WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-02-22DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1718
Karolina Urszula Krupska, Linda Speight, James Stephen Robinson, Adam James Gilbert, Hannah Cloke
{"title":"Forecasting bathing water quality in the UK: A critical review","authors":"Karolina Urszula Krupska, Linda Speight, James Stephen Robinson, Adam James Gilbert, Hannah Cloke","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1718","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change is altering rainfall patterns resulting in increasing variability and intensity of rainfall events worldwide. Increases to short duration, intense rainfall (i.e., convective rainfall), will lead to increases in sewage overflow and run‐off from agricultural land. Such events generate spikes in micro‐organisms from feces and manure, especially <jats:italic>Escherichia coli</jats:italic> and intestinal enterococci, that temporarily end up in bathing waters posing serious health risks to bathers. Forecasting of bathing water quality associated with convective rainfall presents a distinctive forecasting challenge due to high uncertainties associated with predicting the timing, location, and impact of such events. In this article, we review examples of bathing water quality forecasting practices, with a focus on the United Kingdom where convective rainfall in the summer bathing water season is a particular concern, and question whether the current approach is robust in a changing climate. We discuss potential upgrades in bathing water forecasting and identify the main challenges that must be addressed before an improved framework for bathing water forecasting can be achieved. Although developments in meteorological and hydrological short‐range forecasting capabilities are promising, convective rainfall forecasting has significant predictability limits. We suggest taking full advantage of short‐range forecasts to provide sub‐daily bathing water forecasts, focusing on targeted bathing water monitoring regimes to improve model accuracy with the ultimate goal of providing improved information and guidance for beach users.This article is categorized under:<jats:list list-type=\"simple\"> <jats:list-item>Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Human Water > Water Governance</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Science of Water > Water Quality</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139956197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-02-18DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1721
Silvana Pacheco-Treviño, Mario Guadalupe Francisco Manzano-Camarillo
{"title":"Review of water scarcity assessments: Highlights of Mexico's water situation","authors":"Silvana Pacheco-Treviño, Mario Guadalupe Francisco Manzano-Camarillo","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1721","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1721","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines the situation of water scarcity and security in Mexico, with a focus on the drinking water supply issue in rural communities and the challenges posed by assessment methodologies. We conducted a comprehensive literature review to update the available information on the water crisis in Mexico and its impact on rural communities in the country, as well as the methodologies employed to assess water security and the methodological challenges associated with them. Among the most noteworthy findings is the persistent challenge in evaluating water scarcity and its implications for communities, due to the lack of consensus on the most precise methodology. Nevertheless, current methodological approaches suggest the integration of physical models with pertinent social, economic, and political data. The literature broadly agrees on the severity of the water scarcity crisis and the clear link between rural poverty and inadequate access to drinking water. Water scarcity is both a contributing factor to and a consequence of poverty, stemming from a complex interplay of socioeconomic pressures, inadequate institutional responses, and deficient water management. The paper concludes that water scarcity involves intricate interactions among various factors, encompassing physical water scarcity, pollution, and the impacts of climate change on the water cycle, and most critically, the complexities inherent in water management and regulatory frameworks. Therefore, the integration of well-informed policies, effective management practices, and collaborative efforts is crucial for ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future. Effective water management can effectively mitigate the challenges of water scarcity and alleviate poverty.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139920059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-02-16DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1719
Joseph Cahill, Claire Hoolohan, Alison L. Browne
{"title":"Social practice theory and household water demand: A review of literature and research evidence","authors":"Joseph Cahill, Claire Hoolohan, Alison L. Browne","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1719","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1719","url":null,"abstract":"The changing climate, rapid increases in global consumption, and shock events are increasing stress on water resources globally. For policy makers and water sector stakeholders tasked with reducing demand, and for academic researchers interested in understanding how these complex issues intertwine to create current and future water demand profiles, the shortcomings of individualized behavior change approaches driven by psycho-econometric understandings of resource consumption is increasingly evident. Since the early 2000s, social practice theory has been increasingly recognized as deepening understandings of the complex ways water is consumed and the dynamic factors that influence household demands. This review examines evidence of how social practice ideas are deployed in academic research in scope (theory; geographical; practices entities/performances; sites, locations, and temporality of practices; infrastructural configurations); methods (historical; talk—interviews, focus groups; diaries; ethnography and home tours; surveys; living labs, experiments, design methods; mixed methods); and implications (co-production; materiality; diversity; disruption and insecurity; inequalities) including for policy and practice. Emerging from the review is a set of ideas that demonstrate how to apply insights from social practice more effectively in water studies and in water management, aiding the exploration of new areas of enquiry, policies and mechanisms to enable less intensive patterns of water use. This review points to a need for increased collaboration across the water sector and wider stakeholders to enact deep and meaningful change to how water is supplied and consumed in society.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139919990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-02-15DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1715
{"title":"Cover Image, Volume 11, Issue 1","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1715","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1715","url":null,"abstract":"Cover Illustration: The Silala River at the junction with Quebrada Negra, by Denis Peach, in pastels.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139920056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-02-14DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1710
Gemma L. Harvey, Adam T. Hartley, Alexander J. Henshaw, Zareena Khan, Stewart J. Clarke, Christopher J. Sandom, Judy England, Sara King, Orlando Venn
{"title":"The role of rewilding in mitigating hydrological extremes: State of the evidence","authors":"Gemma L. Harvey, Adam T. Hartley, Alexander J. Henshaw, Zareena Khan, Stewart J. Clarke, Christopher J. Sandom, Judy England, Sara King, Orlando Venn","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1710","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1710","url":null,"abstract":"Landscape rewilding has the potential to help mitigate hydrological extremes by allowing natural processes to function. Our systematic review assessed the evidence base for rewilding-driven mitigation of high and low flows. The review uncovers a lack of research directly addressing rewilding, but highlights research in analogue contexts which can, with caution, indicate the nature of change. There is a lack of before-after studies that enable deeper examination of temporal trajectories and legacy effects, and a lack of research on the scrub and shrubland habitats common in rewilding projects. Over twice as much evidence is available for high flows compared to low flows, and fewer than one third of studies address high and low flows simultaneously, limiting our understanding of co-benefits and contrasting effects. Flow magnitude variables are better represented within the literature than flow timing variables, and there is greater emphasis on modeling for high flows, and on direct measurement for low flows. Most high flow studies report a mitigating effect, but with variability in the magnitude of effect, and some exceptions. The nature of change for low flows is more complex and suggests a higher potential for increased low flow risks associated with certain trajectories but is based on a very narrow evidence base. We recommend that future research aims to: capture effects on both high and low flow extremes for a given type of change; analyze both magnitude and timing characteristics of flow extremes; and examine temporal trajectories (before and after data) ideally using a full before-after-control-impact design.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139761010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-02-07DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1720
Jack A. Stanford, Amanda G. DelVecchia, J. Joseph Giersch, Rachel L. Malison
{"title":"Amphibitic stoneflies (Plecoptera) are integrators of ecosystem processes in alluvial aquifers of gravel-bed river floodplains","authors":"Jack A. Stanford, Amanda G. DelVecchia, J. Joseph Giersch, Rachel L. Malison","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1720","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1720","url":null,"abstract":"Over 50 years ago nymphs of the Plecoptera species, <i>Paraperla frontalis</i> Banks, 1906 (Plecoptera: Chloroperlidae), were shown to exist in a shallow floodplain aquifer of the Tobacco River, a gravel-bed river in western Montana and later they were documented throughout the main stems of the Flathead River system. Nymphs are almost never found in surface waters, until they emerge on the river shorelines. As teneral adults, they mate and subsequently deposit fertilized eggs into the river. This novel life cycle is termed “amphibitic.” Over the years we and others have found <i>P. wilsoni</i> Ricker, 1965 (Plecoptera: Chloroperlidae), <i>Kathroperla perdita</i> Banks, 1920 (Plecoptera: Kathroperlidae), and five species of <i>Isocapnia</i> Banks, 1938 (Plecoptera: Capniidae), including long-winged and brachypterous adults and wingless dwarfs (male and female), occupying amphibitic niches in the alluvial aquifers of rivers in Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Alaska and British Columbia. These stoneflies are remarkably tolerant of hypoxia which allows them to exist as abundant consumers in aquifer food webs subsidized by ancient methane. Indeed, stonefly tissues contain carbon that is up to 7000 years old, underscoring the existence of a strong interaction involving the uptake of labile carbon derived from methanogenic and methanotrophic process in aquifers. Details of life cycles, trophic relationships, distribution and abundance have been documented by a suite of studies on the Nyack Floodplain of the Middle Flathead River, Montana. In this paper we review the ecophysiology and ecology of these unique stoneflies in the context of their functional role in gravel-bed river ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139761249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-02-01DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1716
Hayley C. Glassic, Kenneth C. McGwire, William W. Macfarlane, Cashe Rasmussen, Nicolaas Bouwes, Joseph M. Wheaton, Robert Al-Chokhachy
{"title":"From pixels to riverscapes: How remote sensing and geospatial tools can prioritize riverscape restoration at multiple scales","authors":"Hayley C. Glassic, Kenneth C. McGwire, William W. Macfarlane, Cashe Rasmussen, Nicolaas Bouwes, Joseph M. Wheaton, Robert Al-Chokhachy","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1716","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1716","url":null,"abstract":"Prioritizing restoration opportunities effectively across entire riverscape networks (i.e., riverine landscape including floodplain and stream channel networks) can be difficult when relying on in-channel, reach-scale monitoring data, or watershed-level summaries that fail to capture riverscape heterogeneity and the information necessary to implement restoration actions. Leveraging remote sensing and geospatial tools to develop spatially continuous information across nested hierarchical scales may support increased understanding of local riverscape reaches in their broader network context. Using riparian (vegetation) and geomorphic (elevation) indicators to assess status of riverscape health, along with a measure of restoration capacity (valley bottom area), could be adapted to fit specific management goals related to riverscape restoration. Frameworks using remotely sensed vegetation and elevation data to prioritize restoration continuously across riverscapes at restoration-relevant, reach-scales may uphold the ecosystem services provided by riverscapes. By incorporating local knowledge and identifying caveats for using these datasets, continuous inferences can be applied at network scales (watershed to regional extent and reach-scale resolution) to prioritize restoration over a wide variety of ecoregions.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139663150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-01-30DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1717
Twan Stoffers, Florian Altermatt, Damiano Baldan, Olena Bilous, Florian Borgwardt, Anthonie D. Buijse, Elisabeth Bondar-Kunze, Nuria Cid, Tibor Erős, Maria Teresa Ferreira, Andrea Funk, Gertrud Haidvogl, Severin Hohensinner, Johannes Kowal, Leopold A. J. Nagelkerke, Jakob Neuburg, Tianna Peller, Stefan Schmutz, Gabriel A. Singer, Günther Unfer, Simon Vitecek, Sonja C. Jähnig, Thomas Hein
{"title":"Reviving Europe's rivers: Seven challenges in the implementation of the Nature Restoration Law to restore free-flowing rivers","authors":"Twan Stoffers, Florian Altermatt, Damiano Baldan, Olena Bilous, Florian Borgwardt, Anthonie D. Buijse, Elisabeth Bondar-Kunze, Nuria Cid, Tibor Erős, Maria Teresa Ferreira, Andrea Funk, Gertrud Haidvogl, Severin Hohensinner, Johannes Kowal, Leopold A. J. Nagelkerke, Jakob Neuburg, Tianna Peller, Stefan Schmutz, Gabriel A. Singer, Günther Unfer, Simon Vitecek, Sonja C. Jähnig, Thomas Hein","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1717","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1717","url":null,"abstract":"The EU Nature Restoration Law represents an important opportunity for freshwater habitat restoration and, consequently, freshwater biodiversity protection. However, a number of challenges must be anticipated in its implementation, which may compromise its success. Some aspects, particularly those relating to freshwater ecosystems, require more clarification. We use riverine ecosystems to illustrate existing ambiguities in the proposed legislation and the potential consequences of leaving these aspects open to interpretation during the implementation process. We also discuss potential solutions to these problems which could help ensure that the law's objectives are met. We argue that river network structure and connectivity dimensions, which result into river meta-ecosystems, must be explicitly considered. For that purpose, we ask for clear definitions of the critical terms “free-flowing rivers,” “barriers,” and “reference areas.” In addition, we recommend developing methods for integrated assessment of connectivity across river networks. As a key property of river ecosystems, this must be used to prioritize actions to increase the length and number of free-flowing rivers. Adequate restoration planning at larger spatial scales will benefit from a meta-ecosystem perspective and accurate representation of aquatic-terrestrial linkages, which will significantly improve the efficacy of restoration efforts. Furthermore, stakeholder and citizen engagement offer important opportunities at local, national, and European scales, and should be fostered to ensure inclusive decision-making. The conservation challenges outlined here are particularly important for rivers, but they also have implications for other ecosystems. These considerations are useful for policymakers, conservationists, and other stakeholders involved in the Nature Restoration Law and related policy initiatives.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139658231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
WIREs WaterPub Date : 2024-01-09DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1714
Jordan I. Christian, Mike Hobbins, Andrew Hoell, Jason A. Otkin, Trent W. Ford, Amanda E. Cravens, Kathryn A. Powlen, Hailan Wang, Vimal Mishra
{"title":"Flash drought: A state of the science review","authors":"Jordan I. Christian, Mike Hobbins, Andrew Hoell, Jason A. Otkin, Trent W. Ford, Amanda E. Cravens, Kathryn A. Powlen, Hailan Wang, Vimal Mishra","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1714","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1714","url":null,"abstract":"In the two decades, since the advent of the term “flash drought,” considerable research has been directed toward the topic. Within the scientific community, we have actively forged a new paradigm that has avoided a chaotic evolution of conventional drought but instead recognizes that flash droughts have distinct dynamics and, particularly, impacts. We have moved beyond the initial debate over the definition of flash drought to a centralized focus on the triad of rapid onset, drought development, and associated impacts. The refinement toward this general set of principles has led to significant progress in determining key variables for monitoring flash drought development, identifying notable case studies, and compiling fundamental physical characteristics of flash drought. However, critical focus areas still remain, including advancing our knowledge on the atmospheric and oceanic drivers of flash drought; developing flash drought-specific detection indices and monitoring systems tailored to practitioners; improving subseasonal-to-seasonal prediction of these events; constraining uncertainty in flash drought and impact projections; and using social science to further our understanding of impacts, particularly with regard to sectors that lie outside of our traditional hydroclimatological focus, such as wildfire management and food-security monitoring. Researchers and stakeholders working together on these critical topics will assure society is resilient to flash drought in a changing climate.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139413975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A review on microplastics in major European rivers","authors":"Sijia Gao, Natalie Orlowski, Franziska Kristin Bopf, Lutz Breuer","doi":"10.1002/wat2.1713","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1713","url":null,"abstract":"The topic of riverine microplastics is of great interest to the general public, yet the univocal scientific knowledge on this topic is limited. This review investigated the occurrence of microplastics in 6 major European rivers and their tributaries based on the results from 29 studies. We examined the reviewed studies in regard to data quality and reproducibility and assessed the abundance of microplastics in different sections of the water column. Furthermore, we investigated the chemical composition and potential origin of the reported riverine microplastics. We found that polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene were the most abundant polymer types. The majority of primary microplastics arose from the industry sector as well as from personal care and cleaning products, whereas secondary microplastics constituted fibers from synthetic textiles and fragments of diverse origins. We highlighted the diversity of experimental and analytical approaches that could lead to high uncertainties in the measurements of microplastics abundance. Furthermore, the presence of microplastics in rivers was found to vary spatially likely due to point and nonpoint pollution sources of anthropogenic activities. Heterogenous environmental processes impacted the fate of microplastics characterized by various forms, sizes, and densities, in different ways. This impeded the identification of representative quantitative measurements of microplastics across different time frames. We advocate for the development of standardized protocols by the research community to ensure higher reproducibility of sampling, processing, and analysis of microplastics in aquatic environments. We recommend long-term and site-specific monitoring on microplastics with high data comparability to better inform policy making.","PeriodicalId":501223,"journal":{"name":"WIREs Water","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139376281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}