International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology
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Resident’s Perceptions towards the Economic, Socio-Cultural, and Environmental Impacts of Tourism: A Case Study of Nathiagali, District Abbottabad, Pakistan: Resident’s Perceptions towards the Economic, Socio-Cultural, and Environmental Impacts of Tourism: A Case Study of Nathiagali, District Abbottabad, Pakistan
No full textThe tourism industry poses both favorable and unfavorable consequences to the local communities of touristdestinations. This study aims to analyze the economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism on the hostcommunity in Nathiagali. In this study, the data were collected through structured questionnaires from 200 residents ofthe selected tourist destinations. The study applied factor analysis approach for empirical results. It is found that thelocal community perceives positive and significant economic and social impacts from tourism in the form of job orbusiness opportunities, raising the standard of living and infrastructural development in the area. On the other hand,tourism brings environmental threats including health hazards from air and noise pollution, environmental degradation,and traffic congestion issues for the local community. Based on the results, it is recommended that appropriate policiesare needed at the government and local levels to get maximum benefits from tourism in Nathiagali, Pakistan.
Keywords: Local community perceptions, tourism, factor analysis
Exploration of Shallow Geothermal Energy Aquifers by Using Electrical Resistivity Survey in Laki Range Jamshoro district Sindh, Pakistan: Exploration of Shallow Geothermal Energy Aquifers by Using Electrical Resistivity Survey in Laki Range Jamshoro district Sindh, Pakistan
No full textGeothermal water is increasingly used around the world for its exploitation. Bulk electrical resistivitydifferences can bring significant information on variation of subsurface geothermal aquifer characteristics. Theelectrical resistivity survey was carried out in Laki range in lower Indus basin in the study area to explore thesubsurface geothermal aquifers. The Schlumberger electrode configuration with range from 2 m to 220 m depth wasapplied. Three prominent locations of hot springs were selected including Laki Shah Saddar, Lalbagh and Kai hotspring near Sehwan city. After processing resistivity image data, two hot water geothermal aquifers were delineated atLaki Shah Sadder hot springs. The depth of first aquifer was 56 m and its thickness 38 m in the limestones. The depthof second aquifer of 190 m and with thickness of 96 m hosted in limestone. In Lalbagh hot springs two geothermalaquifers were delineated on the basis of apparent resistivity contrast, the depth of first aquifer zone in sandstone was insandstone 15 m and thickness 12 m, while the depth of second aquifer was 61m and thickness was 35m. In Kai hotsprings two hot water geothermal aquifers were delineated. The depth of first geothermal aquifer was 21m andthickness was 18 m and the depth of second aquifer was 105 m and thickness was 61m present in sandstone lithology.Present work demonstrates the capability of electrical resistivity images to study the potential of geothermal energy inshallow aquifers. These outcomes could potentially lead to a number of practical applications, such as the monitoring orthe design of shallow geothermal systems.
Keywords: Hot springs, apparent resistivity, vertical electrical sounding, Laki Range, Jamshoro
Adaptation Strategies in Response to the Effect of Climate Change on Tomato Production
Full text linkClimate change is one of the largest challenge of this century. Globally, climate change causes drops in yield for their most valuable crops, particularly in developing countries. Afghanistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the negative consequences of climate change. Tomato cultivation is a means of livelihood for most farmers in Afghanistan. The aim of this study was to assess the adaptation strategies on tomato production in response to the impact of climate change in Ghazni province. The study findings indicate a rise in both maximum and minimum temperatures, combined with a decline in annual precipitation over the ten years (2008-2017) period in an unreliable seasonal distribution. The study found that the occurrence of pests and diseases had a substantial impact on tomato production due to climate change. Present study highlights the role of climate variables in the production of tomatoes (temperature and precipitation) while controlling other confounding factors. Selection of crop variety according to climate change and planting time are the two adaptation methods to cope up with the drastic change in the climate to retain the productivity to some extent.
Keywords: Climate change, adaptation strategies, tomato production.
 
Index-based Approach in Relation to Built-up and LST Dynamics; A Study of Lahore, Pakistan
Full text linkIn 21st century, cities outpaced in size and also in density due to development of economic sector. Consequently, the wide spread expansion of urban areas is resulting in the loss of productive green cover and water bodies. Therefore, realizing this alarming situation, the present study is aimed to investigate and evaluate the pattern of urban expansion by considering two major land cover types (i) built-up area (ii) other classes (vegetation, waterbody, soil etc.) during the last six years (2015-2020). For this study Sentinel imagery was acquired from USGS Earth Explorer, while Modis Terra images were acquired from World View NASA. New built-up area index (NBUI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), worldview water index (WV-WI) and land surface temperature (LST) were calculated in order to analyze variations in Lahore’s major land cover types and its varying temperature patterns. Spatial analysis presented the obvious impacts of land development on Lahore. NBUI indicated that the built-up area has increased drastically from 34.0% in 2015 to 84.2% in 2020; NDVI analysis depicted a decline from 0.76% to 0.73%, in the green spaces of Lahore during the study period; WV-WI portrayed inconsistent values of water bodies, a gift of massive rise in the built-up area in Lahore. LST results presented that the temperature was 42.21°C in 2015, which simultaneously increased and recorded at 49.51°C in 2020. The increase in LST exhibited the alarming situation for urban environment and can become threat to increase the air pollution level in Lahore. Therefore, this study will serve as a snapshot for policy makers to control the menace of unplanned urbanization by formulating stringent policies to protect environment. Keywords: Lahore environment, smog, urban heat island, urban transformation
Appraisal of Water Quality Measurements for Canal and Tube Well Water Systems for Agriculture Irrigation in Rechna Doab, Pakistan: Appraisal of Water Quality Measurements for Canal and Tube Well Water Systems for Agriculture Irrigation in Rechna Doab, Pakistan
No full textThe present study was an attempt to assess the surface and ground water quality for irrigation suitability inRechna Doab. Irrigation water quality at canals and tube well water were analyzed by physicochemical parametersincluding pH, Electric Conductivity (EC), important cations such as Calcium (Ca2+) Magnesium (Mg2+), Potassium (K+),Sodium (Na+), important anions such as Chloride (Cl-), Bicarbonate (HCO3 -), Sulphate (SO42-), three heavy metals including Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni) and Copper (Cu). Twelve water samples were collected from the main canals (Lower Gogera canal, Jhang branch canal and Rakh branch canal) while fifty water samples were collected from the tube wells. Statistically, data were analyzed by generating correlation coefficients. Canal water quality parameters i.e. Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Magnesium Adsorption Ratio (MAR), Sodium Percentage (Na %), Kelly Ratio (KR), Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP), Residual Sodium Bicarbonate (RSBC), Permeability Index (PI) and Potential Salinity (PS) with their mean values 0.16,38.18, 8.03, 0.08, 10.17, 0.08, 28.34 and 0.024 respectively were calculated. Piper and Durov diagrammatic representations provided the suitability of the canal water regarding ionic composition. Results revealed that the status of the canal water was fit for agriculture. On the contrary, the data about Electric Conductivity (EC), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) and Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) of tube well water (with their maximum values 4.80, 29.65 and 13.60, respectively) was exceeding the FAO limits owing of sodium hazards. Thus, the scenario of groundwater is alarming due to unfit status of tube well water regarding irrigation purposes. Out of total 50 water samples of tube wells, 11 samples were found to be fit. While 39 samples were unfit for crop irrigation. Geo-statistical analysis was performed by using Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) technique created in Arc map.
Keywords: Surface and ground water quality, Physiochemical parameters, Irrigation quality indices
Spatial and Temporal Variations of Temperature in the Punjab Province, Pakistan: Spatial and Temporal Variations of Temperature in the Punjab Province, Pakistan
No full textIdentifying the temperature change at a regional level is one of the essential parameters to determine theintensity of climate change. The current investigation provides an examination of changing trends of temperature in thePunjab province from 1970 to 2019. Sen's slope estimator method is applied to monthly data of mean temperature(Tmean), maximum temperature (Tmax), and minimum temperature (Tmin) to calculate the rate of temperature change.Statistical methods were used to find out the level of significance in terms of negative or positive trends to examine thevariability among various weather observatories. Moreover, predicted values have also been observed for a detailedanalysis of temperature variability and trends. Significant and pronounced changes in the mean temperature (T mean)are distinguished all over the Punjab regions with an increasing trend from North to South Punjab. In the case ofmaximum temperature (Tmax), a faster rate of rising in temperature is observed over the Southern and Western regionsof Punjab. In contrast, the minimum temperature (Tmin) shows an increasing trend in Central Punjab. The findingsprovide detailed insight to policymakers for the planning of mitigating efforts and adaptation strategies in response toclimate change.
Keywords: Change rate, planning and adaptation, seasonal temperature, predicted, regions
A Comparison Between Schlumberger and Wenner Configurations in Delineating Subsurface Water Bearing Zones: A Case Study of Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
Full text linkThe Schlumberger and Wenner Electrical Resistivity Survey techniques have been used in comparison for the determination of groundwater potential in District Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The terameter SAS4000 with accessories was used for data acquisition. The data were processed by employing IPI2WIN software to determine the depth, thickness and true resistivity of the subsurface layers. The present study indicated the subsurface depth coverage of Schlumberger configuration is greater than Wenner configuration. The apparent resistivity maps using both Wenner and Schlumberger techniques at the same locations have been prepared at 3m, 4m, 9m, 10m, 27m, 30m, 50m, 51m, 100m, and 150m depths respectively for groundwater assessment. The differences in resistivity contour closures, in both types of maps, arise due to lateral variations of subsurface lithology. Longitudinal conductance, transverse resistance and anisotropic maps were also prepared. The different contour closures in the Wenner map were due to mixed lithology of alluvium with variable water contents. The subsurface geology i.e. clay, sandstone boulder clay, and dry sandy soil were interpreted which are in close agreement with the surface geology of the area. The aquifers of the project area are designated as confined and unconfined good water potential indicated by low values of resistivity. The water-bearing strata consist of sand, gravel, boulder clay and sandy clay
Assessment of Spatial Distribution of Waste Bins in Karachi Through GIS Techniques: Assessment of Spatial Distribution of Waste Bins in Karachi Through GIS Techniques
No full textKarachi has been facing various issues of municipal solid waste management. In the early 1960s, Karachiwas the centre of leisure, now it has stretched out due to its increasing population. However, due to insufficientfacilities and ineffective strategies, issues related to waste management are also increasing. For the problems related towaste management, the fundamental units available are municipal trash bins. In this study, 409 GPS point data ofcollection points of waste have been assembled from various areas of Karachi for assessment of the spatial distributionof waste bins. A spatial variation of distance between the trash bins is also identified through ArcGIS 10.3.1cartography tool of generalization, which aggregates the points of trash bins by making polygon shape of the samedistance. Globally, Geospatial techniques are used for changing the system of waste management. This is the first studythat assessed the suitable distance of bins placement in the area under focus. The results revealed that there are noprinciples acquired by the government for the placement of trash bins with appropriate distance. In many towns ofKarachi like Landhi and Korangi, bins are absent which impels people to throw their trash anywhere in the city.
Keywords: Aggregate point; bins placement distance, geospatial techniques, kernel density, municipal solid waste, container size.
Changes in the Occupational Health and Safety Behavior in 21st Century Mining in Turkey
Full text linkWhile striving to increase human well-being, new risks will continue to appear in return for this effort. Although, the technology offers innovations, it has also brought new challenges with it. The need for raw materials has increased, due to the effort of people to increase their luxury and quality of life. Thus, there have been revolutions in mining and mechanization has increased for more production. Although the number of employees decreased with the increase in the number of machines, people who started working with the machines met new problems. Increasing mechanization in mining has created new dangers. Every mining activity where precautions are weak has also created major problems for human health. With the emergence of the principles and increase in the application of occupational health and safety, their problems have decreased and people have achieved a healthier living environment
Microbial Contamination in Drinking Water of Saggiyan-Lahore, Pakistan: Microbial Contamination in Drinking Water of Saggiyan-Lahore, Pakistan
No full textThe present study was carried to evaluate the physico-chemical parameters and microbial contamination ofdrinking water in the area of Saggiyan, Lahore. The tested water samples (S1-S30) were found to contain 199.6-402mg/L TDS, 196-260 ppm EC, 196-260 ppm Hardness, 0.8-17 NTU turbidity, 169-290 mg/L alkalinity, 0-0.1 ppbarsenic and 0-0.1 ppm fluoride contents. 95% of the water samples were found contaminated with fecal coliforms while27% of the samples had shown the presence of E. coli. Though the physico-chemical parameters of most watersamples were found in the safe limits of WHO, however, the presence of microbial contamination rendered it nonsuitable for drinking purposes.
Keywords: Microbial contamination, drinking water, most probable number (mpn), coliform