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In the current study, we examine the Indonesian government's watershed management program, which was established in 2001. In 2005, the Coordination Team for Rescue of Water Resources (CTRWR) was established to execute the program on a national level. However, at the time, field implementation was a sectoral interest due to the lack of program integration. To this end, the Indonesian government promoted integrated watershed management in 2009, which since then has been implemented by all stakeholders (in Top–Down management form), with application limited to preparing and planning documents. This is mainly driven by the stakeholders’ lack of understanding with regard to watershed systems as integrated management units. Field implementation results have not yet been realized, including the promotion of community-based watershed management (through Bottom–Up management). The purpose of our research was to determine the index numbers by measuring the level of cooperation between watershed management workers based on the Village Watershed Model (VWM) specifically surface water which includes six variables: planning, participation, institutional, fund sharing, gender, and management systems. The method used was an ordinal measure with the Likert scale. Our data showed successful watershed management, in which five of the six VWM variables—planning, participation, institutional, fund sharing, and management systems—were in the “good” category with indices ranging from 73.08 to 78.27. The gender variable index (69.12) was in the “medium” category.

The basins of the Indus and Ganges rivers cover 2.20 million km2 and are inhabited by more than a billion people. The region is under extreme pressures of population and poverty, unregulated utilization of the resources and low levels of productivity. The needs are: (1) development policies that are regionally differentiated to ensure resource sustainability and high productivity; (2) immediate development and implementation of policies for sound groundwater management and energy use; (3) improvement of the fragile food security and to broaden its base; and (4) policy changes to address land fragmentation and improved infrastructure. Meeting these needs will help to improve productivity, reduce rural poverty and improve overall human development.

Ethiopia's policy of large dam construction in the Blue Nile River basin is evaluated by simulating the impact of one downscaled midrange climate change scenario (A1B) on the performance of existing and planned irrigation and hydropower schemes. The simulation finds that by 2100: 1) average basin-wide irrigation demand will increase; 2) annual hydroelectricity generation will be just 60% of potential; and 3) flow at the Ethiopia-Sudan border will be reduced from 1661 m3/s to 1301 m3/s as a consequence of climate change in combination with upstream water resource development. Adaptation to climate change and development must be considered together.

Use of a pilot-scale fixed-film bioreactor was investigated for remediation of bromate contamination within groundwater. Bromate reduction with stoichiometric production of bromide was observed, providing supporting evidence for complete reduction of bromate with no production of stable intermediates. Reduction of 87-90% bromate from an influent concentration of 1.1 mg L(-1) was observed with retention times of 40-80 h. Lower retention times led to decreases in bromate reduction capability, with 11.5% removal at a 10 h retention time. Nitrate reduction of 76-99% from a 30.7 mg L(-1) as NO(3)(-) influent was observed at retention times of 10-80 h, although an increase in nitrite production to 2.7 mg L(-1) occurred with a 10 h retention time. Backwashing was not required, with the large plastic packing media able to accommodate biomass accumulation without decreases in operational efficiency. This study has provided proof of concept and demonstrated the potential of biological bromate reduction by fixed-film processes for remediation of a bromate contaminated groundwater source.

The phosphate (P) fertilizer industry generates a highly hazardous and acidic wastewater. The present study reports the evaluation of an integrated precipitation and Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) process for the treatment of fertilizer plant wastewater and effluent detoxification, assessed by microtoxicity and seed germination tests. Effluent samples were collected from a local P fertilizer industry and were characterized by their high fluoride and P content. First, the samples were pre‐treated by precipitation of P and fluoride ions using hydrated lime. The resulting low‐fluoride and phosphorus effluent was then treated with the EBPR process to monitor the simultaneous removal of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Phosphorus removal included a two‐stage anaerobic/aerobic system operating under continuous flow. Pre‐treated wastewater was added to the activated sludge and operated for 160 days in the reactor. The operating strategy included increasing the organic loading rate from 0.3 to 1.2 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L day. The stable and high removal rates of COD, NH4+‐N, and PO43−‐P were then recorded. The mean concentrations of the influent were approximately 3600 mg COD/L, 60 mg N/L and 14 mg P/L, which corresponded to removal efficiencies of approximately 98%, 86%, and 92%, respectively. The microtoxicity of the treated wastewater was then monitored by LUMIStox and its phytotoxicity was investigated on cress, tomato, wheat, maize, ryegrass, and alfalfa seed germination. LUMIStox tests showed that treatment allowed a significant toxicity removal. Moreover, the untreated wastewater inhibited the species germination even when diluted 10 times, whereas a positive effect of treated wastewater was noticed. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 463–471, 2014

In resource-constrained settings, the recovery of nutrients and the production of energy from liquid and solid waste are important. We determined the range and magnitude of potential community health impacts of six solid and liquid waste recovery and reuse business models in Hanoi, Vietnam.We employed a health impact assessment (HIA) approach using secondary data obtained from various sources supplemented with primary data collection. For determining the direction (positive or negative) and magnitude of potential health impacts in the population, a semiquantitative impact assessment was pursued.From a public health perspective, wastewater reuse for inland fish farming, coupled with on-site water treatment has considerable potential for individual and community-level health benefits. One of the business models investigated (i.e. dry fuel manufacturing with agro-waste) resulted in net negative health impacts.In Hanoi, the reuse of liquid and solid waste-as a mean to recover water and nutrients and to produce energy-has considerable potential for health benefits if appropriately managed and tailored to local contexts. Our HIA methodology provides an evidence-based decision-support tool for identification and promotion of business models for implementation in Hanoi.

AbstractSulfate reduction in salt‐rich wastewaters using unadapted granular sludge was investigated in 0.9 L UASB reactors (pH 7.0 ± 0.2; hydraulic retention time from 8–14 h) fed with acetate, propionate, or ethanol at organic loading rates up to 10 gCOD.L−1.day−1 and in excess sulfate (COD/SO of 0.5). High‐rate sulfate reduction rates (up to 3.7 gSO42‐.L−1.day−1) were achieved at salinities exceeding 50 gNaCl.L−1 and 1 gMgCl2.L−1. Sulfate reduction proceeded at a salinity of up to 70 gNaCl.L−1 and 1 gMgCl2.L−1 (corresponding to a conductivity of about 85–90 mS.cm−1), although at lower rates compared to a conductivity of 60–70 mS.cm−1. Ethanol as well as propionate were suitable substrates for sulfate reduction, with acetate and sulfide as the end products. The successful high‐rate treatment was due to the proliferation of a halotolerant incomplete oxidizing SRB population present in the unadapted inoculum sludge. Bioaugmentation of this sludge with the acetate oxidizing halotolerant SRB Desulfobacter halotolerans was unsuccessful, as the strain washed out from the UASB reactor without colonizing the UASB granules. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

China is confronted with an unprecedented water crisis regarding its quantity and quality. In this study, we quantified the dynamics of China?s embodied water use and chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharge from 2010 to 2015. The analysis was conducted with the latest available water use data across sectors in primary, secondary and tertiary industries and input?output models. The results showed that (1) China?s water crisis was alleviated under urbanisation. Urban consumption occupied the largest percentages (over 30%) of embodied water use and COD discharge, but embodied water intensities in urban consumption were far lower than those in rural consumption. (2) The ?new normal? phase witnessed the optimisation of China?s water use structures. Embodied water use in light-manufacturing and tertiary sectors increased while those in heavy-manufacturing sectors (except chemicals and transport equipment) dropped. (3) Transformation of China?s international market brought positive effects on its domestic water use. China?s water use (116?80 billion tonnes (Bts))(9) and COD discharge (3.95?2.22 million tonnes (Mts)) embodied in export tremendously decreased while its total export values (11?25 trillion CNY) soared. Furthermore, embodied water use and COD discharge in relatively low-end sectors, such as textile, started to transfer from international to domestic markets when a part of China?s production activities had been relocated to other developing countries.