Application of spatial environmental indicators in the assessment of degradation potential of water resources in water basins

Abstract

Changes in land use have been occurring in a continuous and disorderly way in recent decades due to rapid population growth and the growing demand for food. These constant changes result in a series of deleterious effects to the environment, especially to water resources, signi cantly changing their availability and quality. This study aims to evaluate the degradation potential of watersheds through an evaluation of some environmental indicators using arithmetic means to construct an index called in this research "Index of Potential Environmental Degradation" (IPED). To form the IPED, the hydrographic subbasins of the Sorocabuçu River, located in the central west of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, comprised the study area. The results showed that most hydrographic sub-basins, that is, eight units, present degradation values ranging from moderate to very high, resulting mainly from low conservation values of forests plus a use destined to the planting of temporary cultures depending on good physical conditions.On the other hand, only one sub-basin showed a low degradation value. The methodology used for the development of the IPED is easy to apply and an effective tool for environmental analyses. It may contribute to studies and forms of planning and land use management aiming the conservation of water resources and protected areas and reduction of degradation.

Flood‐oriented watershed health and ecological security conceptual modeling using pressure, state, and response (PSR) approach for the Sharghonj Watershed, South Khorasan Province, Iran

“…Figure 2 shows an overview of the steps and implementation processes of the health and security assessment of the Sharghonj Watershed in Iran. The results of the research were validated based on the extensive field visits and anecdotal shreds of evidence, people's reports, and the current conditions of the region as proposed and employed for such subjective studies by Sadeghi et al (2008), Najafi et al (2021), Arantes et al (2023), andLa Licata et al (2023).…”

“…The unhealthy and disorderly situation of the watershed results in many unwanted outcomes, viz., floods, droughts, severe soil erosion, dust storms, biodiversity loss, and socioeconomic tyrannies. In the meantime, floods have intensified in recent years following climate change and human interference, causing financial losses and loss of life in many parts of the world, which has attracted great concern for laypeople and governments (Aksoy et al, 2016;Arantes et al, 2023;Chamani et al, 2023;Nikouei et al, 2023). Considering the nature of flood and its many direct and indirect effects on human life and other beneficiaries, it is necessary to use appropriate indicators to know the health status and performance of watersheds (Arantes et al, 2023).…”

“…In the meantime, floods have intensified in recent years following climate change and human interference, causing financial losses and loss of life in many parts of the world, which has attracted great concern for laypeople and governments (Aksoy et al, 2016;Arantes et al, 2023;Chamani et al, 2023;Nikouei et al, 2023). Considering the nature of flood and its many direct and indirect effects on human life and other beneficiaries, it is necessary to use appropriate indicators to know the health status and performance of watersheds (Arantes et al, 2023). However, a systematic best management practices-based procedure for zoning watershed health from the viewpoint of flood and assessing determinant factors leading to cost-effective and efficient flood mitigation plans is scant.…”