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Role of Water Resources and Soil Protection for Sustainable Development

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 4900

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Water, Environment, Civil Engineering and Safety, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, Breitscheidstraße 2, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
Interests: water-energy-food nexus; water-soil-waste nexus; environmental assessment; sustainable resource management; ecosystem services; circular economy; climate adaptation
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Guest Editor
Department of Water, Environment, Civil Engineering, and Safety, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, Breitscheidstr. 2, D-39114 Magdeburg, Germany
Interests: integrated water resource management; hydrological cycles; soil erosion and management; carbon sequestration in soils; land use and land use management; climate change effects and adaptation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is an irreplaceable and non-replicable commodity of life. Therefore, the protection and safeguarding of groundwater resources and the quality of surface water are both current and future priorities. Due to the strong pressure to use both water and land resources, it is becoming increasingly important to implement approaches of integrated resource management to ensure sustainable use. Both material flows and land use properties are considered here, which must be calculated with sufficient accuracy.

Various topics play a fundamental role in water and soil protection, such as substance inputs, erosion, soil compaction and land use. Especially in the field of wastewater disposal, it is important to keep the pollution of discharge waters to a minimum, so that there is no deterioration in quality. When it comes to water body maintenance and water body development, it is important to find solutions that meet the requirements for the drainage of rainwater and the preservation of water bodies as a natural habitat for plants and animals. In the field of soil protection, precautionary measures play a role in reducing the impact of pollutants and fertilizers on the soil and its leaching, so that their presence in groundwater is kept to a minimum. Therefore, soil protection is very similar to water protection.

The Special Issue aims to present integrated research on water and soil protection to promote integrated approaches to water and land management in order to make preventive water and soil protection feasible. Thus, forecasting and management tools such as the water–soil–waste nexus, as well as other management methods are to be examined with regard to their future viability and sustainability potential.

Prof. Dr. Petra Schneider
Prof. Dr. Frido Reinstorf
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • protection of water and soil resources
  • integrated water resources management
  • water–soil–waste nexus
  • land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF)
  • role of soil amendments
  • erosion and soil compaction protection
  • modeling and forecasting
  • life cycle assessment, sustainability assessment
  • water-related ecosystem services

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2780 KiB  
Article
Community-Driven Insights into Fish Assemblage, Microhabitats, and Management Strategies in the Meghna River Basin of Bangladesh
by Mst. Armina Sultana, Md. Ashraf Hussain, Petra Schneider, Md. Nahiduzzaman, Benoy Kumar Barman, Md. Abdul Wahab, Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder and Mrityunjoy Kunda
Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11466; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411466 - 24 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1484
Abstract
The present study aimed to delve into the local ecological knowledge of fisheries in the Meghna River Basin (MRB) of Bangladesh by exploring the insights and perspectives of local communities. A survey was administered among six fishing communities from five districts along the [...] Read more.
The present study aimed to delve into the local ecological knowledge of fisheries in the Meghna River Basin (MRB) of Bangladesh by exploring the insights and perspectives of local communities. A survey was administered among six fishing communities from five districts along the MRB between August 2015 and January 2016 to accumulate data for this study. The study sites were selected meticulously based on three crucial criteria: upstream river, coastal area, and fish sanctuaries, which covered three major rivers, namely the Meghna, Andharmanik, and Payra. The study employed participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools, including 120 individual interviews using purposive sampling, 25 focus group discussions, and 36 key informant interviews. The study identified the ten most frequently caught fish species along with their temporal and spatial variation as reported by the respondents. Nine of these species fell into the least concern category, which indicate their stable population status. Meanwhile, six out of ten species cited as highly caught in the previous one to two decades belong to the threatened or near-threatened category. Findings also reveal that fishers are able to recognize important microhabitats of the study area and their significance for fish species. In addition, fishers identified the negative drivers of ecosystem degradation as well as suggested several management measures to address these challenges. The results of this study underscore the critical role of engaging with local communities and integrating their ecological knowledge into initiatives for the sustainable exploitation and conservation of aquatic resources in the MRB. Full article
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13 pages, 3712 KiB  
Article
The Premium of Hilsa Sanctuary: A Socio-Economic and Ecological Evaluation from the Meghna Estuary, Bangladesh
by Anuradha Talukdar, Petra Schneider, Amany Begum, Md. Abu Kawsar, Mst. Armina Sultana, Tofael Ahmed Sumon, Md. Rashed-Un- Nabi, Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder and Md. Mostafa Shamsuzzaman
Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7782; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137782 - 26 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2799
Abstract
Sanctuaries are widely regarded as a protected area where fishing has been placed under some restrictions by local, state, regional and national authorities for the conservation and management of fisheries resources. These sanctuaries have a broad array of positive and negative social, economic, [...] Read more.
Sanctuaries are widely regarded as a protected area where fishing has been placed under some restrictions by local, state, regional and national authorities for the conservation and management of fisheries resources. These sanctuaries have a broad array of positive and negative social, economic, cultural and political impacts on fishers. This study aims to analyze the socio-economic and ecological benefits and costs of hilsa sanctuaries to protect single most important hilsa species using Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA). Under the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act of 1950, six sites along the Padma, Meghna, Tetulia, and Andharmanik rivers have been designated as hilsa sanctuaries. Findings of the current study revealed that most fishers perceived production of hilsa and other species were increased as a direct consequences of sanctuaries establishment. However, a considerable proportion of hilsa fishermen was found to have low socioeconomic capital, as measured by monthly income, housing circumstances and asset ownership. During the restricted fishing season in the sanctuaries, these households are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. The government’s compensation scheme is a good example of payment of ecosystem services in an open water fishery; however, this scheme does not include all the affected fishers. It is found that hilsa sanctuaries lead to income loss of the poor fishers which is insufficiently compensated by government support program. To compensate income loss, fishers resort illegal fishing which undermine the success of sanctuary. If the sanctuaries are to function effectively, affecting fishers must be addressed by offering enough compensation schemes so that fishers are able to support their families. Moreover, some fishers believed that a co-management approach involving fishers and government is the possible best management option for operating sanctuaries in a sustainable way. Full article
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