Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Contribution of glaciers to water, energy and food security in mountain regions: current perspectives and future priorities

This review examines the critical role of mountain glaciers in providing water, energy, and food security for hundreds of millions of people, highlighting how accelerating glacial loss due to climate change threatens freshwater availability and calls for urgent research into adaptation strategies.

2022 Annals of Glaciology 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Urbanization and the Emerging Water Crisis: Identifying Water Scarcity and Environmental Risk with Multiple Applications in Urban Agglomerations in Western China

Researchers developed a comprehensive index system to evaluate water scarcity and environmental risk across three major urban regions in Western China. They found that rapid urbanization has significantly worsened water resource shortages and ecological vulnerability in these areas. The study provides a framework for understanding how urban growth intensifies water stress and suggests approaches for sustainable water resource management.

2023 Sustainability 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of plateau wetland ecological security and its influencing factors in multi-climatic zones: A case study of Yunnan Province

Not a microplastics paper — this study assesses the ecological security of plateau wetlands across Yunnan Province, China using a pressure-state-response model based on remote sensing data, identifying climate and human activity as key threats to these fragile ecosystems.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Human Activities on Evapotranspiration and Its Components in Arid Areas

Researchers analyzed evapotranspiration changes in arid southern Xinjiang, China from 1982 to 2015, finding that human activities such as land-use conversion significantly altered regional water cycling patterns and the balance between plant transpiration and soil evaporation.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Servicios ecosistémicos en áreas de montaña: beneficios y amenazas

This review examines the ecosystem services provided by mountain areas, including water supply, biodiversity, climate regulation, and cultural heritage, while identifying growing threats from climate change, land use intensification, and pollution. The authors argue that mountain ecosystem services are critically undervalued in national and global sustainability frameworks.

2022 Pirineos 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Deciphering geospatial variations in water quality of a perennial river for human consumption and agricultural application

Researchers analyzed geospatial variation in water quality along a perennial river to assess human health risks from drinking water exposure, identifying hotspots of contamination exceeding safety thresholds. The study provides a risk-based framework for prioritizing water treatment interventions.

2024 Water Practice & Technology
Article Tier 2

Regulated Ecosystem Services Trade-Offs: Synergy Research and Driver Identification in the Vegetation Restoration Area of the Middle Stream of the Yellow River

Researchers evaluated synergies and trade-offs among net primary productivity, soil conservation, and water yield ecosystem services in the vegetation restoration area of the middle Yellow River over a 20-year period (2000-2020), identifying precipitation and land use change as the dominant drivers of ecosystem service relationships in this arid and semi-arid restoration region.

2022 Remote Sensing 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of Matching Degree between Precipitation and Maize Water Requirement to Climate Change in China

This study examined how climate change is altering the matching between precipitation timing and maize water requirements across China's monsoon region. Changes in intra-annual precipitation distribution and extreme weather frequency were found to affect crop water availability, with significant implications for food security.

2024 Agronomy 7 citations
Article Tier 2

The value of data in reducing uncertainty in mountain groundwater modeling

Scientists studied underground water in mountain areas, which are important sources of drinking water for people living in valleys. They found that these underground water sources are getting contaminated with harmful substances like pharmaceuticals, PFAS chemicals, and microplastics from sewage that isn't properly treated. The research shows that better monitoring and modeling of these water systems could help protect this crucial drinking water source from contamination that threatens human health.

2026
Article Tier 2

Response Time of Vegetation to Drought in Weihe River Basin, China

This is a hydrology study analyzing how vegetation in China's Weihe River Basin responds to drought using satellite vegetation indices; it is not a microplastics research paper.

2023 Atmosphere 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Farmland change and its implications in the Three River Region of Tibet during recent 20 years

This study analyzed how farmland in Tibet's Three River Region has changed over the past 20 years, finding rapid shifts driven by economic development. Protecting limited high-altitude farmland is important for food security and regional stability in this ecologically sensitive area.

2022 PLoS ONE 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Soil Erosion Risk from Runoffs under Arid and Semi-arid Climate Zones in Africa

Researchers investigated water erosion dynamics in the semi-arid Isser watershed of northwestern Algeria, finding that soil aridification due to global warming increases cracking and reduces infiltration rates, which paradoxically intensifies flooding risk in arid regions despite apparent dryness.

2025 International Journal of Plant & Soil Science
Article Tier 2

Groundwater–Surface Water Interactions: Recent Advances and Interdisciplinary Challenges

This review covers recent advances in understanding groundwater–surface water interactions, including their importance for drinking water security and contaminant transport, and argues for interdisciplinary approaches that combine hydrology, ecology, and geochemistry.

2020 Water 101 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Climate Variation and Anthropogenic Activity on Karst Spring Discharge Based on the Wavelet Coherence Analysis and the Multivariate Statistical

Researchers analyzed climate variation and human activity effects on karst spring discharge using wavelet coherence analysis, finding that anthropogenic factors including land-use changes increasingly influence groundwater dynamics alongside natural climate variability.

2023 Sustainability 9 citations
Article Tier 2

How to Make Cities Get across “The Valley of Death”? Exploring the Ecological Index System and Index Correlation of Green Cities

This paper examines how cities can navigate ecological security challenges from climate change and unexpected disasters by implementing green urban development strategies. The analysis of urban ecological security frameworks informs the design of more resilient cities that can simultaneously address environmental pollution and climate adaptation.

2023 Systems
Article Tier 2

Willingness to pay for water ecosystem services in a river basin of the in South America largest semi-arid region

This study measured willingness to pay for water ecosystem services in a Brazilian semi-arid watershed, finding meaningful public support for conservation. The results support policies that fund watershed protection in water-stressed regions.

2022 Nova Economia 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Using species distribution modelling to identify ‘coldspots’ for conservation of freshwater fishes under a changing climate

Species distribution modeling was used to project future habitat suitability for freshwater fish in southwestern Australia under climate change scenarios, finding that increased temperatures and drought would reduce suitable habitat for several native species. The study evaluates whether existing freshwater reserves will remain effective for conservation as climate conditions shift.

2022 Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological Zoning Based on Value–Risk in the Wuling Mountains Area of Hunan Province

Researchers assessed ecological zoning in China's Wuling Mountains region based on ecosystem service value and ecological risk from 2000 to 2020. They found that both overall ecosystem value and ecological risk increased over the study period, with forests providing over 77% of the total ecosystem service value. The study provides a framework for ecological planning that accounts for environmental risks, including those from pollution and land use changes.

2024 Sustainability 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Groundwater Replenishment through Aquifer Recharge with Treated Wastewater: Enhancing  Water Security in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions

**TLDR:** Scientists found that carefully treated wastewater can be safely used to refill underground water sources in desert regions like Saudi Arabia, potentially reducing water shortages by 30%. However, the treated wastewater needs extra cleaning to remove harmful substances like microplastics and excess nutrients before being pumped underground. This could help provide cleaner, more reliable drinking water in dry areas where people are running out of groundwater.

2026
Article Tier 2

Enhancing groundwater recharge in drinking water protection zones in Flanders (Belgium): A novel approach to assess stormwater managed aquifer recharge potential

Researchers developed a model to estimate how much stormwater runoff in Flanders, Belgium could be directed underground to recharge drinking water aquifers, finding it could supplement natural recharge by an average of 17%. The study suggests urban stormwater harvesting is an underutilized tool for protecting drinking water supplies, though water quality risks need further investigation.

2024 Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies 7 citations