Influence of Population Growth on Supply, Demand, and Quality Issues of Water Resources in the Yarmouk River Basin in Jordan

This study was carried out to investigate the influence of population growth on supply, demand, and quality issues of water resources in the Yarmouk River Basin in Jordan for twenty years. The population growth data for the years 1997 and 2017 was derived from four Jordan governorates, i.e., Mafraq, Irbid, Jerash, and Ajloun, as well as for the population of the Yarmouk Basin was calculated, where a part of the population of these governorates resides within Basin. The water supply and the number of wells were also determined during this study. Various physicochemical parameters of water, like pH, EC, TDS, DO, NO2, and NO3, were also evaluated. Water supply, demand, and quality issues were also identified in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. The study showed an increase in the Kingdom's population in four governorates from about 1.27 to 2.88 million inhabitants, while the population of four governorates in the Yarmouk Basin increased from about 639,992 to 1.53 million inhabitants, and it is more than doubling. Comparing the population with the water supply, the numbers of wells and their uses showed significant changes, as evidenced by the substantial increase in the water supply. The studied physiochemical parameters were within the permissible limits of the National Standards. The critical water issues reported in the study area are difficulties in law enforcement and rapid population growth, which interactively affect the water supply. The study's findings will assist decision-makers in managing future water supplies as they face challenges in securing additional water, and there is an urgent need for research and future scenarios to meet water needs

Detecting Land use/cover dynamics and land suitability mapping for Irbid governorate using an integrated approach

This research proposes to design an approach recognizing land use/cover change for Irbid governorate from 1985 to 2015 in 10 years period bases, with an agriculture suitability map using remote sensing and GIS. In this paper, ENVI6 was used to analyse Landsat images, which helps to understand the land uses’ classes. LULC Changes results showed an increase in urban land, from 2% in 1985 reached to 11% in 2015; soil and agricultural classes had declined, in 1985 they were 74% of the total area, and reduced to 67% in 2015.  Irbid Governorate’s change detection results revealed that the decline of agriculture and rock land areas is due to the accelerated expansion of urbanization, which negatively affects agricultural lands. Modelling the area showed high suitability for agricultural activities, which should be considered for the upcoming plans

Characterization and Anaerobic Biodegradation of Single House Wastewater

Anaerobic biodegradation and characterization of wastewater produced at household level in rural areas in Jordan were considered in this study in order to investigate the possibility of applying house onsite low cost treatment systems. Results showed that the total chemical oxygen demand (CODtot) was 1.8 times higher during summer than during winter. The average CODtot during summer and winter amounted to 2982 mg/l and 1683 mg/l, respectively. The suspended fraction of the COD represents 41% and 38% of CODtot for summer and winter, respectively. Maximum anaerobic biodegradability of the wastewater was found to be 43% (COD basis) for unseeded samples and 59% for seeded samples after 159 days of digestion at 25ºC. Hydrolysis rate constant for the seeded samples was calculated to be 0.006 d-1 (R2= 0.877). Low biodegradability measured for the wastewater was mainly attributed to excessive use of detergents and disinfectants. Accordingly, household habits should be changed before effective biological anaerobic treatment can be considered

Application of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process for water resources in the Wadi AlHasa catchment, Jordan

This article introduces a groundwater vulnerability assessment model that utilises the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) in the Wadi AlHasa catchment, Jordan. The assessment takes into account both geomorphological and hydrogeological variables, employing a comprehensive methodology that integrates various parameters. To evaluate the catchment, the study employs remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. The analysis of the digital elevation model enables the creation of a map illustrating the diverse geomorphology of the catchment. This geomorphology significantly influences drainage density, direction, and the spatial distribution and intensity of flash flood events. Moreover, the study develops and maps a fuzzy FAHP DRASTIC vulnerability index, which proves to be a valuable tool for assessing the susceptibility of groundwater resources to contamination. The unique feature of the index is its ability to incorporate uncertain or subjective data, providing a means to evaluate the significance of various influencing factors. This information serves as critical support for decision-making and management efforts geared towards safeguarding and enhancing groundwater resources. Within the study area, the DRASTIC vulnerability index values span from 0.08325 to 0.28409, with 18% of the site exhibiting a high vulnerability rate. Additionally, the article implements a managed aquifer recharge model (MAR), with 31% of the area falling into MAR classes. Among these, 22.1% are classified as a high MAR class, while 0.7% belong to a very high MAR class. These findings underscore the feasibility of MAR projects in regions with limited water resources

Medición de subsidencia del terreno causada por sobreexplotación de acuíferos mediante herramientas GEP: A-DInSAR en la nube

[EN] Groundwater is a vitally important resource for humans. One of the main problems derived from the overexploitation of aquifers is land subsidence, which in turn carries other associated natural risks. Advanced Differential satellite radar interferometry (A-DInSAR) techniques provide valuable information on the surface displacements of the ground, which serve to characterize both the deformational behaviour of the aquifer and its properties. RESERVOIR is a research project belonging to the European PRIMA programme, whose main objective is to design sustainable groundwater management models through the study of four areas of the Mediterranean subjected to water stress. One of the main tasks of the project is the integration of the terrain deformation data obtained with satellite remote sensing techniques in the hydrogeological and geomechanical models of the aquifers. In the present work, a first evaluation of the deformation of the ground in each study area is carried out using the tools contained in the Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP). This is a service financed by the European Space Agency (ESA) that allows processing directly on its server, without need to store data or applications locally.[ES] Las aguas subterráneas son un recurso de vital importancia para el ser humano. Una de las principales problemáticas derivadas de la sobreexplotación de acuíferos es la subsidencia del terreno, que a su vez lleva asociados otros riesgos naturales. Las técnicas avanzadas de interferometría radar diferencial de satélite (A-DInSAR) aportan información muy valiosa sobre los desplazamientos superficiales del terreno, que sirven para caracterizar tanto el comportamiento geomecánico del acuífero como sus propiedades. RESERVOIR es un proyecto de investigación perteneciente al programa europeo PRIMA, cuyo principal objetivo es diseñar modelos sostenibles de gestión de aguas subterráneas mediante el estudio de cuatro zonas del Mediterráneo sometidas a estrés hídrico. Una de las principales tareas del proyecto es la integración de los datos de deformación del terreno obtenidos con técnicas de teledetección por satélite en los modelos hidrogeológicos y geomecánicos de los acuíferos. En el presente trabajo se realiza una primera evaluación de la deformación del terreno en cada zona de estudio utilizando las herramientas contenidas en la Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP). Este servicio financiado por la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA) permite realizar procesados directamente en su servidor, sin necesidad de almacenar datos ni aplicaciones en local.This work was supported by RESERVOIR project, which is part of the PRIMA Programme supported under Horizon 2020 the European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Grant Agreement number: [1924] [RESERVOIR] [Call 2019 Section 1 Water RIA]. Copernicus Sentinel-1 IW SAR data were provided and processed in ESA’s Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP), in the framework of the GEP Early Adopters Programme.Bru, G.; Ezquerro, P.; Guardiola-Albert, C.; Béjar-Pizarro, M.; Herrera, G.; Tomás, R.; Navarro-Hernández, M.... (2021). Land subsidence analysis caused by aquifer overexploitation using GEP tools: A-DInSAR on the cloud. En Proceedings 3rd Congress in Geomatics Engineering. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 127-136. https://doi.org/10.4995/CiGeo2021.2021.12722OCS12713

Stakeholders’ Perspective on Groundwater Management in Four Water-Stressed Mediterranean Areas: Priorities and Challenges

Recent studies highlight the fragility of the Mediterranean basin against climate stresses and the difficulties of managing the sustainable development of groundwater resources. In this work, the main issues related to groundwater management have been identified from the stakeholder’s perspective in the following four representative water-stressed Mediterranean areas: the coastal aquifer of Comacchio (Italy), the Alto Guadalentín aquifer (Spain), the alluvial aquifer of the Gediz River basin (Turkey), and the Azraq aquifer (Azraq Wetland Reserve, Jordan). This has been achieved by designing a methodology to involve and engage a representative set of stakeholders, including a questionnaire to learn their point of view concerning the current management of aquifer systems and their experience with the already available tools for groundwater resource management, such as monitoring networks and numerical models. The outcome of the survey has allowed us to identify both particular and common challenges among the four study sites and among the various groups of stakeholders. This information provides valuable insights to improve the transfer of scientific knowledge from the research centers to the authorities managing the groundwater resources and it will help to plan more effective research activities on aquifer management. The proposed methodology could be applied in other aquifers facing similar problems.This study has received funding in the framework of the RESERVOIR project: (sustainable groundwater RESources managEment by integrating eaRth observation deriVed monitoring and flOw modelIng Results), funded by the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) programme supported by the European Union (Grant Agreement 1924; https://reservoir-prima.org/, accessed on 13 March 2022). The research was also funded by the University of Pavia in the framework of a research grant award “assegno di tipo A premiale” for research activities at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, within the research project entitled “Sustainable groundwater resources management by integrating A-DInSAR derived monitoring and flow modeling results” assigned to Roberta Bonì from March 2019 to February 2021

Stakeholders’ Perspective on Groundwater Management in Four Water-Stressed Mediterranean Areas: Priorities and Challenges

none21sìopenBonì, Roberta; Teatini, Pietro; Zoccarato, Claudia; Guardiola-Albert, Carolina; Ezquerro, Pablo; Bru, Guadalupe; Tomás, Roberto; Valdes-Abellan, Javier; Pla, Conception; Navarro-Hernández, María I.; Elçi, Alper; Çaylak, Baris; Ören, Ali Hakan; Shatanawi, Khaldoun; Mohammad, Alsharifa Hind; Hajar, Husam Abu; Letterio, Tommaso; Genovesi, Roberto; Hreisha, Hazem; Al-Mimi, Qamar; Meisina, ClaudiaBonì, Roberta; Teatini, Pietro; Zoccarato, Claudia; Guardiola-Albert, Carolina; Ezquerro, Pablo; Bru, Guadalupe; Tomás, Roberto; Valdes-Abellan, Javier; Pla, Conception; Navarro-Hernández, María I.; Elçi, Alper; Çaylak, Baris; Ören, Ali Hakan; Shatanawi, Khaldoun; Mohammad, Alsharifa Hind; Hajar, Husam Abu; Letterio, Tommaso; Genovesi, Roberto; Hreisha, Hazem; Al-Mimi, Qamar; Meisina, Claudi

THE EFFECTS OF CRUMB RUBBER PARTICLES ON HIGHWAY NOISE REDUCTION - A LABORATORY STUDY

Traffic noise is a major setback to the life quality of residents living in the vicinity of highways. Over the past 40 years, much legislation has been passed to regulate sound levels to which residents are exposed. Among the many approaches adopted to alleviate the problem, crumb rubber modified asphalt has been proposed as a measure to reduce highway traffic noise. The use of crumb rubber modified asphalt to reduce traffic noise on pavements had not been evaluated in great detail prior to this study. This research investigates the effects of crumb rubber particles on asphalt pavement noise absorption ability. Both dense and porous Superpave gyratory compacted specimens were prepared and evaluated. To evaluate the effect of crumb rubber, several types of specimens were evaluated with and without the presence of crumb rubber with air void contents of 3.5%±0.5% and 16%±0.5% for dense and porous mixtures, respectively. The effect of asphalt binder source and the effects of crumb rubber grinding procedure, concentration, and gradation were also evaluated in order to better understand the factors that affect the sound absorption of pavements. In addition, the effect of pavement thickness was evaluated. The non-acoustical properties of the specimen were measured and correlated with sound absorption coefficients obtained from the compacted specimens. The results indicated that the effect of crumb rubber as an energy absorbent (damping) material is minimal and does not significantly increase the sound absorption. However, the presence of crumb rubber particles affected volumetric mixture properties, which consequently affected the sound absorption. Strong correlations were found between permeability and binder content with sound absorption. However, permeability was affected by binder content in this study, with permeability decreasing as binder content increased. This was attributed to the presence of crumb rubber in the higher binder contents. Results also indicated that sound absorption is correlated to pavement thickness, although the effects were different for dense and porous mixtures as well as different for slow and high frequency ranges. In summary, crumb rubber was shown not to directly affect sound absorption, but did indirectly affect sound absorption through other changes in mixture properties like permeability and binder content. Pavement thickness did affect the sound absorption differently for porous and dense mixtures, and an optimum thickness yields the highest sound absorption for a given type of mixture

Impact of Land Use/Cover Changes on the Flow of the Zarqa River in Jordan

This paper investigated the impact of land use/cover changes on the flow of the Zarqa River in Jordan over a period of twenty-eight years. The land use/cover maps were derived using a set of medium spatial images with full scenes for the years 1989, 2002, 2011 and 2017. These images correspond to the river flow data for the same hydrological rainy seasons. The component of the river flow consists of the base-flow, flood and contribution of effluent from treatment plants. Base-flow was separated from hydrographs and effluent contribution was obtained. Runoff coefficient was determined as the ratio of flood volume to rainfall volume. The land use/cover maps were classified as urban fabrics, bare rocks, open rangelands and bare soils, agricultural areas, agro-forestry, and water bodies. During the study period, urban areas increased from 4.87% to 16.14%, and agricultural areas increased from 21.69% to 31.66%. The areas of rangelands and bare soil decreased from 34.91% to 22.57% and bare rocks from 35.98% to 27.57%, respectively. The increase in urban and agricultural areas resulted in runoff coefficient improvement from 1.89% in 1989/1990 to 2.72% for 2016/2017. The results could be useful for planners and decision makers for future flow management in the Zarqa River Basin. The approach and results of this study confirm the findings of similar studies for land and water management