Article
Environmental Sciences
Mayra Rodriguez, Guangtao Fu, David Butler, Zhiguo Yuan, Lauren Cook
Summary: This study presents a top-down method to quantify resilience performance in combined sewer systems (CSS) by expanding the existing Global Resilience Analysis. It establishes a link between threats and impacts through continuous and long-term simulation, and introduces eight new metrics to assess CSO discharge impacts. A case study in Fehraltorf, Switzerland demonstrates that green infrastructure enhances CSS resilience, with green roofs being the most effective type and the downstream outfall displaying the highest resilience enhancement. This approach provides a standardized approach for resilience assessment and informs the development of strategies for CSO discharge reduction and CSS resilience enhancement.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gerald Schernewski, Hagen Radtke, Rahel Hauk, Christian Baresel, Mikael Olshammar, Sonja Oberbeckmann
Summary: Urban sewage water pathways, especially stormwater runoff and wastewater treatment plants, are significant sources of microplastics emissions to the Baltic Sea. Coastal emissions contribute around 50% of the total microplastics emissions, and reducing sewer overflow and implementing tertiary treatment at WWTPs could substantially decrease emissions to the sea.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tiziana Venditto, Kyriakos Manoli, Ajay K. Ray, Siva Sarathy
Summary: An efficient and cost-competitive treatment for CSO using UV disinfection was developed in this study. Pre-treatment and micro-sieve filtration were shown to significantly reduce suspended solids content and increase UV transmittance, with a microbial inactivation model developed to describe the decrease in fecal coliforms. The proposed treatment showed a reduction in TSS and FC, with cost analysis suggesting competitiveness with current treatment strategies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ahmad Alshami, Moustafa Elsayed, Saeed Reza Mohandes, Ahmed Farouk Kineber, Tarek Zayed, Ashraf Alyanbaawi, Mohammed Magdy Hamed
Summary: This study models the performance of sewage networks in Hong Kong under different blockage situations using internet-of-things-based technologies. The study collects data using smart sensors, utilizes data mining techniques, and conducts simulation. The results show the impact of blockages on the network's performance and the effectiveness of cleaning work. This study provides important insights for environmental engineers and decision-makers in reducing sewer overflow and improving the environment.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dazhen Zhang, Xin Dong, Siyu Zeng
Summary: This study investigates the impact of system structure on resilience in a combined sewer system through a large-scale computational experiment. The number of CSO outfalls is identified as a key factor affecting resilience, while the size of CSO outfall sub-catchments also plays a role. The highest achievable resilience level increases as the number of CSO outfalls decreases, leading to a decrease in system cost.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chen Shen, Haishan Xia, Xin Fu, Xinhao Wang, Weiping Wang
Summary: This study investigates the performance of sewer systems and proposes three retrofit scenarios based on critical components, showing that vulnerable parts of the sewer system and suitable locations for green infrastructure can be identified by considering their impact on system performance. The results indicate that green infrastructure and a combination of green infrastructure and grey infrastructure perform better than pipe enlargement in mitigating inundation, especially during long-duration rainfall, highlighting the need to consider sewer behavior and local rainfall characteristics for effective stormwater management.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Gang Lu, Lin Wang
Summary: Conventional stormwater management infrastructures lack sustainability due to urbanization and climate change, while green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is seen as a more sustainable alternative. An integrated framework for GSI planning is developed, focusing on facility and ecosystem aspects to improve the provision of ecosystem services and enhance ecosystem resilience.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xin Fu, Matthew E. Hopton, Xinhao Wang
Summary: Green infrastructure (GI) is recognized for its benefits in reducing flooding risk, improving water quality, and harvesting stormwater. However, there is a lack of comprehensive assessment framework in existing literature to evaluate GI performance in promoting ecosystem functions and services for social-ecological system resilience.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gerald Schernewski, Hagen Radtke, Esther Robbe, Mirco Haseler, Rahel Hauk, Lisa Meyer, Sarah Piehl, Joana Riedel, Matthias Labrenz
Summary: The study aimed to assess whether a comprehensive approach linking existing knowledge with monitoring and modeling can provide an improved insight into coastal and marine plastics pollution. Results showed that sewage overflow and stormwater are important pathways for plastic emissions, and the concentration of visible plastics decreases with increasing distance from the estuary.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Matthew Bizer, Christine J. Kirchhoff
Summary: Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) occur when untreated raw sewage mixed with rainwater, runoff, or snowmelt is released during or after a storm in any community with a combined sewer system (CSS). This study aims to provide CSS communities with tools to assess the performance of their CSS systems over time, especially in evaluating efforts to reduce CSOs. A new critical rainfall intensity threshold and a multiple linear regression model are identified and used to predict CSO incidence and volume based on rainfall event characteristics.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jan Philip Nickel, Frank Sacher, Stephan Fuchs
Summary: This study provides comprehensive data on pollutant concentrations in German urban wastewater systems, including WWTP effluents and CSOs. It analyzes the occurrence, concentration ranges, and removal rates of various substances, highlighting the significance of CSOs as a pathway for metals and PAH to receiving waters. The derived site mean concentrations can be useful for estimating average substance emissions in large areas where site-specific data is lacking, aiding in the development of strategies to reduce substance emissions from both WWTPs and stormwater-related discharges.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alisha Yee Chan, Honghyok Kim, Michelle L. Bell
Summary: Mosquito borne diseases are becoming more problematic due to climate change. The study found that stormwater control measures may reduce the increase of Culex mosquitoes after heavy rainfall.
Article
Water Resources
Soo Bin Chun, Zhenduo Zhu, Seyed Hamed Ghodsi
Summary: This study predicts the occurrence of combined sewer overflow (CSO) in cities by analyzing rainfall event characteristics, and determines that rainfall depth is the best predictor. Results show that the prediction accuracy for rainfall depth and maximum intensity ranges from 80% to 100%, while rainfall duration is not a good predictor. Combining the three characteristics slightly improves the average prediction accuracy from 93% to 95%.
URBAN WATER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Achira Amur, Bridget Wadzuk, Robert Traver
Summary: The study examined the long-term response of a bioinfiltration rain garden to different rainfall events and found that the existing design standards did not fully consider the variety of storms experienced. The findings provide lessons for the design and policy standards of green infrastructure.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lena Mutzner, Viviane Furrer, Helene Castebrunet, Ulrich Dittmer, Stephan Fuchs, Wolfgang Gernjak, Marie-Christine Gromaire, Andreas Matzinger, Peter Steen Mikkelsen, William R. Selbig, Luca Vezzaro
Summary: Urban wet-weather discharges from combined sewer overflows and stormwater outlets can pose a threat to surface waters. Despite efforts to monitor micropollutants, the information is limited and scattered. Our data-driven analysis identified the most relevant micropollutants and determined the minimum number of data needed for reliable concentration estimates. We also provided recommendations for future monitoring campaigns.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ahjond Garmestani, J. B. Ruhl, Brian C. Chaffin, Robin K. Craig, Helena F. M. W. van Rijswick, David G. Angeler, Carl Folke, Lance Gunderson, Dirac Twidwell, Craig R. Allen
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryan D. Batt, Tarsha Eason, Ahjond Garmestani
Letter
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robin K. Craig, J. B. Ruhl, Ahjond Garmestani
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Ahjond Garmestani, Dirac Twidwell, David G. Angeler, Shana Sundstrom, Chris Barichievy, Brian C. Chaffin, Tarsha Eason, Nick Graham, Dean Granholm, Lance Gunderson, Melinda Knutson, Kirsty L. Nash, R. John Nelson, Magnus Nystrom, Trisha L. Spanbauer, Craig A. Stow, Craig R. Allen
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tarsha Eason, Ahjond Garmestani, David G. Angeler
Summary: Studying ecosystem dynamics is critical for monitoring and managing linked systems of humans and nature. Resilience-based approaches, such as Fisher Information, have been effective in capturing spatiotemporal patterns and identifying critical transitions in social-ecological systems. This study demonstrates the utility of Fisher Information in assessing the condition of Swedish lakes and identifying distinct spatial patterns.
Article
Environmental Studies
Aurelie Lalanne, Shana Sundstrom, Ahjond Garmestani
Summary: This article examines the distribution of city sizes in regional urban systems in France and challenges the prevailing assumption of continuous city size distributions. The study finds that the distribution of city sizes is discontinuous, consisting of groups of similarly sized cities separated by gaps. The location and number of discontinuities remain stable over time, suggesting a conservative process of size class formation independent of societal disturbances.
Article
Environmental Studies
Sarah Clement, Javad Jozaei, Michael Mitchell, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani
Summary: Effective governance of social-ecological systems (SES) is challenging in coastal environments due to climate change impacts. Resilience is commonly proposed for re-orienting governance, but its application in coastal governance research is inconsistent. This study analyzes discourse and interviews in Tasmania, Australia, revealing confusion and inconsistency in framing resilience. The third framing, social-ecological resilience, is valued by coastal managers but its unclear use in research and policy needs to be addressed for more effective coastal governance.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Murray W. Scown, Frances E. Dunn, Stefan C. Dekker, Detlef P. van Vuuren, Sitar Karabil, Edwin H. Sutanudjaja, Maria J. Santos, Philip S. J. Minderhoud, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Hans Middelkoop
Summary: Deltas, with their large populations and productive croplands, are crucial for global sustainable development. However, they face multiple pressures due to their low-lying position between river basin development and rising seas. These pressures could undermine the persistence of delta societies, economies, and ecosystems.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Murray W. Scown, Robin K. Craig, Craig R. Allen, Lance Gunderson, David G. Angeler, Jorge H. Garcia, Ahjond Garmestani
Summary: The United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs) represent societal aspirations, but have received criticism and may benefit from a social-ecological resilience approach. SDGs related to the environment have the strongest connections to resilience, but ecological factors are lacking. The next global development agenda should build on SDG strengths and address gaps in ecological resilience.
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ahjond Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Lance Gunderson, J. B. Ruhl
Summary: Adaptive management is an approach for managing social-ecological systems in uncertain and controllable environments. Considering spatial and temporal scales is important to regulate the effects of management actions. Combining multiscale adaptive management with the panarchy model can improve the management of social-ecological systems.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Javad Jozaei, Wen-Ching Chuang, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond Garmestani
Summary: Our analysis shows that the framing of social vulnerability is influenced by a narrow definition of resilience, which does not consider the dynamics and non-stationarity of social-ecological systems. Incorporating social-ecological resilience into social vulnerability analysis can improve coastal governance by accounting for adaptation and transformation, as well as scale and cross-scale interactions.
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dustin L. Herrmann, Kirsten Schwarz, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Tarsha Eason, Ahjond Garmestani
Summary: Iterative scenarios is a systems management approach that combines the advantages of adaptive management and scenario planning, suitable for situations with high uncertainty about management outcomes in social-ecological systems. This approach demonstrates effectiveness in dealing with the complexity faced by management.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond Garmestani, Lance Gunderson, Richard K. Johnson
Summary: The key challenge of the Anthropocene is to manage the complexity of human and natural systems. Panarchy theory emphasizes multiscale organization and dynamic system structure. Research suggests that liming may not be sufficient to create a self-organizing lake regime.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
David G. Angeler, Brian C. Chaffin, Shana M. Sundstrom, Ahiond Garmestani, Kevin L. Pope, Daniel R. Uden, Dirac Twidiell, Craig R. Allen
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wen-Ching Chuang, Tarsha Eason, Ahjond Garmestani, Caleb Roberts
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2019)