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Land
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Water Resources and Land Use Planning II
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Water Resources and Land Use Planning II

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land, Soil and Water".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2024) | Viewed by 24256

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Carla Rolo Antunes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: water resources; land use planning; green infrastructure; nature-based solutions; soil and water bioengineering; erosion; natural hazard and risk mitigation; environmental impact assessment; strategic environmental assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is a fundamental resource for life and the structuring of territories and the landscape. The watercourses promoting the connection in the territory, being dynamic components of the systems with high biodiversity and some functions, namely, hydrologic, hydraulic, biophysical, ecological, economic, landscape, and social.

The integration of the water resource in the context of spatial planning instruments, as a promoter of environmental, economic, and social amenities is essential, both to reduce the risk to urban communities, and to reduce conflicts between users, or even to ensure the protection of ecosystems associated with river systems. This process requires complex, integrative, and interdisciplinary analyzes simultaneously involving populations, thus, establishing links between natural and cultural elements.

During the past years, activities, policies, and research have multiplied, and an increasing number of studies have produced evidence of the impacts of land uses and land management practices on the quantity and quality of water resources. The land use environmental effects require the establishment of coordinated strategies between land use planning and water resource management, to generate sustainable land use scenarios.

Currently, environmental issues and risks associated with climate change represent a challenge to the resilience of the territories, posing multiple challenges and pressures for water resources, to which water management and land use planning need to respond.

A greater understanding of society regarding these issues requires new approaches to solve the existing problems, imposing challenges to current land and water resources users.

Current trends are focused on models that promote adaptation and resilience of the territory, through integrated and sustainable strategies, so that water resources continue to fulfill human needs and to promote social well-being in addition to environmental balance.

Urban development and land-use are acknowledged as a source of pressures, which can significantly alter the water cycle and increase the vulnerability of the system.

This Special Issue focuses on the relationship between water and territory. It aims to advance and share current insights in water management and land use planning. The purpose of this issue is to provide up-to-date knowledge in planning and water management in order to be one tool that can be used to evaluate territorial integration in water management.

Dr. Carla Rolo Antunes
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • land use planning
  • integrated water resource management
  • threshold scenarios
  • sustainability
  • best management practices
  • resilience

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 6403 KiB  
Article
Approaching Flood Risk Management by Creating a Three-Dimensional Model at the Level of a Watershed
by Cristiana Ichim, Larisa Ofelia Filip, Cristian-Dinu Glont, Alexandru Ristache and Lucian Lupu-Dima
Land 2025, 14(2), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020275 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 401
Abstract
Globally, the number of major floods has been consistently significant in recent years. By using several methods of acquiring and processing geospatial data, this study aimed to develop a digital terrain model that supports the modeling of sudden increases in water levels in [...] Read more.
Globally, the number of major floods has been consistently significant in recent years. By using several methods of acquiring and processing geospatial data, this study aimed to develop a digital terrain model that supports the modeling of sudden increases in water levels in a river to provide a true picture of the areas at risk. The main contribution of this research is provided by the method of performing coupled geospatial, hydrological, and hydraulic calculations within the area of interest. This approach includes an analysis of all the hydrotechnical works executed in the riverbed. The research highlights the characteristics of the water flow corresponding to the maximum flows with exceedance probabilities of 10%, 1%, 0.5%, and 0.1%, as well as those associated with maximum discharges resulting from scenarios involving the failure of the storage dam in the area. The research results indicate that the creation of a 3D model at the river basin is probably the most important step in flood risk management, as the results obtained at this stage can also influence other measures that can be applied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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32 pages, 17197 KiB  
Article
Prioritizing Urban River Restoration Management Practices: A Cross-Evaluation Using the Criticality Index for Watershed Restoration (CIWR) and Opportunity Layers
by Andressa Ferreira Lima, Giulia Figueiredo Ferreira, Aline Pires Veról and Marcelo Gomes Miguez
Land 2024, 13(12), 2244; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13122244 - 21 Dec 2024
Viewed by 558
Abstract
Urbanization exerts significant stress on urban river ecosystems, leading to their degradation and the loss of environmental functions. Several studies have focused on restoring these urban rivers to enhance environmental quality and contribute to overall city well-being. However, such restoration efforts encounter economic, [...] Read more.
Urbanization exerts significant stress on urban river ecosystems, leading to their degradation and the loss of environmental functions. Several studies have focused on restoring these urban rivers to enhance environmental quality and contribute to overall city well-being. However, such restoration efforts encounter economic, environmental, and social challenges. This study proposes a methodological framework to aid public managers in prioritizing areas for urban river restoration. The approach integrates the concept of environmental services with urban development opportunities to address these dual demands. Central to this framework is the introduction of the criticality index for watershed restoration (CIWR), which categorizes watershed areas based on environmental quality indicators, using river restoration as a guiding principle. Additionally, legally protected environmental areas were considered as opportunity layers. This study used geographic information systems (GIS) to manage and overlay datasets for a case study in the João Mendes Watershed in Niterói, southeast Brazil, which illustrated the use of the CIWR. By intersecting this framework with the opportunity layers, priority locations were identified for potential river restoration management practices. The results indicated that the overall criticality condition of this watershed for river restoration is low. The study further discusses potential measures for river restoration in the identified priority areas, underscoring the importance of strategic planning in urban environmental management. The CIWR proved to be an easily applicable and replicable management decision tool for comparing watersheds and assessing deficient environmental services, with both numerical and spatial results. Its use, combined with the “opportunity” layer, enables public managers to define priority areas for river restoration practices based on clear and objective criteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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17 pages, 15062 KiB  
Article
Dynamics of Irrigated Land Expansion in the Ouémé River Basin Using Field and Remote Sensing Data in the Google Earth Engine
by David Houéwanou Ahoton, Taofic Bacharou, Aymar Yaovi Bossa, Luc Ollivier Sintondji, Benjamin Bonkoungou and Voltaire Midakpo Alofa
Land 2024, 13(11), 1926; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13111926 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 872
Abstract
The availability of reliable and quantified information on the spatiotemporal distribution of irrigated land at the river basin scale is an essential step towards sustainable management of water resources. This research aims to assess the spatiotemporal extent of irrigated land in the Ouémé [...] Read more.
The availability of reliable and quantified information on the spatiotemporal distribution of irrigated land at the river basin scale is an essential step towards sustainable management of water resources. This research aims to assess the spatiotemporal extent of irrigated land in the Ouémé River basin using Landsat multi-temporal images and ground truth data. A methodology was built around the use of supervised classification and the application of an algorithm based on the logical expression and thresholding of a combination of surface temperature (Ts) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The findings of the supervised classification showed that agricultural areas were 16,003 km2, 19,732 km2, and 22,850 km2 for the years 2014, 2018, and 2022, respectively. The irrigated land areas were 755 km2, 1143 km2, and 1883 km2 for the same years, respectively. A significant increase in irrigated areas was recorded throughout the study period. The overall accuracy values of 79%, 82%, and 83% obtained during validation of the irrigated land maps indicate a good performance of the algorithm. The results suggest a promising application of the algorithm to obtain up-to-date information on the distribution of irrigated land in several regions of Africa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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13 pages, 2684 KiB  
Article
Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Water Resources in the Olive-Growing Areas of Extremadura, Southwestern Spain
by Francisco J. Moral, Francisco J. Rebollo, Abelardo García-Martín, Luis L. Paniagua and Fulgencio Honorio
Land 2024, 13(8), 1294; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081294 - 15 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1385
Abstract
The increasing variability of precipitation, higher temperatures, and recurring droughts in the semi-arid regions due to climate change are leading to increased aridity, resulting in scarcer water resources for crops. The present study aimed to analyse the spatial distribution of climate variables related [...] Read more.
The increasing variability of precipitation, higher temperatures, and recurring droughts in the semi-arid regions due to climate change are leading to increased aridity, resulting in scarcer water resources for crops. The present study aimed to analyse the spatial distribution of climate variables related to water resources in the olive-growing areas throughout Extremadura, southwestern Spain. To perform this task, three climate variables were used: the potential evapotranspiration of the crop, the FAO aridity index, and the annual water requirement. Considering data from 58 weather stations located throughout Extremadura and 17 along boundaries with at least a 30-year length (within the 1991–2021 period), each variable was computed at each station. After calculating some descriptive statistics, a multivariate geostatistical (regression-kriging) algorithm, incorporating secondary information on elevation and latitude, was used to accurately map each climate variable. Later, temporal trends and their magnitude were analysed using the Mann–Kendall test and the Sen’s estimator, respectively. The highest evapotranspiration and water requirements are located in the southern part of the region, which has large areas dedicated to olive cultivation. In the northern part of the region, there is greater spatial variability in evapotranspiration and, consequently, in water requirements for olive groves due to the more rugged topography. Similarly, the olive-growing areas with the highest aridity are also in the south of Extremadura. In most areas of Extremadura, olive cultivation requires appropriate irrigation for optimal productivity. According to evapotranspiration trends, the water requirements will become greater in the future. However, it is not guaranteed that the water supply will be sufficient in olive-growing areas where aridity is higher and water resources are scarce. The results of this study are very important for evaluating water deficit and water resources in vulnerable olive-growing areas throughout Extremadura. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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29 pages, 8161 KiB  
Article
Wastewater Management Strategy for Resilient Cities—Case Study: Challenges and Opportunities for Planning a Sustainable Timor-Leste
by Zulmira Ximenes da Costa, Floris Cornelis Boogaard, Valente Ferreira and Satoshi Tamura
Land 2024, 13(6), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060799 - 4 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2663
Abstract
High population growth, a lack of wastewater treatment plants and poor wastewater management are major challenges in wastewater management in Timor-Leste (East Timor). One of the approaches of the government of Timor-Leste is to separate wastewater into greywater and blackwater from domestic, commercial, [...] Read more.
High population growth, a lack of wastewater treatment plants and poor wastewater management are major challenges in wastewater management in Timor-Leste (East Timor). One of the approaches of the government of Timor-Leste is to separate wastewater into greywater and blackwater from domestic, commercial, residential, and industrial areas. Three methods were applied to obtain insight into the locations and discharge of grey- and blackwater to develop a cost-effective wastewater strategy: a field survey and data collection, interviews with over 130 participants from local authorities and communities, and the open-source mapping of locations of wastewater discharge. This research concluded that 47.7% of the grey wastewater is discharged into open sewers connected directly to the sea. Most communities discharge their wastewater directly due to the absence of wastewater management, policies and regulations, and lack of communities’ understanding of the possible health impacts of wastewater. The impact of poor wastewater management showed that most of the children in these communities have suffered from diarrhea (73.8%), and in the rainy season, there is a high possibility of infection with waterborne diseases. The literature review, field mapping, and interviews show that there is high demand for a cost-effective wastewater strategy for health improvement. Low-cost nature-based solutions such as constructed wetlands and bioswales can be implemented with local skills and materials to improve the wastewater situation and address other challenges such as biodiversity loss, heat stress, drought, and floodings. These installations are easier to rebuild than large-scale grey infrastructure given the multiple hazards that occur in Timor-Leste: landslides, earthquakes, strong wind, and pluvial and fluvial floodings, and they can serve as coastal protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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29 pages, 7886 KiB  
Article
Phytoplankton in the Ecological Assessment of the Mining Facilities Influence on the Anabar River in the Permafrost Zone of the Arctic, Eastern Siberia, Russia
by Sophia Barinova, Viktor Gabyshev and Olga Gabysheva
Land 2023, 12(9), 1775; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091775 - 13 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1367
Abstract
In modern conditions of climate change and increased anthropogenic pressure on aquatic ecosystems, the study of the diversity of organisms in the Arctic has become a top priority. Our study continues a series of studies on the biodiversity of Arctic rivers. Using innovative [...] Read more.
In modern conditions of climate change and increased anthropogenic pressure on aquatic ecosystems, the study of the diversity of organisms in the Arctic has become a top priority. Our study continues a series of studies on the biodiversity of Arctic rivers. Using innovative methods, such as ecological mapping, statistics, and bioindication, we identify environmental factors that influence phytoplankton diversity in the river basin under study. For the Anabar Arctic River, an increase in the diversity of phytoplankton was found to the north towards the mouth of the river, which is associated with an increase in turbidity from industrial discharges. A weak effect of organic pollution and toxic effects associated with existing settlements have been identified, but it has been established that natural processes of self-purification take place in the studied Arctic River. Among 210 species of phytoplankton, an increase in the diversity of chrysophytes in the northern direction was revealed, consistent with the intensification of severe Arctic climatic conditions. Since the study region is characterized by increased diamond mining, we recommend continuing to monitor phytoplankton, track changes in the Anabar River ecosystem, and expand such observations to other Arctic rivers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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21 pages, 15261 KiB  
Article
City and Water Risk: Accumulated Runoff Mapping Analysis as a Tool for Sustainable Land Use Planning
by Anna Porębska, Krzysztof Muszyński, Izabela Godyń and Kinga Racoń-Leja
Land 2023, 12(7), 1345; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071345 - 5 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1903
Abstract
The complex integration of water and flood risk management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable planning requires advanced, dynamic tools that are unavailable to most planning offices. This paper aims to demonstrate that the available GIS technologies and large, variable, and diverse datasets (big [...] Read more.
The complex integration of water and flood risk management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable planning requires advanced, dynamic tools that are unavailable to most planning offices. This paper aims to demonstrate that the available GIS technologies and large, variable, and diverse datasets (big data) already allow us to create effective, easy-to-use, and, most importantly, cross-sectorial and holistic tools that integrate issues related to planning, flood risk management, and adaptation to climate change. Resulting from an interdisciplinary study of districts in Kraków, Poland, which have been heavily affected by pluvial floods in recent years, the accumulated runoff mapping analysis method proposed in this paper can be considered an effective planning tool that can be used at the initial stage of pluvial flood risk assessment and, above all, for spatial planning analysis and urban design. The proposed tool accounts for a correlation of development, land cover, and hydrological conditions, as well as their impact on vulnerability and the urban climate, while integrating environmental, urban, and social amenities. Intended for preliminary planning phases, it uses open-source software and data, which, although giving approximate runoff volumes, do not require advanced hydrological calculations or costly and time-consuming field research. The method allows studying alternative scenarios that can support the cross-sectorial, inclusive, and interdisciplinary discussion on new developments, sustainable planning, and adaptation to climate change. Most importantly, it can reduce, if not eliminate, issuing decisions that may have negative impacts on urban areas and enhance their resilience before more sophisticated, detailed, and advanced methods are ready for implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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24 pages, 1526 KiB  
Article
Study on the Coordination of New Urbanization and Water Ecological Civilization and Its Driving Factors: Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China
by Daxue Kan, Wenqing Yao, Xia Liu, Lianju Lyu and Weichiao Huang
Land 2023, 12(6), 1191; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061191 - 6 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1590
Abstract
For sustainable development of the world, it is crucial to solve the problems related to water environment pollution, water shortage, and the inefficient utilization of water resources during the process of urbanization in developing countries. At present, scholars mainly focus on the measurement [...] Read more.
For sustainable development of the world, it is crucial to solve the problems related to water environment pollution, water shortage, and the inefficient utilization of water resources during the process of urbanization in developing countries. At present, scholars mainly focus on the measurement of new urbanization (NU) and the water ecological civilization (WEC) level and the coordination relationship between NU and ecological civilization. However, there have been few studies on the coordination relationship between NU and WEC and its driving factors. We take the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) in China as a case study, construct the indicator system of NU and WEC, analyze the current situation of NU and WEC in the YREB, and study the coordination state of NU and WEC in the YREB from 2011 to 2020 by using a state coordination function. We further examine the factors driving the coordination of NU and WEC by employing a two-way fixed-effects model. The results show the following: (1) The growth rate of NU and WEC in the YREB shows a fluctuating upward trend, where there is significant heterogeneity between the upper reaches, the middle reaches, and the lower reaches of the YREB. (2) The static coordination degree of NU and WEC in the YREB shows a trend of fluctuating upwards and then falling, and the dynamic coordination degree deviated from the coordinated development trajectory from 2018 to 2020. The classification of the static coordination degree of various regions in the YREB gradually becomes obvious with significant spatial aggregation characteristics, and the dynamic coordination degree of various regions has significant heterogeneity. (3) The opening-up degree, foreign direct investment, population growth, and urban–rural income gap are not advantageous to the coordination degree, while the marketization level, industrial structure, and human capital are advantageous to the coordination degree, but the regression coefficients of the latter two are not significant. The regional regression results show that the impacts of driving factors on the coordination degree have obvious heterogeneity. The research results provide a new idea and method that can be used by developing countries similar to the YERB to control water pollution, improve the ecological environment, alleviate water shortages, and improve the level of WEC in the process of NU. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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21 pages, 6665 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Land Use on Water Resources in the Gulf Cooperation Council Region
by Basant Helal, Maram Ali, Tarig Ali, Idowu Peter Odeleye, Maruf Mortula and Rahul Gawai
Land 2024, 13(7), 925; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13070925 - 25 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1411
Abstract
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries experience a harsh environment with low precipitation and high evaporation rates. This presents a significant challenge of water scarcity and water quality degradation which is exacerbated by land use practices. Agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization are impacting the [...] Read more.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries experience a harsh environment with low precipitation and high evaporation rates. This presents a significant challenge of water scarcity and water quality degradation which is exacerbated by land use practices. Agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization are impacting the management of water resources. This paper examines the state of water resources in the GCC countries and presents the impact of land use practices. A detailed analysis of the relationship between land use and groundwater is conducted with a focus on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the Sultanate of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The results indicate a drop in agricultural activities, an increase in bare land and urban areas, depletion of groundwater, and water quality degradation. These changes were attributed to excessive agricultural and industrial uses, climate change, and rapid urbanization. The findings show the need for sustainable land use practices and water resources management. Further research addressing the impact of land use on water in Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, and evaluating the effectiveness of policy, is essential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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19 pages, 9343 KiB  
Review
A Step from Vulnerability to Resilience: Restoring the Landscape Water-Storage Capacity of the Great Hungarian Plain—An Assessment and a Proposal
by Gábor Timár, Gusztáv Jakab and Balázs Székely
Land 2024, 13(2), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020146 - 26 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 10481
Abstract
The extreme drought in Europe in 2022 also hit hard the Great Hungarian Plain. In this short overview article, we summarize the natural environmental conditions of the region and the impact of river control works on the water-retention capacity of the landscape. In [...] Read more.
The extreme drought in Europe in 2022 also hit hard the Great Hungarian Plain. In this short overview article, we summarize the natural environmental conditions of the region and the impact of river control works on the water-retention capacity of the landscape. In this respect, we also review the impact of intensive agricultural cultivation on soil structure and on soil moisture in light of the meteorological elements of the 2022 drought. The most important change is that the soil stores much less moisture than in the natural state; therefore, under the meteorological conditions of summer 2022, the evapotranspiration capacity was reduced. As a result, the low humidity in the air layers above the ground is not sufficient to trigger summer showers and thunderstorms associated with weather fronts and local heat convection anymore. Our proposed solution is to restore about one-fifth of the area to the original land types and usage before large-field agriculture. Low-lying areas should be transformed into a mosaic-like landscape with good water supply and evapotranspiration capacity to humidify the lower air layers. Furthermore, the unfavorable soil structure that has resulted from intensive agriculture should also be converted into more permeable soil to enhance infiltration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Resources and Land Use Planning II)
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