1,720,966 research outputs found
Does Non-conventional Water Use Impact the Performance of Irrigation Communities in Water-Scarce Regions?
No full textIrrigation Communities (ICs) are pivotal to sustainable agricultural water management, especially in water-scarce regions like the Mediterranean. To address increasing water scarcity, many ICs have incorporated Non-Conventional Water (NCW) sources, such as reclaimed and desalinated water, into their strategies. However, their impact on IC performance remains largely unexplored. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by examining the relationship between NCW use and IC performance in 19 communities across the Region of Murcia (southeastern Spain), one of Europe’s driest areas. A benchmarking framework based on eight key performance indicators covering operational, economicf inancial, productive, and environmental dimensions was applied. Principal component analysis reduced dimensionality, followed by agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis to group ICs with similar performance. Finally, multiple regression analysis was applied to identify the main determinants of performance. Results reveal substantial heterogeneity in IC performance. The best-performing ICs excelled in operational and financial indicators but showed low productivity, while the second-best group, comprising the largest and most modernized ICs, achieved high water-use efficiency and productivity despite experiencing water supply variability and applying deficit irrigation. Although NCW improves crop water availability and overall performance, its higher costs (particularly for desalination) negatively impact gross margin. Ensuring the long-term viability of NCW requires advancements in treatment technologies, renewable energy integration, and supportive governance. The study offers valuable insights for ICs and policymakers in other semi-arid regions facing similar water challenges
Do non-conventional water resources lead to a better performance of irrigation communities? A comparative analysis between the regions of Murcia (Spain) and Apulia (Italy).
No full textIn a context of growing global water demands, plus climate change affecting water resources availability, non-conventional water sources (like reclaimed water and desalinated seawater) are emerging as promising water supply alternatives. Given that agriculture is the major contributor to water withdrawals, this study analyzes if the use of non-conventional water for irrigation leads to a better performance of irrigation communities (ICs). To do so, the research includes several ICs from the Segura River Basin (southeast of Spain), a region with structural water deficit, which is pioneer regarding the use of non-conventional water; as well as ICs from the Apulia region (southeast of Italy), which also suffers from water scarcity problems, but is less experienced regarding the use of non-conventional water. A benchmarking analysis was carried out, based on a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as irrigation efficiency, guarantee of water supply, energy costs or gross margin, among others. This methodology has been previously used in the framework of the water and drainage sector. Also, a Principal Component Analysis and Clustering Analysis were applied to explore potential dissimilarities between the studied ICs and their causes. Finally, a regression analysis was carried out to observe if the use of non-conventional water has any effects on the performance of the studied ICs. The results of this research may help to increase knowledge regarding the pros and cons of using these non-conventional water resources, depending on the socioeconomic, environmental and geographical context. This way, this study would contribute to promoting the use of non-conventional water in other regions, leaning towards a more sustainable use of water resources and, consequently, protecting and preserving water ecosystems
Does using non-conventional water sources lead to better performance of Water Users Associations? A benchmarking analysis of water-scarce regions
No full textTo face a growing water demand in a context of water scarcity plus climate change, non-conventional sources (e.g. reclaimed water, desalinated seawater) emerge as promising supply alternatives. Given the major role of agriculture in water use, this study analyzes if using of non-conventional water sources leads to better performance of Water Users Associations (WUAs). To do so, the research includes WUAs from Murcia (Spain) and Apulia (Italy), namely drought-prone regions with structural water deficit, and different levels of experience regarding the use of non-conventional water. First, a comparative benchmarking analysis was carried out to assess WUAs performance. Second, a Principal Component Analysis and Clustering Analysis were applied, to explore dissimilarities between WUAs and their causes. Finally, a regression model was estimated to observe if the use of non-conventional water has any effects on WUAs’ performance. The study contributes to increase knowledge about pros and cons of using non-conventional water sources
DOES NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER USE IMPACT THE PERFORMANCE OF IRRIGATION COMMUNITIES IN WATER-SCARCE REGIONS?
No full textIrrigation Communities (ICs) are crucial for sustainable water management in arid regions like the Mediterranean. To address water scarcity, many ICs have integrated non-conventional water (NCW) sources, such as reclaimed
and desalinated water. This study examines the impact of NCW on IC performance using benchmarking, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis across 19 ICs in Murcia, Spain, from 2019 to 2021. Results show significant variability: top-performing ICs excel in operational and financial aspects but struggle with productivity, while larger, modernized ICs achieve high water efficiency despite supply variability and deficit irrigation. Regression analysis confirms that NCW enhances water supply reliability and overall IC performance but increases
costs, particularly through desalination, which reduces gross margins. Despite these challenges, NCW is vital for regional water security. Achieving long-term sustainability will require technological improvements, renewable energy adoption, and supportive governance to reduce costs and enhance resilience against water scarcity
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Are Non-Conventional Water Resources the Solution for the Structural Water Deficit in Mediterranean Agriculture? The Case of the Segura River Basin in Spain
No full textThe water sustainability of the Segura River Basin (SRB), located in southeastern Spain, is being challenged as conventional available water sources fall short of meeting the authorised demands of the basin. In recent years, non-conventional water (NCW), such as desalinated and reclaimed water, has become part of the resource pool. However, it has not yet become crucial for irrigation water supply due to its relatively high cost and lower quality compared to conventional water. The new political framework in Spain, developed in the context of ecological transition, marks a notable shift for non-conventional water as a strategic resource for agriculture. This study examines the drivers and barriers influencing its acceptance through an analysis of farmers’ perceptions, conducted through interviews with twelve irrigation communities’ (ICs) representatives of the basin. Discriminant analyses of the data show that the farmers’ experience, along with factors pertaining to production, storage, and transportation costs, determines the acceptance and use of NCW.This publication is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the State Research Agency, as part of the Project ‘The contribution of water REuse to a resourCe-efficient and sustainabLe wAter manageMent for irrigatiOn’ (RECLAMO). Grant No. PID2019-104340RA-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.Peer reviewe
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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