• Energy Research

Floods are among the most frequent and deadliest natural disasters, and the magnitude and frequency of floods is expected to increase. Therefore, the effects of different flood risk management options need to be evaluated. In this study, afforestation, permeable concrete implementation, and the use of dry and wet retention reservoirs were tested as possible options for urban flood risk reduction in a case study involving the Glinščica river catchment (Slovenia). Additionally, the effect of dry and wet reservoirs was investigated at a larger (catchment) scale. Results showed that in the case of afforestation and permeable concrete, large areas are required to achieve notable peak discharge reduction (from a catchment scale point of view). The costs related to the implementation of such measures could be relatively high, and may become even higher than the potential benefits related to the multifunctionality and multi-purpose opportunities of such measures. On the other hand, dry and wet retention reservoirs could provide more significant peak discharge reductions; if appropriate locations are available, such reservoirs could be implemented at acceptable costs for decision makers. However, the results of this study show that reservoir effects quickly reduce with scale. This means that while these measures can have significant local effects, they may have only a minor impact at larger scales. We found that this was also the case for the afforestation and permeable concrete.

One of the major challenges in hydrological research for estimating design flood events is accounting for the influence of climate change. These changes are reflected in increasingly frequent and intense fluctuations in river water regimes and sediment transport, indirectly affecting riverbed erosion processes. Therefore, assessing the long-term impacts on the lifespan of hydraulic structures (e.g., bridges) is crucial, requiring a comprehensive analysis of the interrelationship between climate change indicators, flood wave characteristics (including peak flow and hydrograph shape), and local riverbed erosion.The SERIOUS project (Synthetic dEsign hydrographs undeR current and future clImate for local bridge scOUr aSsessment) aims to methodologically link synthetic design hydrographs (SDH) derived from statistical bivariate analysis under current and projected future climate conditions in the continental parts of the Danube River basin to the assessment of climate change impacts on bridge scour at selected pilot sites. The project objectives are to: (1) establish a methodological framework for determining control SDH based on literature reviews and available data in selected pilot areas; (2) apply and improve supervised and/or unsupervised machine learning algorithms to categorize different SDH types based on their shapes and/or topologies; (3) calibrate a regional hydrological model to evaluate climate change projections using historical discharge and water level data from the selected pilot areas; (4) investigate changes in SDH under climate change projections; and (5) develop a methodological framework for evaluating climate change impacts on bridge scour depth. These objectives are supported by the IAHS "Helping Decade" initiative (Working Group 11.1). The proposed project is expected to improve methodologies for determining SDH, serving as critical inputs for designing various engineering structures. Acknowledgment:This work has been supported in part by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project SERIOUS (IP-2024-05-1497) and the “Young Researchers’ Career Development Project – Training New Doctoral Students” (DOK-2020-01-5354).

This paper describes the data gathered for a paper published in Earth-Science Reviews (DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104339) to address the problem of studies using incorrect equations to calculate rainfall erosivity (R factor), which can lead to issues related to land degradation, soil productivity loss, and biodiversity loss. The aim was to locate articles containing the incorrect equations and create a relational database that could be used to perform an in-depth analysis of the errors. Because the search target is an equation, it is impossible to directly query any literature database for the articles that contain the incorrect R equations. Therefore, a manual search of multiple databases was conducted. Subsequently, the literature search was broadened to identify the origin of the misuse of the R equations, and SQL (Structured Query Language) queries were formulated to understand why the errors continued to persist for a minimum of 33 years. The resulting entity-relationship-based Microsoft Access database was determined to be a valuable tool for performing in-depth analysis. It can be used to add incorrect studies and perform further analysis. It is suggested that further research should be conducted to determine the extent of the impact of these errors on soil erosion, ecosystems, and the environment.

It is not clear how projected climate change will impact the hydrological functioning of complex catchments that have significant karst characteristics. Therefore, in this paper we focused on the investigation of the low- and high-flow characteristics of the karst Ljubljanica River catchment. One smaller (51 km2) and one larger (1135 km2) catchment were selected in order to investigate the projected climate change impact on the hydrological conditions. For the investigation of the hydrological situation in the future, we used a lumped conceptual hydrological model. The model was calibrated using past measured daily data. Using the calibrated model, we investigated the impact of five different climate models outputs for the moderately optimistic scenario (RCP4.5). We investigated the situation in next 30-years periods: 2011–2040, 2041–2070, and 2071–2100. Several low and high-flow indices were calculated and compared. The results indicate that a summer precipitation decrease (i.e., 2011–2070) could lead to lower low-flow values for the investigated areas, which could increase the vulnerability of karst areas. Thus, additional focus should be given to water resource management in karst areas. On the other hand, mean flow could increase in the future. The same also applies for the high-flows where flood frequency analysis results indicate that a climate adaptation factor could be used for the hydrotechnical engineering design. However, differences among investigated models are large and show large variability among investigated cases.

Back in the 1930s, the aphorism “publish or perish” first appeared in an academic context. Today, this phrase is becoming a harsh reality in several academic environments, and scientists are giving increasing attention to publishing and disseminating their scientific work. Soil erosion modelers make no exception. With the introduction of the bibliometric field, the evaluation of the impact of a piece of scientific work becomes more articulated. The post-publication impact of the research became an important aspect too. In this study, we analyse the outreach and the impact of the literature on soil erosion modelling using the altmetric database, i.e., Altmetric. In our analysis, we use only a small fraction (around 15%) of Global Applications of Soil Erosion Modelling Tracker (GASEMT) papers because only 257 papers out of 1697 had an Altmetric Score (AS) larger than 0. We observed that media and policy documents mentioned more frequently literature dealing with global-scale assessments and future projection studies than local-scale ones. Papers that are frequently cited by researchers do not necessarily also yield high media and policy outreach. The GASEMT papers that had an AS larger than 0 were, on average, mentioned by one policy document and five Twitter users and had 100 Mendeley readers. Only around 5% and 9% of papers with AS > 0 appeared in news articles and blogs, respectively. However, this percentage was around 45% for Twitter and policy mentions. The top GASEMT paper’s upper bound was around 1 million Twitter followers, while this number was around 10,000 for the 10th ranked GASEMT paper. The exponentially increasing trend for erosion modelling papers having an AS has been confirmed, as during the last 3 years (2014–2017), we estimated that the number of entries had doubled compared to 2011–2014 and quadrupled if we compare it with 2008–2011.

Pour mieux comprendre l'application mondiale des modèles de prédiction de l'érosion des sols, nous avons examiné de manière approfondie la littérature de recherche pertinente évaluée par des pairs sur la modélisation de l'érosion des sols publiée entre 1994 et 2017. Nous avons cherché à identifier (i) les processus et les modèles les plus fréquemment abordés dans la littérature, (ii) les régions dans lesquelles les modèles sont principalement appliqués, (iii) les régions qui restent non traitées et pourquoi, et (iv) la fréquence des études menées pour valider/évaluer les résultats des modèles par rapport aux données mesurées. Pour mener à bien cette tâche, nous avons combiné les connaissances collectives de 67 scientifiques spécialistes de l'érosion des sols de 25 pays. La base de données résultante, intitulée « Global Applications of Soil Erosion Modelling Tracker (GASEMT) », comprend 3030 enregistrements de modélisation individuels provenant de 126 pays, englobant tous les continents (à l'exception de l'Antarctique). Sur les 8471 articles identifiés comme potentiellement pertinents, nous avons examiné 1697 articles appropriés et systématiquement évalué et transféré 42 attributs pertinents dans la base de données. Cette base de données GASEMT fournit des informations complètes sur l'état de l'art des modèles d'érosion des sols et des applications de modèles dans le monde entier. Cette base de données vise à soutenir la prochaine évaluation mondiale de l'érosion des sols par les Nations Unies basée sur les pays, en plus d'aider à éclairer les priorités de recherche sur l'érosion des sols en construisant une base pour de futures analyses ciblées et approfondies. GASEMT est une base de données open-source à la disposition de l'ensemble de la communauté des utilisateurs pour développer la recherche, corriger les erreurs et faire des extensions futures. Para comprender mejor la aplicación global de los modelos de predicción de la erosión del suelo, revisamos exhaustivamente la literatura de investigación relevante revisada por pares sobre modelos de erosión del suelo publicada entre 1994 y 2017. Nuestro objetivo fue identificar (i) los procesos y modelos abordados con mayor frecuencia en la literatura, (ii) las regiones dentro de las cuales se aplican principalmente los modelos, (iii) las regiones que permanecen sin abordar y por qué, y (iv) con qué frecuencia se realizan estudios para validar/evaluar los resultados del modelo en relación con los datos medidos. Para realizar esta tarea, combinamos el conocimiento colectivo de 67 científicos de erosión de suelos de 25 países. La base de datos resultante, denominada 'Global Applications of Soil Erosion Modelling Tracker (GASEMT)', incluye 3030 registros de modelado individuales de 126 países, que abarcan todos los continentes (excepto la Antártida). De los 8471 artículos identificados como potencialmente relevantes, revisamos 1697 artículos apropiados y evaluamos y transferimos sistemáticamente 42 atributos relevantes a la base de datos. Esta base de datos GASEMT proporciona información integral sobre el estado del arte de los modelos de erosión del suelo y las aplicaciones de modelos en todo el mundo. Esta base de datos tiene la intención de apoyar la próxima evaluación mundial de la erosión del suelo de las Naciones Unidas basada en los países, además de ayudar a informar las prioridades de investigación de la erosión del suelo mediante la creación de una base para futuros análisis específicos y en profundidad. GASEMT es una base de datos de código abierto disponible para toda la comunidad de usuarios para desarrollar investigaciones, rectificar errores y realizar futuras expansiones. To gain a better understanding of the global application of soil erosion prediction models, we comprehensively reviewed relevant peer-reviewed research literature on soil-erosion modelling published between 1994 and 2017. We aimed to identify (i) the processes and models most frequently addressed in the literature, (ii) the regions within which models are primarily applied, (iii) the regions which remain unaddressed and why, and (iv) how frequently studies are conducted to validate/evaluate model outcomes relative to measured data. To perform this task, we combined the collective knowledge of 67 soil-erosion scientists from 25 countries. The resulting database, named 'Global Applications of Soil Erosion Modelling Tracker (GASEMT)', includes 3030 individual modelling records from 126 countries, encompassing all continents (except Antarctica). Out of the 8471 articles identified as potentially relevant, we reviewed 1697 appropriate articles and systematically evaluated and transferred 42 relevant attributes into the database. This GASEMT database provides comprehensive insights into the state-of-the-art of soil- erosion models and model applications worldwide. This database intends to support the upcoming country-based United Nations global soil-erosion assessment in addition to helping to inform soil erosion research priorities by building a foundation for future targeted, in-depth analyses. GASEMT is an open-source database available to the entire user-community to develop research, rectify errors, and make future expansions. للحصول على فهم أفضل للتطبيق العالمي لنماذج التنبؤ بتآكل التربة، قمنا بمراجعة شاملة للأدبيات البحثية ذات الصلة التي استعرضها الأقران حول نمذجة تآكل التربة المنشورة بين عامي 1994 و 2017. كنا نهدف إلى تحديد (1) العمليات والنماذج التي يتم تناولها بشكل متكرر في الأدبيات، (2) المناطق التي يتم فيها تطبيق النماذج في المقام الأول، (3) المناطق التي لا تزال دون معالجة ولماذا، و (4) عدد المرات التي يتم فيها إجراء دراسات للتحقق من صحة/تقييم نتائج النموذج بالنسبة للبيانات المقاسة. لأداء هذه المهمة، جمعنا المعرفة الجماعية لـ 67 عالمًا في مجال تآكل التربة من 25 دولة. تتضمن قاعدة البيانات الناتجة، المسماة "التطبيقات العالمية لتتبع نمذجة تآكل التربة (GASEMT )"، 3030 سجل نمذجة فردي من 126 دولة، تشمل جميع القارات (باستثناء القارة القطبية الجنوبية). من بين 8471 مقالة تم تحديدها على أنها ذات صلة محتملة، قمنا بمراجعة 1697 مقالة مناسبة وقمنا بتقييم ونقل 42 سمة ذات صلة بشكل منهجي إلى قاعدة البيانات. توفر قاعدة بيانات GASEMT هذه رؤى شاملة حول أحدث نماذج تآكل التربة وتطبيقات النماذج في جميع أنحاء العالم. تهدف قاعدة البيانات هذه إلى دعم التقييم العالمي المقبل لتآكل التربة الذي تجريه الأمم المتحدة على المستوى القطري بالإضافة إلى المساعدة في توجيه أولويات أبحاث تآكل التربة من خلال بناء أساس للتحليلات المتعمقة المستهدفة في المستقبل. GASEMT هي قاعدة بيانات مفتوحة المصدر متاحة لمجتمع المستخدمين بأكمله لتطوير البحث وتصحيح الأخطاء وإجراء التوسعات المستقبلية.