Water use in the transboundary basin of the Amur river

This paper summarizes the problems and consequences associated with water use in the Russian and Chinese parts of the Amur river basin. Taking into consideration the set of indicators involving the water withdrawal, the utilization of source water, the volumes of recirculated and repeated-consecutive water supply, the volumes of waste waters, the capacity of pollution control facilities, etc., an outline is given of the present status of water use in the national parts of the basin. The future amounts of water consumption are forecasted, and it is shown how it will increase in the Russian as well as the Chinese parts. An analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of water-use indicators revealed the differently directed tendencies in the water-use pattern in the Russian and Chinese parts of the Amur river basin, and the existence of quantitative disproportions caused by a different degree of development and a different intensity of economic growth. In the Russian part of the basin, the amounts of water used have stabilized in recent years after a decrease, whereas they are increasing steadily in the Chinese and Russian parts where the highest proportion of water is used to meet agricultural and production needs, respectively. It is shown that water use, the density of the water-economy structure and the discharges of pollutants in the Chinese part of the basin are larger by factors of several tens than those in the Russian part. The manufacture of water-intensive industrial products and the load of agriculture on water resources also differ by factors of several tens. The indicator of population size is used to characterize the degree of development of the basin’s territory. For the Russian part of the basin the study revealed a dependence of water consumption on the population size and on the volumes of water-intensive products in the production facilities with a low coefficient of recirculated water use. This dependence can also be extended to the Chinese part where circulated water supplies are being used only moderately.     

The fuel and energy complex of the Russia-Kazakhstan transboundary region: Present state and development prospects

We examine the fuel and energy complex of the transboundary territories of Russia and Kazakhstan. An analysis is made of the trend of development of alternative energy. The issue related to the availability of the regions’ own energy resources and power generating capacities is discussed.     

The water balance of the Selenga river basin

The averaged amounts of atmospheric precipitation, river runoff and evaporation are estimated for the Selenga river basin, including the territory of Mongolia. The results of calculations are represented by point estimates of mathematical of the balance components, and by confidence intervals of their values.     

Forest resources of the Selenga river basin

This paper discusses some issues relating to the present state of forest resources and forest utilization within the Selenga river basin on the trans-boundary territory of the Republic of Buryatia and Mongolia, their transformation due to economic exploitation, ecologoeconomic problems, and the avenues for their solution.     

GIS-based urban modelling: practices,problems, and prospects

This paper reviews the practices, problems, and prospects of GISbased urban modelling. The author argues that current stand-alone and various loose/tight coupling approaches for GIS-based urban modelling are essentially technology-driven without adequate justification and verification for the urban models being implemented. The absolute view of space and time embodied in the current generation of GIS also imposes constraints on the type of new urban models that can be developed. By reframing the future research agenda from a geographical information science (GISci) perspective, the author contends that the integration of urban modelling with GIS must proceed with the development of new models for the informational cities, the incorporation of multi-dimensional concepts of space and time in GIS, and the further extension of the feature-based model to implement these new urban models and spatial-temporal concepts according to the emerging interoperable paradigm. GISci-based urban modelling will not only espouse new computational models and implementation strategies that are computing platform independent but also liberate us from the constraints of existing urban models and the rigid spatial-temporal framework embedded in the current generation of GIS, and enable us to think above and beyond the technical issues that have occupied us during the past ten years.     

The persistent water problems of Lima,Peru: Neoliberalism,institutional failures and social inequalities

The contingent relation between water governance and nature neoliberalization has defined most interventions in the water sector around the world in recent years. In the case of the Peruvian capital Lima, the provision of water and sanitation services in the last two decades has been the object of investments and institutional reforms strongly influenced by economic neoliberalism. This essay examines the evolution of these neoliberalizing tendencies, noting the internal disputes, necessary adjustments and underlying problems of water sufficiency in the metropolitan region. The empirical results suggest that, rather than a straightforward process, the neoliberalization of water in Lima has advanced according to political opportunities and technico‐operational constraints. The water reforms implemented in the 1990s – when the goal of privatization met political opposition – can be contrasted with the more recent phase in the 2000s, when more flexible mechanisms, such as public‐private partnerships, have facilitated public acceptance. Despite the renovation of the infrastructure, the modernization of the water sector has failed to address persistent water management problems, namely the discriminatory treatment of low income residents, the chaotic expansion of the metropolitan area and the risk of future water shortages.     

Analysis of the structure of river systems and the prospects for modeling hydrological processes

We consider the results derived in Russia from investigating the structure of river systems for the period 1960–1980. Some generally available sources of digital models of the relief, and the main algorithms for processing them are described. We provide an example of analyzing the hydrographic network of the Komarovka river basin in order to develop the technique of objective digitizing and correct determination of a first-order water stream.     

Cellular modelling of river catchments and reaches: Advantages, limitations and prospects

The last decade has witnessed the development of a series of cellular models that simulate the processes operating within river channels and drive their geomorphic evolution. Their proliferation can be partly attributed to the relative simplicity of cellular models and their ability to address some of the shortcomings of other numerical models. By using relaxed interpretations of the equations determining fluid flow, cellular models allow rapid solutions of water depths and velocities. These can then be used to drive (usually) conventional sediment transport relations to determine erosion and deposition and alter the channel form. The key advance of using these physically based yet simplified approaches is that they allow us to apply models to a range of spatial scales (1–100 km²) and time periods (1–100 years) that are especially relevant to contemporary management and fluvial studies.However, these approaches are not without their limitations and technical problems. This paper reviews the findings of nearly 10 years of research into modelling fluvial systems with cellular techniques, principally focusing on improvements in routing water and how fluvial erosion and deposition (including lateral erosion) are represented. These ideas are illustrated using sample simulations of the River Teifi, Wales. A detailed case study is then presented, demonstrating how cellular models can explore the interactions between vegetation and the morphological dynamics of the braided Waitaki River, New Zealand. Finally, difficulties associated with model validation and the problems, prospects and future issues important to the further development and application of these cellular fluvial models are outlined.     

青藏高原黑碳气溶胶外源传输及气候效应模拟研究进展与展望

青藏高原毗邻全球大气污染物排放增长最快速的地区,受西风和南亚季风的影响,中亚、南亚等高原周边排放的污染物通过大气环流传输,进入高原并对其气候环境产生重要影响。观测事实表明：近几十年青藏高原东部和南部雪冰中黑碳含量呈显著上升趋势,这可能导致冰川加速融化和积雪持续时间缩短,最终影响青藏高原的水循环过程。前人对青藏高原黑碳的外源输送,特别是南亚大气污染物的贡献及其对高原气候、冰冻圈变化的影响,还没有较清晰和统一的认识。青藏高原污染物定点监测网络的发展及高分辨率区域气候—大气化学模式的应用,为定量评估高原污染物外源输送及气候效应提供了契机。本文在国家自然科学基金青年科学基金项目“南亚黑碳气溶胶跨境传输及其对青藏高原气候影响的数值模拟研究”的资助下,在以下三个方面取得了进展：①系统性论证了高分辨率区域气候—大气化学模式在高原的适用性,模拟了青藏高原及周边区域黑碳时空分布、传输和沉降过程;②揭示了污染物扩散的机制,评估了大气黑碳的气候及雪冰效应,并对比了自然源粉尘和人为源黑碳对青藏高原气候的影响;③定量估算了不同区域排放对高原黑碳外源输送的贡献率,其中来自南亚的黑碳对青藏高原外源输送的贡献率最高,在非季风期为61.3%,季风期为19.4%。本文揭示了外源输送黑碳对青藏高原气候的影响,为提高一带一路核心区冰冻圈与水资源的管理及预测能力,制定应对环境变化策略及国家气候外交谈判提供科学依据。     

开都河天山出山径流量年际变化特征与洪水频率分析

随着塔里木河流域近期综合治理的深入进行,其源流之一开都河径流的变化与其趋势已逐渐成为国内外科学家关注的热点问题。当前塔里木河干流下游的生态恢复在较大程度上依赖开都河,利用开都河丰水期向塔河下游进行应急输水的方式短期是可行的,长期实施则潜伏着危机。如果在开都河进入水文枯水期时进行输水,则不仅影响开都河流域的生态环境,还将影响塔河下游“绿色走廊”治理目标的实现。因此,根据开都河近50年水文资料,利用滑动平均、频率分析等方法,分析了开都河径流量、洪峰流量的年际变化特征和规律。结果表明:开都河丰枯水期变化较平稳,1987年后其出径流量呈增加的趋势。同时,还计算出了不同重现期的洪峰设计值。     

国际河流流域国的合作——以红河流域为例

本文首先对国际河流流域国的合作进行简单介绍，分析了国际河流作为一个系统整体行动所具有的动力特征是多目标协调，最后，进一步分析了促成各流域国之间合作的动力因素和阻力因素，并概括了通常情况下国际河流争端解决的途径。     

Hydrologo-morphological approach to regionalization of the Selenga river basin

We examine the evolutionary stages of scientific views on the formation history of the delta plain of the Selenga river and adjacent territories, based on cartographic material and national investigations spanning the period 1701?C2009. We suggest the regionalization of the Selenga river from hydromorphometric attributes of erosion-accumulation, abrasion-accumulation and neotectonic processes. The study is based on comparing topographic maps, guides for navigation and space images (1898?C2009) as well as on experimental data obtained by the authors.     

Development of the settlement system in the Lithuanian SSR: results,problems, and prospects

"The authors analyze the factors, results, problems, and prospects of the development of a system of settlement in the Lithuanian SSR, a laboratory of sorts for settlement policy in the Soviet Union. Particular attention is devoted to the formation of an inter-rayon settlement system integrating urban and rural settlements. Several methodological and conceptual approaches to the study of settlement systems are examined in this context."     

The evolution of the transboundary Evros river delta (Northeast Aegean Sea) under human intervention: a seven-decade analysis

ABSTRACT

The Evros deltaic plain (North Aegean Sea, Greece) covers an area of 188 km² and is shared by Greece and Turkey by its current main channel. This paper investigates deltaic plain evolution during the last seven decades (1945–2017), taking into consideration human interventions and their impacts on deltaic processes. Outcomes indicate that the construction of more than 25 major dams in the Evros River catchment resulted in >80% reduction in fluvial suspended load. Moreover, the alignment and relocation of the main distributary channel to the southeast was accompanied by the transformation of >40% of the deltaic plain to agricultural land. The combination of human interventions supports the coastline advance of the active main mouth (current rate of 3.9 *10^?3 km²/yr), retreat of the old (abandoned) Evros mouth (current rate 7.7 *10^?3 km²/yr), and signs of remarkable vulnerability in the middle mouth area.     

地理学发展视角下的历史流域研究

流域是地理学研究的重要区域单元,是区域响应的敏感区和研究热点,许多地区的自然灾害与人为损害都与流域的历史演变紧密相关。近年来出现的历史流域研究,就是对这种现象进行科学规律探寻的反映。由于这一研究涉及到自然、历史、社会、文化、管理、生态等多学科领域,枝叶浩繁。因此,仅从地理学发展的视角,揭示流域研究的地理特征、流域演变多种因素的相互作用,以及人类发展与历史流域的耦合关系。历史流域研究也具备地理学研究和发展的特点,具有综合性、历史演变性、空间相对稳定性、应用性等研究特征。在地理学发展视角下开展历史流域研究,对拓展地理研究思维,具有一定的实践意义,为流域的综合管理和可持续发展提供科学依据。     

试析安哥拉卡宾达飞地的跨界族群问题及治理困境

跨界族群以及由此造成的分离主义运动一直是民族学、社会学与国际关系等学科研究的重点议题。本研究对安哥拉卡宾达飞地分离主义运动的研究着重探讨特殊地理位置为安哥拉政府带来的治理困境。对卡宾达分离主义运动的发展历史进行回顾,发现跨界族群问题是卡宾达分离主义运动产生的根源,而飞地属性则从不同角度增加了安哥拉在治理该问题上的难度,主要表现为未能使当地人产生对安哥拉的国家认同,大幅降低了外部干涉难度以及难以满足该地居民的发展诉求。本研究还认为跨界族群的分离主义思潮看似合理,但其文化特殊性并不一定能转化为分离主义运动的政治合理性。虽然非洲国家很多现有边界存在不合理之处,但对它的改变未必能让跨界族群获得更好的社会经济发展。另外,边界对分离主义组织运行模式的影响也是一个值得深入研究的议题。     

Chemical composition of glacial meltwaters and river waters within the Aktru river basin (Gornyi Altai)

An assessment was made of the mean levels of major and trace elements and of biogenic and organic matter in glacial and river waters within the Aktru river basin (Gornyi Altai, Russia). The analysis showed a general tendency for an increase in mineralization along the direction from the region of alimentation of glaciers to the mouth of the river. A relatively abrupt increase was revealed in Al, Zn, Cu, Pb, Si, NO₂ ^? and NH₄ ⁺ concentrations in the source of the Aktru river and its glacial tributaries, with their subsequent decrease downstream. The mechanism for such changes is governed by the conditions of interaction of rocks with meltwaters and river waters.     

雅鲁藏布江流域降水时空变化特征

雅鲁藏布江流域是全球气候变化的敏感区,该流域降水变化对青藏高原的水系统、生态系统和山地灾害系统的演变具有重要影响。本文通过流域水文分析,将雅鲁藏布江流域的三大水资源区细分为9个分区。基于雅鲁藏布江流域1979—2018年降水数据,综合分析了雅鲁藏布江流域及9个分区的年、干湿季、月降水量以及日、小时尺度极端降水的时空变化特征,探讨了降水和典型大尺度大气环流因子的相关性。结果表明：① 1979—2018年间,在流域尺度上,各时间尺度降水整体上均呈上升趋势。其中,年降水量上升趋势最大,为2.5 mm·a^-1;年、干湿季降水量以及典型小时尺度极端降水（Rx3hour、Rx12hour）均在95%信度水平下显著上升。在水资源分区尺度上,各分区不同时间尺度降水的变化趋势呈现更明显的非一致性,所有分区除小时尺度极端降水均呈上升趋势外,其余时间尺度降水的趋势变化方向各异。② 雅鲁藏布江流域降水存在明显的空间分异性,且降水空间分异性会随着降水指标时间尺度的缩短而增强。各时间尺度降水整体上均呈现出自东部向西部逐渐减少的趋势,流域东南部（分区Ⅲ-2）始终是高值中心,流域中西部（分区Ⅰ-2、Ⅱ-1）存在区域性高值中心。③ 北半球副热带高压和北半球极涡对雅鲁藏布江流域降水变化具有显著影响。研究结果有助于掌握当地降水的多尺度变化特征,可为雅鲁藏布江流域和青藏高原地区的水循环研究、水资源开发利用和山洪灾害防治等提供科学基础。