[CS40-1] Water resources and climate change (Joint session
with the Commission on Climatology)
[ Tuesday 06 August 08:00-09:30 Room509 ]
Torino (Alma Universitas Taurinensis))
Chair(s): Claudio Cassardo (Univ. of
1) Assessing health effects of naturally elevated uranium levels in groundwater.
A case study from an arid farming area of South Africa
Frank Winde (North-West University, Vaal Campus), Ewald Erasmus, Gerhard
Geipel, Alfatih Osman
In the early 1990s it was noticed at the Unit for Communal Health at Stellenbosch University
noticed that an unusual large proportion of their leukaemia patients originated from a particular
area in the arid Northern Cape in the vicinity of the town Pofadder. A subsequently launched
investigation into the quality of water as a common dominator for all patients, established a
geospatial correlation between the concentration of uranium (U) in local groundwater and
abnormally high lymphocyte counts (used as a proxy for leukaemia) in a total sampling
population of over 400 residents in this area. Uranium mostly originates from uraniferous host
rock from where it leaches into the groundwater.
Relying nearly exclusively on secondary data, the study did not explore other possible
exposure pathways than drinking water. This paper reports preliminary results of a follow-up
investigation that aims to address this gap. To this end various media were sampled include nonorganic material such as water, salt crusts, soil and rock as well as biological samples such as
sheep tissue and fodder.
Based on U-levels in the currently analysed samples, possible additional exposure pathways
such as dust inhalation and ingestion via the food chain (sheep products are local staple food) are
investigated. The sampling results are complemented by on-site measurements of gammaradiation at each sampling site as well as semi-structured interviews with farm owners and
labourers aiming at an integrative assessment of health risks associated with elevated U levels.
Based on this recommendations for minimising exposure are to be derived.
2) Environmental Survey in the Selenga River Basins (North-Central Mongolia,
Russia)
Nikolay Kasimov (Lomonosov Moscow State University), Sergey Chalov, Mikhail
Lychagin
The Selenga River, which originates in Mongolia, contributes about 50 % of the total inflow
into Lake Baikal. Together with the Angara and Yenisey rivers it forms the longest river network
in Eurasia. Mining, industrial and agricultural activities within the Selenga drainage basin affect
the sediment influx and transport along the river and its tributaries. Novel screening campaigns
were conducted in June-August 2011-2012 in both the Russian and the Mongolian parts of the
Selenga river basin. Discharge and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) data were combined
to yield estimates of daily and monthly suspended load averages at more than 150 locations. The
chemical analysis of large number of chemical elements (heavy metals et al.) in water, sediments
(riverbed and suspended) and aquatic plants was done mainly by ICP method.
The conducted monitoring and modeling characterize the spatial variations of suspended load
and its characteristics (SSC, grain size, organic matter) over river basin summer season. The
increasing human activities (mining and pastures) increases the portion of fine-grained clay
particles in total sediment load. Empirical data and modeling results showed that flow peaks
carry very high sediment loads. Main sources of sediment pollution of Selenga river are related
to industrial and mining centers. Main output of the work is that the rapid urbanization and clear
cutting of forests, open gold- and other metal-mining activities that are typical for Central Asia
have a profound impact on suspended sediment load of the Selenga river.
[CS40-2] Water pollution and water in urban environments
[ Tuesday 06 August 10:00-11:30 Room509 ]
Vaal Campus)
Chair(s): Frank Winde (North-West Univ.,
1) Water Pollution and Sustainable Water Management in the Dahlak
Archipelago (Southern Red Sea)
Alessandro Leto (University for Foreigners Perugia)
The Dahlak Archipelago in the southern Red Sea, represents a real ""pearl"" for its rich nature
and for the historical role played in the past. Known since the eldest time and substantially
preserved by a strict isolation, they are now facing a future in the tourism industry and many are
the voices that insists on the peculiarity of these islands (126 in total, most of them uninhabited),
in order to protect them. Beside the risk of pollution from an excess of exploitation, lies also the
growing risk of contamination from the increasing volume of maritime traffic all along the Red
Sea. The local governement is in the position to decide the future of this Archipelago, choosing a
proper policy of Sustainable and Responsible Development, which require severe investments in
the increase of awareness and education of local people, as well as the adoption of appropriate
laws, and regional agreements with the countries that lies on the same basin. The aim of this
paper is to investigate the various aspects and risks the future will reserve to this wonderful
islands, especially in the field of the supply (and preservation) of fresh water, both for civil and
industrial needs.
2) Long-term Changes of Transparency in Five Lakes around Mt. Fuji.
Hideo Oyagi (The College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University), Hiromi
Hamada
Transparency can be known the progress process of eutrophication as an index which knows
contamination of the water quality in a lake, and is used simple.
The highly transparent lakes in Japan are 41.6 m at Lake Mashu in 1911, 33.0 m at Lake
Tazawa in 1931 and 27.5m at Lake Inawashiro in 1930. The transparency of these lakes in the
present are measured between 22 to 30 m at Lake Mashu, between 7 to 15 m at Lake Tazawa and
between 7 to 12 m at Lake Inawashiro. Decrease in the degree of transparency has also been
pointed out in Lake Tahoe of USA. Therefore, it is necessary to know the changes in water
quality of the lake.
The transparency of many lakes in Japan has been less than 5 m, it was reported by the
Ministry of the Environment in 1991. This present study considers change of transparency in
recent years paying attention to the Five Lakes of Mt. Fuji. The five lakes around the Mt. Fuji
accompanying the increase in nutrient can be known. As a result, the transparency of five lakes
decreases around 30-50% in the 1970s. However, after it, it was confirmed that the successive
change was small. It was consistent with the trend of total nitrogen.
3) Urban Domestic Water use and Sustainability in Guwahati City, Assam, India
Nripendra Ram Kalita (B.Borooah College)
Guwahati receives drinking water from surface water, groundwater and rainwater. However,
the river Brahmaputra and the groundwater aquifers of Guwahati primarily supply the required
water to the city dwellers of Guwahati. Over the years the water demand is rising as a result of
population rise, while the amount of water available to the city remains the same. This has led to
the decline in per capita water availability, which in turn produces water stress. The study
involves in examining the pattern of daily domestic water use in the city, examining the existing
water demand in the city and to suggest some possible measures for improvement of water
supply. The methodology adopted here is mainly the collection of primary data which have been
analyzed using appropriate computer assisted analytical procedures. The analyzed data are
presented with the help of maps, tables, charts and graphs using appropriate cartographic
techniques. The study shows that 41 percent of available domestic waters are used for bathing,
followed by 37 percent for washing, 10 percent for toilet, 7 percent drinking and cooking, 2
percent for washing vehicles etc., 2 percent for watering gardens and 1 percent for domestic
animals and pets. The pattern of domestic water use are basically depends upon income of the
household. The study suggests judicious use of time-tested, decentralized systems based on water
harvesting and conservation through groundwater recharge, injection wells, percolation tanks,
watershed management etc.
[CS40-3] Groundwater management
[ Tuesday 06 August 14:00-15:30 Room509 ]
Chair(s): Kazuki Mori (Nihon Univ.)
1) Groundwater Management under the Stressed Environmental Conditions: A
Case Study
Kazuki Mori (Nihon University)
Excessive withdrawal of groundwater for use in industry, irrigation and eel-farming in the
alluvial plain of Japan has caused unrecoverable environmental problems in which land
subsidence and sea water intrusion are recognized in a littoral district. A decline in water table is
also remarkably realized as a result of concentrated withdrawal of groundwater for melting of
snow falls on road surface. Subsidence in the outskirts of Nagoya in the central part of Japan
produced the largest sea-level zone in Japan. The area showing the highest concentration of
chloride coincides with a zone of high intensity of withdrawal. The extrusion of fossil water from
marine impermeable layers is a further source of higher concentration of dissolved material in
groundwater. The regression line between volume of land subsidence and groundwater
withdrawal indicates the value of the optimum amount of withdrawal. On the other hand, the
regulation of groundwater withdrawal and development of alternative water resource has
produced a good result in terms of the upward tendency of groundwater level. The unexpected
rise in groundwater level, however, has resulted in buoyancy of underground structures in the
greater metropolitan area. In contrast to the period of rapid economic growth, lowering the
groundwater level as economically as possible is now a pressing matter in Tokyo. As a result of
groundwater conveyance into polluted surface water in urban areas, an improvement in water
quality has become apparent. Groundwater has also been increasing in importance as an
indispensable water supply in emergency situations after a disastrous earthquake.
2) Springs preservation management ：the case study of the Okinoerabu Island,
Kagoshima Prefecture
Masatoshi Motoki (Tokiwa University), Hagiwara Wayne Go
This study aims to understand the actual circumstances of the changes and the spring
preservation management on Okinoerabu Island, Kagoshima Prefecture. The study area is an
island located approximately 540 km south of Kagoshima city as part of the Amami archipelago.
Regarding water resources, Okinoerabu is a coral upheaval island in the archipelago and it has
been historically difficult for residents to get water resources for their daily lives. It is
characteristic that the villages of Okinoerabu Island are distributed near places where domestic
water particularly drinking water is accessible. The local governments (China Town and
Wadomari Town) developed the infrastructure in the early 1950s. Water has been indispensable
to the life of residents for both drinking and farming, and it is interwoven into the life manners
and customs of the people of Okinoerabu.
The number of water springs, including underground rivers called “Kurago”, number more
than 100. These management and water usage have changed over time. There are used place like
“Jikkyonuho” and “Sumiyoshi Kurago” near underground rivers and springs in Okinoerabu. On
the other hand, changes such as the drying up due to groundwater pumping, and a reduction in
the quality of the water, has led to the abandonment of some springs. As for water use from
springs, the use of water for irrigation that was for domestic use has changed the water supply
system on Okinoerabu. It may be said that a phenomenon with so-called ""shadow water"" is
taking place on Okinoerabu.
3) Effect of land use change on groundwater environment in the river basin
where water resource wells installed
Kunihide Miyaoka (Mie University), Tomomasa Taniguchi
Groundwater is one of the most significant water resources in Japan. Groundwater is also
mainly used as a water resource in Yokkaichi city, Mie Prefecture, central Japan where is one of
the provincial city in Japan. But, recently, it is concerned that land use changes affect to
groundwater qualities and amounts of groundwater reserves; that is, agricultural field changes to
residential or commercial area, paddy field changes to cultivate field. It is necessary to make
clear the actual condition of effect of land surface conditions to the shallow groundwater, to
preserve a good aquifer for sustainable shallow groundwater resource supply.
The purposes of this study are to analyze the effect of land use change on groundwater
environment in the river basin where water resource wells are installed.
As a result, there are some groundwater flow systems. In the downstream area, recharge area
is on the hills which are distributed nearby water resource wells. In this area, Shallow
groundwater is mixed with river water and hills water. These showed that river water is recharge
to the portion of sallow groundwater in the downstream area, but chemical characteristics are not
affected to the shallow groundwater. So, chemical characteristics of shallow groundwater are
closely related to geomorphogical, geological and land use conditions. These results show that it
is necessary to establish the monitoring system of land use change and groundwater quality and
water level for groundwater management in the future.
4) Using a groundwater inrush event and large-scale dewatering in South
African gold mining areas to determine hydraulic parameters of karst aquifers
Frank Winde (North-West University, Vaal Campus), Ewald Erasmus, Schrader
Aljoscha
The Bank Compartment southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, represents an isolated
dolomite aquifer, separated from the rest of the larger Far West Rand dolomitic groundwater
system by intrusive dykes. In the course of exploiting rich gold deposits underneath the up to
1200 m thick dolomite, the overlying karst aquifer was severely altered by large-scale
dewatering. The dewatering became necessary, amongst other reason, after a near catastrophic
inrush of some 386 Ml/d of dolomitic groundwater into the underground mine workings of the
West-Driefontein Gold Mine in October 1968, following a sudden collapse of a tabular mining
excavation. Water flowed for almost a month into the mine void before it could finally be
stopped by installing underground cement plugs. This caused a large dewatering cone in the
overlying dolomites. The subsequent pumping of infiltrating water from underground and
discharge outside the boundaries of the compartment over the next few years gradually lowered
the groundwater table in the dolomites by >600m. Rates of pumping and water level drawdown
during the inrush event as well as the subsequent dewatering were recorded and are analysed in
this paper. With some restrictions, the historical data comply with the requirements of an (ultralarge) pumping test, allowing the determination of aquifer parameters such as transmissivity,
storativity and boundary conditions, by applying typical analytical pumping test solutions.
Although designed for steady-state and transient flow in homogenous porous media, the
employed methods (Thiem, Theis, Stallman) were found to generally deliver reasonable results if
applied to (non-homogenous) karst aquifers.
[CS40-4] Hydrological process and watershed management
[ Wednesday 07 August 14:00-15:30 Room501 ]
Univ.)
Chair(s): Chansheng He (Lanzhou
1) Hydrological Impacts of "Grain for Green" Policy in the Loess Plateau of
Northern China
Chansheng He (Lanzhou University), Lanhui Zhang, Bojie Fu, Yanda Xu
Rehabilitation of vegetation system over large scale is essential for maintaining terrestrial
ecosystem services and ensuring regional economic vitality. During the past decade, China has
implemented a large scale ""Grain for Green"" program to return hilly cropland to forest and
grassland in the loess plateau of northern China, one of the most serious soil erosion regions in
the world. But how is the program affecting the ecohydrological processes of the region? This
collaborative research adapts the Distributed Large Basin Runoff Model (DLBRM) to the Yanhe
Watershed in the loess plateau to assess the hydrological impacts of the ""Grain for Green""
program. The DLBRM divides the Yanhe Watershed into over 7,000 1- km2 grid cells. Each cell
of the watershed is composed of moisture storages of the upper soil zone (USZ), lower soil zone
(LSZ), groundwater zone (GZ), and surface. Multiple databases of DEM, land cover, climate,
soil, hydrology, and hydrography are collected and processed to derive the input variables for
each of the over 7,000 grid cells. The model simulates the spatial and temporal distribution of
watershed hydrological processes and routes cumulative surface and subsurface flows
downstream. The DLBRM is first calibrated against the observed streamflow data and then used
to simulate the hydrology of the Yanhe Watershed prior to (2000) and after the implementation
of the ""Grain for Green"" program (2008), respectively. Preliminary simulation results show
that the ""Grain for Green"" program has produced significant effects on the hydrology of the
Yanhe Watershed.
2) Daily runoff model of a type of distributed tanks for Tokoro river basin using
the Radar/Raingauge-Analyzed Precipitation data of high precision in space and
time
Haruki Numajiri (Japan Association of Surveyors)
The purpose of this study is to build the daily runoff model for a small drainage basin. The
input to the distributed tank is the daily Radar/Raingauge-Analyzed Precipitation data which
were calculated from the hourly data prepared by the Japan Meteorological Agency in 1km x
1km spatial resolution.
Application of the model and verification of model parameters were done for the Kanoko
artificial dam lake area located in the upper reach of the Tokoro river, Hokkaido Island (Japan).
At first we prepared the Drainage Direction Matrix (flow direction map) from 250m-DEM
(Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) to get drainage net pattern, calculate flow
accumulation and extract the drainage area. The tank has three types of output discharges, basal
flow, surface flow and inter flow. To sum up basin output discharges to the lake from each tank
distributed for the grids in the basin we use the drainage net pattern.
Minimizing difference between the daily basin output discharge of the model and measured
level change of the lake, we searched the optimal set of parameters of the model. The model with
the optimized set of the parameters for the Kanoko dam lake area is applicable for the other
drainage basins without discharge gage using the same precipitation data and DEMs.
3) From drought to floods, the UK in 2012, is this a sign of things to come?
Charlie Pilling (UK Met Office), David Price
The start of 2012 was dominated by concerns of drought and standpipes on streets. The change
arrived as the 5th driest and 3rd warmest March on record was proceeded by the wettest April on
record. The UK then experienced the wettest April to June on record, June itself was the wettest
on record, and for England, 2012 was the wettest year on record.
The Flood Forecasting Centre for England and Wales is analysing a number of flood events
that occurred through 2012 in the context of more extreme convective events and more frequent
and sustained frontal and orographic rainfall events. This work will be presented in the context of
decadal and longer term changes in rainfall events, and consequently possible future changes in
the impacts of surface water and fluvial floods.
Reference will be made to the latest Met Office Hadley Centre models, especially the nested
1.5 km model which enables convection to be modeled explicitly for the first time. The next step
is to explore the coupling this output to the distributed hydrological model, Grid-to-Grid (G2G)
which operates at a 1 km x 1 km spatial resolution, and which is currently used to forecast flows
across England and Wales.
The analysis of recent flood events, along with possible changes in future rainfall patterns and
flood events, presents a valuable opportunity to explore whether the flooding of 2012 is a sign of
things to come.
4) Modeling variations of natural water budget in the Vaal river basin (South
Africa) using Land Surface Model UTOPIA
Claudio Cassardo (University of Torino (Alma Universitas Taurinensis)), Ines
Cerenzia, Riccardo Bonanno, Frank Winde, Ewald Erasmus
In South Africa, the water demand exceeds the natural supply, and water resources are
approaching their limits of economically viable exploitation. This is particular true for the
metropolitan agglomerations in and around Gauteng Province relying on water from the Vaal
River already requiring augmentation by water imports from Lesotho and other areas in the
escarpment. . Owing to continously growing demand in the economic heartland of South Africa
water requirements are predicted to outstrip supply in the next few years.
This paper presents a collaborative approach between the University of Torino (Italy) and the
North-West University (South Africa) to quantify the natural water supply of the Vaal River
catchment using remote sensing data from the ERA INTERIM database of the European Centre
for Midrange Weather Forecast (ECMWF) the coupled with GIS and a Land Surface Model
developed by the University of Torino (UTOPIA).