Floods are a major natural disaster, particularly in the Subarnarekha River basin in eastern India, where severe monsoon season flooding poses significant risks to communities, agriculture, and infrastructure. Preventing floods is challenging, but technological advancements like machine learning in geospatial analysis offer promising methods for identifying and managing flood-prone areas. This study employs machine learning boosting algorithms and 15 conditioning factors, such as elevation, rainfall, and drainage density, to assess flood susceptibility in the Subarnarekha River basin. Using 25 years of historical flood data (1998–2022) for training and validation, the models are evaluated using metrics like precision, recall, F1 score, and area under the curve (AUC), with AUC values ranging from 0.91 to 0.95. Adaboost proves to be the most effective model with a 95% AUC, followed by XGboost (93%), Gradient Boosting (92%), Catboost (92%), and Stochastic Gradient Boosting (91%). The analysis reveals varying flood hazard conditions, with low hazards in the upper reaches and high susceptibility in coastal areas due to heavy rainfall and runoff. This study highlights the value of machine learning techniques in improving flood risk assessment and management strategies. By leveraging these advanced methods, authorities can develop more effective flood mitigation plans and enhance early warning systems. This integration of technology provides a proactive approach to disaster management, potentially saving lives and reducing economic losses in flood-prone regions.

A commonly acknowledged environmental issue is the water pollution caused by uranium compounds in areas where uranium is mined and processed. It is known that the bacteria naturally found in radioactively contaminated sites are adapted to polluted environments, particularly in the presence of heavy metal ions and radionuclides. These bacteria can more completely oxidize carbon sources, generating a stronger reducing potential needed to convert hexavalent uranium into its insoluble tetravalent form. Consequently, microbiological methods can be employed in purification technologies for water to remove toxicants.

This investigation aimed to study the possibility of effectively using bioreducers based on a local consortium of microorganisms from the uranium mine regions of Ukraine to purify uranium-containing water.

Microorganisms were sourced from various soil depths (1-3 meters) near the uranium industry tailing in Zhovti Vody City, Ukraine. A consortium of native bacterial cultures was cultivated under anaerobic conditions (Postgate C medium, cysteine, yeast). The formation of a black deposit on the dish walls and the strong smell of hydrogen sulfide indicated the effectiveness of the uranium reduction process. X-ray fluorescence analysis showed a decrease in the uranium concentration in the liquid phase, with the efficiency of water purification from uranium reaching 93%. So, sulfate-reducing bacteria (Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and Desulfovibrio vulgaris) can reduce uranium by an enzymatic mechanism. The products of these reduction reactions could be U(IV)-oxide minerals such as uraninite. Thus, the results confirm the feasibility of applying the microbiological method to uranium-contaminated water purification.

The Gulfs of Patras and Corinth, located in central western Greece, bordering with the Ionian Sea to the east and the Corinth Canal to west, are examined as a unified system. This semi-enclosed hydrodynamic system is divided by the Rio–Antirio strait, which is a microtidal environment. Based on 3D simulations using MIKE 3 FM (HD), the combined action of wind- and tide-induced flow was studied in the whole basin of the system. At the open boundaries, tidal astronomical constituents were used as boundary conditions, and steady light winds of 4 m/s for all the directions of the wind were considered. The action of the tide under the effect of wind generates a characteristic structure of the flow. Cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies form in the Gulf of Patras and in Nafpaktos Bay, during the ebb tide and under the SW wind; meanwhile, as strong wind-induced currents form near the shore, according to the direction of the wind, and the tidal flow moves from the east to the west of the system. The remaining part of the Gulf of Corinth remains nearly unaffected. The action of the NE wind and the flood tide form a similar flow structure, although the structure of the eddies is altered. Moreover, comparing the exchange flow rate between the gulfs for N, NE, and NW winds with the purely tidal flow, it has been shown that all these winds oppose the exchange flow rate, while S, SE, and SW winds favor the exchange flow rate at the strait. Our study of this system reveals that the Gulf of Patras and the western area of the Gulf of Corinth are mostly affected by the combined action of wind and tide, leaving the central part of the Gulf of Corinth unaffected. The wind action also affects flow characteristics between the gulfs, by opposing or favoring the exchange flow rate at the Rio–Antirio strait.

Assessing the climate change impacts on hydrologic phases is crucial in order to establish adaptive management strategies for water resources. These assessments are performed by utilizing projected climate change trends for hydrologic model input data to forecast future hydrological processes. The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is a well-used hydrologic modelling tool that has been implemented in diverse hydrologic and environmental conditions investigating climate change impacts. This study assesses the potential future climate change effects on the hydrologic phases in the Aggitis River Basin. The SWAT daily streamflow results after being calibrated and validated were very good. Two climate change scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) of the WCRP-CMIP3 multi-model dataset were applied. The future (2025–2100) modelled hydrologic conditions showed that, compared to the baseline conditions (1979 to 2022), there will be an average increase in evapotranspiration's participation in the hydrologic cycle from 47% to 74% and 77% for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. At the same time, there will be a decrease in groundwater recharge by 61% and 69% under these future scenarios and an overall water yield loss of half (from 16% to 7-8%). Climate change is expected to alter the hydrological regime and will impact the water supply and demand for agriculture. Thus, monitoring and preparation are necessary in planning the water demand at the basin scale. There is a vast range of nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches that aim to increase resilience to climate change and sustain the rural activities and communities.

Abstract

A "smart water grid" refers to the application of advanced technologies to water distribution systems, aiming to improve their efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. Smart water grids are a combination of the internet of things and information and communications technologies that aim to improve the monitoring, management, and efficiency of water distribution systems. These systems involve the use of sensors, data transmission, and system controls to address various challenges such as water leaks, overuse, quality issues, and responses to droughts and natural disasters. The development of smart water grids faces barriers, but there are solutions being explored to overcome these challenges.

Inventions, through patents, could propose thousands of solutions to such barriers and problems in this area. Patent analysis, as a powerful tool for technology monitoring, can be leveraged for patent inspiration in several ways, such as identifying emerging technologies and trends, studying competitor strategies, leveraging prior innovation, and so on.

In this study, a patent analysis related to smart water grids is proposed. Based on the jurisdictions, classifications, and applicants, an overview is given by answering specific questions, such as those relating to the patterns of patenting for smart water grids: who files patent applications, where, and what is filed?

References:

1. Mutchek, M.; Williams, E. Moving Towards Sustainable and Resilient Smart Water Grids. Challenges 2014, 5, 123-137.
2. Cheong, S.-M.; Choi, G.-W.; Lee, H.-S. Barriers and Solutions to Smart Water Grid Development. Environmental Management 2016, 57, 509-515, doi:10.1007/s00267-015-0637-3.
3. Giudicianni, C.; Herrera, M.; Nardo, A.d.; Adeyeye, K.; Ramos, H.M. Overview of Energy Management and Leakage Control Systems for Smart Water Grids and Digital Water. Modelling 2020, 1, 134-155.

Water is arguably the most crucial resource on Earth. The efficient removal of organic compounds, such as dyes and pharmaceuticals, is essential to preserve our water resources, something at which conventional wastewater treatments are inefficient. As an alternative, photocatalytic technologies may achieve a near-complete degradation of pollutants by harnessing the energy of a light source. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a stable and inexpensive photocatalyst that is widely used across several areas but presents some limitations: requiring high-energy UV radiation, which is only a small fraction of solar radiation; suffering from rapid charge recombination; lowering its photonic efficiency; and poor affinity towards organic compounds.

Combining TiO₂ with carbon dots (CDs) may bridge these limitations. CDs are carbon-based nanoparticles with interesting properties, such as high photoluminescence, broadband absorption, and good water solubility. Their unique properties and the easiness of their preparation enable the use of CDs for several applications, including sensing, LEDs, and photocatalysis.

Herein, we report the integration of CDs with TiO2 to prepare an efficient photocatalytic nanocomposite for the solar-light-driven photodegradation of organic pollutants. In the first stage, by adding CDs, we developed a composite with an enhanced potential for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB), increasing efficiency by 367% when compared to bare TiO₂. Building on this, we modified the composite to include corn stover, a major waste material of the corn industry, as part of the CDs. This way, we created high-value products from an otherwise unused waste source, promoting a circular economy, while maintaining catalytic performance. The composite was thoroughly characterized via SEM, FTIR, XPS, NMR, XRD, and UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Finally, we tackled the removal of ciprofloxacin using this method, achieving a virtually complete degradation of 20 ppm within 20 minutes of solar-light irradiation, with the CDs significantly improving efficiency when compared to TiO₂.

Although coagulation is a well-known and widely used technique for removing suspended particles, there are no detailed data on its effectiveness in microplastic (MP) elimination. The research available on the removal of MPs by coagulation is at a preliminary stage and there is no research available on the mechanism and effectiveness of removal and the factors that increase the efficiency of elimination. A significant limitation of the research conducted so far on the coagulation process relative to MP elimination is the removal of only one type of MP, while in the environment, there is a mixture of particles differing primarily in composition but also in size and shape. The second limitation is ignoring the fact that microplastic particles present in environmental conditions are transformed/aged under the influence of abiotic and biotic factors. These particles then change not only their appearance, size/mass, or density but also their surface and chemical composition. These changes may have both positive and negative effects on the efficiency of microplastics elimination in the coagulation process.

The main goal of this article is to analyze the impact of biotic and abiotic aging of PE microplastics on the effectiveness of coagulation. The following aging methods are planned to be used: mechanical stress, thermal oxidation, UV aging, chemical treatments, and colonization by microorganisms.

Water sacristy is one of the main risks that the MENA region's nations are dealing with. Climate change, raining temperatures, etc. are the key contributors to this problem. Because of this, treating wastewater and reusing it in some fields like agriculture, industry, and groundwater augmentation is one way to lessen the demand for fresh water. However, wastewater treatment facilities are regarded as a source of GHG emissions. Generating energy with electricity will produce GHG emissions. For this reason, alternative solutions are suggested, such as generating energy utilizing solar power or gravity rather than electrical pumps.

The decarbonization of WWTPs has emerged as a crucial goal for achieving sustainable resource recovery as global efforts to combat climate change step up. All things considered, the decarbonization of WWTPs offers a tremendous potential to turn these historically energy-intensive buildings into sustainable and resource-efficient centres. WWTPs may promote the shift to a more sustainable and resilient water infrastructure while also helping to mitigate the effects of global climate change from conventional treatment to decarbonized treatment.

Implementing a range of strategies can be employed to lower carbon emissions, including reducing pump usage, utilizing solar energy, selecting alternative chemicals, and incorporating recyclable materials. The application of carbon management scenarios is expected to lead to a decrease of 7.56E+03 CO2 equivalent emissions for the MBR plant, a reduction of -1.27E+04 CO2 equivalent emissions for the SBR plants (indicating a decrease), and a decrease of -9.49 CO2 equivalent emissions for the CW (constructed wetland).

Ensuring sustainable water management in urban areas is vital due to the increasing demands and resource constraints driven by rapid urbanization. This expansion presents significant challenges for resource management, requiring actions to ensure sustainability and mitigate resource depletion. Water managers must enhance efficiency across the entire water cycle, as processes like water distribution are major energy consumers, with wastewater treatment also being highly energy-intensive. Despite the critical nature of these tasks, there is a notable lack of sustainable methodologies that are applicable to urban water systems (UWSs), highlighting the need for innovative strategies that assess sustainability across all dimensions, not just environmental ones. This research addresses this gap by proposing a new methodology to measure and categorize UWSs based on their contributions to sustainability. The developed methodology assesses water systems and establishes a benchmarking framework on sustainable aspects. The procedure enables the evaluation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in any water system, establishing four levels of sustainability benchmarking. These indicators were applied to 110 worldwide case studies, facilitating benchmarking on sustainable aspects and demonstrating the methodology's effectiveness. A specific case study showed a 22% reduction in energy consumption and a 57% achievement of SDG targets in a wastewater treatment plant. Additionally, applying the methodology to six real supply systems in Spain demonstrated a 42% compliance with sustainability targets. These findings provide water managers with a robust tool for decision making, enabling the optimization of system performance across the entire water cycle and alignment with global sustainability goals. This research fills a critical gap by offering a versatile and comprehensive approach to evaluating and improving the sustainability of urban water systems.

The authors would like to acknowledge the grant PID2020–114781RA-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.

The aim of the current research is to identify the impact of droughts on the vulnerability of water resources in the hydrological basin of Lake Karla in Thessaly, Central Greece, using the Standardized Drought Vulnerability Index (SDVI). The Lake Karla basin covers a total area of 1170 km² and has a semi-arid climate. It is an agricultural basin in which water-demanding crops (such as cotton, maize and alfa-alfa) are cultivated. Drought is an extreme weather phenomenon, occurring more frequently recently with significant impacts, such as reduced infiltration and surface runoff. To assess water resources' vulnerability against the drought phenomenon, the SDVI was applied, which is a composite index that integrates all types of droughts (meteorological, hydrological, agricultural, social and economic). The SDVI, with its holistic approach, can be used as a monitoring tool to provide knowledge for the identification of vulnerable areas. The SDVI incorporates Water Supply, Water Demand, Infrastructure, Impact and drought indices, such as cSPI-6 and cSPI-12, as sub-indices. The SPI (Standardized Precipitation Index), based on precipitation data for the years 1960-2018 from nearby stations, was used to identify drought. The conceptual hydrological model UTHBAL was applied for water balance estimation to calculate the Water Supply sub-index. The Water Demand sub-index was estimated mainly based on the demand for irrigation water. For the calculation of the Ιmpact sub-index, the reduction in agricultural production was used with corresponding data for each hydrological year obtained from the Hellenic Statistical Authority. The Infrastructure sub-index was assessed in terms of the actual capacity of the reservoirs (dams) in the Lake Karla basin related to the total water demand. The sub-indices were standardized on a scale of 0-3. When applying the SDVI index to the Karla basin for 30 hydrological years (from 1978/88 to 2017/18), it was found that the index has a value larger than 1.5 for about 15 years, indicating the high vulnerability of the basin.