualities. It also observed some inter-tree species interactions which, when fully developed, will be very useful for scientific management of mixed species tropical agroforests.

Adam Ceesay   N'Da Hypolite Dibi   Ebrima Njie   Matthias Wolff   and Tidiani KonĂ©   

Changes in mangrove vegetation have been identified as important indicators of environmental deterioration. The mangroves of the Tanbi Wetland National Park (TWNP) connect the Atlantic coast with the estuary of the River Gambia and as such, play an invaluable role in the agriculture, tourism and fisheries sectors of The Gambia. Our research seeks to understand the long-term changes in the mangrove vegetation in order to strengthen the formulation of sustainable alternative livelihoods and adaptation strategies to climate change. Mangrove vegetation dynamics was assessed by remote sensing, using decadal Landsat images covering 1973 - 2012. Physicochemical parameters were analyzed during the rainy and dry seasons for correlation with climate data. Our findings indicate that the long-term changes in salinity (24.5 and 35.8ppt) and water temperature (27.6℃ and 30.2℃) during the rainy and dry seasons respectively are retarding mangrove growth. Mangrove vegetation cover declined by 6%, while grassland increased by 56.4%. This research concludes that long-term hyper-salinity is the cause for the stunted vegetation and lack of mangrove rejuvenation in TWNP. We propose that specialized replanting systems such as the use of saplings be adopted instead of the conventional use of propagules. Alternative livelihoods also need to be diversified to support coastal communities.

Assefa D. Zegeye   Tammo S. Steenhuis   Wolde Mekuria   Dessalegn C. Dagnaw   Meseret B. Addisse   Seifu A. Tilahun   and Tadele A. Kasse   

The Ethiopian government has been implementing a land restoration program that aimed to restore degraded ecosystems and double agricultural productivity throughout the country since 2010. However, the success of the restoration program has been limited due to the lack of integrating gully erosion control measures. Consequently, many reservoirs in Ethiopia and downstream riparian countries have lost their storage capacity due to sedimentation, and studies demonstrated that gully erosion is one of the degradation hotspots within watersheds and contribute considerable proportion of the total sediment loads from a particular watershed. This study was conducted in one of large gullies in the Debre-Mawi watershed, northwestern Ethiopia to quantify the effect of gully head treatment in reducing the amount of sediment load generated from uplands and from the gully itself. We measured discharge, and sediment load and concentration in 2013 and 2014 at the upstream (inlet) and downstream ends (outlet) of the studied gully. Before the 2014 rainy phase, a gully headcut was stabilized with gabions at the bed and the gully bank was regarded to 45^o. The gully head retreated 12 m in 2013 but gully head retreat was stopped following the implementation of the treatment in 2014. The total sediment load and sediment concentration at the outlet was reduced by 42% and 30% respectively, in 2014 (i.e., after treatment) when compared to 2013 (i.e., before treatment). The result of this study support that controlling the upward retreat of gully head is effective in reducing sediment load and concentration as well as upward movement and expansion of gullies. However, maintenance of gully head control measures is the key to sustain the benefits.

Dejan Ć abić   and SneĆŸana Vujadinović   

The Balkan Peninsula is a geographical region where different civilizations meet and permeate, but also a region of isolation and separation of its peoples. Its territory was the place where the interests of the great economic and political powers often collided and merged, mostly for political and military reasons. The historical processes that marked the last decade of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula were not in accordance with the integration processes in Europe, which took place after the Second World War, and whose intensity heightened after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of the two parts of Germany. Most nations in the region were not economically and politically ready to accept social changes in Europe and therefore remained isolated and separated in most cases. The article focuses on the geographical research of the isolation and separation features of the Balkan peoples and the states in the time of Jovan Cvijić and nowadays, through the prism of contemporary political and economic processes.

Oguz Kizek   Deniz Ä°zlen Çifçi   FĂŒsun Ekmekyapar   Antonietta Siciliano   and Sureyya Meriç   

Personal care products (PCPs), composed of various chemicals as complex mixture nature, are evaluated among those MPs found often in treated sewage and greywater. Among PCPs, detergents (PCDs) are forming specific complex mixtures containing various endocrine disruptor chemicals, to be handled accurately. In this study, acute toxicity of seven PCDs including shampoos (4) and shower gels (3) collected from different Hotels located in different countries was investigated. Chemical characterization (Chemical oxygen demand, COD; Total organic carbon, TOC) was performed according to Standard Methods. Besides, absorbance spectrum of each PCD was screened using UV-vis instrument. Acute toxicity of synthetic solutions prepared by dissolving PCDs in distilled water was assessed on two freshwater crustaceans Daphnia magna (D. magna) and Ceriodaphnia dubia (C. dubia) according to ISO 6341 Method. Acute toxicity was assessed for 24 and 48 h of exposure time by dividing the number of immobile organisms by total tested organisms (20) to score immobilization percentiles of each sample tested. By this way it was possible to calculate the concentration of EC50indicating a 50% population immobilization, using PROBIT program. The results of chemical characterization showed that the biodegradability by means of TOC/COD ratio of PCDs was very low. C. dubia was observed to be more sensitive than D. magna regarding lower values of EC50. All tested chemicals were found to be harmful according to EC50 toxic chemical's evaluation scoring system.

Rainer Schenk   

With individual examples [1 to 4] Schenk has demonstrated for AUSTAL2000 that the II. Law of Thermodynamics and the mass conservation law are violated. In [5] TruckenmĂŒller et. 13 alii one contradicts and explains that AUSTAL is verified and validated yet. However, it turns out that there is a trivial solution in the posted derivation of the reference solution. It will be noted that this solution is not usable and performs speculative deposition rates and thus hurts the balancing differential equation. The correct nontrivial solution, which is suitable for the description of deposition and sedimentation are given in this paper. Beyond the generality of the earlier objections raised against AUSTAL occupied by valid integral theorems. They are not restricted to individual cases. Homogeneity tests turn out to be useless trivial cases and are not suitable for validation. For identical tasks, different solutions are given and direct users astray. It is claimed to have taken into account sources at 200m height, but the simulation results do not show the effect of high altitude sources. Criticizable terminology shows that the authors of AUSTAL have little busy with the basics of momentum, heat and mass transfer laws. In the context of other inconsistencies, the author concludes that the grounds given by Janicke & Janicke tests to sedimentation and deposition uniformity and could not have taken place. The life story of AUSTAL 2000 begins in 1984 with a fatal error and via LASAT to AUSTAL. She has found in 2016 a temporary end with an unprecedented sleight of hand. Mathematics and mechanics are used as valid tools of an incorruptible evidence.

Shireen Kanakri   

Emerging research in Evidence-Based Design for interiors such as classrooms has begun considering the unique sensory needs of users with autism spectrum disorders. The current study observes the impact of the acoustic environment on repetitive speech and motor movement in children with autism. An observational study was conducted in four school classrooms to observe changes in behavior associated with changes in the decibel levels in the room. Forty-two children diagnosed with high-functioning autism between the ages of six and nine years old were observed in classroom settings. Variant decibel levels in the classrooms and variance in the frequency of repetitive behaviors were measured to determine the strength and direction of the correlations between the two. Results were analyzed using Noldus Observer XT software, and confirmed the hypothesized relationship. The finding that repetitive behavior is correlated with the acoustical condition of the environment should be considered in the design of classrooms for children with autism, for the benefit of user comfort and educational performance.

Bishnu Maharjan   Shahnawaz   Tej B. Thapa   and Purna Man Shrestha   

Existence of predators like common leopard (Panthera pardus) is associated with high biodiversity, so the protection of their habitats is one of the most effective ways to conserve biodiversity globally. Considering the facts above, the main objective of this research is to predict and map the possible habitat for Common Leopard in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park by using remote sensing and GIS approach. In order to achieve that, Species Distribution Modeling (MaxEnt) was demonstrated to predict the Common Leopard's distribution and was applied to figure out possible suitable area in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. By using presence - only data of Common Leopard (Panthera pardus) occurrences, 138 observation points alongside several environmental variables which consist Distance from Settlement Area, Forest, Bush, Road, Sparse Forest and Agricultural Area were developed in to MaxEnt Programme. Remotely sensed imagery of ResourceSat-2 imagery used by applying supervised classification in order to determine land use land cover characteristics of the study area. Image processing and feature extraction was done by Erdas Imagine 2011 and maximum likelihood supervised classification was done. The contribution of variable "Distance from Settlement Area (52.4%)" was highest to impact the model. The model performance was accessed through using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) plots and Jackknife tests. The Area under Training data (ROC) curve (RUC) 0.828 and that of Test data ROC curve was 0.678 which is acceptable than the Random Prediction Model (AUC) of 0.5.

Levent Bilgili   and Ugur Bugra Celebi   

Shipping has the major part of world trading with a ratio of approximately 90%. Besides their great benefits on economy, shipping activities are responsible for considerable amounts of harmful emissions and wastes which can be occurred in gaseous, liquid and solid forms. Most of the gaseous emissions are formed during operation phase. In this study, three scenarios are developed based on real shipping data in order to investigate the effect of ship size to air emissions formed during operation phase. In the first scenario, Ship A carries 170,000 tons of goods, per se. In the second scenario, Ship B and Ship C carry 170,000 tons of goods in the same route with Ship A. In the third scenario, Ship B, Ship D and Ship E carry the same amount of load in the same route with the previous scenarios.

Ilknur Senturk   and Hanife Buyukgungor   

The aim of this study is to investigate the usability of sewage sludge, a waste from waste water treatment facility, at constant temperature and different pH conditions in the hydrogen production by dark fermentation. It was understood from the results that hydrogen production varies according to the characterization of activated sludge. In the experiments performed at different pH values (pH 4-8) at 35℃, maximum hydrogen production was achieved within the first 24 hours. Except for one performed at pH 8, hydrogen gas release was observed at other pH values within 2 hours. However, according to the results obtained at the 24th hour, maximum hydrogen production (2489 mL/m³H₂) was observed at pH 8.

Ken Johnson   Glenn Prosko   and David Lycon   

The consistent performance of wastewater treatment in the far north of Canada, in general, remains an elusive objective, and a frustration for engineers, communities, senior governments, and regulators. Lagoon systems suffer from performance inconsistencies, and a significant scientific effort has been underway by the Government of Nunavut to study and predict the performance of lagoon systems. It has been pointed out that those systems which are technologically simple, and engineered for sufficient capacity tend to perform well, however lagoon systems are ultimately at the mercy of the natural environment, which is extreme in the far north. Mechanical systems do offer the opportunity to reduce the influence of the natural environment, however a multitude of other factors affect the design, construction, operation and maintenance of mechanical systems in the far north. As an opportunity to mitigate the challenges associated with mechanical wastewater systems, a synopsis of the community mechanical treatment facilities in the north has been compiled. Lessons learned from the challenges with mechanical wastewater systems in the far north have been catalogued as a legacy document to future project stakeholders. This compilation is a first attempt to provide a documentation to serve as a reference for improving the development, execution, and operation of future mechanical wastewater treatment projects, where this technical option is deemed appropriate.

Yulian Carrasco RodrĂ­guez   Marcos Pedro Ramos RodrĂ­guez   Antonio Carlos Batista   JesĂșs MarĂ­a Cabrera Reina   and Carlos Alberto Miranda Sierra   

The database on fire statistics is useful tool for efficient planning of preventive suitable measures to each area. Base on that, it allows to establish the trend of occurrences of fires and their affectations, periods the day and year with increased risk for emergency and spreading; but also the causes of emergence, the forest and species to be damage. Likewise, it is possible to analyze the effectiveness of fire protection services. The present study aims to analyze through the database, the trend of forest fires dynamic in Pinar del RĂ­o using a series of 20 years since (1994-2013), to improve the prevention actions. The results have shown a total of 1,466 fires and 31,881.6 ha of burned areas during the last 20 years mainly at 14:00 to 17:00 hours of pine plantation.

Sophia Barinova   and Elena Krupa   

Altogether 76 species of algae were revealed in 13 sampling stations of the Shardara Reservoir's phytoplankton during summer 2015. Chlorophyta algae prevailed. Bioindication methods were used to characterize the reservoir water quality and trophic level as fresh and mesotrophic. For the first time, we used a new statistical approach in analyzing data on biodiversity and phytoplankton productivity in order to determine the main source of pollution. The spatial maps for different variables together with bioindication results were drawn using the Statistica 12.0 program. As an introduction to the new surface mapping method, we conclude that statistical maps are more representative and correspond better with the environment. The maps helped us to characterize the Shardara Reservoir as freshwater, with the source of pollution coming from the rivers and agricultural channels together with some toxic substances being dissolved at the lower part of the waterbody near the dam. The main self-purification processes in the studied waterbody mostly occur by means of the green planktonic algae at the central part of the reservoir. The present study demonstrated that using the surface mapping method is advisable in assessing the ecological conditions of the waterbody not for individual stations but for the reservoir as a whole. This study confirms our bioindication results on the correlation of water temperature and total dissolved solids, which is strongly related to water mass disturbance by the wind. Statistical mapping also confirms that the bioindication method showed a more detailed picture than standard physico-chemical analysis.

Msafiri Yusuph Mkonda   and Xinhua He   

This paper examines the existing resources curse in Tanzania with detailed analyses on the controversy. A country with high resources endowments: i.e. about 44 million hectares of arable land, precious minerals, forests resources, water and wildlife but is among the poorest countries in the planet Earth. Here we reviewed over 25 reports, journal papers and books and found that all precious natural resources have insignificant contribution to socio-economic development of the people. The resource curse is confirmed in about all resources as there is no correlation between the quality of life and resources endowments. In recent years, the country has recorded the lowest per capita income at $ 960 with weak purchasing power parity. This declares that all consumptions, investments and government spending are insignificant. In addition, approximately 75% of the population depends on under-developed smallholder primary agricultural production, small-scale mining and other micro economic sector. Under such a situation, about 51% of the Tanzanians are poor and roughly one-third of these people live in abject poverty. Similarly, despite of the recent discovery of 2.17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas deposit, more than 50% of households have no access to basic requirements such as electricity, medical care etc. The human development index = 0.521 (low) i.e. life expectancy has decreased to about 50 years, illiteracy rate is about 68%, high rates of malnutrition and poor access to safe water both in urban and rural areas are other acute problems to the Tanzanians. Food insecurity is about 41% of households due to poor yields. The major causes for all these misfortunes are poor governance, policy failure, interference of political interest in professionalism, inadequate technology and corruption just to mention a few. Despite of the efforts as stipulated in section 7 of this paper, it is further projected that competition over resources use is expected to elevate being from within and outside the country. This will exacerbate the level of poverty among the poor and increase their vulnerability. To address the problem, the government needs to undertake serious and sustainable measures over the control and use of natural resources.

Ram Chand   Anand Narain Singh   and C. Nirmala   

The present study was conducted to explore diversity and status of underutilized wild edible plants of Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh, India. Total 85 plant species of 66 genera belonging to 39 families under various life forms and origins were recorded; in which, 30 species as trees (25 native and 5 exotic), 11 shrubs (6 native and 5 exotic), 28 herbs (10 native and 18 exotic) and remaining 16 were creepers (12 native and 4 exotic). Edibility index (EI) showed 100% score of edibility by two species, while 80% was shown by 11 species, 40% by 3 species and remaining 69 species showed 10 to 30% only. Across family, maximum utilization efficiency (10 score) was found only in 2 families (Apiaceae and Violaceae), while 5 families (Chenopodiaceae, Commelinaceae, Liliaceae, Oxalidaceae and Portulaceae) have shown 8 and one family (Amaranthaceae) exhibited 5.8 score followed by 31 other families. In this study, it was observed that consumption mode of various plant parts were either fresh or cooked. In conclusion, present study may help in alleviating food scarcity, malnutrition and can be employed further as commercial crop plants for the welfare of human in developing countries.

Kari I. HĂ€nninen   

Two lowest excited energy states of the ground state molecule, and , exist in troposphere. They are called as singlet oxygen molecules. The mechanism leading to their formation in the peat stack is indirect photolysis. Almost all chromophores which absorb UV/visible radiation are able to transfer the needed excitation energy to molecules. The decomposition process of organic material (OM) in the peat stack raises its temperature and produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and humified OM with conjugated double bond structures. This increases the efficiency of indirect photolysis. The residence time of 14 minutes allows to accumulate in sufficiently rich atmosphere inside the stack. Excess energies of and heat the system and creates from VOCs/OM hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals which further propagate exothermic reactions. These natural heating mechanisms may locally add enough to the overall stack temperature of 50 to 70℃ to trigger self-ignition of VOCs. Sporadic but frequent micro-fires may generate hot spots of carbonaceous char, which achieve and maintain temperatures of 170 to 220℃. This heat generates hot spots of smouldering fire, which may further develop to ember stage. Finally, if wind inflames, an open fire may eventually evolve in the peat stack.

Ranjit Das   and Bipul Talukdar   

Temporal Satellite Remote Sensing data of a river system of highly unstable bank can be analyzed in GIS environment for identification of river bank erosion as well as patches of embankment vulnerable to breaching. A case study was carried out in the Subansiri River, a tributary of river Brahmaputra of Assam, in India to identify locations of bank erosion and corresponding patches of embankment vulnerable to breaching. Temporal dataset of cartosat-1 imagery for the year 2007 and 2009 were used for mapping the flow channel of river Subansiri. Embankments present in the river were mapped from the cartosat-1 data with the help of embankment index map collected from Assam State Water Resource Department. Based on the degree of convergence and narrowness between the flow channel and embankment, some patches of embankment identified as vulnerable to breaching and classified as very high, high and moderate vulnerable to breaching. Three patches of embankment were identified as very high vulnerable to breaching which came to be true in successive flood season of 2010. The method may be a good tool for predicting embankment vulnerability to breaching due to bank erosion and can be implemented for planning of river bank protection work and preparedness for flood season for a flood prone state like Assam.

Renyan Liu   Lei Liu   Yanlong Xu   Lin Yang   Yubo Liang   Dongmei Li   Ning Wei   Decai Yang   and Ye Cong   

Yessotoxins(YTXs) is a phycotoxin produced by phytoplankton that has been reported as cardiotoxic and have been detected in microalgae and/or bivalve molluscs in many countries. Their presence in shellfish was discovered due to their high acute toxicity in mice after i.p. injection of lipophilic extracts. YTXs in sediment, seawater, plankton and shellfish in the northern Yellow Sea of China were investigated. The least YTXs level and the lowest detection rate occurred in sediment, while a maximum level of 24.6ng/L appeared in the plankton; the change trend in seawater was similar to that in plankton. YTXs in mussel and Chlamys farreri were all higher than it in oyster. The three dinoflagellates which can produce YTXs, Protoceratium reticulatum, Lingulodinium polyedrum and Gonyaulax spinifera, have been all found. The abundance change of toxic dinoflagellates was consistent with YTXs in plankton, seawater and shellfishes. P. reticulatum is one of the main microalgae which can produce YTXs in the northern Yellow Sea coast; this P. reticulatum have been separated from seawater, and its ecological features of production YTXs have been studied. The distribution of YTXs in particulate matters, seawater, and shellfishes has also been studied by the experiments of feeding trial to Patinopecten yessoensis, Chlamys farreri and mussel. The more YTXs would distribute in particles and seawater, while in shellfishes there was the smallest proportion, only 1% around. According to the results in this paper, the ecological functions of the northern Yellow Sea coast as aquiculture area was still good, but the potential ecological risk of YTXs cannot be ignored.

Jim Williams   

The paper argues that by the time of European contact Ngāi Tahu, the southernmost Māori had developed a regime of sustainable practices for the management of natural resources. Some of these practices are described. As traditional society, in the south, is located in a rather different cultural milieu than that occupied by Māori who lived in areas where kƫmera harvests were reliable, an attempt is made to position Southern Ngāi Tahu in relation to the dominant anthropological paradigms, as an agricultural people may seem to have regressed to become primarily hunters and gatherers.

Yeong Nain Chi   

Using data collected from the 2013 National Saltwater Angler Survey, this study examined respondents' answers to fifteen statements regarding the importance of fishing trips to discern patterns from individuals' preferences, to classify groups exhibiting common patterns of responses, and to identify the determinants of respondent groups. These statements were condensed into five dimensions using the principal components analysis. Empirical results based on the two-stage cluster analysis identified three groups of respondents. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was utilized to examine the association between socio-demographic characteristics and cluster memberships. Results of this study may provide insight into the understanding of the importance of fishing trips among saltwater anglers for saltwater recreational fishing planning and management purposes.

Lisho C. Mundia   

The article presents the empirical findings on the georeferenced digital database for sustainable land use management of the Hardap region, Namibia. The research signifies the continuous value of geographical data management for land use planning and management in Namibia. The research applied a combination of approaches that include literature review, Geographical Information System (GIS), delineation of the imagery, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and cartographic mapping. Both positive and negative impacts of the georeferenced digital database for sustainable land use management were explored. The research findings, among others, include the concepts, explanations, procedures and the value of the georeferenced digital database towards sustainable land use management. The research further provides important results such as existing organisational structures for spatial data management, elaborated procedures and steps for creating a georeferenced digital database for proper management of the GIS data in Namibia. Key recommendations include proper managed organisational structures for spatial data management, implementation of the elaborated procedures and steps for creating a georeferenced digital database for sustainable land use planning in Namibia.

Lisho C. Mundia   

The empirical findings presented in this paper are for the participatory approaches in sustainable land use planning. The value of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT), sketch and photo-mapping approaches aided by Geographical Information System (GIS) technology is emphasised. Various participants in Hardap region and experts associated with the Land Use Planning (LUP) development in that region provided their insightful knowledges, experiences and opinions on the value of participatory approaches aided by GIS technology in LUP. Combinations of research approaches were applied; these are literature review, the SWOT, sketch and photo mapping. Both positive and negative impacts of the approaches in evaluating the outcomes of the participatory mapping aided by GIS technology were gathered and the results were verified. The research established that the importance, the strengths and opportunities of participatory approaches in LUP are used in Namibia. There is however still a lack of knowledge on participatory methods to support land management programmes in Namibia. Key recommendations include awareness programme and intense studies on the potential value of participatory methods in LUP.

Lisho C. Mundia   

The paper presents empirical findings on the frameworks and guidelines for participatory mapping aided by Geographical Information System (GIS) technology. It reflects the empirical benefits and challenges towards the participatory mapping, frameworks and guidelines in Land Use Planning (LUP) and the aid of GIS technology towards sustainable LUP in Namibia. The research applied a combination of approaches that include literature review, consultative meetings, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). Both positive and negative impacts of the frameworks and guidelines were gathered and the results were verified to suit the participatory mapping aided by GIS technology. The research established that although frameworks and guidelines for participatory mapping aided by GIS are more favourable around the world, a comprehensive understanding is required to be applied in LUP. Although the frameworks and guidelines provide steps on how to be applied in a participatory setting, there is a need for understanding of the areas of applications and cartographical knowledge. Key recommendations include proper use of frameworks and guidelines for participatory mapping and incorporation of GIS technology in LUP.

Marcos Silveira Wrege   ValderĂȘs Aparecida de Sousa   Elenice Fritzsons   MĂĄrcia Toffani SimĂŁo Soares   and Ananda VirgĂ­nia de Aguiar   

Geographic distribution forecast of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) O. Kuntze. was studied. This is a native species that occurs more frequently in the southern region of Brazil and, to a lesser extent, in the southeasthern region. The study was based on points of occurrence that were collected over several years by Embrapa Forests and complemented by points obtained from herbaria, banks and several educational institutions, including the biological collections database Reference Center Environmental Information (CRIA), which gathers information from various herbaria in Brazil. We used mathematical models occurrence prediction, including: Bioclim, and Niche Mosaic. The models were selected for best representing the regions of occurrence. In addition to the points of occurrence, to compose the spatial modeling environmental data, climate, soil, and topography were needed. In the study we used only climate data such as the average minimum air temperature, average maximum air temperature, accumulated rainfall, and average relative humidity. We didn't use soil data because there was not a detailed survey available throughout the area of occurrence of the species. We conclude that the naturally occurring region of Araucaria was well represented using only the climate data and two models that well represented the occurrence of regions. With climate change, there is a strong tendency to reduce the potential area of Araucaria in Brazil, especially in regions at lower latitudes and altitudes.

Desissa Yadeta   

Paper Packaging Industries are manufacturing corrugated boxes or packets from test liner, Kraft liner and fluting medium using different printing inks. In current study unlimited paper packaging incorporates sort of high technology process and hence generating solid as well as liquid wastes. Subsequently further analysis and treatment was expected to be carried out. A Physico chemical characteristic of each waste was analyzed with relevant analytical tools such as AAS, pH, conductometre and titration methods. From the result metal ions such as and Hg were detected to be less than 10^-4 ”g/l both in solid and liquid wastes. BOD and COD were determined both in liquid raw material and liquid wastes and the result showed that BOD; 163.95, 136.5, 1050, 719.22 and 647.15mg/L in glue, starch, ink, effluent before treatment and effluent after treatment respectively. COD was determined to be 33,300, 40,200, 13,200, 1,780 and 3500mg/L in glue, starch, ink, effluent before treatment and effluent after treatment respectively. pH is 4.74 in solid and 4.3 in liquid wastes, phosphorous 2.098 and potassium 2.698 mg/kg in solid wastes. The level of TDS and TSS in effluent before treatment is 3510 and 422 mg/L respectively and 9425 and 588 mg/L in effluent after treatment; electrical conductivity is also detected to be 137.1”g/L. in solid wastes. The method of treatment was optimized to reduce elevated amount of BOD and COD. After optimization the level of contaminants COD reduced by 48.28% and BOD by 82.05%.

Enza Di Carlo   Rosa Chisesi   Giovanna Barresi   Salvatore Barbaro   Giovanna Lombardo   Valentina Rotolo   Mauro Sebastianelli   Giovanni Travagliato   and Franco Palla   

Cultural heritage constitutive materials can provide excellent substrates for microbial colonization, highly influenced by thermo-hygrometric parameters. In cultural heritage-related environments, a detrimental microbial load may be present both on manufacts surface and in the aerosol. In this study, bacterial and fungal colonisation has been investigated in three Sicilian confined environments (archive, cave and hypogea), each with peculiar structures and different thermo-hygrometric parameters. Particular attention has been paid to microorganisms able to induce artifacts biodeterioration and to release biological particles in the aerosol (spores, cellular debrides, toxins and allergens) potentially dangerous for the human health (visitors/users). Results provided information on the composition of the biological consortia, highlighting also the symbiotic relationships between micro (cyanobacteria, bacteria and fungi) and macro-organisms (plants, bryophyte and insects). The results of this integrated approach, including molecular biology techniques, are essential for a complete understanding of both microbial colonization of the cultural objects and the potential relationship with illness to human.

Shireen Kanakri   Megan Schott   Amy Mitchell   Haitham Mohammad   Minna Etters   and Nicole Palme   

Wayfinding is the phenomenon of locating an intended destination within an environment [1]. This occurs through complex, dynamic communication between the built environment and the user [2]. Successful wayfinding design allows users to: determine their location within a setting, determine their destination, and develop a plan that will take them from their location to their destination. This study analyzes the role of stress in wayfinding, and the implications of this relationship for educational wayfinding systems. Thirty-five participants were assigned target locations in two buildings. Wayfinding routes were mapped and timed by research assistants. After the tasks, participants completed measures of stress level and difficulty. Results supported the hypothesis that perceived difficulty is positively correlated with level of stress. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to effective wayfinding systems in education settings.

Gregory Shahane De Costa   and Wajira Dassanayake   

This paper highlights investigation and the impacts on the changes in groundwater table caused by sea level rise due to climate change in Wellington New Zealand and translates it to possible impacts in Colombo Sri Lanka. Similarly the possible loss of land due to elevated sea level rise has been investigated. In the past 100 years sea level raised on average by 0.2m in Wellington region and it is predicted that by the 2090 sea level will increase by 0.8 m and by 2115 almost 1m. Therefore an investigation has been carried out by developing a three-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical model. Numerical model was developed using comprehensive groundwater modelling package FEFLOW 6.1. Once the model was developed and calibrated, four scenarios were investigated. Scenario 1 assumed the increase of 0.5 m of the mean seawater level (MSL). Scenario 2, Scenario 3 and Scenario 4 assumed an increase of 1.0 m, 1.5 m and 2.0 m MSL respectively. The changes were compared in nine observation bores and the results are presented. Thereafter taking into consideration the variability of rainfall these estimations have been translated for Colombo. The loss of land is also analysed for those four cases. The loss of the land due to sea level rise was estimated by using ArcGIS (ESRI, 2012). The affected area by the sea level is defined by the corresponding contour, 0.5 m, 1.0 m, 1.5 m and 2.0 m, and the coastline which corresponds to 0 m contour and the sea level at present day. Again these results have been translated to Colombo and presented.

Gentiana Shegani   

A study of the Osumi River possesses great importance because of its strategic geographical position, and for the fact that high quality water can affect aquatic flora and fauna. Determinant factors that influence quality river water quality include climatic conditions, such as temperature variation, amount of rainfall and erosion of the soil. This investigation represents the seasonal variation of different physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters, consequently to estimate the pollution status of Osumi River depending on weather conditions during the dry and rainy season. This study was carried out for a period of two years from January 2012 to December 2013. Five sampling stations were established during this investigation. The collected samples were divided into two groups. Each group depended on the weather conditions during the study period: October 2012- February 2013, during cool-cold weather (the wet season); March 2012- September 2013, during warm-hot weather (the dry season).The maximum pH value 9.04 was observed as a result of the discharge of tannery wastewaters into river water of this area. COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) values ranged from 7.97 to 51.63 mg/L O₂ during the dry season and from 13.4 to 171.37 mg/L O₂ during the wet season. Chloride levels ranged from 17.74 to 258.27mg/L during the dry season and from 21.27 to 685.83 mg/L during the wet season. TSS values exceeded many times the limit of the EU Directive- 50mg/L for the quality of fresh waters for aquatic life. Seasonal values of physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters of Osumi River varied according to sampling sites depending on the quantity and activity of the source of pollution into the river water. Variation according to season did not adhered to any specific trends.

Kenji Tanaka   Shunya Mori   Mai Hirata   and Hiromi Matsusaki   

The cell growth on H₂ and O₂ as the energy source and CO₂ as the sole carbon source in the autotrophic culture condition was tested for the gram-negative bacteria Paracoccus spp. The aerobic growth in the autotrophic condition was only observed in Paracoccus denitrificans NBRC13301 and P.pantotrophus NBRC102493. Both strains were sensitive to O₂ in particular the growth of P.pantotrophus was completely inhibited at the concentrations above 2% O₂. P.denitrificans grew until 15% O₂ however the optimum O₂ concentration was 5%. The growth characteristic of P.denitrificans was investigated by pH-controlled batch culture with supplying the gas mixture of H₂, O₂ and CO₂. The specific growth rate was 0.12 h^-1 at 5% O₂, 30℃ and pH7.0. The growth was much slower than other hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria however P.denitrificans accumulated biodegradable plastic, polyhydroxybutyrate, PHB with the content of 57.3% w/w in the cell under nitrogen limitation. Under DO limitation, the cell concentration increased to 25 g/L without accumulating PHB if NH₃ solution as the nitrogen source was fed sufficiently.

Mega M. Sari   Takanobu Inoue   Yoshitaka Matsumoto   Kuriko Yokota   and Isrun Isrun   

Poboya, Central Sulawesi is one of the primary sites used for small-scale gold mining activities in Indonesia. Poboya consumes 200-500 kg of mercury/day by amalgamation. Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi, is a city with a population of 0.35 million people and located around 11 km away from the edge of a small-scale gold mining area in Poboya. Fifteen samples of upper layer soil and fifteen samples of plant (Calotropis gigantean) were taken along the road that connects Poboya to Palu, at every 500 m. Mercury concentration in the soil samples showed a gradual decrement as the distance from Poboya became greater. The plant samples also revealed a similar trend to the soil samples. The highest concentration of mercury in the soil was found at Poboya—i.e. 17.62 ng/mg, and the concentration of mercury in Calotropis gigantean grown at Poboya was 6.5 ng/mg. Based on the soil samples and pollution index, the data showed that the research area had heavy pollution levels up to 4 km. Moreover, the transfer factor was in the range of 0.13-3.44 at distances of 0-4 km, respectively.

Davaadorj Rendoo   Baatartsol Dayanjav   Uyanga Ganbold   Stephan Bose-O'Reilly   Altanchimeg Onom   Unursaikhan Surenjav   and Suvd Duvjir   

Introduction: Bornuur and Jargalant districts are sites with relatively long history of artisanal gold mining. The findings of this study are presented in the context of previous mercury exposure assessment conducted in 2008 by the WHO. This article summarizes the assessment of environmental and occupational exposure to mercury in the region following recent implementation of National Mercury Risk Management policies. Methods: A total of 79 blood and urine samples were analyzed for mercury content and grouped as: (1) as occupational exposure for high and medium values and (2) as an environmental exposure for low values. Mongolian background values for mercury content in blood and urine were used as a control. Internal mercury content distributions of the subgroups were compared using statistical tests. Results: The study revealed substantial reduction of mercury urine levels for both occupational (from 5.7”l/L in 2008 to 2.5”l/L in 2012) and environmental (4.78”l/L in 2008 to 1.09”l/L in 2012) exposure, opposite to the increase its level in blood (from 0.55”l/L in 2008 to 0.7”l/L in 2012 for occupational and from 0.33”l/L in 2008 to 0.48”l/L in 2012 for environmental exposure). Conclusion: Lowered urine levels of mercury indicate tendency for gradual decrease of exposure to it in study area, despite recent to the time of study exposure. Mining is remaining to be main exposure source for mercury in Mongolia; therefore the issue of mercury pollution could be regulated and prevented by proper policy measurements from the government towards artisanal mining.

Joseph Nagoli   Wapulumuka Mulwafu   Erik Green   Patrick Likongwe   and Linley Chiwona-Karltun   

This paper examines the linkage between resource scarcity and conflict during the 2012 Lake Chilwa water level recession. Ecosystem degradation and resource scarcity negatively affect many poor people dependent on aquatic systems such as river floodplains and wetlands. The need to identify and implement innovative measures to manage the scarce resources in these systems has sometimes resulted in conflicts among the various resource users such as fishers, farmers and political groups. However, the direct causal links between resource scarcity and conflict are contested and the evidence base is weak. Using empirical evidence from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted at Chisi Island of Lake Chilwa as a case study, we define the governance groups (vertical and horizontal) and the direct causal links between environmental scarcity and conflict during the 2012 lake recession. We argue that the actual risk of increasing conflicts caused by resource scarcity will depend on the level of vulnerability of populations, ecosystems, economies and institutions in the context of authority, legitimacy and capacities to effectively manage resource scarcity.

H. O. Dossou-Yovo   A. E. Assogbadjo   and B. Sinsin   

The role of termitaria in plant species diversity and conservation was investigated in Pendjari National Park and surroundings. The study objectives were to (i) compare termitaria vegetation similarity, life form and chorological composition between areas, (ii) investigate the difference of species richness and diversity on termitaria between living versus abandoned termitaria, and (iii) predict the species richness and diversity on termitaria as a function of termiaria size. Results show that species from the combretaceae family were the most abundant on termitaria; plant communities on termitaria were different among areas and between living and abandoned termitaria. Phanerophytes were abundant on mounds, therophytes were abundant on termitaria within the protected areas and farms outside of the park; however hemicryptophytes were as abundant as phanerophytes in fallows. From a phytogeographic perspective, species typical of Sudanian ecological region were the most abundant on termitaria. There was no difference in the richness and diversity of termitaria woody species, between termitaria state (dead or live) or between management type (protected or unprotected). Termitaria areas rather than termitaria height significantly correlated with the species richness and diversity. Larger termitaria had the highest diversity. Termitaria vegetation reflects the influence of local climate, moreover termitaria size can be used to predict the species richness and diversity related to them. The termitaria size has no influence on the richness and diversity of woody species related to them.

Akpona TĂšwogbadĂ© Jean Didier   Idohou Rodrigue   Assogbadjo Achille   Salako KolawolĂ© ValĂšre   and GlĂšlĂš KakaĂŻ Romain   

The reported declines in populations of several native species have biological, cultural and economic implications as cattle and illegal logging. To understand factors supporting endangered species conservation and management in Benin, we focused on plantations of dry zone Mahogany (Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A.Juss.) in sudano-guinean zone of Benin. This study illustrates how the dry zone mahogany is established in plantations in Benin. It discusses the challenges for its appropriate conservation and management in Benin.

Aladesanmi D. Agbelade   Jonathan C. Onyekwelu   and Oluwaseun Apogbona   

This research focuses on the urban tree species population and diversity within Ibadan metropolis as a means of creating biodiversity database for the urban centre in South west, Nigeria. This was determined by assessing urban forest tree abundance, species diversity and growth yield. All trees with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≄ 10 cm were identified, dbh measured and their frequencies taken in all the area enumerated within Ibadan. There are 155 tree stems belonging to 26 families and 54 tree species within Ibadan built-up areas and 101 tree stems belonging to 16 families and 19 tree species in peri-urban centre of Ibadan. The two most abundant species and families were Delonix regia of Fabaceae family and Terminalia ivorensis of Combretaceae family (18 and 17 stems) respectively while Fabaceae family has (7 species). The value of the Shannon's max diversity index (Hmax) of (3.99 and 2.94), Shannon-Wiener diversity index (3.35 and 2.48) and species evenness 0.84 were the same for peri-urban centre, while the growth variable were basal area and volume of (22.8m² and 18.5m²) and (284.8m³ and 275.3m³) respectively. This study provide information on the level of tree species biodiversity due to infrastructure development that has reduced forest cover within the built-up areas of Ibadan which can expose the city to lot of environmental hazard.

Sandra Golubić   

The plane tree in Nedeliơće is the first piece of nature to have been protected in Međimurje, proclaimed to be protected in February, 1963. The foundations for the first official environmental protection were laid by the 1960 Environmental Protection Act. This proclamation has been part of general trends of proclaiming protected areas in Croatia in the past fifty years. The timing and the way of proclaiming protected areas in Međimurje County followed the pattern of proclaiming protected areas in other parts of The Republic of Croatia. The early period of the history of proclaiming protected areas was characterized by a large number of small protected areas. This trend changed over time towards proclaiming a smaller number of larger protected areas. In the same way, Međimurje County proclaimed the area by the Mura River protected in 2001, and ten years later, The Government of the Republic of Croatia proclaimed the areas by the Mura and the Drava Rivers a regional park Mura-Drava. The population density of the county, constant aspirations for economic growth, and a global trend of diminishing biological and landscape diversity require the application of the concept of protection that will take into consideration the singularities and differences within each area.

Robert J. Danehy   and Andrew R. Moldenke   

Aquatic biological diversity in Pacific Northwest (PNW) forests was examined after two disturbance types: natural (flooding with and without associated debris flows); and anthropogenic (canopy removal). Within the region two multi-decade studies on aquatic insects in western Oregon establish the likely upper ends of forested stream richness, with richness values of ≈300 taxa collected at Berry Creek and 449 taxa within a small watershed (Lookout Creek, 6400 ha). Therefore, compared to intensively studied sites, at least 100 to 200 species have not been documented at these sites. We examine disturbance impacts on assemblage richness in the PNW with data from three studies characterized by similar levels of sampling and taxonomic effort. Rare species were important contributors to richness, as 20 to 30% of taxa within each study area were found at only one site. Mature, clearcut, high flow, and debris flow disturbance states were compared. Ephemeroptera (p=<0.001) richness increased after debris flows and high flows, and Chironomidae (p=0.04) increased after debris flows and clearcutting. Site variability was high, with assemblage structure weakly clustered by disturbance severity as debris flow disturbance (characterized by both streambed and canopy removal) mostly separated from high flow and clearcut disturbances.

Nail M Hasan   and Motasim Badri   

House sparrows (Passer domesticus) are omnipresent. Their study in different environments can shed light on effects of environment on bird behaviour. Therefore, the start of singing of house sparrows was studied all year round in a university housing compound with almost zero traffic noise in an arid dry desert climate. Sparrows start dawn chorus unusually early towards the end of January which is marked by increasing ambient temperatures and photoperiod and also coincides with the breeding season. Evidence that daily start of singing is directly and significantly influenced by major daily fluctuations in temperature during January and February is shown. Birds continue with early singing from March until July regardless of minor temperature fluctuations. Sparrows revert to late singing towards end of July. July is marked by the beginning of decreasing photoperiod but has no substantial fluctuations in temperature. The effect of climate on start of singing is discussed. This investigation is only concerned and concentrates on the shifting from normal start of singing to very early singing in spring season. It is concluded that early singing is initiated by increasing temperatures and is susceptible to daily fluctuations only early in the season and that these birds must have evolved to start their daily activities by singing early and foraging before temperature becomes very hot upon sunrise.

AndrĂ© KaborĂ©   

The objective of this paper is to show the Catholic Church's concern with ecology in its literature, its use of literary devices to enhance an effective response to the call for nature's protection and to show to what extent one can hypothesize ecclesial ecocriticism as a theory different from its literary counterparts. The methodology that will be used is that of ecocriticism or green study; this paper is a stylistic investigation of the Catholic Church's discourse on climate change, namely Pope Benedict's encyclical letter Caritas in Veritate on Integral Human Development in Charity and in Truth (2009), and Pope Francis's encyclical letter Laudato Si on Care of our Common 51ÊÓÆ” (2015). Reading these works, one becomes aware that Catholic Church leaders are engaged in a particular type of ecocriticism. How is this different from literary ecocriticism? And for what purpose do church leaders use literary figures in their discourse? These are the questions around which the discussion will be held. The paper will argue that there is an ecclesial ecocriticism endowed with its special characteristics. Our hypothesis is that the use of personification and pathetic fallacy in the two popes' works on nature leads to two types of pathetic fallacies, namely, humanization of nature and naturalization of the human being, thus strengthening this conception of nature as God's creation and gift to humanity, and thus efficiently pleading the latter for nature's protection.

Pima N.E.   Chamshama S.A.O.   Iddi S.   and Maguzu J.   

A research study was conducted to assess the growth performance of Eucalypt clones in Tanzania. Eucalypt clones of Eucalyptus grandis x E. camaldulensis (GC), E. grandis x E. urophylla (GU), E. grandis x E. tereticornis (GT) were established in Lushoto, Kwamarukanga, Kibaha and Tabora sites. Survival, Diameter at breast height, height and biomass were collected while volume and basal area were evaluated. All assessed variable were subjected to ANOVA. Significant (p<0.05) clonal difference in survival, Dbh, height, basal area, volume and biomass between clones was observed. Survival was >90% in Lushoto and Kwamarukanga sites where as the other sites showed intermediate and low survival. Clones at Lushoto site had highest Dbh, height, basal area, volume, Mean annual increment and biomass followed by clones at Kwamarukanga, Kibaha and Tabora sites. It was concluded that at 8 year old Eucalypt clones showed good survival and growth needed for various uses. This study recommended that GC581, GC584 and GU608 are better for Lushoto, GC15, GC167 and GC940 for Kibaha, GC514, GT529 and GC940 for Kwamarukanga and GC15, GC584 and GC940 for Tabora. The outstanding clones are recommended for planting in areas with climatic conditions similar to the sites where they were tested.

Lovorka Gotal Dmitrovic   Ivica Mustac   and Renata Bagnall   

The combined approach principle involves reducing water pollution from point and diffused sources. The objective of the combined approach is to reduce water pollution. The combined approach principle considers the quality of wastewater discharged into the receiver and their impact on the receiver. The methodology involves determining the flow of the receiver and effluent flow as well as determining the emission limit values (load of pollutants in the effluent). According to the type of receiver and depending on the discharge of effluent into streams, stagnant or into transitional and coastal waters, daily and annual load values permitted shall be determined. However, to obtain accurate values modelling methods must be used whose combined approaches solve the system of differential-difference equations.

Kazuyo Nagahama   Kaoru Saito   Misa Masuda   Masahiko Ota   Hem Gairola   Subodh Kumar Kala   and Randeep Rakwal   

Van (forest) Panchayat (hereafter VP) is one of the largest and most diverse experiments in common property resource management in the Himalayan ranges of the state of Uttarakhand, India. The idea of establishing VP originated in conflicts between people and the British authorities for controlling resources. The people of this region are dependent on the utilization of forest products, such as firewood and non-timber forest products for their livelihood. In this study, a field survey was carried out on VP in the village, named 'D' village of Tehri-Garhwal district in the state of Uttarakhand, in order to investigate VPs impact on people's livelihood with a focus on the participation of the people in forest management. Two study objectives were examined as follows: first, to clarify the people's perception under the VP, and second, to reveal the characteristics of the VP management committee (MC), which is directly responsible for managing the community forests. We used the semi-structured interview approach to determine the villagers' perception for the VP activities and condition of the community forest. Results revealed people's satisfaction with the condition of the VP and common utilization of the forest resources. In case of the MC, people did not appear to show an overall interest such as not joining the meetings and activities. The reason for this can be related to the organization of the MC that was functioning for more than 20 years with the same leadership and almost unchanged MC members. To summarize, people's participation in the forest utilization was not only dependent on their own personal contribution towards VP activities, but also more importantly, on their involvement in the forest management via the MC.

Seyed Mohammad Hosseini   Achim Dohenbusch   Alois Skoupy   Rokhsareh Armoon   and Jan Macku   

The climate situation is one of the main factors for developing of green spaces in semiarid regions, because the first priority of people for available water will be for living and agricultural products. In such big semiarid zones in the world, each year different projects are launched in order to reduction of irrigation costs and development of green spaces. The objective of this research was to find a practical way for afforestation development and optimal and viable solution for creation and irrigation of planting in semiarid zones. This research has been continued for 1 year and 4 broadleaves and 4 confers were evaluated under 5 treatments by the use of superabsorbent material, bearing the trade market as Stockosorb 300. The results of the research proved that the type of treatment which had been employed had a positive effect on the aliveness of the saplings with reduction of minimum 50% water irrigation for many species. The statistical analyses indicated tree species under treatments are significantly different that Robinia pseudoacaccia proved to be the best species and Cupressus sempervirens the worst.

Awotoye O.O.   Ogunbanjo O.R.   Jeminiwa S.M.   Okanlawon F.B.   and Oyelami B.A   

Tropical trees had served a wide range of purpose from supply of timber, fuel wood, pulp and fibre through to fodder, gum, drugs, and dyes. This study considered the fodder yield and leaf quality of three fodder tree species namely: Moringa oleifera, Albizia lebbeck and Gmelina arborea at seedling stage. The experiment was carried out in polythene pot laid out in a completely randomized design with ten replications. Study spanned over a period of twelve weeks. Seedlings were assessed for plant height, number of leaves and stem diameter. Leaf quality parameters assessed were elemental nutrient and proximate composition. Results obtained from the study showed that Moringa oleifera gave the highest mean plant height and mean stem diameter of 30.93cm and 3.52mm respectively while Gmelina arborea recorded the highest mean number of leaves (8.10) over the study period. Leaf quality analysis revealed that Albizia lebbeck leaves were richest in potassium and copper with values of 5.53% and 24.23mg/g respectively. Moringa oleifera was least in potassium content (4.55%). Proximate analysis result indicated that Moringa oleifera had the highest crude protein content of 17.88% while Albizia lebbeck was best in crude fibre content (2.00%). All three tree species recorded no significant difference in dry matter content of 45.08%, 45.00% and 45.63% respectively. These tree species should be encouraged within the farming system of farmer to aid animal production.

Ogunsola Segun Adeola   

Cities and urban development across the world are entities with high complexity, most especially with the unavoidable ever increasing population which incorporates human diversity in culture, wealth and status. However, rapid urbanization and expansion is today a common phenomenon in many developing countries across the world, this is often characterized by challenges such as slum generation, informality, segregation and unequal distribution of infrastructure and resources among neighborhoods in the cities. Cities in developing nations have continued to grow in fragmentations, making their growth much more than the eyes can see, and the ears can hear and varieties of view-points wanting to be explored in great depth. In tackling this urban menace, sustainability and urban transformation through policies and strategies seem to be the major focus and agenda among urban development stakeholders globally. With this development, the environmental and economic spheres of sustainability have been granted higher priority over their social counterpart. However, the key question remains; 'who and which group of people' benefit from these new urban spaces which have been proposed or created. Cities and urban spaces are meant to serve their citizenry irrespective of their class and status in the society, a situation where every individual is incorporated and engaged in the decision making and developmental process of the space in which they exist. In achieving this sustainable development and practice goals, this paper presents various integrated approach in which ‘community and neighborhood‘ should be placed at the center of sustainability analysis and the discussion of spatial connectivity through urban design, development and practice with cases from Nigerian cities of Lagos and Abuja.

Rafael da Silva PalĂĄcios   Fernando da Silva Sallo   and JosĂ© de Souza Nogueira   

The optical properties of aerosols have an important meaning in atmospheric research issues. This work proposes a seasonal and inter-annual characterization of the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 500 nm through a transition region Pantanal, Cerrado (Cerrado characteristics) in the south central region of the State of Mato Grosso. AOD 500 nm data were acquired from the network AERONET 2001 to 2013. The daily values AOD 500 nm have a seasonal pattern, with minimum and maximum in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. The minimum values were mostly around to 0,02 in the wet season while the maximum values close to 5,23 in the dry season. Regarding the inter-annual characterization, it was found that is not a periodic behavior with large variations from year to year. The monthly averages of AOD 500nm were correlated with the monthly records of fire outbreaks in the State of Mato Grosso, however, there was no statistically significant correlation, which shows that this relationship exists, but it is not simple.

Mangala De Zoysa   and Makoto Inoue   

A study was conducted on how a community forestry program improved livelihood development opportunities while addressing sustainable forest resource management. Data were collected through key informant survey, field survey, group discussions and field observation and analyzed to examine the contribution of a program in Nidahas Gama Sri Lanka using the livelihood framework method. The program improved human capital through skills development and training. The natural capital of the program was improved through development of farmers' woodlots (FWLs), home gardens and other agricultural land. Household welfare development, widening of the sources of energy for cooking and improvement of infrastructure were identified as main physical capital development of the program. The program increased household annual income, promoted household ability in self-financing forest and agricultural activities, and improved capabilities in formal banking transactions, under financial capital development. The main strategies used for developing social capital are: formation of groups and networks; trust and solidarity development; development of social cohesion, inclusion and empowerment; and information and communication improvement. Overall, the program has been highly successful in meeting the various livelihood development components.

Erjon Muharremaj   

This paper strives to offer a brief overview of the challenges that Albania faces in its efforts to complete its legislation on the protection of biodiversity. It starts with a short introduction of the situation of the diverse flora and fauna of the country, and continues with an overview of the legal framework for the protection of biodiversity in Albania. Analyzing the efforts to harmonize its domestic legislation with the international environmental treaties, and because of the European integration process, with the acquis communautaire, the paper goes through the gradual changes that have been made in the Albanian legislation. Because of their particularly important role on the biodiversity protection, the analysis goes further with an overview of the legal framework for the protection of forests in Albania. In the end, the conclusions emphasize the importance of not only harmonizing the legislation on the biodiversity protection, but also of its strict implementation in practice.

Rosemeri Segecin Moro   and Elisana Milan   

In the Campos Gerais region a mixed Araucaria forest has been fragmented mainly as a result of natural processes related to Quaternary climatic fluctuations. Yet these fragmented grassland patterns in South Brazil have not yet been settled; therefore, two preserved areas, Vila Velha and GuartelĂĄ State Parks, were selected to determine the region's current natural forest patterns. Mapping reveals a highly fragmented landscape on a fractal dimension. It was observed that most of the patches were smaller than 10 ha (90.3% of the total number of patches) and very few were larger than 100 ha (2.7%). The smaller patches were in simple regular shape, and exhibited increased edge effects. However, their sum makes up a small representation of the total area. The largest patch was over 100 ha, and was more complex and irregular in shape. The connectivity between all patches was considered good once they were at least 50 m apart. Several islets acted as "stepping-stone" corridors. From the ecological perspective, large patches can act as source areas and maintain biodiversity, whereas small patches can act as stepping-stones or migration corridors, refuges, or provide sites for nucleation. This natural pattern could act as a reference for further study in landscape restoration. This analysis discourages government efforts to increase hydroelectrical expansion, in Campos Gerais, as infrastructure will be built across the gorges and canyons that support the most demanding and sensitive species. Furthermore, public policies requiring landowners to protect small forest patches within their farmlands are needed because they are extremely important for maintaining these landscape connections.

G. Kent Webb   

Analysis of data obtained from an ongoing internet search indicates that the U.S. deer harvest has been falling since about the year 2000. California has had the largest decline from peak to recent harvest of any state. Declining timber sales are highly correlated with the decline in California. States like California with a relatively high proportion of public land, a low hunter success rate, and a persistently skewed buck-to-doe harvest ratio report a lower harvest as a percent of peak. An economic framework is presented to explain how the public decision making process for deer management and the practice of setting the price of deer hunting licenses well below market equilibrium incentivizes some of these result.

Kanna K. Siripurapu   Joshua Wayland   Hemanta K. Sahoo   and Martha E. Geores   

The emergence and diffusion of community-based forest management (CBFM) in India over the past several decades has been of interest to scholars and natural resource managers alike. The prevailing view in the existing academic literature presupposes that CBFM arose spontaneously in individual villages, evolving into a grassroots movement that spread across districts and states. Previous studies of the phenomenon have focused on the micro-level (individual or community) and macro-level (national or global) factors that gave rise to CBFM; the role of meso-level (organizational) conditions in facilitating the rise and spread of CBFM has garnered significantly less attention. This study presents the results of structured interviews with key informants in 345 villages throughout the district of Boudh in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. Results suggest that meso-level conditions were vitally important in the development of CBFM. Nongovernmental organizations and the Indian Forest Department promoted CBFM and facilitated networking and sharing across villages, while informal networks between the villages expedited the diffusion of the new management model. The study also discusses the interaction between various meso, micro, and macro level facilitating conditions and concludes that the dynamics of CBFM in Odisha and in India more generally are significantly more complex than has previously been supposed.

Ida Mitrani Arenal   Ivette HernĂĄndez Baños   Evelio GarcĂ­a ValdĂ©s   Axel Hidalgo Mayo   Oscar Onoe DĂ­az RodrĂ­guez   Alejandro Vichot Llamo   and JosĂ© Alejandro RodrĂ­guez Zas   

An analysis of the coastal flood behavior on Cuban shore area, the influence of the thermohaline structure and its trends is presented, using data archive information from the Cuban Institute of Meteorology, the Institute of Physical Planning and other sources. Weather events that have generated these floods (hurricanes, cold front systems, southern winds and extratropical system combinations) are described, taking into account the influence of ENSO event and thermohaline structure changes at the end of the XX Century. The coastal flooding behavior shows an increase in frequency and intensity in the last 40 years, as a consequence of severe event intensity and frequency growth, in coincidence with higher sea surface temperature, mixed layer depth and salinity on the Cuban surrounding waters. Most of the maximum values of thermohaline parameters were located around the Cuban Western Region, in coincidence with the most favorable area for tropical cyclone development. ENSO acts as an important modulator of the coastal flood occurrence over the Cuban territory. When it is active, its behavior influences on the frequency and intensity increase of winter floods, but inhibits the hurricane activity over the Cuban coastal zone. Hence, in this case, the coastal flood occurrence by hurricanes decreases and the other way around.

Rose Chiteva   Oscar Mayunzu   Moses Lukibisi   and Norman Wachira   

Nature based Enterprises are ventures that can be exploited to support biodiversity utilization, conservation and equitable benefit sharing from derived resources. This paper highlights the potential of nature based enterprises in enhancing community livelihoods in Kenya, with specific emphasis on Matinyani Enterprise in Kitui, Kenya. The group with a membership of 60 received both theory and hands-on training by Kenya Forestry Research Institute scientistsin product development, setting up and registering an enterprise in 2010 with the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts. The training included propagation, processing and value addition of Tamarindus indica fruit jam, juice and wine. Monitoring is frequently done by scientists to ensure adherence to Kenya Bureau of Standards regulations and to maintain the quality of products. There are various indicators of adoptability of the technologies and improved livelihood among these group members; increased awareness of sustainable utilization and conservation of indigenous fruit trees, value added indigenous fruit products being sold locally and a small saving scheme "merry go – round'. There is still a challenge in adoptability of the propagation techniques due to the long periods indigenous fruits take to mature. There is, therefore, need for research to be fast - tracked in this area.

JoĆĄko Sindik   and Jelena Ć arac   

Nonlinear multivariate statistical methods have proven to be useful tools in research issues dealing with biocultural diversity. Namely, these methods have less restrictions in their use, as compared with compatible linear methods. This research is the example of using some of these methods. The three indices of biocultural diversity by the variables of biological and cultural diversity have been predicted, based on population size (POP), areal size (AREA) and overall biological and cultural richness (RICH). Then, we have determined: clusters in which different countries can be grouped based on biocultural diversity indices (POP, AREA, RICH), the latent dimensions of the biocultural diversity in the space of biocultural diversity indices (POP, AREA, RICH) and finally, the association between the indices of biodiversity and cultural diversity (POP, AREA, RICH). General conclusion is that nonlinear multivariate methods (together with cluster analysis), in spite of their robustness, can provide useful information to the researchers, on the issues they are interested in (in this example, about biocultural diversity). Of course, these methods are more convenient than linear methods only in the context of absence of clear linear relationships between the variables of interest, while the overfitting problem couldn't be avoided in both cases.

N.V.H.K. Chari   Nittala S. Sarma   P. Sudarsana Rao   G. Chiranjeevulu   R. Kiran   K. N. Murty   and P. Venkatesh   

Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectra and hydrochemical parameters were measured monthly for a year in the western coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal in a shore normal transect up to the mid-shelf region. The parallel factor analysis of the EEM spectral data showed five fluorescent components, two protein (Tyrosine and Tryptophan protein-like, represented as B and T respectively) and three humic (UV humic, Marine humic and Visible humic-like represented as A, M and C respectively). The B fluorophore was more enriched attributed to bacterial decay of photosynthetically produced organic matter and acted as proxy of primary production. The humic like fluorophores showed significant conservative behavior up to salinity ~31. During the pre-monsoon season, photo bleaching caused significant loss of A and C fluorescence making them deviate from conservative behavior but not from the linear distribution against chlorophyll a. The vertical profiles revealed systematic maxima for the humic fluorophores at depths during pre-monsoon and it is inferred that they owe their origin to phytoplankton.

Saleh Alhewairini   Ian R Mellor   and Ian R Duce   

The extensive and intensive use of many pesticides in agriculture has caused environmental pollution. Chemicals directly added to the soil, whether in greenhouses or in open fields can reach ground water, rivers and lakes by run off, where significant amounts may directly or indirectly affect human health. Therefore, interest has grown to establish appropriate, fast and inexpensive methods to assess the environmental impacts of chemicals, including pesticides, in soil. Soil organisms are important for soil fertility, and sustainability of soil ecosystems can be disrupted by soil toxicity. The main aim of this study is to establish a novel and convenient assay to investigate and quantify soil toxicity.

Rafik Ismail   Serroukh Mostapha   KhattatI Mourad   and Masmoudi Hakim   

The article presents more specifically how the stormwater management builds the overall plan and the problems that can be encountered during the implementation of improvements. With the growing waterproofing of cities and activity zones, the long rains or heavy rain storms, causing downstream flooding problems (or locally) as well as any shortfall in groundwater recharge underlying and disrupt the capacity of treatment plants and exceeds that of unit drainage systems of water, sustainable drainage system are tested in different countries. Better management and control of urban discharges during rainy weather is necessary, designing a alternative and integrated management model based on ecological engineering techniques, themselves adding value to natural purification and water filtration capacity allows not having to continually increase the capacity of the sewer systems, pipes and retention ponds hard, which are sources of technical, property, financial, environmental, social, legal, security and future maintenance costs.

Josephine Omowumi Olayinka-Olagunju   and Caleb Akinyemi   

This study investigates the waste management practices in some selected hospitals in the densely populated regions of Ondo state. Five (3 public and 2 privates) hospitals were assessed, wards ranges from 2 to 10 and number of beds ranges from 12 to 84. The study shows complete absence of medical waste tracking, monitoring and testing programme in all the hospitals. In addition, institutionalized medical waste management plan were also absent from all the hospitals, only one had an abatement facility in form of mini-incinerator. However, open dump sites were seen within some of the hospital premises. Medical waste generation rates ranged between 0.38kg/bed/day and 0.97kg/bed/day to 0.7kg/bed/ward/day and 4.38 kg/bed/ward/day, while on average, a generation rate of 0.676kg/bed/day and 2.51kg/bed/ward/day were obtained. More so, it was also observed that numerous kinds of wastes generated were not separated into different bins but disposed in the same refuse bins. The most predominant methods of waste treatments practiced at the hospitals were burning and deep burial. All hospitals and other medical institutions in the state engage the services of the state government waste disposal board for their final collection and disposal of waste as there are no private waste contractors in the state.

Olatunbosun L.G   E.O. UKO   and K.A.J. Gbadegesin   

Seismic reflection data obtained from 3D survey in part of the Niger-Delta basin, Nigeria was processed using Velocity Computation Software program (VELCOM), an interactive velocity analysis interpretation program. The application uses the principle of Apparent Velocity Picking, Normal Moveout (NMO) Correction and Stacking. Velocity intervals for 8 Common Depth Points (CDPs) were obtained. Interval velocity ranges between 1814 and 5579 ms^-1 and Stacking velocity (V_s) ranges between 1814 – 3639 ms^-1. Both velocities increase with depth, where interval velocity is more steeply than stacking velocity within the same interval depth. The result of this velocity analysis can be applied in NMO correction, calculating depths from reflection times, horizons identifications, the recognitions of lithology, detection of high pressure zone and migration.

Sergio Petrozzi   and Chahan Yeretzian   

The aim of this project was to develop a general concept to assess the laboratory experiments in the instrumental analysis laboratory, at the Institute of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry (ICBC) at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), in terms of their sustainability and, where possible, to improve the sustainability rating of the laboratory experiments. Hence, the primary objective was to implement an empirical assessment methodology, including the 'Sustainability Code' that was composed of four parts and a 'Sustainability Load Index'. During the spring semester 2015, 105 different experimental projects were performed in the ICBC's analytical chemistry practical course. These were carried out on 18 different instrumental workspaces, encompassing 12 different analytical methodologies. For the development of the first and second parts of the Sustainability Code, information concerning the chemical substances (in any state- solid, liquid or gas) used and the energy consumption of the apparatus was recorded. The third and fourth parts contain (approximate) information on the use of consumables and the sustainability of the method with reference to the apparatus used. The Load Index (LI) consists of an aggregation (summary) of the direct causality indicators 'substances' and 'energy' into a single figure. The experiments were classified on a 3-level Load Index Scale into 'ideal' analysis methods (LI> 20), 'sustainable' methods of analysis (LI 20-200), and analysis methods 'with potential for optimization' (LI <200). The assessment criteria described here, specifically designed for an analytical process in a university environment, may also serve as a useful guide for semi-quantitative assessment of both familiar and new methods in analytical chemistry practical courses and in laboratory practice. It may also be useful in general research laboratory environments.

Cevdet Emin Ekinci   and Nurdan Baykus   

This is an experimental study that explores the bioharmological properties of outpatient clinics at hospitals. Hospitals, in broad terms, are one of the institutions with the most complex structures. To ensure user satisfaction, it is highly important to indicate the bioharmological properties of polyclinics. The research sample includes hospitals in Elazig and uses the results of measurements for the parameters of CO, CO₂ and O₂, ambient temperature, light, relative humidity, noise, dust content and electromagnetic field. The results of the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) and Bioharmological Conformity Assessment (BCA) metrics are valid for the month of August. This study found that these outpatient clinics do not satisfy the criteria of auditory, visual and seasonal perception analyses.

E. Rosengren   

Most of the Swedish subfossil finds of terrestrial mammals have been recovered from Scania. The contributing factors may be that the locally more abundant Late Weichselian sediment basins have been exposed through the extensive practice of peat cutting during the 19^th century, and that the public awareness of the significance of the bones and antlers found, prior to the birth of the modern archaeological science, led to them being acquired to research collections. They came to form the basis for the discovery and reconstruction of the postglacial re-colonisation history of the terrestrial fauna. Here, some of these spectacular finds of faunal remains are presented. Today we know that Scania, through the recurrent establishment of a land bridge connecting it to the European mainland, represented one of the major immigration routes into Scandinavia. Already in the Late Glacial the inhabitants of the disintegrating mammoth steppe colonised the newly deglaciated land. It was, however, mainly between c. 12,400 and 9500 cal. years BP, in part due to the existence of a more long lasting land bridge and the continuing amelioration of the climate, that the postglacial fauna in Sweden was formed.

Mirza Ali Ashraf   and Md. Abul Kalam Azad   

The aim of the study is to explore the gender issues in disaster and to understand the relationships between vulnerability, preparedness and capacity following a qualitative method on the basis of secondary sources. The study notes that the women living in coastal areas are facing more difficulties due to the complexity of atmosphere where their activities are not properly recognized in disaster planning and management. However, the study showed that women, particularly belong to the poor families are primarily responsible for their domestic roles due to culturally dominated labour division. The study also recommended that women should be involved in emergency planning and disaster management process through ensuring their active participation. The inclusion of greater number of women in the emergency management profession could help in the long term to address disaster risks. Since, the underlying cultural, social, and economic patterns that lead to a low socio-economic status of women and thereby generate their specific vulnerability to disasters. Though, such initiatives have not addressed like their entire adverse impact on socio-economic status in recent literature, the present study is an initiative to address the women's involvement in preparedness and capacity building at the community level as well as household level which the vulnerable women are striving with the frequent disasters to sustain in the planet.

Ming Lu   and Alin Lin   

In the severe cold areas of China, the vertical greening systems are faced with many challenges, the popularization and development are much difficult. In this paper, the differences between modular living walls technology and other greening walls techniques are studied, and the advantages of modular living walls systems in cold areas are presented. Firstly, the paper introduces the techniques of modular living walls. Secondly, it expounds the modular living walls adjusting microclimate mechanism. Finally, the key points of construct modular living walls systems in severe cold areas of China are summarized, which are expected to advice and guide technology and policy development of living walls.

Tanjinul Hoque Mollah   and Jannatul Ferdaush   

This paper aims at identify the number of climate induced migrants in kazipur upazila with specific reference to riverbank erosion. The study has used Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj for riverbank erosion, which is already identified as the most erosion prone area in Bangladesh. People affected by river bank erosion and immediately migrate for safe shelter and later permanently for survival, are examples of practical risk. While people migrate based on the perception that in future there would be worse condition that could hamper lives and livelihood; the adverse effect of rise of riverbank erosion compels the population to migrate from one place to another. In the Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj district, 21,961 people were migrated which is 9.35 percent of the total population in recent years [1]. The precise cause of riverbank erosion in Bangladesh there are 1,29,853 people are displaced yearly [2]. Permanent migration occurred within the neighbors and mainly it happened in a tiny distance because of the need of earning source and social bonding. In this paper we have considered observed risk such as river bank erosion as causal factors of migration and rural vulnerability, which has important socio-economic impact on rural development.

Diana Woodcock   

This paper features an overview of my research project, as well as some of the poems from my work-in-progress, The Desert's Botanical Bounty: Poems from the Heart of the Arabian Desert, a collection of poetry promoting a greater appreciation of and commitment to protecting not only the unique environment of the Arabian Peninsula, but other equally endangered ecosystems around the world. My goal is to emphasize that when we abuse the land, we contribute to an increase in poverty and a deterioration of health of our fellow human beings.

Lucas Andrianos   

It is universally recognized that the disharmony of human activities with its environment and the ongoing ecological crisis may lead the Earth to an irreversible chaotic destiny. Politicians and scientists strive for the mitigations of environmental damages but there is no consensus for the causal root and remedy of the problems: global ethical recession. Chasing ephemeral economical progress homo sapiens has gradually evolved from “homo religiosus” to “homo economucus”. Family concept has been reduced to its minimal economic unit and social injustices exceed every limit. The gap between the rich and the poor has reached the upper level that human history has never attained. The influences of religions on daily life become marginal and human activities are no longer restricted by ethical consciousness. As a result, the conservation of life support on Earth and the viability of sustainable development become the most alarming challenges for the 21st century. We proposed a methodology for measuring sustainable development called “Sustainability Assessment using Fuzzy logic Evaluation (S.A.F.E.). The results of the SAFE model coupled with the analysis of some case studies on national level reveal that environmental ethics could constitute an important group of “response” indicators which may control overall development sustainability. The use of fuzzy logic in sustainability assessment appears relevant because environmental ethics indicators are not numerically measurable. As conclusion, decision makers should stop confronting environmental problems with solely technological and political solutions. Religions and environmental ethics revival must be given the highest priority because of their ability to control human activities and, therefore, to secure sustainable behavior. Specifically, Christianity that teaches unconditional love for “neighborhood”, human and non-human alike, may actively reinforce the practice of sustainable behavior and avert the unsustainable path of modern society.

Eberhard Weber   

Climate change and related sea-level rise has caused fears that many people in the Pacific Islands might become homeless. However it is difficult to say who is more afraid: politicians of countries that are potential destinations of environmental refugees or affected people, who realize that it is not at all a pleasure to lose the home, and that it might be even a bigger nightmare to become a refugee. While in low-lying Pacific Island countries (PICs) debates and discourses about people's future flare up the fear of becoming homeless and refugees is worrying many. It seems that governments whose countries could become preferred destinations of climate change refugees are concerned how to keep them away from reaching safe harbors. In 2001 the Australian Government started its Pacific Solution, a policy that should prevent aliens arriving by boat in Australia to seek the status of refugees. The Australian Government has established detention centers on the Pacific Islands of Manus (PNG) and Nauru to process asylum seekers outside Australian territory. In 2013 a new element was added to the Pacific Solution: refugees arriving on boats will be processed and settled in PNG or Nauru (or countries other than Australia), if found to be genuine refugees. Others can be detained for unspecified time. Migrants' well-being is not only based on material conditions, but also reflects on emotional ones. The inhumane treatment of refugees increases angst amongst those who are threatened to lose their homes as a result of climate change and depend on support from other countries.

Grace Lubaale   

Africa is neither poor nor developing, it is impoverished. Africa has a lot of material and human resources but for centuries, it has been forced to provide resources to the so-called "developed" world. This researched paper attempts to unravel the underlying factors for the perpetual disasters and crises in such a rich continent. The paper reveals that they are not a natural phenomenon, but social, economic and political constructs rooted in the erosion, denial and in some cases suppression of African cultures, resources and humanity. They are largely external but internally African's are not blameless. The paper concludes that Africa has enough resources to deal with her challenges provided the historical distortions that have caused disasters and crises in Africa are dealt with legally and ethically. And also recommends deconstructions of these social, economic and political constructs taking high regard of appropriate solutions from Africans because there can be no meaningful development outside one's culture.

N. A. Minase   M. M. Masafu   A. E . Geda   and A. T. Wolde   

Animal manure is rich in absorbable plant nutrients and an appropriate addition of manure into the soil respond to high crop productivity than use of commercial fertilizer. But volatilization of ammonia due to high temperature and leaching of nitrate, phosphorous and potassium into the soil due to rainfall results in the loss of manure nutrients. The objective of this study was to assess manure nutrient loss and gaseous emissions due to inappropriate manure management. The study was conducted in central Ethiopian highland, east of the capital Addis Ababa. The study included laboratory analysis for manure nutrients contents from sampled units and the manure management type was captured through focus group discussions. Storage age has impacted on nutrient losses as a result the highest loss of N, P and K occurred in 2 to 3 years at the rate of 84%, 19% and 42% , respectively. The analysis of variance showed that at P<0.05, there was a significant difference in storage age for N and K, but there was no significant difference for P across different storage ages. Shade type and manure heap height has no significant impact on nutrient losses. The total carbon equivalent (CO₂e) gas emitted per household per annum was estimated at 11, 276 kg CO₂e (i.e. 8 200 kg CO₂e came from methane directly released by livestock plus their manure, 2 694 CO₂e came from N₂O emissions from manure management and 381.48 kg CO₂e came from CO₂ released from manure burning) that is about 2 tons CO₂e per capita per year, twice the value reported for Ethiopia emission in 2005. The largest emissions were from methane (72.6%), nitrous oxide (24%) and carbon (3.4%), this result appeal for a need to improve livestock and manure management systems under smallholders' agriculture in order to curb the challenges of global carbon release.

Marta Przewocka   Andrzej Greinert   Jakub Kostecki   Marta Skiba   and Anna Bazan-KrzywoszaƄska   

Many industrial investments may exert a significantly adverse impact on the natural environment. One of the methods used to limit the expansion of industrial pollutants is the creation of wooded protective zones around plants. One of the reasons for establishing a protective zone is the lack of practical possibility of satisfying the standards specified by the regulations. The case study has been based on the example of zone established around the GƂogów Copper Smelter complex in the year 1987, covering an area of 2.84 thousand ha. In a consequence of the significant improvement of the state of forest- and agrocenoses in the closest vicinity of the enterprise, the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Poland, by virtue of the provisions applicable in the Act on Environment Protection Law, is able to eliminate the protective zone. Nevertheless the good idea is to leave the protective area development (i.e. forest), with a changed administrative-legal formula.

Leta Deressa   Solomon Libsu   R. B. Chavan   Daniel Manaye   and Anbessa Dabassa   

The present work explores the production of biogas from fruit and vegetable wastes mixed with cow manure in an anaerobic digester. The total solid, volatile solids, moisture content and ash content of the wastes were examined. The materials used as feed were avocado, papaya, mango, tomato, banana peel, and cow manure. Varying volumes of digesters were employed for biogas generation. The combustibility of the gas so generated was tested. The anaerobic digestion of fruit and vegetable wastes mixed with different waste took 55 days to produce biogas (for complete digestion). Anaerobic digestion is very sensitive to change in pH and it is important to maintain pH of 6.7-7.4 for healthy system. The temperature of the digester and the environment also affects the anaerobic digestion process. Upon adjustment of the factors affecting anaerobic digestion, it is felt that co-digestion between FVW and CM produces biogas without need of nutrient or chemical addition to the system. The search for alternative source of energy such as biogas should be intensified so that ecological disasters like environmental pollution, deforestation, desertification and erosion can be arrested.

Evans L. Chimoita   Mary C. Babu   James A. Barasa   Odundo Paul   and Joseph O. Othieno   

Energy and other environmental conservation measures are emerging issues of concern all over the world. The awareness on climate change and sustainable environmental resource utilization are discussed globally in all sectors of development. This study was conducted to investigate selected Kenyan biology teachers' understanding of photosynthetic carbon translocation and sequestration in ecosystems as an emerging issue. The study sought to relate biology teaching content to a wider scope of energy flow in ecosystem; a subject taught and assessed by teachers of different secondary schools in Kenya. The study employed descriptive survey method. Secondary school agriculture teachers were randomly sampled from secondary schools in one district of Western Kenya. Self-valuation questionnaires were used to capture key information on teachers understanding of photosynthetic carbon and its sequestration as some of the emerging issues in terrestrial ecosystems. Results revealed a rich understanding of green house effects on the general environment among assessed teachers. Majority of the assessed teachers demonstrated clear understanding of carbon dioxide and its contributions to climate changes. However, a high percentage of selected and assessed teachers demonstrated lack of clear grasp on translocation of photosynthetic carbon and its sequestration process from plants into the soil. Furthermore, teachers' demonstrated poor understanding of mitigation of environmental pollution, particularly via Green House Gases (GHGs) control. It was concluded that there was a general knowledge gap among selected agriculture teachers concerning emerging issues particularly in ecology. The study recommended refresher courses to strengthen teachers' competencies in understanding such emerging ecological concepts.

Anglu Shen   Keji Jiang   Jing Wang   and Xinqiang Shen   

The effects of various salinities on growth, feeding and the mRNA expression of related genes in Liza haematocheilus were investigated. Fish were maintained at four salinities for 30 days to analyse the specific growth rate (SGR), the feeding rates (FR) of L. haematocheilus, and the mRNA expression of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase (NKA) and Hsp 90 were measured at 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 d, respectively. The results showed that the SGR of L. haematocheilus at 14 psu group was higher than the 2 and 42 psu group significantly; the FR of L. haematocheilus at 14 psu group was the highest and the 2 psu group was the lowest at 20 or 30 day; the NKA mRNA abundances in L. haematocheilus were increased significantly in the 2, 14 and 42 psu groups at 5 day (P < 0.05), and the lowest level emerged in the control group (28 psu), the same relationship was observed for Hsp 90 but the change scopes were smaller. The results indicate that the increased expression of NKA and Hsp 90 mRNA in L. haematocheilus is a part of the molecular responses to the osmotic stress of changes in salinity.

Muhammad Umar Hayyat   Rashid Mahmood   Sadia Akram   Zawar Haider   Syed Tariq Rizwan   Zafar Siddiq   and RabNawaz   

The effect of chromium on common agricultural crops (wheat, Indian mustard, sorghum, maize) was investigated and some alleviators were used to reduce chromium toxicity. Petri plate experiments were conducted in order to germinate seeds of crops. The results showed no reduction in germination up to 500 ppm but gradual decrease was observed in higher concentrations. Germination was higher in Indian mustard as compared to wheat and sorghum, however maize exhibited maximum germination. The higher chromium concentration (1000 ppm) significantly inhibited germination, plumule and radicle length. Addition of alleviators (ammonium sulphate, calcium sulphate, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, zinc sulphate) indicated reduction in chromium toxicity. The most effective alleviator was zinc sulphate. It may be concluded that the attenuation of chromium toxicity by alleviators addition is directly attributed to its regulation on germination, and their distribution at radicle and plumule length. The present study can be used as a tool to alleviate chromium toxicity to enhance the yield of common crops in soils contaminated by chromium.

Pius Z. Yanda   

This paper presents finding from a literature review linking climate change and biodiversity in the African context. It has become a reality that climate is changing and such changes are man-induced phenomena. Climate change is and will affect both natural and social systems including agricultural and biodiversity resources. In this regard, many of the genetic resources will become more threatened under changing climate, thus destabilize food ecosystems significantly. There is no doubt that with climate change, the value of genetic resources for food and agriculture will increase in the near future. This is because the diversity present in agricultural ecosystems constitutes a central element in the livelihoods of many rural communities. However, while agricultural biodiversity will be significantly affected by climate change it will also be an important element in the development of agricultural production strategies to meet the challenges of climate change. Genetic resources in agricultural sector will thus become crucial in developing adaptation strategies to confront climate change, so as to ensure the sustained increase in food production necessary to feed the world and ensure rural development. This paper is very cleared and explained with many bibliography references. All aspects of African agriculture and biodiversity are considered. I conclude that it is an excellent document to be accepted.

Vidya, R K Aggarwal   P K Mahajan   Y S Negi   and S K Bhardwaj   

The trends of important weather parameters in Kullu district of hilly state have been presented. The season wise analysis showed that there is no explicit linear trend in weather parameters over a period of time. The increasing and decreasing trends were observed in all the season as the cubic function showed to be the best fit. Among the analyzed weather parameters maximum temperature cubic function was to best fit with significant r2 value of 0.57, for minimum temperature and relative humidity r2 value was 0.67 and 0.62 respectively. In order to know the impact of climate change and people's perception about climate change, a survey was conducted. About 42.72% people perceived there is 30-50% decrease in productivity of cereal crops, while in case of fruits 28.64% people perceived that there is 20-30% increase in productivity and for same commodity 15.05% people also assumed there is 10-20% decrease in productivity and 13.60% believed there has been no change in productivity for fruits. In case of vegetable 53.88% respondent anticipated that there is 30-50% increase in productivity. The perception about the productivity of pulses showed that 26.70% believing slight increase in productivity while some perceived moderate increase in productivity and some anticipated no change in productivity.

V. N. Arazu   A. E. Ogbeib   and P. A. Okeke   

A pre-dredging investigation of the physico-chemical qualities of the River Niger at the Onitsha-Urban Stretch was undertaken between January 2008 and December 2009. With the exception of the downstream station I and upstream station 5 (stations with minimal perturbations), stations 2, 3 and 4 had colossal but varied degrees of domestic, industrial, agricultural and automobile waste deposits. Of the 26 physico-chemical parameters determined, Transparency, Total Alkalinity, Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Total Solid (TS), Depth, Nitrate, Lead, Iron and Calcium varied significantly (P<0.01) among the stations. Aposteriori Duncan Multiple Range test showed that Transparency was significantly (P<0.001) higher at station 5 than at the other stations. Total Alkalinity and Conductivity were higher in stations 2 and 3, 1 and 4 than in station 5. TDS, TSS and TS were significantly higher at stations 2, 3, 4 than in stations 1 and 5. Air and water temperatures were significantly different (P<0.05) across the 5 stations while CO2 was significantly higher at station 1 than others. pH in stations 2 and 5 is significantly higher than it is in 1, 3 and 5. DO was higher in station 5 and 2 than the other stations. BOD was highest in stations 1 and 4 than the other three stations. The principal Component Analysis using Varimax Rotation showed that the major parameters controlling the water quality of the study area were pH, air temperature, transparency, BOD, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), total alkalinity, conductivity, water current, phosphate and total dissolved solids (TDS).

Rashid Mahmood   FaizaSharif   Muhammad Umar Hayyat   SikanderAli   ZafarSiddiq   and Syed Tariq Rizwan   

A bioreactor was designed to attain efficient, cost-effective and environmentally reliable bioremediation system for the biotreatment of textile effluents to produce irrigation water. The consortium BMP1/SDSC-01 (having six indigenous bacterial isolates: Bacillus subtilus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp. and Pseudomonas sp.) was used in the bioreactor for the treatment of effluents. Bacterial obliteration from the biotreated textile effluents was done by using acetic acid, which proved efficient and result showed that bacterial growth was not possible in the presence of acetic acid. The treated and untreated textile effluents were applied on two common crops of Pakistan Zea mays L. CV C1415 (Maize) and Sorghum vulgare Pers.CV SSG5000 (Sorghum) to monitor efficacy of bioremediated textile effluents. During experiment plant height, number of leaves, photosynthesis and transpiration rates, and biomass were measured. The results clearly indicated that in untreated effluents maize plant height, biomass, photosynthesis and transpiration was93.26, 45.38, 9.11 and 0.41, respectively. Under irrigation of treated effluents, plant height, biomass, photosynthesis and transpiration were 124, 44.07, 16.95 and 0.84 respectively. Similar trend was observed in sorghum, its plant height increased to 115.8 instead of 85 (untreated). Simultaneously, number of leaves, biomass, photosynthesis and transpiration were 8.62, 44.45, 13.29 and 0.51, respectively. The results are proving that bioreactor successfully reduced the toxicity level of textile effluents and can be used for irrigation purposes. This study will help to produce irrigation water from textile effluents at large scale in Pakistan by applying bioremediation.

M. R. Rahman   and S. H. Bulbul   

This study explore socio-economic characters' which leads farmers to adoption of Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) in the farmers' field of two major drought prone areas of Bangladesh for rice cultivation. AWD is an irrigation regime where the producer allows the rice field to dry intermittently during the rice life cycle rather than having the field continuously submerged. In previous studies AWD has been found to reduce water usage by from 20-70% and to reduce methane emissions by over 50% as compared to rice produced under continuous flooding. In 2012, a survey of 60 farmers was conducted in four rice-producing areas in Bangladesh to investigate farmer implementation of AWD and NF irrigation. Thirty sample farmers from the Capasia union of Gazipur district were selected in the site where the AWD irrigation techniques are being practiced. Similarly, 30 other sample farmers were selected from the same Union of Gazipur district where AWD is not practiced but where continuous irrigation is practiced. Similarly thirty sample farmers from Godagary union of Rajshahi district were selected in the site where the AWD irrigation techniques are being practiced and 30 other sample farmers were selected from the same Union Rajshahi district where AWD is not practiced but where continuous irrigation is practiced. The data were collected through direct interview with the help of pre-designed questionnaire in 2012. A brief introduction regarding the nature and objectives of the study was given to each respondent before interview. All the collected qualitative and quantities data were analyzed in accordance with the objectives of the study so as to answer the issues involved in the study. As the dependent variables are dichotomous (zero, one), a logit regression model can be applied. The study shows that significant issues were identified that need to be considered generally to improve adoption at the farmers' level and that would eventually enable mass adoption. The study revealed that farm size, education of household head, and contact with extension agents, water scarcity and dissemination through demonstration were the variables that had significant impact on the adoption of AWD. So if contact with extension workers could be increased and the farmers could be shown the use of AWD techniques through field demonstration then the adoption rates can be increased.

Thomas J. Stohlgren   Allen L. Szalanski   John Gaskin   Nicholas Young   Amanda West   Catherine S. Jarnevich   and Amber Tripodi   

Science has shown that the introgression or hybridization of modern humans (Homo sapiens) with Neanderthals up to 40,000 YBP may have led to the swarm of modern humans on earth. However, there is little doubt that modern trade and transportation in support of the humans has continued to introduce additional species, genotypes, and hybrids to every country on the globe. We assessed the utility of species distributions modeling of genotypes to assess the risk of current and future invaders. We evaluated 93 locations of the genus Tamarix for which genetic data were available. Maxent models of habitat suitability showed that the hybrid, T. ramosissima x T. chinensis, was slightly greater than the parent taxa (AUCs > 0.83). General linear models of Africanized honey bees, a hybrid cross of Tanzanian Apis mellifera scutellata and a variety of European honey bee including A. m. ligustica, showed that the Africanized bees (AUC = 0.81) may be displacing European honey bees (AUC > 0.76) over large areas of the southwestern U.S. More important, Maxent modeling of sub-populations (A1 and A26 mitotypes based on mDNA) could be accurately modeled (AUC > 0.9), and they responded differently to environmental drivers. This suggests that rapid evolutionary change may be underway in the Africanized bees, allowing the bees to spread into new areas and extending their total range. Protecting native species and ecosystems may benefit from risk maps of harmful invasive species, hybrids, and genotypes.

Pooja, Ekta Sharma   and Nargis Fatima   

Wool is a fiber from the fleece of domesticated sheep. The scaly structure of wool is responsible, to a great extent, for the tendency of wool to felt and shrink. Chlorination is a commonly used process to modify the scales of wool fibers with the purpose of providing resistance to felting and shrinkage but this process shows a number of drawbacks which forced to search for an ecologically clean alternative. There have been many attempts to replace this chlorine process by an environmental friendly process that would similarly degrade the scales. Enzyme processing is one of them that has come to forefront in the textile processing units and made processing more eco-friendly. In the present study an attempt was made to treat the wollen fabric with different concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5g/l) of Protease enzyme and observed the effects on physical properties including hand of the fabric, weight loss, Scanning Electron Microscope (SCM) test, absorbency, pilling, tensile strength, and fabric drape, dyeability as well as colour fastness properties of woolen fabrics. The control, scoured and enzyme treated samples were also tested and compared. All the samples were dyed with acid dye to check the effect of enzymatic degumming on dye ability of wool fabric. The dyed fabrics were subjected to testing for various colorfastness properties including light, washing, crocking and perspiration. Untreated wool fiber showed fair handle, no absorbency (60 seconds), rough and sharp scales on the surface of fiber, however enzyme treatment with different concentrations wool fabric showed improvement in softness, slight weight loss (6.31%), smoother surface scales, improved absorbency (minimum 45 seconds) and drapability. Treatment with protease enzyme brought improvement in the physical and colorfastness properties of wool fabric. Among all the concentrations of protease enzyme, 4 g/l concentration was found to be best.

Balamurugan.D   Udayasooriyan. C   Vinoth Kumar.K   Jayabalakrishnan. R.M   and Natesan. R   

Soil remediation by nanoparticles has received increasing interests in recent years. The present work was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using new class of NC1 (Zeolite with ZVI nanoparticles) and NC2 (Na Y zeolite with ZVI nanoparticles) for In situ reductive immobilization of Cr (VI) in spiked soil. The spiked soil sample was subjected to XRD for the determination of crystallinity and average particle size. The size of the particle is 11.28 nm. The morphology of the nanoparticles was observed using SEM and FTIR. Batch experiments reported that the extend of Cr(VI) reduction was increased with increasing concentration of iron nanoparticles and inversely with initial Cr (VI) concentration as well as with decreasing pH (4 - 9). The efficiency of nanocomposites for Cr (VI) reduction was assessed in batch experiment and the results revealed that the rate of Cr (VI) reduction as a function of time showed a rapid reduction, it required 120 min to attain equilibrium for Cr (VI) reduction in NC2 and NC1 for spiked soil. In spiked soil, the maximum Cr (VI) reduction was achieved at an initial concentration of 200 mg kg-1 in pH 5 with 6 mg kg-1 of NC1 dosage whereas, 4 mg kg-1 dosage for NC2. This study indicates that the zerovalent iron nanoparticles, especially those which were Na Y zeolite supported ZVI nanoparticles can yield high removal efficiency in the reduction of Cr (VI) spiked soil.

Om Prakash Rautaray   Rudra Narayan Pradhan   Prasanna Behera   and Hemanta Ku. Sahu   

The Government of India introduced the "Biological Diversity Act 2002", in the year 2002 and the "Biological Diversity Rules" in the year 2004. Accordingly all state governments would have to constitute biodiversity boards and frame their own state specific Biological Diversity Rules. With this enforcement, the Government of Odisha has published the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 in the local vernacular language and constituted the Odisha Biodiversity Board. Apart from this the Odisha Government framed the "Odisha Biological Diversity Rules, 2012". But, there still wasn't any initiative by the State Government to document traditional knowledge & biological resources, though Odisha is rich in biodiversity. In the year 2009-2010, an initiative was taken up by the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (OFSDP), an external aided project of Forest & Environment Department and its General Consultants (GC) to document the biological diversity of Satkosia Tiger Reserve and its periphery areas with the participation of local people by use of their traditional wisdom & grassroots level forest officials much before the publication of the Odisha Biological Diversity Rules, 2012. This article articulates the complexities, objectives , modules, pitfalls , benefit sharing and challenges of the experiment as stated above by using People Biodiversity Register to document the biodiversity resources.

Laode Ida   

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) become a very important subject matter to put as an international agenda after 2015 where MDGs is going to be completed. We all acknowledge that MDGs (8 components) target is significantly achieved, so that is needed to refer it as a lessons learned and a movement for international development agenda to make a continuously and advance in the future. It is also in line to previous common consensus resulted by Open Group Discussion (March 13-14, 2013). Moreover Indonesia, who President SBY took a crucial role in the panel initiated by UN SG, has a strong commitment to follow up MDGs achievement. The main question: what's kind of movement is proper to be taken for the future steps? The first important thing is to have a real concept that is agreed to be implemented as international community agenda. The second step is to establish a special body to be in charge. The third is to conduct SDGs international campaign to promote it and at the same time try to convince donor countries as well as business groups to contribute a support this efforts.

Nelofer Jamil   Zahoor Ahmed Bazai   Musarat Riaz   Mohsin Ali Khan   Syeda Maria Ali   Azra Yasmin   Uzma Jabeen   Sabeena Rizwan   Fazeela Mandokhel   Ayesha Mushtaq   and Fareeda Behlil   

Cigarette smoking is an addictive and destructive behavior and it can cause serious health problems and most important preventable cause of death in the world. In the present study using questionnaire data of smokers (n = 323) and non-smokers (n=218) from the patients in the Out Patients Department (OPD) of civil hospital Quetta was collected. Based on smoking history, the study population was categorized into smokers (<25 cigarettes/day), and non-smokers while smokers were further subdivided into three sub-categories based on their ages: up to 35, up to 50, and above 50. The results depicts that the mean hemoglobin (Hb) levels of smokers and non-smokers were 15.9+0.4g/L and 12.6+0.5g/L respectively, which increased progressively with the number of cigarettes consumed per day. It was observed that 0%, 53.11% and 68.92 were suffering from Chest diseases in group 1, 2 and 3 respectively. In case of high blood pressure population belonging to group 1 and 2 showed greater percentage while group 3 showed lower percentage. Increase in the percentage of heart diseases with age and smoking habit was also observed in all three groups which were prominent in group 3. The present study confirms that the smoking had severe effects on health of the smokers causing lungs and heart diseases. Furthermore, the implications could be made that 60% of the total population is smokers which are the indicator in increase attitude of community towards smoking despite many initiative of declaring smoking as taboo by government and tradition of the area.

Koech O. K.   Kinuthia R. N.   Mureithi S. M.   Karuku G.N.   and Wanjogu R.   

Seed quality and effects of storage on viability of six range grass species grown at 80, 50 and 30% Field capacity soil water content and rain fed were evaluated. Freshly harvested seeds at week 2 from date of harvest (DOH) had the lowest percent germination. Enteropogon macrostachyus showed low GP (<10%) after 2 weeks storage but at the late incubation periods of 11^th to 14^th day. Sorghum sudanense showed higher GP (> 50%) after storage period of 2 weeks from DOH and GP>75% from the three soil water content after storage period of 36 weeks. The results also showed after storage periods of 12 weeks, all the grass species start to germination after day 3 of incubation, unlike in the freshly harvested -2 weeks storage period where germination starts after 7 days of incubation except for Sorghum sudanense. Germination index (GI) increased with storage periods for all the grass species with Sorghum sudanense having the highest GI of over 20 after 12 weeks of storage. Storage period of 12 weeks increases seed viability of the six grasses and Sorghum sudanense has higher seed viability even when freshly harvested compared to the other species.

Trina Chakrabarty   Shamima Akter   A.S.M Saifullah   Md. Shemul Sheikh   and Arjun C. Bhowmick   

This study was carried out to investigate the mode of fertilizer and pesticide use and their impact on soil fertility and surrounding environment. It is revealed that paddy is the mostly produced crop in this area and fertilizers and pesticides were intensively used for boosting up the production of crops. Among all the fertilizers Urea is the mostly used fertilizer followed by Urea, MP, DAP/TSP and also organic fertilizer (although in less amount). Among the pesticides used in study area to kill pest, Furadan and Diazinon were most demanded. Farmers of this area used either greater amount or less amount of fertilizer than the standard amount provided by government. Most of the farmers and agrochemical dealers were not aware about the impact of fertilizer and pesticide on crop production and environment as well. This outcome draws base line situation which can be useful towards further relevant research as well as to develop policy in agrochemicals use in agriculture.

Ezeonyejiaku Chigozie Damian   Obiakor Maximilian Obinna   and Okonkwo Chidumeje Ndidi   

Aquatic ecosystem pollution by heavy metals is a global problem and requires proactive measures and techniques in tackling the scourge. Exposure to multiple contaminants in water environment now displaces the single action of pollutants and creates a challenge for complex mixture contact management. Heavy metals at individual low acting concentrations can elicit higher toxicity on interactions with other environmental toxicants. In this study, Clarias gariepinus was exposed to the mixture of zinc and copper at predetermined ratio of 1:1 and 1:2 based on 96hLC₅₀ index and binary interactive dynamics of the two metals calculated using the synergistic ratio model. Following the exposure, the 9hLC₅₀ values were 84.683 mg/l and 45.875 mg/L for ratios 1:1 and 1:2, respectively. Physiological responses such as rapid opercula movement, frequent gulping of air and neurological symptoms like jerking movements, frightening and loss of balance were observed throughout the experimental period. There were antagonistic and synergistic reactions between the metals at the two combinatorial ratios. Antagonism occurs when the metals were mixed at the ratio of 1:1 and synergism at the ratio of 1:2. We therefore recommend that joint action toxicity of metals should be taken into consideration in fixing environmental safe limits for heavy metals in order to have a complete protection of aquatic ecosystems.

Tamer Gado   and Mady Mohamed   

Autodesk Ecotect^[1] is a whole building simulation software that can predict the thermal, visual and acoustic performance of buildings. It is very user-friendly software that could potentially integrate with the architectural design process. Thermal performance analysis in Autodesk Ecotect is based on the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) admittance method and thus inherits its limitations. Hence, the need to use more detailed thermal simulation tools during the final stage of a building design or research project. This paper investigated the potential of using detailed thermal simulation software (HTB2) in conjunction with Autodesk Ecotect. Five primary classrooms built in a hot-dry climatic region were monitored. The same classrooms were modelled in Autodesk Ecotect using several modelling techniques and the internal temperatures were simulated using HTB2. Analysis of results suggested that a number of necessary measures are required to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the simulation results.

Abu Shaid   

In Global Estimation Methodology for the Ecosystem State, Rojanschi (1991) used the geometric correlation method to assess the impact of human activity on environment and derived an indicator termed as Global Pollution Index (I_pg). The index is capable of describing the real state of environment at a particular location in respect to the national or international standard. However the method is only applicable when at least three environmental components (such as water, air, soil) are considered. In 2005 Popa proposed Alternative geometric correlation method which is also applicable when minimum two environmental components are investigated. However Popa’s method suffers from the limitation of taking average of average values of investigated data and lack geometric figure which show the real status of all the corresponding environmental components. Hence in several cases (as shown in the current paper), the Popa’s pollution index gives misleading information. In this paper, limitations of both Rojanschi’s and Popa’s methods are discussed and to rectify their limitations, a new scheme termed as ‘Extended Rojanschi’s Method’ is proposed. The proposed method includes concentric/eccentric circle technique for one and two environmental components in addition to the basic Rojanschi’s method. Thus the new method is applicable to any number of environmental component from literally one to infinite. It also provides an option to calculate pollution index from actual investigated data instead of their average value (as in Rojanschi’s method) or average of average value (as in Popa’s method). In proposed method the geometric figures are also capable of representing real status of all the investigated environmental components in respect to their ideal state (which is impossible in Popa’s method) and pollution index can be calculated even from one or two environmental component (which is impossible in original Rojanschi’s method).

Subir Kumar Das   Md. Moniruzzaman   and Md. Majedul Bari   

Most of the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh have been living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) especially in Bandarban district since a long time ago. The accompanying study “Assessing the ecological declining and environmental degradation situation of hilly area” has been conceived for a comprehensive understanding the ecological declining and environmental degradation status of the people living in the Bandarban. The purposes of this study are to estimate the present status of food availability and environmental degradation of the Bandarban District, to develop a system dynamics model to simulate food security and environmental degradation at upazila and district level and to address the different management strategies and development scenarios. This research is carried out using primary data including field observation, questionnaire survey, GPS data, official documents etc. and published documents. A total of 150 households were chosen from 7563 households using Raosoft sample size calculator. Advance statistical software i.e. SPSS has used for data entry and analysis. The research found that about 24.67% of the household said that the main disaster risk is land slide. And they are facing this frequently of several years. Other natural disasters are flood (44.67%), cyclone (18.67%), flash flood (10.66%) etc. Last 5 years they have to face flood at higher amount (44.67%), land slide 20.67% and flash flood 12.67%. So the disaster risk is increasing. People blamed increasing disaster risk due to hill cutting soil erosion, deforestation, faulty agricultural practices, etc., for the land- slides. Govt. and NGOs reduce hill cutting and take measures to reduce deforestation.

Mady Mohamed   

The achievement of adequate internal environment quality (IEQ) – as one of the most important aspects of quality of life - lies at the core of every debate about built environment of school buildings. Many attempts have been made in the past to examine different aspects of the internal environment quality of primary classrooms. Unhealthy classrooms with poor environmental quality were found to lead to absenteeism among staff and pupils, and negatively affect the performance of children, schoolwork as well as the education process. Children are more susceptible than adults to the effect of poor internal environment quality, which can be “subtle and do not always produce easily recognizable impacts on health and wellbeing”. Egyptian schools are no exception. The author of the current research believes that the environmental performance of these schools could be better by adopting passive strategies and measures. The current paper presents and analysis three examples of the contemporary schools thought to be climatically and environmentally responsive. Their environmental performances are analyzed in order to adopt useful ideas and measures to deal with the hot dry climate in Egypt. The precedents are chosen from the hot dray region and the semi-arid zones according to the Koppen Climatic Classification. Hourly climatic data of their locations are synthesized Using Meteonorm software and analyzed using Weather Tool to investigate the response of the school design to the climate context. Results suggest a number of useful passive measures that could be applied on the Egyptian schools in order to enhance their environmental performance.

Zeliha Bahçecioğlu   and Bayram Yildiz   

Five species endemic to Malatya province in Turkey, Hipricum malatyanum PeƟmen (Hypericaceae), Lotus malatayicus Ponert (Fabaceae), Centaurea brevifimbriata Hub.-Mor. (Asteraceae), Chaenorhinum cryptarum (Boiss.et Hauskn.) Davis (Scrophulariaceae), and Phlomis integrifolia Hub.-Mor. (Lamiaceae), are critically endangered in nature, due to the deterioration of the habitats. These species were observed in the habitats for a period of 20 years by the authors. In Malatya province the habitats are gradually disappeared for reasons such as open fields, creating vineyards and orchards, and the effect of erosion.

Fahimeh Mirzaei   Seyed Rahman Eghbali   and Mohammadjavad Mahdavinejad   

Increase in population is one of the main reasons for human to live in height but in construction of tall-buildings the energy supply has been ignored; moreover mismanagement of natural resources in Iran during recent years has been led to raise concerns among authorities. This article seeks to provide a model which is proposed to use wind-catchers which exists in traditional Iranian architecture to enhance natural ventilation in residential buildings. Therefore, wind catcher performance is analyzed by Carrier software in one proposed model in Tehran. The research approach is simulation, modeling and applied techniques to calculate a proposed model. [1] Collecting information method also is library searching and physical studies. According to the data collected about the features and usage of the wind-catchers in Tehran, only some parts of this tall-building are naturally ventilated. Therefore, the traditional natural ventilation systems cannot be adequate unless the building mechanical systems are used.

Burcin Mizrak   Sergio Mattia   and Alessandra Pandolfi   

The article innovative aim is to introduce a research made to suggest some simple ways to improve the planning and design strategies for ensuring the highest sustainability level in child-friendly cities. The environments surrounding us strongly affect our perception of belonging to a place, and our social, mental, physical health. Therefore, designing and planning friendly environments for people of all ages should be perceived as one of the most important responsibilities for planners and politicians. At this point, in order to make cities friendlier for its inhabitants, it is considered useful to focus on the most vulnerable classes of people living in urban environments, such as children, because a city that is friendly for its kids will be welcoming also for anyone else. As a matter of facts, a child-friendly city is usually a urban environment that is suitable for most of its inhabitants and this is even more important in the most critical situations, such as the poorest slums of a developing city, like Istanbul, and its most fragile neighborhoods, like TarlabaĆŸÄ±. The research results highlighted that TarlabaĆŸÄ± has unique spatial child-friendly characteristics, despite its physical, social, and economic disadvantages, and these conditions can be dramatically improved with some very simple and affordable projects.

Mohammadreza Sadeghi Moghadam   Neda Rajabi   Fatemeh Zolghadr   Kourosh Palad   and Salameh Azimi   

To date, the necessity of security has always been felt in human lives and is one of the most basic human needs. On the other hand, urban space has the highest correlation with people and life environment and therefore it has an important role in giving identity and relaxation to citizens. Nowadays, paying attention to the concept of citizen’s security and using various methods to promote are the main concerns of urban designers and authorities. Therefore, establishing a safe city by using efficient urban designs are resulted in environmental aesthetics, improving the quality of city framework and reducing urban crimes in addition to social, cultural and psychological impacts. The present study sought to identify effective environmental quality criteria on security such as accessibility, urban furniture, light and lighting designs, the role of pedestrian in addition to analyzing them and doing important factor of criteria using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model of weighting. Finally, two cases (Sepah and Molavi districts) were evaluated according to these criteria in terms of security. The results of the present study indicated that urban space design associated with presenting desirable environmental quality has a direct correlation with the security of citizens.

Muhammad Adeel Javaid   

In general, cloud computing focus on the data computing efficiency; green cloud computing is a new thinking which is based on cloud computing architecture and focuses on the energy efficiency of device and computing. Although it is widely claimed that cloud computing is “green” because of its better energy efficiency, we are going to examine this thesis more carefully via an analytic approach in this paper. We discuss a hierarchical structure to build the virtual network for facilitating management.

M. A. Rahman Bhuiyan   M. Mizanur Rahman   Abu Shaid   and M. A. Khan   

The paper presents a method for reducing the amount of freshwater used in the textile industry, by using gamma irradiated textile wastewater for scouring and bleaching in the pretreatment process of knitted cotton fabric. The wastewater samples were irradiated by gamma radiation doses between 3-12 kGy that resulted in a reduced pH value of 9 to nearly neutral 7-7.5, and color reduction percentage of 57– 90%. Thus, the water becomes appropriate for replacing freshwater in the scouring-bleaching stage of cotton fabric. The performance of the cotton fabric samples were also evaluated after scouring & bleaching with irradiated wastewater and found similar to those samples processed with freshwater in respect of whiteness, absorbency and weight loss.

Evgenia Pavlovskaia   

In the article, the issue of environmental sustainability criteria in the coffee sector is researched. Such important aspects in this topic are highlighted and discussed as reasons for the emergence of sustainability criteria for coffee and factors that make the production of coffee sustainable. Two widely used sustainability standards for coffee, the Fair Trade Coffee sustainability standard and the Utz Certified Coffee sustainability standard, are investigated more precisely. The environmental requirements of these standards in the form of environmental sustainability criteria, and mechanisms to control their fulfilment are outlined. The issue of control is separately highlighted, because it is considered indispensible for the constructions with sustainability criteria to function as they have been aimed for. Finally, challenges of the present situation in the coffee sector, when there is a variety of co-existing sustainability standards with approximately similar sustainability requirements are reflected upon. The article is aimed to raise interest to the potential of sustainability criteria to promote sustainable products and their sustainable production methods. In the long perspective, sustainability criteria can be used as tool to promote and safeguard sustainability, and particularly environmental sustainability, which is very urgent. The idea is emphasized that the experience of the coffee sector and central aspects of its governance approach towards sustainability can be efficiently shared by other industries with similar problematic issues, e.g. in the biofuel industry.

Rizwan Yaseen   Jamil Shafi   Waqas Ahmad   Muhammad Shoaib Rana   Muhammad Salim   and Saeed Ahmad Qaisrani   

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of deficit irrigation and mulch levels on soil physical properties and growth and yield of maize crop. The experiment comprised of two irrigation levels, i.e. I₁: 558.8 mm and I₂: 711.2 mm while two mulch levels, i.e. M₀: no mulch and M₁₅: 15 Mg ha^-1. Soil samples were collected from 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm depths before sowing and at crop harvest. The samples were analyzed for soil physical, i.e. bulk density, field saturated hydraulic conductivity (mm hr^-1), and infiltration rate (mm hr^-1) and chemical parameters, i.e. SOC concentration, soil NPK and plant NPK.. The results of this study showed that the maximum increase in plant height (11.39 %), biological yield (29.56 %) and grain yield (35.5 %) was observed with treatment combination I₂×ČŃ₁₅ as compared to control. In case of soil physical properties, the maximum mean value of infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity was observed 19.4 and 88.33 mm hr^-1 with treatment combination I₂×ČŃ₁₅, respectively while minimum mean value of infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity was recorded 12.4 and 32.56 mm hr^-1 with treatment combination I₁×ČŃ₀, respectively. Soil bulk density decreased by increasing the mulch rate and minimum value of 1.44 Mg m­^-3 observed at 0-10 cm depth with treatment combination I₂×ČŃ₁₅. In case of soil chemical properties, the treatment combination I₂×ČŃ₁₅ showed highest value of SOC, soil nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that was 0.55 g kg^-1, 0.64 g kg^-1, 15.48 ppm and 144.67 ppm, respectively.

Ako Thomas Agbor   Abba Francis Mohammed   Onoduku usman Shehu   Nuhu Waziri Musa   Alabi Adekola A.   and Mamodu Adegbe   

A swarm of 14 landslides occurred spontaneously within the Azenge Mountain on November 13^th, 2010 between the hours of 1 and 6 am after torrential rains. The landslides were studied using interviews, field observations and laboratory study of the soil samples collected from the major landslide site. Results of the study show that the event that was reported by many local media in Nigeria as volcanic eruption was a spontaneous massive slope movement along the mountainous terrain of Imande Ukusu, Mon village. About 1,123,918 m³ of rock and debris were moved along the sliding surface for more than 1.5 km to the toe of the mountain within a very few minutes. The size of the materials moved decreases from the top to the toe of the slope which range from 50^o to 5^o respectively. These materials range in size from block of rocks of various sizes, soil to mud. The largest boulders moved measured 71.2 m and 88.5 m respectively. The rock types in the area include gneisses, granites, basaltic rocks and dolerite dykes which have a general strike of 240^o NW with a dip of 038^o NE and are highly fractured. The fractures and dip are in the direction of the slope. Laboratory result of the soil samples reflect two types of grain sizes. Those with very high degree of susceptibility to sliding above the sliding surface which plot in the failure zone and those less susceptible from the sliding surface and plot outside the failure zone. Torrential rainfall towards the end of the year was the main triggering mechanism of the landslides. Other causes are attributed to geological, morphological and human factors. The landslides led to the death of 1 person, destruction of vegetation, soil structure and texture, farmlands and remodeling of the geomorphology of the area. It is recommended that human activities along the toe of the hills be reduced and settlements should be sited far away from the hills to avoid further loss of lives in future.

A.G. Bubnov   and S.A. Buymova   

The results of the adaptation of methods of water solutions biotesting for the assessment of air quality after the removal of formaldehyde from air via dielectric barrier discharge reactor are presented in this work. The conditions for the express-analysis of air are determined.

Denise A. Fungaro   and Carina P. Magdalena   

Surfactant-modiïŹed nanozeolites from coal fly ash were used for the removal of Acid Orange 8 (AO8) from water. The zeolitic material was modified by two cationic surfactants i. e., hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA-Br) and hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (HDTMA-Cl). Both the modiïŹed nanozeolites were characterized using various techniques to obtain its physical and chemical constituents. The adsorbents before and after adsorption were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The dynamical data obtained at different concentrations for the two organozeolites fit well with pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The equilibrium adsorption data were interpreted in terms of the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. The results showed that the adsorption of AO8 was influenced by HDTMA-zeolite counterion. Zeolite modiïŹed with HDTMA-Br was most efïŹcient than zeolite modiïŹed with HDTMA-Cl for AO8 removal. Negative values of Gibbs free energy change (ΔG^o) for dye adsorption onto HDTMA-modified zeolites indicates that the adsorption process is spontaneous and thermodynamically favorable. As a result, surfactant-modiïŹed nanozeolites from coal fly ash could be used as effective adsorbents for AO8 removal from wastewater.

V.F. Krapivin   and F.A. Mkrtchyan   

A compact measuring - information multi-channel spectroellipsometric system for monitoring the quality of aquatic environment, that is based on the combined use of spectroellipsometry and training, classification, and identification algorithms is described. This system is differed from modern analogues by the use of a new and very promising method of ellipsometric measurements, an original element base of polarization optics and a complex mathematical approach to estimating the quality of a water object subjected to anthropogenic influence. The spectroellipsometric system can be used in different fields where the water quality should be estimated or the presence of a particular set of chemical elements should be revealed. The system solves these problems by real-time monitoring of the aquatic environment. In the stationary version it allows the tracking of the dynamics of water quality in a stream, and when placed on a ship, it allows the measurement of water parameters along the route. Some experimental data and calculations are given. Assessment of the system precision is realized for water reservoirs located in South Vietnam.

Lindsey M. Altenhofen   and Jack Dekker   

Chenopodium album is a widespread and troublesome weed in Iowa and agricultural areas throughout the north temperate regions of the world. This study investigated the effects of various factors on the stimulation of germination of two populations of C. album seeds collected in 2007 and 2008 at a common location. These factors included light, temperature, after-ripening time, nitrate, and water level. Germination of both populations was generally stimulated by light, warm (15-25℃)and hot (25-35℃) temperatures, 0.01 M nitrate, 3 to 5 weeks of after-ripening (4℃, dark, moist), and with the 2008 population, 1.0 and 1.25 ml of water. The interaction of these factors, particularly light, warm temperatures and nitrate, stimulated higher germination than when applied individually. Germination was very low in cold (5-15℃) temperatures or darkness, regardless of other treatments applied. The goal of this experiment was to lay a foundation with two local Iowa populations to guide further studies developing a seed germination assay to determine variability of dormancy among individual seeds of and between populations. Insights about dormancy variability in C. album gained from the current research included positive responses by both populations to light, warm and hot temperatures, nitrate, and intermediate after-ripening times. However, the populations differed in their response to water quantity and, for most conditions, the 2008 population achieved greater overall germination. The overarching goal of this project is to build a condensed C. album seed germination assay to characterize individual populations to predict seedling emergence patterns in agricultural soils in an effort to decrease interference with crop productivity.

Mykhaylo Vasylenko   and Maryana Draga   

In field and laboratory studies the impact of new biological substances on agricultural crops was examined. The dependences of yields and product quality from the implementation of the biological substances Emistym and Ecostym were shown. Using of "Ecostym" shows high biological and agroecological efficiency on gray forest soils. Biological substances caused significant increasing of the yield, contents of protein, gluten and fat in agricultural products of such agricultural crops as spring wheat, maize, soybean, rapeseed and sunflower.

Evgenia Pavlovskaia   

The enforcement and implementation of separate aspects of sustainable development and environmental sustainability can be challenging and innovative due to the complexity of this task. Appropriate policy and legal approaches and tools can be needed for this purpose. In this article, the EU experience of developing the framework for sustainable transport biofuels and special structural elements for its enforcement are highlighted and analyzed. The central legal acts in this area, including Directive 2003/30/EC, Directive 2009/30/EC and Directive 2009/28/EC are explored. Advantages and disadvantages of the EU approach to sustainable transport biofuels are discussed. Suggestions for the future development are made. Among them, the ideas to establish an international regime for sustainable transport biofuels are promoted and reflected on. In the work, special focus is laid on the content of Directive 2009/28/EC and the requirements, which it imposes on the EU Member States. The significance of the 2020 binding targets for renewable energy is highlighted, and their possible consequences are discussed. The content of the EU sustainability criteria for biofuels is explained. The cooperation mechanisms and monitoring requirements to the EU Commission and Member States are examined. The EU approach to combine the quantity of the consumed biofuels, which has the form of the binding targets for the EU Member States, and their sustainable quality, expressed as the list of the sustainability criteria, is viewed as efficient and sustainable from an environmental perspective. Though the EU policy for sustainable transport biofuels is still under development and constant improvement, it can be seen as an instructive example of how environmental goals and policy measures can be organized and promoted with the help of binding legal regulations. Certain aspects of the EU approach to sustainable transport biofuels can be efficiently borrowed by other industrial sectors, as well as by other countries that wish to develop a framework for sustainable energy.

E.G. Kolomyts   

The report presents novel approach to the study of development of snowpack structure based on its crystal morphology and the fundamental laws of natural symmetry. It is worked out the empirical deterministic models describing the sublimation-metamorphic cycle of seasonal snow cover and the polymorphic variants of this cycle. Stadiality of the forms of crystal growth and self-development snow layers are revealed. They are a result of successive process of superposition of ice crystal-chemical symmetry and dissymmetry of the whole system soil–snow–atmosphere, according to the known P. Curie’s principle. Crystal-morphological classification for season snow is worked out by author on the base of the given an account evolutionary model. Evolution of snowpack structure is conditioned to a marked degree by probabilistic conformity to natural laws, manifesting themselves in the processes of auto-regulation of metamorphism. These processes include the two types of regulation: the self-regulation of snow layers, on the one hand, and their regulation from outside – under the influence of atmospheric perturbations, on the other hand. An analysis of the processes of auto-regulation of metamorphism is capable of rendering a substantial service in the development of methods of short- and long-term forecasting of the avalanches.

Lidiya Moklyachuk   Oksana Drebot   Oleksandr Moklyachuk   Tetyana Moklyachuk   and Veronika Monarh   

In order to assess the environmental risks of POPs contaminated areas, we construct a mathematical model that describes spreading of environmental pollution by persistent organic pollutants from areas around old chemical storehouses. Absolute and relative ecological risks of this pollution are calculated. We test our model in real conditions along with the well-known CalTOX model.

Afif Ur Rehman   Atif Riaz   Muhammad Iqbal   Jamil Shafi   and Waqas Ahmad   

Salinity remained as a serious threat to agricultural land in all over the world. Salt stress conditions affect all aspects of plant growth and development. When we raised plant in different levels of NaCl, it caused the change not only in morphological characteristics, but also had adverse effect on physiological characteristics of the plant. Among seven levels of salinity, T₀ showed better result against other treatments. T₀ (canal water) proved the best treatment for all the understudy characters such as plant height decreased significantly with the increase in salinity level. Plant height, number of leaves plant^-1, number of branches plant^-1, leaf area, number of flower plant^-1, flower diameter, flower quality, fresh weight of flower, dry weight of a flower presented superior results in canal water rather than 2.5 dS/m, 5 dS/m, 7.5 dS/m, 10 dS/m, 12.5 dS/m and 15 dS/m salinity levels.

Konrad Prandecki   

After many years of unsuccessful attempts the European Union common energy policy takes shape, indicating the targets for 2020 and even into mid-century. These actions occur at a fairly important time, because Europe's energy sector requires urgent changes resulting from the need to renew the capacity and transmission as well as to reduce the dependence on imported energy resources. The climate change is an additional challenge. It is important to assess the way in which the European policies intend to resolve these problems, respecting the principles of sustainable development. Indeed, the effective implementation of this concept in other areas of the economy will depend on its successful implementation in energy sector.

Yulia N. Utorova   Anatoliy A. Khapugin   and Tatyana B. Silaeva   

Composition of the flora that is accompanying to the Acer campestre in the north-eastern border of the range has been investigated. Its analysis has been carried out according to relation of plant species to the some environmental factors. Ecological groups have been specified in relation to the lighting / shading, in relation to water. Ecological-coenotical analysis has been carried out. Species of accompanying flora have been assigned to the life-form groups according to the Raunkiaer's life-form classification. It has been shown that Acer campestre represented by undersized individuals on the north-eastern border of the range. Shade-tolerant species of vascular plants are dominated within accompanying flora.

Israel Dunmade   

The purpose of this study was to examine impacts of rural-urban and inter-municipal partnerships in finding suitable solution(s) to rural municipalities’ environmental problems. The study also evaluated how involvements in collaborative partnerships affect the effectiveness of participating municipal governments in fulfilling their social service responsibilities. Moreover, the study examined necessary conditions for sustainable and enduring voluntary regional and inter-municipal collaborations. The study was based on qualitative research paradigm. Seven municipalities in Southern Alberta were involved in the study. Overall, the study revealed that municipalities involved in regional and/or inter-municipal partnerships fared better socio-economically than those that were never involved. It also revealed the need for maintenance of trust and effective management of the cost of involvement. It was discovered that sense of common destiny/identity including identification of potential partnering opportunities is essential for sustainable regional collaboration. It was also discovered that sustainable regional partnership requires an establishment of framework for identifying priorities and for reaching agreement on action to be taken. Provincial/federal policies and incentives that encourage collaboration are also essential for successful voluntary rural-urban communities’ partnerships.

Svetlana B. Norina   Alexander N. Shalygin   and Stanislav F. Rastopov   

A method is proposed for the ecological monitoring of lower organisms by using the frequency of mechanical vibrations, and the real time detection of their motion. The synchronous mechanical oscillations of invertebrates were detected under constant frequency bands. The waves generated by these organisms in their normal state were observed, as well as the vibrations splitting response under various external conditions such as: a magnetic field gradient and thermal stress. The spectroscopic analysis of the intensity fluctuations of light scattered by the organisms allowed the detection of complex biorhythms. Used optical portable spectrometer detected Fourier spectra and real-time rhythms of cilia beating and drifting motility. The common main cilia beating frequency was found between 16-17 Hz for Artemia Salina brine shrimps. The experimental results demonstrated that the reaction of cilia beating to a gradient of a magnetic field is weaker than the reaction to other stress induced by temperature gradients.

Nagaraju Bantu   Venkata rathnamma Vakita   and Somaiah Karra   

Fish were exposed for 15 and 30 days to sublethal concentration of chlorantraniliprole (1/20th LC50) and their biochemical constituents, oxidative stress induction potential was estimated in various tissues of fish Labeo rohita. Protein content of the various tissues like liver, kidney, gills, and muscle decreased by (41%, 37%, 63%, and 50%) respectively, The maximum reduction of amino acid content in kidney, liver, gills, and muscle of pesticide exposed fish were (60%, 63%, 62%, and 51%) respectively, the same trend was also observe in glycogen and total lipids content. SOD, CAT, GST, Gpx and LPO levels fluctuated in all tissues, compare to control, at sublethal concentration for 15 and 30 days. These findings may be used as biomarker for water pollution.

Raveendra H. Patil   Mette Laegdsmand   JĂžrgen E. Olesen   and John R. Porter   

Buried heating-cable method for manipulating soil temperature was designed and tested its performance in large concrete lysimeters grown with the wheat crop in Denmark. Soil temperature in heated plots was elevated by 5℃ compared with that in control by burying heating-cable at 0.1 m depth in a plough layer. Temperature sensors were placed at 0.05, 0.1 and 0.25 m depths in soil, and 0.1 m above the soil surface in all plots, which were connected to an automated data logger. Soil-warming setup was able to maintain a mean seasonal temperature difference of 5.0 ± 0.005℃ between heated and control plots at 0.1 m depth while the mean seasonal rise in soil temperature in the top 0.25 m depth (plough layer) was 3℃. Soil temperature in control plots froze (≀ 0℃) for 15 and 13 days respectively at 0.05 and 0.1 m depths while it did not in heated plots during the coldest period (Nov-Apr). This study clearly showed the efficacy of buried heating-cable technique in simulating soil temperature, and thus offers a simple, effective and alternative technique to study soil biogeochemical processes under warmer climates. This technique, however, decouples below-ground soil responses from that of above-ground vegetation response as this method heats only the soil. Therefore, using infrared heaters seems to represent natural climate warming (both air and soil) much more closely and may be used for future climate manipulation field studies.

Miah Muhammad Adel   

Out of the myriads of downstream ecocide effects in the Bangladesh Ganges basin from India’s upstream water piracy, attention has been given on the extinction of the aquatic species that supplied people’s cheap nutritional intakes and seasonal to permanent livelihood. In the Ganges basin, surface water bodies consisted of the Ganges, its distributaries and their canals linking to floodplains, and privately owned ponds and ditches. Most of the ponds and all the ditches would flood in the rainy season, and along with the floodplains, would turn into a vast sheet of water body allowing mingling of fishes from different sources. People used to have calcium and the indispensable animal protein nutrient as well as income supplement from the cheap fish resources. Some people would make fishing gears out of threads and bamboo strips, a generations-old home-grown technology. India’s indiscriminate actions of violations of water rights for the downstream ecosystem challenge the UNDP’s cottage industries-based rehabilitation programs in the third world countries. Attempts to restore the lost wetland ecosystems require dredging of the Bangladeshi silted riverbeds and canals followed by the destruction of river barrages to return the pirated water. India’s irresponsible actions make her bear the dredging costs and pay monetary compensation to Bangladesh in retrospective effects. Deprivation of water has a slower but much wider ecocide problem than the weapon of mass destruction. International sanctions should be in placed upon India and all other disregarders of downstream ecosystem’s water rights.

Roshan Teewary Ramessur   and Kishore Boodhoo   

The aim of this study was to assess Cu, Pb and Zn contamination in estuarine and urban sediments along Grand River North West (GRNW) during 2009-2013. Pb and Zn were significantly higher in the GRNW estuary though unleaded petrol was introduced since 2002. In fact, the potential sources of Cu, Pb and Zn in the urban estuarine sediments at GRNW were considered to arise from brakedust, road runoff and galvanized road furniture causing significant quantities to be trapped in coastal sediments with increasing vehicles. The mean concentration of Pb and Zn in the urban sediments along GRNW were however still below the limits of 700 and 2500 mg kg^-1 quoted for contaminated sediments adopted from the draft standards (24% clay and 10% organic matter by weight) from Netherlands. The concentration of Cu, Pb and Zn were also greatest in the more urbanised lower reaches of the Grand River Bay. Pb remained significantly positively correlated with Zn indicating that the cycling of Pb and Zn were linked indicating a common traffic related source for Pb and Zn in the urban sediments in GRNW. Pb was significantly lower at 5% significance level upstream, downstream, estuary during summer 2013 compared to summer 2010 and could be due to floods which occurred in summer 2013. Cu was also significantly positively correlated with Pb confirming the traffic related common source (brakedust and vehicle emissions) in the urban sediments of GRNW.

Vardan Singh Rawat   

Climate change is already being experienced by the community in the form of irregular rainfall and snow fall, increasing temperature, decreasing moisture content as a result some plant species have changed their new leaf formation time, flowering and fruiting time, which is now 15 to 20 days ahead as compared to the timings 10-15 years ago. Furthermore, changes in flowering and fruiting time, increased invade species like Parthinium hysteroporus, Agerative spp, Lantana camera in the farm land as well as forest land. Low amount of snow fall in the Himalayan region affected to the Nomad groups due low grass available to feed their livestock. Climate and weather also determine food security of the hill communities, who rely on agriculture and animal husbandry for their subsistence needs. These persistent changes in the weather have resulted in the overall decrease in the quantity of available water in all the water sources of the region. The present study revealed that a majority of farmers (56%) were aware about global warming and hence about the changes in the climate (52%). A significant percentage of them (86%) were agreed that persistent change in the climate has dried the water bodies, adversely affected the quantity and quality of various fruits. Broad leave species are being replaced with pine which is a major cause of forest fires. Crop productivity has been reduced because of low soil fertility and higher incidence of diseases. A positive change observed by villagers is that the ripening period of wheat has reduced by some days. Adapting to climate change, people have started cultivation of crop varieties that required less water. Villagers have also adopted new enterprises for income generation. Forest, soil and water conservation are some important issues highlighted by community to reduce future risks. Such knowledge can allow scientists to test specific hypotheses, and policy makers to design mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change, especially in an extraordinarily important part of our world that is experiencing considerable change.

S. Moammed Irshad   

Disaster risk reduction is an institutional intervention programme and there are both global and local strategies and approaches available. Regulating natural resource is one among them. This paper attempts to analyse the globally and nationally existing water governance approaches and their relative failure to impede the large scale river pollution in India’s mining areas. The diversion of river for mining have resulted in multiple hazards in the mineral deposits areas of India. These approaches are advocating for ‘sustainable development’ and offer an institutional mechanism to integrate disaster risk reduction with environmental security. The regulatory measured are also being regulated by the economic interests of mining.

David Cantala   Stephen McKnight   and Jaume Sempere   

We analyze the design of a cap and trade scheme of greenhouse gas emissions for Mexico. We use existing economic theory and past experiences to analyze the key issues and problems typically encountered when designing cap and trade schemes. We also discuss the possible constraints for the integration of Mexico into a regional North American emissions market.

Sheik Md. Kazi Nazrul Islam   and ASW Kurny and Fahmida Gulshan   

The aim of the study was to investigate the photocatalytic efficiency of mill scale (waste iron oxide collected from local steel plants) for the degradation of textile dyes. The photodegradation on methylene blue (MB) in natural environment with co-existence of mill scale and oxalic acid/ H₂O₂ under UV or sunlight were studied. Some effecting factors such as mill scale content, oxalate ion, H₂O₂ and MB concentration were also investigated. Dye decomposition rate was found to increase with an increase in the amount of mill, reached a maximum and then decreased with increasing mill scale concentration. The decomposition rate decreased with increasing dye concentration. Faster dye degradation was observed by mill scale/H₂O₂ than with mill scale/oxalic acid system. Photocatalytic performance of mill scale (a solid waste) was found as an interesting alternative for the degradation of dyes (liquid waste).

Miah Muhammad Adel   

The article reviews about 100 meetings between India and her counterparts Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh’s consenting, for her least survivability to avoid the worst Indian cornering by the unilateral water piracy, to India’s right to the Ganges water piracy by the Farakka Barrage over the Ganges to establish the No. 1 waterway across India. Sources of information have been published articles and news in electronic and print media, site visitations, experts’ interviews, field work, travel accounts, research institutions and government offices. The Bangladesh’s courteous consent to a 41-day test-run of the barrage in April 1975 ended in Indian unilateral piracy that continued until 1977 when a 5-year consent to piracy was signed after raising the issue to the UN General Assembly that prompted Indian dailies heinous comments against Bangladesh. Later, in two memoranda of understanding the piracy right was granted in 1982 and 1985. Unilateral water piracy continued 1988 through 1996 toward the end of which the consent to a 30-year piracy right was signed. Indian water piracy by other dams and barrages upstream of the Farakka is on the rise causing the ever-decreasing Ganges discharge through Bangladesh that has resulted in the world’s worst ecocide. The UN should consider water pirates committing multiple crimes of ecosystem water deprivation, drinking water poisoning, climate change, and global environmental change, and subject them to international sanction, and look for downstream ecosystem damages of any degree by the upstream water management in the criminal investigation.

Sergei V. Jargin 

Asbestos-related health risks have been evaluated on the basis of past experience, when occupational exposures were much higher; while the linear no-threshold (LNT) approach has usually been applied. However, applicability of the LNT dose-response pattern to low levels of asbestos exposure has never been proven. Asbestos-related research has been influenced by vested interests and biases. Furthermore, current evidence does not provide sufficient support for a separate approach to serpentine (chrysotile) and amphibole asbestos by official regulations, the more so as the international trade provides for mixing of different asbestos types. Carcinogenicity and other harmful properties of different asbestos fibers, and of man-made asbestos substitutes, should be tested in large-scale animal experiments. Importantly, researchers must be independent from vested interests. In the meantime, the All Fibers Equal basis for the asbestos-related regulations would be an optimal solution. Current asbestos-related policies are irrational: asbestos production and use are banned by some countries, while others are increasing the manufacturing and exports. The rules and regulations should be internationally coordinated and revised on the basis of scientific knowledge.

Shaikh Javaria Manzoor IKIHA, IFHE, BEAM and JaeSeung Park, Ph.D, NCARB, FKIA 

Perhaps on one hand Pakistan is facing severe energy crises, and on the other the planet earth is going through global warming. The only solution is low carbon planning. The purpose of this paper is to show the benefit of low energy residential designs. It is normally believed that closely controlled conditions equate with better comfort. Analysis of field surveys and adaptive comfort theories have made it clear that while closely controlled is one way of achieving comfort it is not the only way. This paper has taken into account analysis of an Eco-House designed by the author, this design considers energy efficiency in terms of passive methods; hence here is a comparative study of two types of houses. Primarily, there is a complete analysis of an existing house in UET (University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore) staff colony that adopts conventional methods of achieving comfort through energy consumption. The latter house is an Eco-House design proposal for which creative design strategies are discussed in detail. The results obtained provide us the substance to statistically show the benefits of low energy designs. The findings also highlights the importance by providing an insight details for the architects to understand the interesting elements in designing and detailing a low energy building.

Subarna Bhattacharyya Srabanti Basu Punarbasu Chaudhuri and Subhas Chandra Santra 

The objectives of the present study were to isolate and identify a suitable mercury resistance bacterial strain and to explore their detoxification potentiality of mercury in different environmental conditions. A strain of Streptococcus sp. MTCC 9724 was isolated from the soil of waste dumping site adjacent to East Calcutta wetlands, West Bengal, India. Minimum inhibitory concentration of mercury was estimated. The bacteria were resistant to lead, arsenic, chromium and copper and antibiotics like Tetracycline, Ofloxacin, Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol and Cefadroxil. The bacteria were exposed containing 2, 5 and 10 mg/l of mercury containing media with variable pH, phenol and chloride ions as co-pollutants. It was observed that acidic pH was not suitable for bacterial growth and also for mercury detoxification. The presence of phenol in wastewater actually supported bacterial population growth and also mercury removal within 16 hours time periods, which indicated that utilization of phenol as a sole carbon source for bacterial metabolism, where as chloride ions up to 21 g/l did not inhibit the bacterial growth but significantly decreased the detoxification potentiality of Streptococcus sp. MTCC 9724.

Valentini R Vasenev I.I and Nurgaliev I.S 

Analytical dynamic model of the turbulent flux in the three-layer boundary system is presented. Turbulence is described as a presence of the non-zero vorticity. The generalized advection-diffusion-reaction equation is derived for an arbitrary number of components in the flux. The fluxes in the layers are objects for matching requirements on the boundaries between the layers. Different types of transport mechanisms are dominant on the different levels of the layers.

Nikolae V. Masalsky 

The operation principle and construction of the waveguide optical chemical sensor control of absorbing type is considered. Characteristics of a sensor element on the basis of the waveguide structure generated on a Y-cutoff of lithium niobate for control of level of gaseous substances, in particular ammonia are experimentally researched. Potential possibilities of data application of instruments in different industries, ecology and telecommunication technologies are considered.

S.A. Buymova and A.G. Bubnov 

Indicators of quality and safety, as well as the useful properties of spring water, artesian bottled water and water from a municipal water supply systems are assessed. All the investigated samples of bottled drinking well water satisfy regulatory requirements for defined quality parameters. Biotesting analysis of the samples of water using two test organisms: crustacean Daphnia Magna and freshwater aquarium fish Poecillia Reticulata Peters confirmed the presence of different pollutants in spring water. Risks of oral use of investigated water are calculated. In terms of the quality of groundwater for the study area is characterized by Russian acceptable level of risk, which indicates a moderate anthropogenic pressure on ecosystems and the environment.

Bidut Prava Mohanty Malaya Ranjan Mahananda and Suchismita Pradhan 

The present study was carried out to observe the toxicity of cadmium at various sublethal concentrations in common edible fish, Labeo rohita (rohu) during various exposure periods. Labeo rohita was exposed to sublethal concentrations of cadmium chloride that is 1.0 mg l^-1, 1.5 mg l^-1 and 2.0 mg l^-1 along with control for 24hr, 48hr, 72hr and 96hr. The fishes were sacrificed and muscle was collected for the estimation of total proteins, carbohydrate, lipids and antioxidant enzymes i.e. superoxide dismutase (SOD), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and catalase (CAT) activities. The maximum decrease in protein, carbohydrate and lipid content were found to be 40.44%, 32.17% , 33.12% at 96hr of exposure at 2 mg l^-1 of CdCl₂. Antioxidant enzyme activities were increased when fish exposed to sublethal concentration of cadmium chloride. The maximum increase in the level of catalase, lipid peroxidation, and superoxide dismutase was noted to be 141.2%, 94.6% and 71% respectively at 96hr exposure for 2.0 mg l^-1 of Cdcl₂.The results revealed that cadmium is highly toxic in muscle of Labeo rohita as there was a drastic reduction of biochemical parameters (carbohydrate, protein, lipids) and changes in the level of antioxidant enzymes activities.

Alfred Sello Likuku Khumoetsile B. Mmolawa and Gilbert Kabelo Gaboutloeloe 

This paper focuses on heavy metal (Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni and Zn) enrichment and degree of contamination in the soils windward of the Selebi Phikwe copper and nickel mine (eastern Botswana). Pollution by these metals was examined using several calculation methods: enrichment factors, modified degree of contamination, pollution load index and geoaccumulation index. Enrichment factors were further assessed by comparing present day soil metal contents obtained using actual Fe content in standard earth material obtained from literature with that measured in soils sampled from areas adjacent to the site of concern to represent “uncontaminated” background concentrations. The latter method was found to be the most relevant and the normalised enrichment values demonstrate moderate enrichment of Cu and Ni. The proposed modified calculation method of degree of contamination, which involves determination of arithmetic mean of contamination factors by individual studied metals, revealed moderate contamination by metals. The PLI, which basically is a measure of site quality, indicated deterioration due to metal contamination. These results were further supported by values obtained from indices of geoaccumulation method of pollution assessment. Principal component analysis at windward site of the mine extracted two major components: 1. high positive loading of Pb, Ni, Cu and Zn associated with anthropogenic influence by smelter emissions and 2.high positive loadings of Co, Mn and Fe are associated with contributions from natural processes. This evaluation would serve to create consistent calculation methods as a contribution towards building a consensus on methodologies applicable to the study of polluted soils.

Mahmood Saghali Rauf Baqraf Parisa NejatkhahManavi S.Abbas Hosseini and Rahman Patymar 

Heavy metals have been studied after their entry into water and absorption and accumulation in sediments in the Gorgan Bay and South East the Caspian Sea four season during 1 year from 2010-2011. The aim of this study is the comparison and analysis of heavy metals in sediment in eastern coast of the Caspian Sea and Gorgan Bay. For achievement to this goal had been measured concentrations of some heavy metals Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn) and Chrome (Cr) from sea bed layers were measured. Atomic absorption apparatus was used and then analyzed all of data with analysis of variance (ANOVA) Technique in software. The results show that the highest level of metals Maximum concentrations of these elements in sediments were observed in station 1(Zn)(1213±13) , in station 4(Pb))1021±11), in station 4(Cd)(302±8), in station 4(Cr)(315±8) ”g/kg in that order.

Hun-Kyun Bae 

The study focused on changes of river's water quality dependent on rainfall events. Hwang River, at South Korea was chosen for the study. Water samples at up and downstream of Hwang River were collected for three different rainfall events on Sep. 10^th 2011, Jul. 14^th 2012, and Aug. 13^th 2012. Samples were analyzed for COD, TSS, T-N and T-P. As results, the changes of water quality due to rainfall events were dependent on the amount of precipitations as well as patterns of rainfall event. Also, changes of water quality at upstream were affected by the amount of discharges from Hapcheon Dam located in upper side of the river. For proper management of Hwang River's water quality, plans for early rainfall events after long-term dry season should be established.

Salameh Azimi and Mohammadreza Sadeghi Moghaddam 

As developing countries to become industrialized and urbanized, heavy metal pollution is likely to reach disturbing levels. These countries should learn from the mistakes of the developed nations and recognize that rapid deterioration of the environment can occur. There is a lack of data on the nature and extent of metal pollution either at local and regional level, particularly to assist in the understanding of metal cycling in the environment. Although most countries recognize the need to combat pollution, environmental, controls are either nonexistence or inadequate. So in this article we emphasized on one of the most important environment pollutant (Hg) and effect of mercury on the human health and at the end of the article some important and easy ways for preventing mercury hazards will be recommended.

Fatemeh Zarinkamar Zohreh Saderi and Saiedeh Soleimanpour 

Lead is among the most contaminant metals in ecosystem and has different effects on anatomical and morphological characters of different plant species. Matricaria chamomilla is an important medicinal plant which contains 120 chemical compositions. In this research, the effects of lead on production of apigenin as a significant medicinal substance were studied. Furthermore, structural changes of M. chamomilla were studied in different stages of development by electron and optic microscopes. So the plants in first stage of development, were transplanted to hydroponic culture with five-treatment design of 0, 60, 120, 180, 240 ÎŒM Pb. The plants under treatment were harvested in first stage of development, as well as in shooting and flowering stages for measurement of Pb absorption. According to this study, morphological changes were not visually observed during the treatment process in different stages; nevertheless, reduction in total biomass was detected in different stages compared to control plants. The results of SEM study of leaf indicated structural changes in stomata and epicuticular waxes in different stages. Also in anatomical studies we noticed several changes in cross section of leaf, stem and root. The obtained results indicated that in different stages, Pb accumulation in roots and shoots has increased under Pb stress during various stage of development. Moreover, Pb stress has no effect on apigenin content. Therefore, M. chamomilla is an excluder species which is tolerant to Pb stress.