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The problem of water resources damage caused by coal mining has restricted the sustainable development of Yu-Shen mining area. Illustrating the relationship between mining and water resources carrying capacity is of great significance to solve this problem. In this study, the authors proposed an appraisal and prediction model of water resource carrying capacity in the mining area (WRCCMA) based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. A triple-leveled structure model was developed, and the main influencing factors of the WRCCMA and the membership functions were analyzed. The prediction model was applied to Yubujie colliery to test its validity by investigating the changes of vegetation coverage and the ground deformation of the colliery and its adjacent coal mine before and after mining. Subsequently, we obtained the WRCCMA of the study area and zoning map of different grades of WRCCMA in the mining area by applying this model to the whole Yu-Shen mining area. Furthermore, three countermeasures to maintain the WRCCMA and realize water conservation coal mining (WCCM) were provided to collieries with different WRCCMA grades, including mining methods selection, mine water reutilization, and water-resisting layer reconstruction. Reasonable mining methods and water-resisting layer reconstruction can reduce the development of water conductive fractures and thus prevent groundwater from penetrating into the goaf. Mine water reutilization provides a source of water demand for collieries and families, contributing to the reduction of abstraction of water resources. These three countermeasures can help to maintain the WRCCMA. This paper successfully combines the fuzzy theory with mining engineering and provides theoretical and practical guidance for other mining areas in arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China.

More than 1 billion people around the world live without access to safe, potable water, in part because of poor governance and corruption. Illegal connections and substantial losses caused by deferred maintenance have eroded the revenues of water utilities, leading to a downward spiral in performance. Embezzlement of funds, bribes for access to illegal water connections, manipulation of meter counters, and collusion in public contracts add to the litany of corrupt practices. 'Improving Transparency, Integrity, and Accountability in Water Supply and Sanitation' is a useful tool for diagnosing, analyzing, and remedying systemic corruption in the water supply and sanitation sectors. It will serve as a practical guide for governments; utility regulators, managers, and staff; civil society organizations; contractors; and citizens in their quest for a model of service provision that responds to the pressing needs of people in the developing world. The book aims to increase the involvement of civil society by engaging all stakeholders in setting priorities and monitoring performance; help water and sanitation delivery contribute to poverty reduction by increasing the service quality and coverage provided by service delivery organizations to poorer communities on an equitable basis; provide a tool that promotes the financial sustainability of service delivery organizations, thus building stakeholders' confidence in those institutions' ability to expand and improve service; and raise ethical standards among all stakeholders, especially service delivery organizations, thereby instilling a sense of public service in these organizations.

Local organizations have become key mechanisms in effective, fair, and sustainable resource management and development in India. This book adds empirical evidence to the debate on whether or not these functions are performed as expected. Based on research in three sectors in three states in India, the authors’ findings indicate that the design of and support for local organizations are often little more than rudimentary, resulting in less than adequate performance and raising serious sustainability concerns. Two debates dominate discourse on the roles of organizations. The first is a practical one on how to make local organizations function effectively. The second focuses on the relative roles of government organizations—both elected local governments and administrative line departments—and different forms of non-government organizations, including the private sector and community groups at the local level. This study suggests that these debates cannot be separated and indicates that sector-specific configurations of a plural organizational landscape, in which government, non-government, and private organizations are an integral part, are required for effective and sustainable development. Local Organizations in Development will be an invaluable resource for those concerned with the analysis, policy, and practice of development initiatives that seek to further decentralize governance and development. “A very good report, using a unique high quality database and sophisticated statistical techniques.”Professor François Vaillancourt, Economics DepartmentUniversité de Montréal “. . . one of the most comprehensive and balanced studies of the performance of local organizations in the context of decentralization programs . . .”Dr. Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Senior Research FellowInternational Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC.

Floral longevity (FL) determines the balance between pollination success and flower maintenance. While a longer floral duration enhances the ability of plants to attract pollinators, it can be detrimental if it negatively affects overall plant fitness. Longer-lived leaves display a positive correlation with their dry mass per unit area, which influences leaf construction costs and physiological functions. However, little is known about the association among FL and floral dry mass per unit area (FMA) and water maintenance traits. We investigated whether increased FL might incur similar costs. Our assessment of 11 species of (slipper orchids) considered the impact of FMA and flower water-maintenance characteristics on FL. We found a positive relationship between FL and FMA. Floral longevity showed significant correlations with osmotic potential at the turgor loss and bulk modulus of elasticity but not with FA. Neither the size nor the mass per area was correlated between leaves and flowers, indicating that flower and leaf economic traits evolved independently. Therefore, our findings demonstrate a clear relationship between FL and the capacity to maintain water status in the flower. These economic constraints also indicate that extending the flower life span can have a high physiological cost in .

Global trends focus on a balanced intake of foods and beverages to maintain health. Drinking water (MIU; hardness = 88) produced from deep sea water (DSW) collected offshore of Muroto, Japan, is considered healthy. We previously reported that the DSW-based drinking water (RDSW; hardness = 1000) improved human gut health. The aim of this randomized double-blind controlled trial was to assess the effects of MIU on human health. Volunteers were assigned to MIU (n = 41) or mineral water (control) groups (n = 41). Participants consumed 1 L of either water type daily for 12 weeks. A self-administered questionnaire was administered, and stool and urine samples were collected throughout the intervention. We measured the fecal biomarkers of nine short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), as well as urinary isoflavones. In the MIU group, concentrations of three major SCFAs and sIgA increased postintervention. MIU intake significantly affected one SCFA (butyric acid). The metabolic efficiency of daidzein-to-equol conversion was significantly higher in the MIU group than in the control group throughout the intervention. MIU intake reflected the intestinal environment through increased production of three major SCFAs and sIgA, and accelerated daidzein-to-equol metabolic conversion, suggesting the beneficial health effects of MIU.

Architectural waterscapes play a crucial role in enhancing the aesthetics and ecological value of the environment. However, water quality maintenance has been a significant challenge, leading to many of them prolonged closure. To address these issues, this study proposed constructing grass-type clear-water architectural waterscapes using submerged plants and investigated key factors involved in their construction. The study included experimentation with two ecological filtration systems, a shading system and a circulating filtration system. The feasibility of this approach was verified by an approximately four-month water quality monitoring process. Experimental results highlighted the significant role of light conditions and water transparency in establishing a grass-type clear-water architectural waterscape. Water quality monitoring outcomes demonstrated that grass-type clear-water architectural waterscapes were practical, generally meeting Class III of environmental quality standards for surface water in China. Therefore, grass-type clear-water architectural waterscapes are a promising alternative with good performance and minimal water resource consumption.

Although many households in the Kathmandu Valley rely on household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) to obtain drinking water, the safety of treated water has not been evaluated in actual usage. Therefore, we assessed the performance and maintenance of five HWTS methods used in 101 households. The choice of HWTS methods by households was primarily influenced by the raw water source, that is, jarred water users opted for boiling and groundwater users selected reverse osmosis with ultraviolet irradiation (RO-UV). While boiling and electric dispensers (ED) did not remove inorganic contaminants (ammonia nitrogen, arsenic, and manganese), ceramic candle filters (CCF) and RO-UV reduced them moderately. The HWTS methods reduced E. coli and total coliforms (TC) by 95.8 and 84.1%, respectively, but 11.8 and 69.3% of treated water samples remained positive for these two bacteria. Combined methods (CM) and RO-UV showed an inferior TC reduction compared to the simpler HWTS methods, boiling, CCF, and ED, possibly due to difficulties with regular maintenance and storage contamination. Therefore, it is recommended to choose simpler HWTS methods that meet the requirements of the household’s water sources rather than more expensive and difficult-to-maintain methods, which should be chosen only if the raw water contains high concentrations of inorganic contaminants.

Water features prominently in discussions on sustainability. The recent Cape Town ‘Day Zero’ drought heightened fears about global cities running dry as the climate changes. During that crisis a campaign was launched to save water at schools, consisting of a basic maintenance campaign and a behavioural campaign. The former was limited to easy fixes, and the latter comprised an information campaign and an information and competition campaign. The impacts of these were assessed immediately after the interventions. This paper revisits the maintenance results by assessing the difference in responses according to affluence levels of the schools, and by evaluating the impacts one year after the campaigns. We find that the poorer schools were not able to sustain the maintenance gains, especially at the primary schools.